Dear visitor,
Since its inception Vodafail.com has made a significant
contribution towards raising awareness of the problems and issues faced
by Vodafone customers.
Vodafone Australia customers have had the opportunity to voice their concerns, their fears and their troubles from every corner of Australia and beyond our borders.
You have gathered the courage to stand up for your rights as consumers and to make your voice heard.
Each and every person who shared their story should have a sense of pride in this achievement and the changes that have occurred since the start of Vodafail.com.
More recently, traffic to Vodafail.com has declined significantly.
Having achieved the goal of raising awareness and promoting concrete action in early 2011, we have now reached the point of closing Vodafail to new complaints.
The site will remain online for as long as possible as a
reminder and an example of what is possible when we share our experiences.
It has been a privilege to run this initiative
and I'm am forever grateful for the help and support I've received. In
particular I would like to thank Melissa, David and Travis for their
continued efforts over the past 15 months. I'm also thankful and humbled by the support of ACCAN, Choice magazine and a wide range of media outlets, blogs and websites.
You can still browse existing stories and find out how to file a complaint if you are experiencing problems.
Until next time,
Adam Brimo
Highest Rated Pain Stories
Stories are displayed on this page if they have been rated by four or more people and have a rating of over 60%.
Locations
| Everywhere (238) | ACT (17) | NSW (86) | NT (2) | QLD (40) | SA (9) | Somewhere else (3) | TAS (7) | VIC (53) | WA (21) |
6809 Someone from TAS thinks vodafone is Life and death fail. at 28 Dec 2010 04:51:26 PM
I moved back to Tassie to work in a hospital - I was berated when I didn't answer my phone for a call in to an emergency. Funnily enough, the phone never rang - and the voicemail arrived over a week later. I moved to Telstra so that I could actually USE my phone - and Vodafone still hit me with a $600 exit fee, despite their admission that their coverage was "poor" in my area.
30 Dec 2010 03:34:59 PM: OPTUS Hobart coverage is not much better. I broke a virgin contract when moving adress, was lucky to get one bar, when on Vodafone full coverage at home.
2389 Someone from TAS thinks vodafone is 80 at 27 Dec 2010 12:48:15 PM
I have a Vodaphone USB WiFi stick that I thought would be better cost wise than tethering to my Telstra HTC. Bad bad move. Poor value due to the fact that I have never had a constant connection. Vodaphone have told me it is my location/my computer/the fact that I live in Tasmania etc etc. Fact, as I look at the signal strength of the WiFi stick right now, I have 1 bar, despite being 150M from a tower!!!
On a positive note, I happen to comment on my issue to a (Australian) Telstra call center operator and they instantly gave me 3GB of free data on my plan.
Kinda says it all!
On a positive note, I happen to comment on my issue to a (Australian) Telstra call center operator and they instantly gave me 3GB of free data on my plan.
Kinda says it all!
27 Dec 2010 06:44:31 PM: Good comment. I struggled using anything voda, now I have a telstra iPhone 4, USB broadband and everything, and it just WORKS all the time. With the other providers they suck you in with 'cheap' prices, voda sales guy told me I only had to pay $69 for my mobile plan, never got a bill below $100, now I've got an iPhone 4 with telstra and for 5 months paid for the $79 cap each bill and I got a faster service with a better phone. And if you ever need service, you can always find a store close by.
5 Jan 2011 02:19:01 PM: i want that!! i should be sending vodafone my doctor bills for the stress they cause me!
5406 Someone from TAS thinks vodafone is Poor at 27 Dec 2010 09:58:46 PM
I have been with Vodafone for 4 years now and te only reason i stay is because of the cap plan and not changing my phone number. I cant make phone calls in the shopping centro's in Glenorchy, i try to send pictures and they turn up days later, i cant video call half the time to my parents ( it says it doesn't support it but then will work 10 mins later). I cant get proper reception at Brighton and i get NO reception in Collinsvale ( i use to get perfect reception). Hurry up March so i can find another plan!
27 Dec 2010 10:04:33 PM: Guess what? I had the same problem AT THEIR OWN SHOP IN SHOPPING CENTER IN EPPING, VICTORIA! I took the hand set to 3/Vodafone shop and show them, they thought I was joking until they saw it. Even the people could not believe it! The phone was turn off 3 time to reset and still could not find their network. This is really not good enough!
27 Dec 2010 10:07:22 PM: I tried changing my number - from plan to pre paid service within Vodafone. It took three months and I recieved a double bill the whole time. When someone finally took me seriously enough to refund my money they refunded it as credit on the canceled account and then charged me postage for the paper bill even though I had opted for paperless billing. It's easier to get a new number.
10902 Someone from TAS thinks vodafone is Wheres the Upgrades? at 6 Jan 2011 12:47:47 PM
According to the Vodafone website (Network Issues/Upgrades) there is no mention of upgrades of the network for Tasmania for 2011. Has Tassie been forgotten again, poor 'regional' Tassie, always has to miss out. But maybe they can justify this by saying they have good reception here (at the Call Centre!)
6 Jan 2011 02:48:25 PM: I noticed this myself, and commented down the bottom of the blog in which I found the network upgrade page regarding this. I checked the blog again this morning and quite a few of the comments including mine (which included no swearing or abuse) had been deleted. Obviously we HAVE been forgotten and Vodafail can't take the criticism for it.
7 Jan 2011 09:59:16 PM: Uh guys....if you would care to actually read the page you will find that the listed upgrades on the website are for "between January and March 2011".
It's no wonder Tasmanians are thought of as being backward...
It's no wonder Tasmanians are thought of as being backward...
8 Jan 2011 10:05:11 AM: Well they could make us feel as though they are thinking of us, if only to say they are considering 'upgrades' outside of the January to March time frame. Then there is the matter of Vodafone removing/deleting customers comments relating to this...
8 Jan 2011 02:35:30 PM: WTF are you on man? Vodafone as a company have nothing to do with this site.
Unless of course you're talking about their own site, in which case, anybody who runs an online blog can reserve the right to moderate comments and remove those that are considered to be abusive, trolling attempts etc. You see it on Whirlpool all the time.
Has it ever occurred to you that they may actually be going through an assessment process to determine what upgrades happen, where they happen and when they happen? It stands to reason that the areas facing the biggest problems will get done first.
The state of Tasmania has less than a quarter of the population of the city of Sydney, so do you think that the number or percentage of people having problems is going to be anywhere nere comparable? Of course it's not.
Tasmania's turn will come.
Unless of course you're talking about their own site, in which case, anybody who runs an online blog can reserve the right to moderate comments and remove those that are considered to be abusive, trolling attempts etc. You see it on Whirlpool all the time.
Has it ever occurred to you that they may actually be going through an assessment process to determine what upgrades happen, where they happen and when they happen? It stands to reason that the areas facing the biggest problems will get done first.
The state of Tasmania has less than a quarter of the population of the city of Sydney, so do you think that the number or percentage of people having problems is going to be anywhere nere comparable? Of course it's not.
Tasmania's turn will come.
8 Jan 2011 06:53:53 PM: To the previous comment: I'm fairly sure the OP is talking about the Vodafone website and the blog where they posted planned network upgrades. People are calling Vodafone Vodafail, so it does get confusing sometimes. And I agree with you, they have to start somewhere when fixing stuff. There have been a few comments from people in TAS to say they are not experiencing issues, so maybe that's another reason they have not been prioritised.
11 Jan 2011 01:04:16 AM: @7 Jan 2011 11:59:16 PM Just to be clear on that, is that 2011 on the Christian Calendar?
11 Jan 2011 10:19:10 PM: http://vodafone.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3730
Look at it for yourself. Tas IS NOT listed. As for the population being less? That's a fair call. But the percentage of the population being less? Where did you learn maths? The size of a population has ABSOLUTELY NO relation to the percentage of a population. Moron.
Look at it for yourself. Tas IS NOT listed. As for the population being less? That's a fair call. But the percentage of the population being less? Where did you learn maths? The size of a population has ABSOLUTELY NO relation to the percentage of a population. Moron.
14 Jan 2011 10:47:32 PM: Guys look I agree the coverage in Tassie needs to be improved in a Lot of areas however.... I used to live on the west coast as well as cradle mountain where my only option was Telstra, after enduring countless years of overpriced plans with little value and bills upwards of $300 per month I finally moved to a location where I had a choice. Vodafone plans are the best value on the market the customer service has been in the past fantastic and I made the conscious descision to go with this company even though the network does not cover a large area of our state. I keep a Telstra pre paid sim card for places that don't have coverage to use in emergencies but honestly it doesn't get used that often. I have found however for the most consistent coverage older style phones are the best, stay away from the so called smart phones as they seem to struggle with switching between 2g and 3G networks and this is where it is dropping out, don't believe me? Try it yourself the smartest thing about smart phones is the marketing behind them
14 Jan 2011 10:49:59 PM: Smart phones work perfectly on Telstra's NextG Network (Best coverage and performance in Aus) :)
18 Jan 2011 11:28:03 AM: I use to work at Vodafone 3 or 4 years ago, back then they were talking about Tassie becomming 3G within a year - Don't hold your breath - Want FANTASTIC service, swap to Telstra - I travel around the state & only found a small spot travelling to Coles Bay the only non-reception area on my Iphone 3 & 4.
22 Jan 2011 10:03:38 AM: @ 12 Jan 2011 12:19:10 AM - Again, if you have a look at the page, it says "between January and March 2011"; why would a state be listed when there are no scheduled upgrades for that period?
As for maths and percentages, do you mean to say that (for instance) 20% of 500,000 is comparable to 20% of 3,000,000 in terms of raw numbers? FYI that is 100,000 vs 600,000. Sure, they're both 20%, but a there's a big difference when you break it down. Who's the moron now?
As for maths and percentages, do you mean to say that (for instance) 20% of 500,000 is comparable to 20% of 3,000,000 in terms of raw numbers? FYI that is 100,000 vs 600,000. Sure, they're both 20%, but a there's a big difference when you break it down. Who's the moron now?
20 Jul 2011 06:56:54 PM: well here we are in july 2011, vodaphone still useless
2408 Someone from TAS thinks vodafone is reaping what they've sowed at 27 Dec 2010 12:52:43 PM
Poor reception in Hobart CBD and surrounding suburbs - weird black spots in main shopping centres or certain suburbs.
The worst issue for me is the 3G speed. Using the speedtest app averages 2.00Mbps down and 1.0Mbps up in Melbourne CDB - Hobart CBD averages 0.10Mbps down and 0.50Mbps up.
These are not the '3G' speeds I want to be paying $79 a month for. I'd be interested to know what other people average in Tasmania.
The worst issue for me is the 3G speed. Using the speedtest app averages 2.00Mbps down and 1.0Mbps up in Melbourne CDB - Hobart CBD averages 0.10Mbps down and 0.50Mbps up.
These are not the '3G' speeds I want to be paying $79 a month for. I'd be interested to know what other people average in Tasmania.
27 Dec 2010 02:24:31 PM: Launceston= hit and miss. in the CBD its fine, out in the northern suburbs its shit. As soon as you get up near Prospect and start heading towards the NW Coast then there is no reception for over half the trip. Dodgy and intermittent on the NW Coast. It reverts to GPRS and wont work in some areas. All in all: annoying and not worth it.
27 Dec 2010 03:46:46 PM: Half the time 3G works really, really slowly in Hobart CBD and the other half of the time it's switching between 3G and EDGE. Surely someone can make Vodafone PROVE that their network is 3G and that people can USE it?
28 Dec 2010 02:45:09 PM: I generally always use gsm/edge because 3g is just not worth it, I know i will get a signal and data speeds I can deal with but 3g, I just give up... I once called VF to complain, they did not believe me, wanted me to complete a 50 question complaint feedback form thing, could not be bothered because they made reporting of outages etc too difficult. I gave up on my wireless broadband when it would create a net connection but would not transmit, either up or down...
28 Dec 2010 08:43:14 PM: Vodafone data in Hobart is absolutely crap. I have done extensive testing all over Tasmania. Actually Devonport has been the best I can get. Northern suburbs of Hobart around Brighton, Bridgewater, Gagebrook, Old Beach are a waste of time.
Telstra is better but still nowhere near their 7.2 they advertise.
Telstra is better but still nowhere near their 7.2 they advertise.
28 Dec 2010 10:47:18 PM: what would you expect in hobart im surprised you use mobiles down there i would of thought you would be putting the 6 digits on each hand to better use like playing banjoes and dynamiting catfish in the dam
29 Dec 2010 01:22:50 AM: I've been with Voda for about 3 years now, I haven't been able to get 3G on my mobile 'broadband' anywhere in Launceston, so I only use it in Melbourne where I get a 'poor' to 'good' 3G signal. I got an iPhone last year and have found I can get reception in the City and in Norwood but not in Newstead (directly between the City and Norwood!) No reception in Prospect, Hadspen, Newnham or Rocherlea apart from the occasional one bar of reception to recieve a message that can be up to three hours old. I hate the idea of going to Telstra because as far as I can see they are a major rip off. They are unwilling to match Voda's plans or caps even though they have the client base and the reception. I don't even use their home phone survice anymore. Has anyone else signed up for the 'My Say' email survey? every time they ask if I have any comments on improving their business all I badger on about is reception. I hope everyone else is doing the same.
I really hope this all makes a difference,
Tin-Tin.
I really hope this all makes a difference,
Tin-Tin.
29 Dec 2010 11:30:12 AM: i have been using vodafone internet connection for about a year now and for that that time i get nothing but a constant poor connection and alot of the time none at all i live in glebe nsw and you would think that i would get fantastic reception , i have talked to several vodafone people about this issue and still nothing gets done about . mark murray
31 Dec 2010 08:03:36 PM: no planed 3g in any of tassie.....
1 Jan 2011 06:54:36 PM: n
1 Jan 2011 07:01:39 PM: maybe mr mark murray could move elly-may and the cousins north to stay with him,knock back a cask of lambrusca and swap vodafone war stories,that would be entertaining enough ,you wont have to give yourself grief about the internet then.
7 Jan 2011 09:24:00 PM: "No planned 3G in any of Tassie...." So I guess that the "3G" on the screen of my phone and my ability to make video calls are figments of my imagination?
Granted, I get the odd drop out, but f*** me, I used to get those on Telstra too (not that you'll hear anybody admit to it on any online blogs). They can happen with any wireless network anywhere in the world.
I'll bet that you'll find that most people who are reporting problems are using new generation smartphones such as iPhone or any phone running the Android OS.
The reason that they will be having more problems than anybody else is because smartphones are constantly synchronising data in the background for various apps.
Say for the sake of the argument that a mobile tower has 50 channels available to carry voice calls, video calls, and data connections.
Voice calls only use one channel each, so that 1 tower can simultaneously handle 50 voice calls.
Video calls and data connections on the other hand, take up 2 channels each, therefore reducing the total number of simultaneous events that it is able to handle.
Most of the time you'll find anywhere up to 100 "keep up with the Joneses" types (most of whom just have to have an iPhone because it will be the answer to their coverage problems) crammed into an area that is covered by a single tower, all with their background data turned on so that their Facebook etc keep synching throughout the day.
Bang - there you have it - instant congestion.
So to those who think getting an iPhone 4 or similar phone is the answer to their problems, I'm sorry - but it isn't. By using one of these types of phones, you are in fact directly contributing towards your own problems.
For the record, yes I happen to be a Vodafone customer, but I am not (and have never been) an employee of Vodafone, although I will admit to having worked in the mobile telecommunications industry in the past.
Granted, I get the odd drop out, but f*** me, I used to get those on Telstra too (not that you'll hear anybody admit to it on any online blogs). They can happen with any wireless network anywhere in the world.
I'll bet that you'll find that most people who are reporting problems are using new generation smartphones such as iPhone or any phone running the Android OS.
The reason that they will be having more problems than anybody else is because smartphones are constantly synchronising data in the background for various apps.
Say for the sake of the argument that a mobile tower has 50 channels available to carry voice calls, video calls, and data connections.
Voice calls only use one channel each, so that 1 tower can simultaneously handle 50 voice calls.
Video calls and data connections on the other hand, take up 2 channels each, therefore reducing the total number of simultaneous events that it is able to handle.
Most of the time you'll find anywhere up to 100 "keep up with the Joneses" types (most of whom just have to have an iPhone because it will be the answer to their coverage problems) crammed into an area that is covered by a single tower, all with their background data turned on so that their Facebook etc keep synching throughout the day.
Bang - there you have it - instant congestion.
So to those who think getting an iPhone 4 or similar phone is the answer to their problems, I'm sorry - but it isn't. By using one of these types of phones, you are in fact directly contributing towards your own problems.
For the record, yes I happen to be a Vodafone customer, but I am not (and have never been) an employee of Vodafone, although I will admit to having worked in the mobile telecommunications industry in the past.
21 Jan 2011 08:47:46 PM: Mornington - lucky if we get 45kdownload on wireless internet
3416 Someone from TAS thinks vodafone is EPIC fail!!!! at 27 Dec 2010 04:09:53 PM
Shit SHIT coverage, EVEN in popular suburbian areas! Even with their wireless usb interest same thing SHIT to no coverage at all!! Receiving messages late. Calls drop out or are very shakey. COMPLETE FAIL and I will NEVER be a customer EVER again!! WASTE OF $$
14058 Someone from TAS thinks vodafone is F A I L at 21 Jan 2011 08:16:07 PM
I am sick and tired of poor service all throughout Tasmania. Upgrade the friggin' towers like you have said you would be for the past 5 years.