Impossible to cancel a subscription!

[jmscaramal]

Be careful new costumers... 

I've made a 2 year subscription with Vodafone somewhere november/2024...

Unfortunately, at Jan 2025, we decided to emigrate back to Brazil. So we sold our house, I quite my job and started canceling all the services. Everything went fine, except for Vodafone! What a huge headache!

When I contacted their store for the first time, (veldhoven centrum) I was told there would be no problem to cancel if I had a document to proof I was emigrating. So far so good, so I waited until I got the official form from the Eindhoven city hall (you can only get it 5 days before your flight (25 of April)).

On April 21, my terrible quest started...

1- April 21st: I contacted the Vodafone & Ziggo chat, and they told me they cannot cancel 'via the chat'... And asked me to fill an online form...

2- April 24th: I've filled an online form and got a mail saying they would not cancel my subscription and it would run till November 26th. 

3- May 2nd: I've contacted the ziggo & Vodafone chat again, the attendant asked me to call their number because then it would be canceled;

4- May 2nd: I've called them 4 times! And after 1h and 10min, I got 2 different answers: one guys told me I had to cancel in the chat to send the proof of emigration, the other told me I had to go to a local store. 

5- May 2nd: I get back to the Vodafone app chat, and the woman told me that that was the 'wrong chat', that I had to go that one on their contact page. That one, is NEVER available. See the attached pictures. 

6- May 2nd: I literally beg the person on Vodafone & Ziggo app to help me, and a nice woman Isis, call me back and says she'll try her best to make the cancelation happen. She opens a case in my account number, where I can follow. I see the case opened, but I can access any detail of it (number 15610226) 

6- May 7th: I check the 'case' in the website and it says 'closed', no mail no contact, no response at all from Vodafone. Simply 'closed'. 

7- May 7th: I try to contact the Vodafone app again, 2h has gone already, the attendant is asking me for an sms code that never arrives... So no support 

8- May 7th: I finally could access their website chat, and the person this time says it is not possible to cancel even though I've emigrated. So he says it is only possible to cancel if I fill the form (which I did on April 24th) again, and mention there (I've recorded everything as proof) I accept to pay the fine of 50% of everything.. 

9- May 7th: I've filled the form again and accepted the fine since at this point I see no other way to cancel this **bleep**. 

That is all of it.. At this moment I'm gathering all my proof and talking to a legal assistance company in Eindhoven, to check what can be done if this is not canceled... I want to simply close my bank account but want to check with the legal assistance company before. 

I will do my best to share this case to as much people as possible... I've never felt so unrespected by a company as I did with Vodafone... 

[Energieboy]

Wow, what an experience to end your contract when you move abroad. There is a form that can be filled out and this must be sent to Vodafone (so print it out, fill it in and send it to Vodafone, Antwoordnummer 10211, 6200XV in Maastricht).

I don't know any better than this is the right way and then you will receive a proposal from Vodafone with the amount of the redemption sum of the remaining contract and/or notice period of your agreement, in accordance with the General Terms and Conditions. I think it should be fine then. And yes, you have to buy out your subscription, which seems only logical to me if you want to end your contract prematurely.

Perhaps another tip, in case all else fails: you could also transfer your subscription to someone else?

Don't attack me, I'm just a reporter (former Vodafone customer). People from Vodafone will look with you and will be able to help you further. Please be patient for that.

**translate with Google translate**

[jmscaramal]

Thanks for the tip @Energieboy. I will wait a few days for this 'last form' I filled yesterday, I should get a mail again on a few days.

Regarding the fine, as I mentioned, at this point I also accepted it. The only reason I thought I wouldn't have to pay it, is because in all the other channels (Vodafone store (which is the reason I didn't cancel right the way, so I would wait for the city hall document), Vodafone & Ziggo chat, Vodafone call center) I was told I could show the proof and they would cancel it... 

But looking back now, I feel I was just being misleaded... If the guy from Vodafone veldhoven had told me I would have to pay the fine even if I emigrate, I would have canceled it right there.. But it was not the case... 

Regarding transferring to someone else, honestly it feels wrong with this poor person, specially now that I'm aware of how difficult it is to get in touch with the costumer service...

Anyway, I will try your letter suggestion. Thanks for the tip. And no, I'm not attacking you... 🙂 

[Judith]

Hi @jmscaramal. how unfortunate to read that you suffered headaches due to unclear communication about canceling your Vodafone subscription. Of course, with a move abroad, you already have enough worries, I'm sorry that there has been so much confusion here.
Energieboy has sent you the online form I see, has it been sent in the meantime and have you received a response? 

[jmscaramal]

Hi Judith... It is very frustrating indeed... No I didn't sent it yet, but I will. I'm traveling within Brazil and will return to my address (the same from my de registration form) tomorrow. So I will send it on Monday. 

But I did take another step meanwhile:

On May 13th, I filled a report against Vodafone at ACM ConsuWijzer (showing all my evidence of contacts) and on May 14th I got an answer from them. They told me 2 important things:

1- Vodafone should cancel my subscription in the same way I hired it, that is, ONLINE;

2- Having the proof (which I have) that I properly canceled it (which I do, now I'm summing 10 attempts),I'm not obligated to pay for their services anymore .

So based on those 2 points, I prepared a more formal and final message to Vodafone, saying all the history (the 9 attempts and the ACM report and support they are giving me), and told them that considering they do not provided me any email to communicate with them, I saw no other option than sending the message via chat, so I informed them since I filled their online form for the first time on April 24th, and got an automatic answer from them, I consider that one the request cancel date. I will respect my 30 days notice period, and will pay the monthly payment of May. After that,I'm suspending all payment requests from Vodafone.

If there is any fine I have to pay they will have to make a decent contact with me showing the detailed description, reasoning and costs, and I will rightfully pay it if I have to, but not before they make a decent contact.

That was my 10th attempt, I also recorded it together with my evidences. I sent it in their 2 different chats (Vodafone app and Vodafone website, with all the evidence attached in a document). In the app they simply ignored me and asked to call the number 0800 (so against my right of 'canceling it in the same way I hired'). 

On the Vodafone website, however, the guy read everything (including the evidence file), but still didn't solve. He said he was sorry that happened and he confirmed my second and any third 'online form' will not work, because my first one was already handled but canceled 'wrongly' at the same date of my end contract, which he recognizes is not what I wanted. So to correct THEIR mistake, I have to either call to the 0800 again (which I already did and the situation was already the same, since according to him it was in that state after my very first attempt) OR go to a local Vodafone store in Netherlands... 

So again, sending me around... But still, I will prepare the form, take a picture of it and send it with all the evidence. And will follow my plan, simply denying their payments... I'm done with this, honestly..