[Hands0n]

The story is finally out - I alluded to this in a few earlier postings but did not have the information. The lad who has been so afflicted has called me today with his tale of woe. It goes something like this (I did ask him to visit and post in his own words, he may yet choose to do so - but its important that the tale is told in any event).

He was called by P4U and offered an upgrade on a two handsets on contract that he had with Vodafone. The deal sounded appealing and he took them up on the offer. Several months elapsed (I think he said three or four) and he began to get concerned that he was not receiving any bills from Vodafone. He queried with them and they said that there had been a computer error, corrected it, and issued him with billing for four handsets. The amount was something in the region of £1,200 - not an instantly affordable amount to most folk. He then contacted Vodafone to query the billing and was told that he had, indeed, got four contracted handsets with them via P4U. He was told that the two new contract handsets were in addition and not in replacement for the existing two handsets.

He has not yet been in to see P4U but Vodafone, while appearing to be sympathetic, have not been able to offer him any resolution to his problem. His next port of call, at my advice, is to visit with the Store Manager at P4U (Gravesend if anyone's interested) and offer them the opportunity to remedy the situation.

I do think that it is entirely disingeneous at best and downright dishonest in truth for P4U to be engaging in such activity. They will no doubt deny that the contracts were mis-sold, but the fact of the matter is that one of their existing customers has been sold a 100% increase and is now in dispute with them about it.

I think that it is time for telephone sales of handset "upgrades" be halted, if not by the business then in law. There have been far too many dishonest sales made which only profit the seller and the mobile network operator.

I'd never get caught out with this simply because I am downright rude to whomever calls me with an offer of an upgrade. I tell them that I only deal face-to-face with a Mobile Network Operator's own store, no franchises or brands acceptable in my book. Advice I'd offer anyone who'd listen :D

What do you all think? Been stung? Know someone who has? Fancy being stung by the likes of P4U (shabby bunch of charletains that they are)?

[miffed]

Not meaning to sound unsympathetic to you mate , but I have never been able to relate to the idea of buying ANYTHING on the basis of a company approaching ME !! , I'll do all the approaching thanks - Whenever I buy anything , it normally involves a bit of shopping around ,and I think it is the most unlikely thing in the world that a "cold caller" is going to come and put the best deal in my lap ! - IMO this is in the realm of "Congratulations - you have won such & such ...... NEVER BUY ANYTHING FROM A COLD CALLER !!
(sorry , patronising bit over )

But ,yes - your mate has probably been ripped off - ... My mate is a P4U manager , and he did mention once that they (P4U) offer an " early upgrade" option which works like this -
You buy your new phone ,( and get a new number ) - Phones4U then work out the minimum cost of the remainder of your current contract (you would need to drop to the lowest LR option) - and give you this amount either in cashback or deducted from the cost of the Handset - so you would effectively have two contracts running , unless of course , you took your money from P4U and paid the contract off
It is possible your friend was "misled" into a situation such as this ? did he get two new numbers when he got the new handsets ?

....Of course, your mate REALLY needs to speak to P4U , it is , after all , possible that it was a genuine mistake and a box wasn't ticked or something ?

Best of luck to him anyway

[faza20]

In all honesty Vodafone have no control over P4U as they're a different company (owned by Cauldwell), but if he emails us using the contact us section on vodafone.co.uk, including FIT135 in the text, we can investigate it properly and if needs be get in touch with P4U Head Office on his behalf.

[Hands0n]

But ,yes - your mate has probably been ripped off - ... My mate is a P4U manager , and he did mention once that they (P4U) offer an " early upgrade" option which works like this -
You buy your new phone ,( and get a new number ) - Phones4U then work out the minimum cost of the remainder of your current contract (you would need to drop to the lowest LR option) - and give you this amount either in cashback or deducted from the cost of the Handset - so you would effectively have two contracts running , unless of course , you took your money from P4U and paid the contract off
It is possible your friend was "misled" into a situation such as this ? did he get two new numbers when he got the new handsets ?

....Of course, your mate REALLY needs to speak to P4U , it is , after all , possible that it was a genuine mistake and a box wasn't ticked or something ?

Best of luck to him anyway

I've suggested that he refers this to P4U at the nearest store (see above) and hope to be able to let you all know what happened in the end. Truly, being generous to a fault with P4U I would anticipate the "box not ticked" syndrome. But I've never had much of a good experience with them, ever, and so remain somewhat cynical. Their staff seem to braindead and inexperienced. The last time I saw that look on anyone's face they were standing at my door trying to sell me the latest in Energy!


In all honesty Vodafone have no control over P4U as they're a different company (owned by Cauldwell), but if he emails us using the contact us section on vodafone.co.uk, including FIT135 in the text, we can investigate it properly and if needs be get in touch with P4U Head Office on his behalf.

Thanks for this - I'll pass this on to him for action. Realising that Vodafone are not at all the guilty party in this I do, however, feel that Vodafone could have and exercise the ultimate sanction in such affairs. P4U are, after all, in no position to sell airtime contracts without there being an airtime provider, in this case Vodafone. I just wish the Mobile Network Operators would police such examples of mis-selling (or to be entirely too kind, mis-administration) by the dealer networks. I would not, for a moment, anticipate such poor quality service at the hands of Vodafone directly, which is precisely why I will only deal with Vodafone (and the others) directly, with no middle-men.

While Vodafone can, rightly, claim that they were not the perpetrators this experience has left at least one poor soul feeling very aggrieved at P4U in particular and Vodafone in general!

[miffed]

No , you are 100% right about P4U staff , even by my friends (P4U Manager) admission
"Simple case of Peanuts & monkeys - anyone who shows a glint of promise is moved up to Manager ASAP - and is then put in a shop in charge of more monkeys - you'll probably never find two useful people in one P4U store" (his words , not mine ! )