Wednesday, November 06, 2013

Giff Guff

I really loathe mobile phone companies.

Which, given the ubiquitous nature of the mobile phone and mobile phone technology, is pretty much akin to announcing that I loathe modern day life itself.

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about my departure from Vodafone when they essentially cut me off without a by-your-leave or thank-you because I hadn’t deigned to make any chargeable calls within a strangely random 3 month period. This despite my original purchase of a £90 phone precisely so I could go onto their  ”pay as you go” service plan which, to my mind, means it’s entirely up to me whether I make any calls or not. Stuff what is says in the small print.

Due to Vodafone’s subsequent offhand treatment of my plight I decided to take my custom elsewhere. I won’t say “valued custom” because, if I’m honest, no one is going to make a million quid out of me if I only make one call every 6 months but that’s not the point. I’m an occasionally paying customer and no business in its right mind should turn down the opportunity to make even a little bit of dosh.

The question was where. Vodafone was the only devil I’d known for the last decade; how did I choose amongst the others?

The recommendation came back: GiffGaff.

It looked promising.

Someone even gave me a GiffGaff SIM card. All I needed to do was activate it online, choose my payment plan and away I could go to not make as many calls as I wanted.

Only it’s been an epic fail.

GiffGaff won’t accept any of my credit cards. Payment is refused every time (I have made 9 attempts to date). There is money in my account. Everything seems hunky-dory at the big banking end. There is no reason for the refusal.

I have left messages online for the gaffers at GiffGaff (ironically there isn’t a phone number to call them on) but their electronic response has been hugely disappointing: “unresolved”.

That was it. That was their response. Unresolved. Well, I could have told them that. What I was looking for was “resolution…”

I put it to you that after 9 attempts to give someone my money and have it thrown back into my face I am within my rights – if not my sanity – to give them the finger.

GiffGaff you have fallen at the first hurdle. Goodbye.

I’m off to Tesco instead.

I’ll bet they take my money and say thank you for it with a nice (but knowingly avaricious) smile.

But that’s OK. That’s good enough for me. That does the job.

As Tesco say: every little helps.

Because at the end of the day they wisely know that it’s the little bit that doesn’t help that can and will cost you somebody’s custom.


17 comments:

John Going Gently said...

You could just write a letter

Steve said...

John: how primitive. But they might take it as sarcasm... so I'm tempted.

Gorilla Bananas said...

Good decision. Vodafone are about to make billions from the sale of their stake in Verizon Wireless and don't need a small fry like you wiggling about in their pool. Tesco, on the other, are struggling to reconnect with their customer base, and should welcome you to their fold with a free beard comb thrown in.

Steve said...

Gorilla Bananas: a free beard comb? I'm sold.

Not From Lapland said...

Sorry, I'm still trying to get my head around the fact that anyone (apart from my grandparents) uses their phone that little!

Steve said...

Not From Lapland: since you barred my calls I haven't had the heart to call anyone.

Nota Bene said...

Ah yes, GiffGaff operate a recommend a friend scheme. They also operate a 'don't recommend a friend scheme'. You just have to work out which of the people who suggested GiffGaff, then did the latter. Does your Tesco sim card come with blue and white stripes?

London City (mum) said...

Smoke signals? Although given the rain, they may get a little, uhmm, damp.

LCM x

Steve said...

Nota Bene: to be honest I still haven't got round to sorting it out. I'm having to ask myself is a mobile phone that I hardly use worth all this bother? Probably not.

LCM: to be honest I'm breathing fire at the moment with giffgaff - the cheeky blighters have lifted £40 from my account despite saying my attempts to purchase a single £10 "goodybag" were all declined! Grr!

Trish said...

Do they sell carrier pigeons on ebay?

Steve said...

Trish: yes but they take forever to arrive by Royal Mail.

The bike shed said...

Think of all the club card points...actually, don't.

Steve said...

The bike shed: the wife is recommending that I do.

The Poet Laura-eate said...

I'm on a £10.50 a month sim-only contract with Vodafone, having bought my own £85 secondhand phone. Working for me so far. Sadly every time I have tried to leave Vodafone, it has been one disaster after another. Never heard of GiffGaff but don't touch 3G with a bargepole is my advice!

Steve said...

Laura: Tesco finally sorted me out with a £10 a month deal though the new phone is resisting my ham-fisted attempts to tame its superior technology.

Keith said...

Just be wary with Tesco, Apparently, if any family member laughs at your phone Gina Yashere materialises in the back of your car.

And that can be a shock if you are negotiating a tricky junction.

Steve said...

Keith: I'm sure she could earn her place in the back seat...