Looking at changing from TPG BYO $21 plan, as they seem to whack in a couple of extra debits each year for no apparent reason. Wondering if Vaya plans are ok to go with. Any comments for/against ? (I'm an "oldie" so go easy on me!
Anyone Had Problems with Vaya Mobile BYO Phone Plans?
pebee47 on 12/09/2015 - 23:17
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Vaya are a joke. Ran out of credit, they send a message please call but an hour later had cut me off. How is one expected to call? So I borrowed a phone, and was told if I paid another $20 on my $18 plan, they would re-install my service and be guaranteed I wouldn't be cut off. I paid and less than 20 hours later, after only 2 very short phone calls, was cut off again. Had to borrow a phone again. No supervisors available to speak with, and "Shaun" from customer service wanted my to pay another $10 which would guarantee my phone no being cut off again (which was what I was told yesterday but for a $20 payment). My monthly plan starts at the beginning of each month. So for a $18 a month plan, Vaya are wanting an extra $30 for 2 days to "guarantee" I wont be cut off.
I never had any issues with them except the $20 security deposit which they tried to keep. Called the TIO and they gave it back to me as they aren't allowed to keep the money.
They give you heaps of sms warnings, you can check your usage online or use the app so you should have known when you were close to exceeding your cap.
read vaya forum over at Whirlpool; http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=2393287&p…
or just search previous comments on OzBnot a pleasant company to deal with at all (speaking from experience).
you get extra debits from vaya too, plus more.
Vaya have a pretty bad reputation after the stunt they pulled last year.
TL;DR they wanted to jack the prices existing customers were paying by $10/month and tried to pass it off as "good news". And despite publicly promising many customers that their pricing would be fixed for 2 years.
A few months after that they introduced a $20 refundable "security deposit" because they claimed too many customers were skipping payment of their final bill.
And they'll nickle and dime you for petty crap like if your credit card expires and the billing fails just once they'll charge you a $10 fee.
They're too random to be trustworthy.
Depending on your needs I'd look at Optus prepaid, Amaysim or Yatango (Optus MVNOs), or if you want Telstra (3G) take a look at MeU or Aldi's upcoming new plans.
Spintel.net.au is also another good Optus mvno.
Have recently increased their inclusions as well.
I was with Vaya for just over two years. First two years I was on an $11/month, 1.5gb contract which was excellent and had no issues. Last couple of months they switched me over to a more expensive plan, started having a few billing issues (which they fixed after contacting them) and of course there was the security deposit, which was very weird.
Have now been on Amaysim for a few months after stocking up on those discount vouchers for the Unlimited 5GB plan and I'm loving it. I'd certainly recommend them to you over Vaya. And finally, over two months after I left Vaya, they finally refunded my security deposit and the excess they had charged me on my plan :)
Looking at changing from TPG BYO $21 plan, as they seem to whack in a couple of extra debits each year for no apparent reason.
Are you sure that they weren't simply "Mobile Phone Prepayment Outside Included Value"? Did you check your TPG invoices?
Thank you to all you good people. I think you've answered my query.
To Colin2905, The charges were as you described, but got 2 hits in the one day several times = "double dipping" in my book. Tried to get it sorted one time but too hard basket case.
Only happened once or twice a year, so effectively cost me around $280 a year for $330 calls/sms + 1 or 1.5 g data a month. May as well stick with them, I'm thinking.
Cheers all, Pete.I'm new to Vaya, only 3th month in and I've yet to have a problem. I have heard of people having problems, but so far I haven't had any issues as of yet (fingers crossed). As a uni student, every cent counts so I am skimping on service to try and save a couple of bucks a month.
Though if there is ever a problem, I am knowledgeable of telecom laws after fighting with TPG so I will fight and go guns blazing to get my whatever $1 they attempt to steal from me.
Your knowledge of telco laws does not overcome their incompetence. I had a 6 month battle to fix a problem they caused. Everything before that was hunky dorey UNTIL I needed actual customer service. From that point on things just got worse and worse and I had to leave for my own sanity.
this is my first month and i have heaps of problem..
on the $18 plan and used up most of the $650 credit just talking to their customer service.
The system timed out and my payment declined and went through 2nd time and got hit by the $10.
They kept telling me my bank charged them fees because my payment "DO not honor".
it's their crap system.Talking to customer service should be free???
I never had one issue with payments and most of my family are with them who also haven't had an issue with their payment system.
I would suggest speaking to your bank about it and if they can't help call the TIO who have solved many of my problems with different telcos over the years.
I was with them for about 6 months and had no issues. Sounds like a few people have had bad experiences but if you know your rights (I.e. you can call TIO to solve disputes) you'll have no dramas. The customer service was better than TPG but still not as good as the big telco companies. Their deals are one of the best in the industry last I looked and I'm going to put my wife on them when she finishes her contract.
Thanks again to everyone. Just checked my accounts for the past 84 months; worked ot at $263.23 and a bit per year For $330 calls and sms/mms + 1.5 Gb data per month. I guess I was getting riled when they occasionally hit me with a "top-up" fee a few days short of the next regular extraction of (my) money.
All I've got to do is yell loudly enough to organise a new "Nano" SIM. -Cheers, Pete
Was on them for just over a year without issue, but I left after the $20 "security deposit". Poor way to do business.
I was charged an extra month after I left, which I had to push them to return.
Just left Vaya. Twice I was hit for $10 for paying late - on direct debit from an account with funds available. Vaya reckon that bank did not honour the payment but the bank denies this. Either way I was not happy with VAYA after the security deposit scam and this was the last straw. Voted with my feet.
Call the TIO I did and got back the $20 "deposit" they aren't allowed to keep it when you leave. I would also mention the charges and argue that as well.
samehappened to me.
the reason why i am googling vaya to see what is that Do not Honor means..
man… (profanity) VAYA.
Sigh… just got off the phone with them, and felt COMPELLED to rant about them.
THey are scum, and that's an understatement.
**Only go with them, if you have enough patience to talk to their horrible Indian call centres, as they are rude, difficult to understand, and treat you like scum. **
As a 2 year veteran of Vaya, that's all I can say. You may be one of those who pay their fees as soon as a bill is out (that's me). But that doesn't mean shit to them.
THeir online payment system usually works… but you HOPE that you are charged the CORRECT AMOUNT.
Sometimes, they may charge some 'dishonor fee' for some BS reason ("You didn't have enough money when you attempted to pay"), but you tell them that this fee is BS (because it was the website that crashed when you tried to pay the first time). So basically, their online system SUCKS, but they try to put it on you.
I recommend Vaya to my worst enemies. (profanity) VAYA.
Sorry but I don't agree with you. Yes the customer service is below average but you pay for what you get. Don't get angry just call the TIO and trust me they listen to you then (speaking from personal experience). TPG is exactly the same but in my experience they are worse. I recommend Vaya to everyone they are the best for what you pay. You just need to know your rights.
Thanks for the TIO recommendation. Will take that on board in the future.
But having to call TIO to get vaya take you seriously, speaks for itself.
They are indeed the best value for money… But oh dear you pay the price with your sanity, especially if you're a bargain hunter.
"Why the f am I being charged this? I never did that…" and then wait for 30 on the phone to talk with someone in customer service… Who treats you line vermin, and then hangs up on you without any solution lol. It's a joke.
Yeah I hear you it's a joke but if us bargain hunters want to pay the least then we should expect the customer service to be on par. I've called the TIO a few time over the years and the more times people call something might change. I worked in telco in my uni days so I know my rights and I don't let any of them get away with anything. For me it's annoying but I don't let their poor service affect me as I know I can always call the TIO as a fall back.
I hear you too mate.
Just saying that to some bargain hunters, vayas incompetence may not be worth it. They are also inconsistent - charges the correct amount one month, and the wrong amount on another etc., forcing you to deal with them again, faaaark. Etc. :)
@inose: yes very true and there is also only so long that anyone can deal with the inconsistencies. You did well lasting 2 years :)
Thanks billy bob for your encouragement, I feel like I can take on anything.
Maybe even tpg ;)
@inose: just noticed your comment now (sorry). If you thought Vaya was bad then TPG is twice as bad I wouldn't recommend it to my worse enemy.
You shouldn't need to call the TIO though. It should be the option of last resort not the option of first resort.
Too right it shouldn't be and that's not what I'm saying. Call the company (in this case Vaya) and if they just aren't hearing your issue then contact the TIO. It's actually quicker calling the TIO as you don't go on hold for long and then they give you a direct line to the telco company. They have a dedicated team and have 14 days (I think) to give you an answer on your issue. If you're not happy with the outcome (usually they agree if it's not massive amounts) you go back to the TIO. At the end of the day if people aren't happy with their telco they can pay more and go to one of the known names telcos but even then they have their own issues.
When you are banging your head on a brick wall (Vaya) who wont listen and who wont investigate and just reading from the TErms and conditions that your bank declined your payment because there was insufficient fund,
the TIO will be your last resort…@del77: haha yeah it can be frustrating but instead of going in circles talking to them call the TIO. They are there to solve problems. I don't know the situation but if you didn't have funds in your account then I think they are justified in charging a fee, all telcos do it.
For what you pay they are the best service available. Only other option is to go with the bigger companies but they charge a lot more for the same cap or less.
the reason why they have cheap deals because they make their money on things like exorbitant fees for excess data, premium numbers, and charging people to leave…
They charge $10 for an extra GB if you go over your data allowance. Pretty standard. No charge to port out.
I've been with them over two years and aside from the well documented $20 one off fee there have been no others outside my normal monthly cost of $18.
Ubcool get your facts right before posting.
i was with them last year i was charged $60 dollars to leave. i was charged over a hundread dollars one month because their system that tells you you have reached your data limit takes 2 days . so you can spend hundreads of dollars on excess data before you even told you went over the limit. premium number rate is very high too , i was charged 40 dollars for an hour call to insurance company. i am not lying. they may have change certain rates now but this is still how they make their money. just go through vaya complaints on google if you dont believe me.
Sorry should have been more specific. They don't charge you to port out you should I call TIO as no telco can charge you to leave unless it's for calls/data that you used. Premium numbers are always charged at a higher rate. Sounds like you needed to be on their highest plan and keep a close eye on your usage.
I do believe you I'm sure they would charge you if you go over your cap. They give you a few sms warnings before the last one so you must know you're getting close to the cap. That's when you slow down your usage to only the essential and also use the app. With calls that are an hour on the mobile that is a looooooong call of course it'll cost you a packet. At the end of the day it's your responsibility to monitor your usage and they have enough tools in place to help you do that.
if everybody did that they would go out of buisness.. their business model relies on people getting excess charges.
@ubcool: I highly doubt that. Yes they would make more money with excess charges but they would definitely at a minimum break even if people didn't go over there caps. They wouldn't bother being in business if that was the case.
That's less than $1 per minute, doesn't sound that bad.
Yes but they no longer charge excess data per MB, its now $10 for an extra GB if you go over which is pretty standard across providers as far as I know. Therefore you should not get any major data shocks.
As has already been said, you get SMS messages about it, you can check it online and via the app plus many other data measuring apps readily available. Ultimately it is up to you to monitor and control your own usage. Not the company's fault if you overdo it when there are so many ways to keep track.
Vaya are a joke. Ran out of credit, they send a message please call but an hour later had cut me off. How is one expected to call? So I borrowed a phone, and was told if I paid another $20 on my $18 plan, they would re-install my service and be guaranteed I wouldn't be cut off. I paid and less than 20 hours later, after only 2 very short phone calls, was cut off again. Had to borrow a phone again. No supervisors available to speak with, and "Shaun" from customer service wanted my to pay another $10 which would guarantee my phone no being cut off again (which was what I was told yesterday but for a $20 payment). My monthly plan starts at the beginning of each month. So for a $18 a month plan, Vaya are wanting an extra $30 for 2 days to "guarantee" I wont be cut off.
It's a joke when customers don't listen and blame he company.
You're already paying $18 for a prepaid plan with heaps of calls and data yet you're still not happy. They give you plenty of notice you are reaching your call or data limit and plus there is the mobile app to track your usage. Call them before you reach the cap and you wouldn't have had this issue.
In the event that you receive a final invoice from Vaya, your prepayment will be utilised as payment toward the amount owing and any balance remaining will be credited back to your nominated payment method.
Thanks guys, I just read this on their website after reading your comments. I was smart enough to cancel my service a few months ago but not smart enough to realise they were holding $56 of my money. Of course they did not credit it back to my nominated payment method. They are such crooks!
They can't hold your money. You're not that smart if you don't know your rights. Call the TIO if you think they overcharged you.
AWAY FROM this COMPANY - Vaya
OVERCHARGED for OVERSEAS Called and Overcharged LATE PAYMENT AND KEEP your Mobile Number.
AWAY FROM this COMPANY. RIP-OFF
AWAY FROM this COMPANY. RIP-OFF
AWAY FROM this COMPANY. RIP-OFFProblem with Vaya payment RIP-off you – if you do not harpy to pay.
Vaya forwards your account to a collections agency to retrieve the overdue balance.If the customer wishes to make a payment arrangement, the customer can make payment arrangement through the collections agency. Refer customer to DUN AND BRADSTREET 1300304298
If they want to pay in full they must pay FULL BALANCE + COLLECTIONS FEE (15%)
Client Sent to D&B for Collections, email [email protected] or call D&B Client Services 13 23 333
Well, I can't think of anyone that hasn't had problems with Vaya and their mob.
My advice: Please, please stay away from Vaya.