If you missed your Vodafone payment, you may be wondering how long until Vodafone cut me off. You are not the first one to miss a Vodafone bill.
Many people than you think have missed paying their phone bill at one point or another. That is why phone companies do not cut you off immediately.
Vodafone will cut you off within 6 months if you fail to pay your bill. Before they cut you off, they will send reminders and try to reach out. However, they are not in a hurry to end your contract. They will only cut you off if you fail to respond or provide a plan.
There are various steps you could take to avoid being cut off by Vodafone.
If you have failed to pay your bill keep reading to see your options.
How Many Days Do I Have To Pay My Vodafone Bill?
When you receive your Vodafone bill, you are given a window period to make payments. Usually, you have 7 days to complete the payment.
There are customers whose payments are deducted automatically. If your payments are made automatically, ensure that your card is functional.
If Vodafone tries processing payment unsuccessfully, they will send a notification. You have 7 days to sort out your credit or debit card issues.
If the issue with your card is too complex, you could call Vodafone customer care to reschedule the payment date.
What Will Vodafone Do Before They Cut Me Off?
The first question you should ask is – what happens if Vodafone postpaid bill is not paid? As you would expect, the company has procedures.
Before they consider cutting you off, they try to give you options. Among these options is extending the payment period.
If you missed your payment this month, they could extend the payment date.
If Vodafone chooses to give you a new date, they will send a message. After informing you of the new date, you have to try and clear your bill.
While the steps taken for failed payments could slightly vary, the key procedure is as follows
Vodafone Marks Your Account “in Arrears”
The first step Vodafone takes is to mark your account “in areas”. This is done after 7 days from the time you receive your bill.
Consequently, your bill must be paid plus a late payment fee.
You will continue operating your Vodafone phone despite being marked to be in arrears.
For the first month, the account will be functional. Each time you miss a payment, your account will be marked “in arrears X-months.”
For instance, if you failed payment for three months, your account is marked “in areas 2 months”.
While this is a reminder that you are yet to pay, Vodafone will still try to call, text and email the account owner.
Vodafone Deems Your Account “Default”
After several months of failed payments, your account will be marked as default.
You will start receiving default notices via your mailbox, texts and calls. Vodafone has the freedom to mark your account default at any time.
There are some users whose accounts could be deemed default after missing just two payments.
In most cases, you have to miss several payments without explanation to be deemed a defaulter.
Once your account has been labelled default, you are on the way to being cut off. Even so, Vodafone still gives you chance to clear your bill.
As a matter of fact, you could negotiate a deal by calling them. Some people are given chance to pay all the debt without paying the penalties.
Vodafone Uses Reminders
For those asking, can Vodafone cut me off without notice, the answer is NO.
Vodafone will never cut you off without providing notice. Before they even consider cutting you off, they must try all possible ways to reach you.
If you did not receive a reminder for a missed payment, chances are that your communication channels are inaccessible.
You either switched off your phone or it has a problem. If you only communicate via email, make a point of checking the spam folder.
Vodafone will try reaching out to you via your email, phone, mailbox and other alternatives.
If you do not receive any of these for more than a month, call Vodafone customer care.
When Does Vodafone Apply a Late Payment Fee
Vodafone does apply a late payment penalty for delayed payments. In the event that a bill is not paid within 7 days of receiving it, it is deemed a late payment.
If you are late in your payment, you have to pay £5 as a late payment penalty.
If you always receive your bill later than expected, you could be suffering from extra bills. Make sure your bill arrives in time to avoid having to pay penalty fees.
Note: Call Vodafone to inquire about your expected bill arrival date if you have problems.
How Long Until Vodafone Cut Me Off After Missing First Payment?
Vodafone will take up to 6 months before cutting you off. When you miss making your first payment, you still have a chance.
However, if you take too long, the situation might get out of hand.
The mistake that most people do, is leaving the bill pile. While you might have a problem paying your bill for a month, do not let it balloon beyond your control.
Try paying your bill as soon as possible after missing a payment.
Note: One factor that will make Vodafone cut you off is failure to communicate.
If you call and agree on a payment plan, you may not be cut off even after 6 months.
What Should I Do if I Am Struggling To Pay My Vodafone Bill?
Do not struggle with paying your phone bill. If you feel that your phone bill has become overwhelming, you have several options.
Among these options include ending your contract, getting a cheaper device or spreading your credit.
Before you make such key decisions, try calling Vodafone customer care. Inform them about your situation and get to hear their opinion.
Vodafone often allows its customers to renegotiate payment plans. You could be allowed to pay for your device in much smaller instalments.
Alternatively, you have the chance of settling the bill through credit agencies.
Phone plans are debts and can be settled by visiting credit brokers. Find a credit company that is willing to offset your bill so that you can pay slowly.
What if My Vodafone Bill is Wrong?
Receiving a wrong Vodafone bill should not be surprising. In case you receive the wrong bill, do not pay it.
Whether the amount on the bill is overcharged or undercharged, get clarification first.
To get further information from Vodafone customer care, call them on
- 191 from your Vodafone line only while within the UK
- 0333 304 0191 from your landline or other mobile numbers on normal calling rates
- 0044 7836 191 191 from your Vodafone number when you are abroad.
Note: Charges do not apply when you use a Vodafone line on all the above numbers except for the landline option.
At What Point Does Vodafone Involve Debt Collectors
If you persistently default payments, Vodafone will have to call in debt collectors.
The main work of debt collectors is to collect the debt through all available means.
When they are informed of your case, debt collectors will send consistent notices.
If you clear your debt in time, you won’t hear from them again. In some situations, they may even visit your home to enforce their notices.
Summary
If you are wondering how long until Vodafone cut me off, do not worry. Vodafone does not cut users off without a solid reason.
You must have defaulted payment more than once before you are cut off.
If Vodafone decides to end your contract, you will be notified. Even so, you could avoid all this by calling Vodafone customer care.
Read Next: Do Vodafone Credit Check for Upgrades?
Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.