Just had a call from Vodafone

[happy days]

My Boxster is one year old. Actually it was a few days ago but that's irrelevant.

Anyway, I have just had a call from Vodafone which went along these lines.

V - Is that Mr Happy
Me - Yes
V - This is Vodafone UK just calling about your car reg....
Me- ok
V - in order for you to pass security could you confirm the maiden name registered?
Me - no, you rang me, why do I need to pass security?
V - Are you not prepared to go through security?
Me - I didn't ring you, you rang me.
V - Ok, I will put a note on the system and when you call back my supervisor will be able to tell you what the call was about.
Me - why would I ring back, I don't want anything from you? You rang me.
V - Ok thanks, goodbye.

I love calls like that. Somebody random rings you up and then challenges you to identify who you are.

[Col Lamb]

When they called me the q&a was similar.

I asked them a question, I said that I was recently in Derbyshire and the App could not access by car, despite having full signal bar showing from my mobile provider, I said that every time I go to the Yorkshire Dales or Lake District and have tried the App the result has been the same.

They could not give me an answer.

I said I am presuming that you want me to subscribe to a service that does not work for me?

I saved their blushes and said I am not entering into a contract with Vodafone ever.

Alternatively you can always..........

Try next time you have an unsolicited call ask them to hold, turn on the radio and then put the handset by the radio.

17 minutes is the longest a held caller has kept the call going.

[Guy]

My Boxster is one year old. Actually it was a few days ago but that's irrelevant.

Anyway, I have just had a call from Vodafone which went along these lines.

V - Is that Mr Happy
Me - Yes
V - This is Vodafone UK just calling about your car reg....
Me- ok
V - in order for you to pass security could you confirm the maiden name registered?
Me - no, you rang me, why do I need to pass security?
V - Are you not prepared to go through security?
Me - I didn't ring you, you rang me.
V - Ok, I will put a note on the system and when you call back my supervisor will be able to tell you what the call was about.
Me - why would I ring back, I don't want anything from you? You rang me.
V - Ok thanks, goodbye.

I love calls like that. Somebody random rings you up and then challenges you to identify who you are.

Just thinking about this. Were you in the car at the time? Did you know where your car was?

[IainSmith]

Interesting.. on the topic of what seems a little bit of hatred for the Vodafone telematics service. On purchasing my Macan I did (maybe foolishly) take out the whole 9 yards of tracker, car connect and some other option/service.

Well this week for the first time, I left my house keys with the attached tracker fob in the inside door to my garage. Well literally two hundred yards down the road on leaving home, I was inundated with text massages saying my car was moving and could be stolen. Then 10 seconds later I had a call from some lovely women asking me to verify and confirm I had the car and aware of its whereabouts..

I know this might be a one off excellent service. But I was happy to be honest.

Just saying...

[Col Lamb]

Yep hatred is about right.

OK so its a different part but the mobile part of the firm lied and conned my Wife for two years.

I was very sceptical about entering into any contract with VodafoneTelematics so tested the free bit on Macan 1 and it only sort of worked, it would not consistently display where the car was, nor would it access is reliably unless I was within sight of it. Car was parked at Hotel a mile away from the Castle in Edinburgh and the App could not access the car from the Castle Esplinade, so this was another nail in the coffin that is VodafoneTelematics.

Roll on to Macan 2 and tested again during the first six months of ownership, same thing as Macan 1. Worst was I parked it in a very large field full of cars at a Country Show and the system would not access the car despite my EE mobile having full bars showing for signal strength.

If I had to have a tracker I certainly would go the route that Bazza suggests in his security thread.

[Tim92gts]

On the other hand we have JCBs on Vodaphone telematics.

It worked well for a while but eventually the main dealer had to ignore it.

Every minor fault or service notice ended up being reported in multiple times which would have needed a double up of the service department.

[happy days]

My Boxster is one year old. Actually it was a few days ago but that's irrelevant.

Anyway, I have just had a call from Vodafone which went along these lines.

V - Is that Mr Happy
Me - Yes
V - This is Vodafone UK just calling about your car reg....
Me- ok
V - in order for you to pass security could you confirm the maiden name registered?
Me - no, you rang me, why do I need to pass security?
V - Are you not prepared to go through security?
Me - I didn't ring you, you rang me.
V - Ok, I will put a note on the system and when you call back my supervisor will be able to tell you what the call was about.
Me - why would I ring back, I don't want anything from you? You rang me.
V - Ok thanks, goodbye.

I love calls like that. Somebody random rings you up and then challenges you to identify who you are.

Just thinking about this. Were you in the car at the time? Did you know where your car was?

It was outside my office window - I could see it from my desk.

[Guy]

It was outside my office window - I could see it from my desk.

Did you tell them that?

I only ask because it's interesting. They are monitoring the car on your behalf, plus you 'knew' the call was from Vodafone - I presume that their number is in your contacts? Perhaps some clever two-way authentication is needed?

[happy days]

Nope - the voice said that it was Vodafone calling.