Vodafone Bonus Bank's extra bonus: free spam

Stuart Corner
Monday, 07 February 2011 18:04

Opinion and Analysis

Back in July 2010 Vodafone launched a loyalty incentive for its prepaid customers, Bonus Bank. It also packs a punishment for disloyal customers.

Under the scheme, 10 percent of the value of each recharge of a prepaid mobile account was credited to the customer's Bonus Bank account. The accrued balance could then be used to subsidise or even completely offset the cost of a future handset purchase.

I had a Vodafone prepaid account at the time for my son, which I have since cancelled, but the Vodafone system seems incapable of communicating this fact to Bonus Bank.

Consequently I have started receiving emails: "Dear Customer. Your last recharge & addition to your Bonus Bank was made on the 29th of October. Please recharge before 27th of January to ensure your Bonus Bank dollars of $12 is not forfeited. You can recharge using your credit card online or calling 1555 (Free) from your phone. You can also visit one of 20000 retail outlets to purchase a recharge voucher."

Putting aside the fact that I got this message on 7 February - meaning my credit is now forfeit regardless - as I am no longer a customer these messages are of no interest. Is there an unsubscribe facility? No there is not. Is there a web site where I can go to unsubscribe? Well yes, and no.

"For more information please visit wwww.vodafone.com.au\BonusBank (and those typos: the extra 'w' and the back slash, are not mine: they come straight out of the message).

This site, of course, requires me to log on which, of course, as I am no longer a Vodafone customer I cannot do. So my only options are: to endure the dreaded Lara (aka Vodafone's automated customer response system); spend god knows how long trying to reach a real customer service rep; or report them to the ACMA's spam police. ACMA, or Vodafone, I hope you are reading this.