My Complaint Regarding Vodafone

In March, my Galaxy S3 stopped working. It simply would not charge. Although it had a cracked screen, this had not affected the phone previously; it had worked perfectly for approximately 8 months. I took the phone in to Vodafone, Parkgate, Rotherham, where staff member Claire recorded the fault as “charging port not working” and posted (1) it off to be fixed. Around a week later, I received a text to say the phone was not in warranty, due to a cracked screen and could be repaired at a cost of 75.00; I was asked to ring customer services. I rang and was told my phone was out of warranty, at the store and was initially sent to the repair centre for a cracked screen. I was told to go to the store to give further instructions. I spoke with Claire in store again and she told me it had been sent in for the charger port and nothing to do with the screen, so they should have fixed it. I rang customer services there and then and they said they would fix the phone, (charger port and crack) for 50% of the total charge. I agreed to this. Off the phone went again. (2) Another 10 days later, I received a text to say the phone was fixed. I went to the store, the screen had been fixed but not the charging port, the assistant tried to charge it in store and it still would not charge. The phone went off again (3) to the repair centre. I was fuming and rang customer services who apologised and offered me a replacement phone, (S4 OR I PHONE 5), I opted for the S4 or even an S3, (but they are not made anymore) so accepted the S4 and then went without my phone for a further 2 weeks.
I was in Sheffield shopping with my family for the day when customer services called me. A female explained that Head Office would not authorise a replacement phone as mine had not been sent back for repair three times, (The third time was when I was offered the replacement) and I was to go back to the store and have it sent off again once it had eventually returned to the store. We cut short our day out and returned to the store in Rotherham. I spoke with Claire, yet again and she was in disbelief this was still going on. By this point I was feeling exhausted with having to keep returning to the store, the repeat phone calls to customer services, where I had to explain everything over and over again. Frustrated, depressed and generally worn out with the whole process, I was ready to give in and just have NO phone. (My son, heard this and offered me his, which was my old S2). My husband asked his name to be added to the account so that he could deal with things from then on.

The staff, James and Claire were doing their best to help but their hands were tied as it was up to customer services to sort it out. Claire spoke with customer services again and explained everything; they said it would have to be sent back again. This was the fourth time. The phone came back a week later, working. I thought that was the end of it. A new battery had been sent to me with the phone. I used the phone a few times and the battery drained very quickly. My husband went to store again and they said it was because the new software was not available yet and it would work better, when that was available. I accepted this.
At the end of April the bill was late being paid and the phone was disconnected, we paid it and customer services said they could not re connect my accounts as there was an outstanding bill for a repair to the phone, we explained to them what had happened and was told a manager would call me back. The phone was reconnected. No one called.
The May bill was late being paid, however, on the 24th May, my husband paid the bill and was again told that as there was an outstanding bill for a repair, the phone would not be reconnected. He requested a call back from a manager and was told the 6th June, he was to be without a phone until then, mine however was reconnected??? I rang customer services at lunchtime and was told the same thing, yet again went through the whole story as to why there was a bill on my account for a repair. The female called Vivien, said that a manager was going to call me back on the 6th of June, there was nothing she could do and if the bill had been paid that morning then it will take up to 24 hours to reconnect and I had to wait for a manager to call. I was confused as my phone had been re connected, so why not my husbands?
I rang again that evening and explained to Lavin, what had happened, he said the bill was outstanding from March and needed to be paid, I said it wasn’t a bill but a repair fee so he spoke to the finance department. He said he will reconnect my husbands phone there and then, (which does not tally up with Viviens claim that it takes up to 24 hrs), the phone was reconnected. I then said I wanted a call from a manager the next day, May 25th and I wanted a text to confirm this. He agreed. I received no text. I also received no call from the manager as promised.
I woke up this morning and my phone is not working again. It will not charge and has yet again been sent in for repair. The manager at the store said that as it had been working it would now be classed as a new fault, so I would not qualify for a replacement phone. He advised me to e-mail the director, which I have.

I cannot understand how a multi million pound company can treat a customer this way and is allowed to continue to do so. I cannot understand why the stores have no rights over how to treat the customers, I have not the time to be phoning Vodafone all the time certainly not whilst I am in the store, hoping they can sort it and they cannot. Numerous times I have driven to the store, numerous calls made, numerous times I have repeated the story, numerous times I have been told different things, numerous times I have been ignored and numerous times I have lost data, phone numbers, photo’s of my children and my newborn niece. Numerous times my days out with my children has been ruined, an evening with my husband ruined, having to take my children into the store and be on a call for up to an hour.
I have had enough now, and need advice on what I can do. I cannot face another phone call to customer services, (especially on a poor courtesy phone), speaking with foreign call staff who do not understand me and I them.