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Mobile by Sainsburys Refund
hurrikane313
12-02-2016
I am trying to find out if anybody has been successful in getting a refund of their PAYG credit from Sainsburys after they closed down their mobile service a month ago. On the 13th of Jan I ported my number from Sainsburys over to 3, and contacted Sainsburys to request a refund of my credit £10.64. Upon calling Sainsburys to request the refund they went through all the checks and asked how I would like my refund, I told them to put it on to my nectar card as I shop at Sainsburys a lot due to it being less than five minutes from my home.

At the time I was told it would be done by the following Friday the 22nd of Jan. So I gave it till the 23rd and then phoned them again, this time I was told "Whoever told you it would be done for the 22nd was wrong, it can take up to four weeks." So here we are a total of four weeks later and still no refund.

Thus I am trying to find out if anybody has been able to get the refunds they have been promised, before I give Sainsburys another call to try and sort it out.
SkipTracer
12-02-2016
I only had about £2-50 left on my account when the network died and can’t be assed to even try to get a refund as it was only a sim I used last summer because Vodafone was the only network that had any coverage in the place I stayed for holiday.

It’s a shame they just don’t refund to your Nectar card by default though for those that had a card registered.

Sorry not to be any help here.
moox
12-02-2016
I can't understand why they couldn't just convert the SIMs into Vodafone PAYG ones with no loss of credit. It was basically Vodafone in all but name - it used their network and their billing system.
Mark C
12-02-2016
Originally Posted by moox:
“I can't understand why they couldn't just convert the SIMs into Vodafone PAYG ones with no loss of credit. It was basically Vodafone in all but name - it used their network and their billing system.”

Vodafone would have wanted to fee for doing that, so what was in it for Sainsburys?
moox
12-02-2016
Originally Posted by Mark C:
“Vodafone would have wanted to fee for doing that, so what was in it for Sainsburys?”

It should be more about the customers than what's "in it" for either of the two megacorps.

Vodafone would otherwise have benefited from a load more customers (paying higher prices than they were paying via Sainsburys) and Sainsburys would benefit from a hassle-free winding down of the operation.

It's not like it would have taken much effort - it was basically Vodafone PAYG but with a different price plan.
hurrikane313
12-02-2016
I have not long got off the phone with one of their customer service people. They claim to not know why my refund has not been completed at this time and are going to investigate it further. They have now also told me more lies by saying "Nectar points only go on at the end of the month, so check then and if you still don't have the refund give us another call." It really is starting to seem like they just want to keep the money, despite the fact they are the one's that withdrew the service.
BKM
12-02-2016
Originally Posted by moox:
“I can't understand why they couldn't just convert the SIMs into Vodafone PAYG ones with no loss of credit. It was basically Vodafone in all but name - it used their network and their billing system.”

Vodafone PAYG is a LOT more expensive than Sainsbury's was AFAIR!
moox
12-02-2016
Originally Posted by BKM:
“Vodafone PAYG is a LOT more expensive than Sainsbury's was AFAIR!”

Very true - but I'd rather have the option of using my credit at 30p/min, or to have to buy a Vodafone bundle, than to have it taken away abruptly. Obviously I could still choose to get a PAC

I think I only had about £4 on my Sainsburys SIM but it's the principle.
Thine Wonk
12-02-2016
A quick google brings up the refund form http://help.sainsburys.co.uk/help/mbsprepay

As per the article here http://help.sainsburys.co.uk/help/mo...s-ref-requests

They will pay you in 3 ways, one of the options is cheque, all you need to do is answer those 4 questions by the looks of it.
hurrikane313
12-02-2016
Originally Posted by Thine Wonk:
“A quick google brings up the refund form http://help.sainsburys.co.uk/help/mbsprepay

As per the article here http://help.sainsburys.co.uk/help/mo...s-ref-requests

They will pay you in 3 ways, one of the options is cheque, all you need to do is answer those 4 questions by the looks of it.”

I have already requested the refund, making the request is not the problem. The problem is getting them to actually honour the refund request, which they keep fobbing me off on. So far I have been told.

1. It will take a week.
2. It will take up to four weeks.
3. Nectar points are only processed on the last day of the month, so check again in another Two weeks.
4. They don't know why my refund has not been processed and reached me yet, and will have to investigate.

How many more lies do I have to be told before it becomes obvious they have no intention on issuing the refund? This is partly why I started this thread to try and see if others have either gotten their refunds or if others are being told a different story every time they enquire about the refund like I am.
SkipTracer
12-02-2016
Originally Posted by Thine Wonk:
“A quick google brings up the refund form http://help.sainsburys.co.uk/help/mbsprepay

As per the article here http://help.sainsburys.co.uk/help/mo...s-ref-requests

They will pay you in 3 ways, one of the options is cheque, all you need to do is answer those 4 questions by the looks of it.”

Thanks for that and that seems easy enough so I will put in for my £2-50 after all.
david16
12-02-2016
How about getting a lebara PAYG sim if you are an ex Sainsbury’s PAYG customer and want to continue using the vodafone network.
david16
12-02-2016
Originally Posted by moox:
“It should be more about the customers than what's "in it" for either of the two megacorps.

Vodafone would otherwise have benefited from a load more customers (paying higher prices than they were paying via Sainsburys) and Sainsburys would benefit from a hassle-free winding down of the operation.

It's not like it would have taken much effort - it was basically Vodafone PAYG but with a different price plan.”

A much more affordable price plan at that.

Who in the right mind would want to be paying 30p+ per minute for calls if they run out of their inclusive minutes as is the case with going direct to the network.
david16
13-02-2016
Originally Posted by Mark C:
“Vodafone would have wanted to fee for doing that, so what was in it for Sainsburys?”

Obviously sainsburys prices were far too low for Vodafone’s liking so Vodafone decided to cut ties with Sainsburys.

Vodafone hated the fact that one of their MVNO’s were charging 8p per minute for standard calls rather than the extortionate 45p per minute that they do.
prking
13-02-2016
Originally Posted by hurrikane313:
“I have already requested the refund, making the request is not the problem. The problem is getting them to actually honour the refund request, which they keep fobbing me off on. So far I have been told.

1. It will take a week.
2. It will take up to four weeks.
3. Nectar points are only processed on the last day of the month, so check again in another Two weeks.
4. They don't know why my refund has not been processed and reached me yet, and will have to investigate.

How many more lies do I have to be told before it becomes obvious they have no intention on issuing the refund? This is partly why I started this thread to try and see if others have either gotten their refunds or if others are being told a different story every time they enquire about the refund like I am.”

I'm not excusing Sainsbury but they made a mistake and are investigating. Getting emotional and seeing it as lies and some sort of conspiracy is only going to raise your blood pressure and won't actually get things sorted.

Incidentally, if you think about it,all the things that you have been told are consistent if the first person was a bit optimistic.

If nectar refunds happen at the end of the month, then when you first called it would have been about a week before it was processed. And if they are now taking up to four weeks then it could have missed the end of January.

The worst that has probably happened is someone has made a mistake. Frustrating, yes, lies and conspiracy, no.

Let them investigate and if you're still unhappy then make a formal complaint avoiding all the accusations.
hurrikane313
13-02-2016
I have received my refund today, bit odd considering when I phoned yesterday they seemed to not know why it had not been processed. But obviously they realised they had screwed up and pushed the refund through straight away. So basically moral of the story, if you don't receive your refund contact them over and over until they finally decide to get it sorted.
daydotz
13-02-2016
Took me 2 months they sent me a gift card in the end of don't think many received points
SkipTracer
13-02-2016
Put in for my massive £2-50 last night but had hell of a job finding my old Sainsbury’s number as I deleted it from my contacts, lucky though I found it in the call history of the phone I was using on holiday last July.
MTUK1
13-02-2016
Originally Posted by moox:
“It should be more about the customers than what's "in it" for either of the two megacorps.

Vodafone would otherwise have benefited from a load more customers (paying higher prices than they were paying via Sainsburys) and Sainsburys would benefit from a hassle-free winding down of the operation.

It's not like it would have taken much effort - it was basically Vodafone PAYG but with a different price plan.”

Not sure you have understanding of how an MVNO works?
Thine Wonk
13-02-2016
Originally Posted by MTUK1:
“Not sure you have understanding of how an MVNO works?”

Oh I think he does. When other MVNOs have closed they have reached agreement to continue providing services on the host network directly and there has been benefit to both parties. The MVNO because there's usually money in it for them and for the network as they sign up direct customers which means they make retail, not wholesale rates.

Also it is basically a Vodafone sim, so you wouldn't even need a new sim to be issued.
binary
13-02-2016
By the sounds of it the divorce between Sainsbury's and Vodafone was acrimonious, which might explain the lack of any such agreement for VF to take over the MbS customer base.
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