Vodafone iPhone plans: Data not included in caps, but no-one’s sure why not

iPhone3G.jpgVodafone has confirmed its official stance that its iPhone plans don’t allow data charges to be offset against monthly cap payments, but the carrier is yet to indicate how this policy fits in with its published terms and conditions, or what will happen to customers who signed up for iPhone service after being assured by salespeople that they could include data charges as part of their cap. Click after the jump for Vodafone’s statement and what it doesn’t yet explain.

Vodafone director of corporate communications Greg Spears sent Lifehacker the following clarifying statement this afternoon:

Vodafone’s iPhone 3G Caps include data allowances of 250MB for the $69
Cap and 500MB for the $99 Cap. Excess data is charged at 12 cents per
MB and is charged separately. Vodafone’s sales brochure for Apple’s
iPhone 3G is correct as it states that excess data is charged at 12c
per MB. Vodafone will be as clear as possible with customers on all
data charges and will update its sales collateral to be more explicit.
All Vodafone Caps that were already in market prior to the release of
the iPhone 3G allow customers to use credit that is provided within the
respective caps for data downloads and uploads. The incremental cost of
data within these existing caps is 2 cents per kb.

Spears’ comments appear to directly contradict Vodafone’s terms and
conditions, which, as Lifehacker noted in an analysis earlier this week,
say that data can be counted as part of the cap plan. Spears did not
indicate any specific element of the terms and conditions supporting
Vodafone’s stance.
Spears also didn’t comment on what would happen to the many people,
including several Lifehacker readers, who have been told that they can
include cap data and who bought an iPhone on that basis. We’ve sought
further clarification from Vodafone on those issues. In the meantime,
if you have signed up for a plan from Vodafone assuming you’d be able
to include cap charges, now might be a good time to note down all the
relevant details (date, time, location, name of salesperson, any
supporting documentation). It looks like the arguments have only just
begun.


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