I talked to Lee of the Vodafone Forum Intervention Team (”FIT”). He’s a smart chap - kind, friendly, professional. I went through my issue: That my data usage has been substantially lower than I’d like, that I’ve been intentionally limiting myself.

Lee made the point that, all things being equal, if my usage in April stays the same (roughly 275mb) then I’ll be perfectly fine for May since I now come under the 500mb allowance.

The trouble is, I think I’ve already ramped up my usage since I knew I had a larger allowance.

I can’t go another month of 2.35 + VAT per meg for over usage.

Data on the handset is a critical business requirement for me and it’s surprising that Vodafone, together with their 13 billion of profits haven’t recognised that there is a market for people like me who will pay more for a larger inclusive bundle.

I think the Vodafone strategy is highly focused on the fact that if you want more than 500mb, you’ll pay for it. Why else would they NOT have any other data bundles?

And here I am: A stupid customer, paying 2.35 +VAT per meg for 80 odd meg in April. Goodness knows what the bill will be next month, even allowing for the 500mb increase. Lee suggested I check my usage regularly via the online billing control panel. It’s a helpful comment, however I’m afraid it’s not what I want. I don’t want to have to keep checking. When I do, by the way, the unbilled calls section continually times out:

I discussed with Lee the possibility of using my Vodafone USB dongle’s sim card in a mobile handset for data only (and having another handset for phone calls). I wanted to make sure that was an approved thing to do. It is. He was careful to point out that all calls I make from that data-only SIM will be charged at the full rate. Good point, that. (Incidentally, at 35p/minute, I’d have been able to make almost 630 minutes worth of calls for the 220 pound data charges I had last month.)

I can’t see why I have to do this though.

Why do I have to use TWO phones because Vodafone’s weak, incapable, inpaired and infirm billing system can’t handle it?

Or worse, because some numpty in Vodafone, some head-of-price-plans, has decreed that it’s 500mb on a handset or nothing, goodbye?

It’s simply not good enough. Not from the world’s largest mobile company.

Two choices.

Put up, shut up.

Do something about it.

Well, I’ve got 250,000 of the world’s most influential mobile readers glued to the site. Let’s see what we can do. Your ideas, please?