Pissed with Vodacom
Posted by Don Packett under Uncategorized on October 3 2007 at 11:46 AMGot this email via via via with this story attached, a letter to Vodacom and anyone who feels the cell network pains.
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I have been a client of Vodacom for a while now and will cease to do so once my contract has expired with you. Your terms and conditions surrounding contracts are nothing short of greed, especially for the services received.
I had an outstanding amount of +/- R390.00 for a period of 30 Days, which I paid with the current month. My service was disconnected, which was understandable. Upon paying, we were told the number has been removed from us and is available for any other Vodacom customer to take.
According to Vodacom the amount was outstanding for 60 Days, which my bank statements prove wrong.
WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON??????????????????????????? We spent numerous hours being pushed from pillar to post to get an explanation, costing us a fortune because we had to phone 082 121 from a land line and it generally takes 45 minutes for anyone there to answer.
When I queried the number being given back to me, I was told that in order to get it back, I will have to UPGRADE MY CONTRACT, and pay a connection fee too.
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY ABSURD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UPGRADE TO GET MY NUMBER BACK???? WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH!!!!!
If you think I am going to settle for this then you are horribly mistaken. I will ensure that what you are doing to me now, costs you a fortune in re-gaining your name. I will document the issues I have, post them in hellopeter.com, start a new anti-vodacom website and advertise negatively for free via MXIT and other mediums to convey my message. I will start forums and mak use of every blogging tool known to bring you back the frustration you have caused me.
This message is also being mass e-mailed, hoping that someone will enjoy laughing at it and choose MTN as a preferred supplier, much like I have. The number in question above is my Wife’s phone, the number below on my contact details indicates that I am happily associated to MTN.
I AM NOT GOING TO ALLOW A SO CALLED UNTOUCHABLE COMPANY TO RIDE ME OVER AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME!!!!
Please forward this to as many people as you possibly can, we need to work together to stop these companies from taking advantage. My wife was in tears after phoning Vodacom due to the abuse she suffered, and Vodacom: check your voice recording for more info on this! It may refresh your memory.
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Kind Regards,
Darren Morrisby
Darren@bizability.co..za
Cell : 083 610 2080
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C’mon Vodacom, up your game.
October 3rd, 2007 at 1:42 pm
So staying away from Vodacom is recommended?
I’m arriving in 7 days with mah shiny iphone and need a cell contract, i’m gathering MTN is the only other option?
October 3rd, 2007 at 1:49 pm
There’s also Virgin and CellC, but I reckon MTN would be your best bet.
October 3rd, 2007 at 1:54 pm
The worst was the attitude they gave me when asking them about how such a thing could take place.. they think they’re god and they probably thinking… “What’s this young, single, white man going to do against Vodacom???”… I am determined to put alot of effort in cutting them down to size.. I have just requested at the bank that no more money is to be transferred to them, they can have their phone back and their sim card!! hehe
October 3rd, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Hey D,
you are not the only one with the problem – my dad had a problem with them as well (last year), about payments made, but not registered on their systems – eventually everyone got cut off for 4 days.
The best part is – they have such a big share in the market, that they don’t care about following up or fixing problems. Their customer care line is NEVER available, and if they are – they only answer your call after holding for at least 15 min…..
WOW – they are sooo GREAT!!! We are also considering moving from a contract to pay-as-you-go or to MTN, but then you loose your numbers….
aggg tog!!! Service providers providing NOOOOO service….
anycase, thanks for the post – GREAT!!!
October 3rd, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Doesn’t SA have number portability?
October 3rd, 2007 at 5:01 pm
For anyone interest in the business economics behind these service levels, the explanation is pretty simple really..
The SA cellular market is not yet saturated, with the last estimate I heard (around the beginning of the year) pegging it at around 80%. This means that, currently, it’s much more profitable for the networks to sign up new customers than to maintain service levels with existing ones. This by implication means that increased investment in servicing infrastructure (call center staff, procedures to ensure sufficient service delivery etc) does not yet make business sense. Of course, once saturation is reached, this will in all probability change – so expect things to get better within the next 2-3 years.
Interestingly, number portability hasn’t had any mentionable impact. The total number of numbers ported since introduction is less than the number of new subscribers Vodacom signs up in 1 week. Yes, a week!
October 4th, 2007 at 9:35 am
Martin : interesting read.. thanx!
October 4th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
after a similar long fight with Vodacom i refused to pay…and they put me on itc…i then was forced to pay R15 000 to get myself off itc…Vodacom held me responsible for the whole two year contract…Darren do yourself a favour and lodge a complaint on hellopeter.com…works like a charm!
October 4th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
One other thing with Vodacom – don’t miss a months payment! Hidden very, very deep in their terms and conditions is a clause about this. You will be liable to pay for the phone, plus the remainder of your contract. I know this, because they did this to me.
Now why did I miss a months payment? I was pissed off with them. I upgraded my plan from R100 a month to a R400 one – which costs nothing. When I realised I was not using up these calls, I wanted to revert back to my old contract rate. Now this would have cost me around R1800 to do – which considering how much time I had left on my contract, was not a feasible option.
They will shaft you at anytime they can.
October 5th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Wayde / Stef : Thanks for the advice!!
I posted on hellopeter.com requesting my contract be terminated with immediate effect in front of the world. If they do try hold me to it I will take a legal route and take this to court, clause or no clause. I do not agree with the work ethics they subject us as consumers to and will fight it to the bitter end, with plenty public support!! 
I will be starting an anti-vodacom website, I’ll keep you guys posted 
October 10th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Vodacom sucks dog shit. My father’s on pay-as-you-go with them and his airtime mysteriously gets used up(often), he loaded R110 last week and made 1 short phone call, then the next time he wanted to phone someone it said he has no airtime. Calling Vodacom’s help numbers is pointless as you can listen to the automated menu over and over, in Xhosa that is, wtf. Only one of the menus lets you choose english. Anyways, then he calls some number and speaks to a call centre agent or whatever she was, and she says he made two overseas calls which used up the airtime, errrrrr no he didn’t but that’s what’s on their system, so what’s going on, then he kept refuting this and also his recently loaded airtime didn’t reflect, so then the bitch tells him to get a new number then if he doesn’t like it.
It’s just super annoying how big companies rip you off, and then also what irks me so much, is that whenever you phone a call centre, at any company, you get someone incompetent who doesn’t even understand their own company or job and you have to explain how things work over there to them, even though you don’t work there, and then they still can’t get it.
October 11th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Sounds like you were screwed, if you’re interested in claiming an available number on Vodacom, even if it is for porting to MTN. These guys offer this service http://www.prepaid2contract.co.za
October 11th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
Thanks for all your support guys! Specially to Don! They eventually gave up and gave me back my number after e-mailing Alan Knott-Craig several times, WASPA, Hellopeter.com (which proved useless) and various other methods, but I think joblog.co.za rocks!!!
If you are interested in complaining or complimenting a company please support http://www.e-complaints.co.za as I created this in order that other people can learn tips of bypassing call centres and non-decision makers etc etc. Go register now… it’s free!
October 26th, 2007 at 8:05 am
Daniel: re the iPhone you’d need to use MTN, Cell C or Virgin anyway, last time I checked incoming calls were not working on the iPhone on the Vodacom network, but on MTN and the others all phone functions were working fine.
Vodacom’s call centre is a dog show, you can hold on for literally 45 minutes without an answer.
October 29th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
Talk about pissed, here is two reference numbers that i were given by so called concerned employees of Vodacom – AX-LQ34-8D1H0 and A3-9SHN-00TS. The last number has been given in July 2007 and the first in October 2007. Guess what, nothing has been done, except some bloke phoning me and saying that he are responding for a colleague and that they will contact me soon. Mean while we have to pay as shit load of money for services not being delivered. Now what would happen if i don’t pay my account? They sue for contract breach, what I do.
November 6th, 2007 at 8:42 am
hacked iPhone works for me on vodacom with no real problem. Though I sometimes have to dial two-to-four times before successfully getting an outgoing call going.
February 6th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
NO other words then , FUK VODACOM !! Fukem !! I hate bloody VOdacom !! Been a subscriber now 4 8 years !!
And By bloody hell , Now I hav had it !!! I hope every bastards in Vodacom falls in a Hole and Die a SLOWWWW PAINFULLL DEATHHHH!
November 4th, 2008 at 7:30 am
YES I AGREE VODACOM ROB US BLIND THEY SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR ORGANISED CRIME I UPDATE 18MB ON VIRUS PROG VODACOM STEAL MORE THAN 70MB,PLEASE IS THERE A OVERSEAS COMPANY THAT CAN EDUCATE THIS FOOLS ON IT PRACTICE,VODACOM IS REALY EVIL
November 17th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
I wrote to Vodacom and told them that I will do what I can to discredit them. They are a selfish self opiniated organisation who think they own their customers. Being part of Telkom you can understand why. I told them that I would link up with others who would also like to see them exposed. The are fat cats sitting in their lofty towers and when it comes to genuine customer service, they are the pits and furthermore, like Telkom, there is nobody to talk to besides mostly out of school kids that don’t have clue what is going on. I would really like to see Vodacom’s numbers dwindle.
Kind regards,
Vernon
December 29th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
you guys go for it. in 1996 i had a problem with health and raquet and wondered what can i do against a huge jse listed company ? but wer r they now? 2 of the directors doing 16 yrs in polsmoor prison dont lose hope they all fall and make sure you remind them
January 15th, 2010 at 6:31 pm
I very nuch angry with service I got from vodacom customer care in pretoria, I took my phone for service as its been giving problems with freezing. when I called them on the 14/01/2010 they told me it was water damaged which I disagree. They told to come and speak to the manager, I went there today the 15/01/2010 I explained my problem to him “Floris Fourie” he didn’t care what I was saying, he told me it was water damaged, I tried to speak to him and explain why I saying they didn’t check my phone? He didn’t even care what I was saying – I told him he need to have ethics which he doesn’t have. I told me to take my phone and fix it myself. I told him If my phone is not fixed I will not pay a cent to vadacom for the kak service I’m getting. He told me if I need this phone fixed I need to pay R600.00 + I told him to go hell….
Vodacom one word to you guys if my Phone is not fixed, Consider our deal cancelled.
I hope my complain with be solve A.S.A.P
My contact number is 082 069 1354, 072 640 8368
August 10th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
I have been a valued Vodacom customer and in particular with Nokia handsets since the brickphones.I acquired a Nokia N97 in September 2009 and had problems ranging from the phone freezing,switching off,screen going blank,ignoring ringtone settings to mention a few. I have returned the phone for the sixth time with the last job number 5896464 and the phone now being reffered to Johannesburg for an evaluation. The Vodacare centre at Canalwalk has been my point of entry all the time and with the last (fith) time i was informed that my battery was done and that i would have to replace it as it was out of the three month warranty.I then agreed to replace the batterry but requested a refund if the same problem occured.This was not agreed upon as i was then refered to the Store manager(Mr Skeates).He then confirmed the battery was ok?and would test the unit.They then could not find anything wrong? and said i must try it again and if still not good to return the phone on which it will be forwarded to head office.This has now happened and i have not had the phone or a loan phone since 01 August 2010.I made enquiries yesterday and was informed that the handset was still in Joburg.I want to submit that i am extreemly dissapointed in the no customercare response from a huge company like VODACOM.I challenge anyone at Vodacom to research this issue and to come to my rescue as i would definately not recommend the service to any one else as your company thinks that the customer is always wrong. My cell no is 082 492 7878 and would like a response or i might consider going the legal route to terminate my contract.Best regards Brian McMaster
May 22nd, 2011 at 12:32 am
What on earth is vodacom has done with yo contrct?
August 27th, 2011 at 1:45 am
Thanks – Enjoyed this blog post, can I set it up so I receive an alert email when there is a new update?