Empty Promises

<p>For the past few months I've been struggling to stop Vodacom from suspending my cellular service. My cell phone contract was with AutoPage Cellular and payment thereof was done via EFT. Every month I would receive email from AutoPage with either my statement or marketing. I’m only interested in marketing when I need to upgrade my phone so I only read the invoice emails. I this missed the emails from AutoPage that my contract has been sold to Vodacom and that I need to make payment arrangements with them going forward. At no point in time was I contacted by any other means. Very bad Change Management on their Project!</p> <p> </p> <p>I made 3 payments after the deadline to the now closed AutoPage Cellular and Vodacom started to ‘hard lock’ my account. The first time this happened it took me close to 2 weeks, multiple emails and phone calls to get my account re-enabled. Over the past few months I had to beg Vodacom each month to reinstate my service. Each time I was assured first by Morena Raeto from Vodacom South Africa then by Patricia Jack from Vodacom South Africa then by Kabo Mojanaga and Najma Moosa from Bytes Shared Services that they have arranged that it won’t happen again. It kept happening month after month and I’m there again so as a last resort I’m now trying to resolve this issue this way.</p> <p> </p> <p>I asked for escalation paths but I got redirected each time and ended up going in circles back to Service Desk, having to explain my story each time. My experience make me believe that Vodacom is more worried about their Corporate Clients and that personal / public accounts don’t matter. The first thing I will do after this has been resolved is to get as far away from Vodacom as I can by moving my contract so another service provider.</p> <p> </p> <p>My hope is that someone, who can actually make a decision to bring this matter to a close, at either Bytes or Vodacom see this complaint. The promises and assurances of people that I’ve been dealing with proofed to be empty of intent and assurance.</p> <p> </p> <p>There are numerous emails but I include the last email / promise:</p> <p> </p> <p>30 August 2016</p> <p>“Good morning Mr Wilken, </p> <p> </p> <p>Apologies for the delay in response I have requested for Vodacom to open your line and place on an exclusion to ensure it does not suspend again up until refund is successfully processed, I am in communication with finance to confirm status of refund.</p> <p> </p> <p>Kind regards</p> <p> </p> <p>Najma Moosa</p> <p>Bytes Shared Services</p> <p> ********** ”</p>