Absolutely shocking service from Vodacom, two out of box failures and two months later still no phone.

<p>Following on the Terrible service I received the last time detailed in my previous Hello Peter post. I received great service from the Vodacom team that manage the HelloPeter posts but the same cannot be said for the rest of the Vodacom staff. <br />I am absolutely disgusted with the service and product delivery from Vodacom. I upgraded my contract in December, since then I have had TWO out of box failures and been without a phone for 2.5 months going on to 3 months, mainly due to *********** Vodacom staff, all the while I am charged for the device?</p> <p>I received a brand new Samsung S7 on 08 March as my previous phone had an out of box failure. Within 7 days of receiving this new phone it too gave the same issues that the previous one had. I booked this phone in at Canal Walk Vodacom Repair Centre Shop on 15 March. I received a job number via sms, and that was the last communication I got from Vodacom. I phoned the shop a few times to check on progress however the line was either busy or just kept ringing.</p> <p>After 4 weeks on 12 April I finally got hold of the store manager who informed me that the phone had a major problem and I qualified for a replacement phone. She said she had NO idea why no-one had phoned or smsd me to inform me I can come collect my new phone and apologised.</p> <p>I couldn't believe that was her only feedback, If i had not phoned the shop they never would have contacted me. I was furious as I continue to pay for a handset which I dont have any use of, I asked whether my account can be credited with the handset cost, she said unfortunately not. But that she could give me a free screen cover.</p> <p>She said she would need to find stock for a replacement S7 as they didn't have any in stock, this would take another week. I enquired about whether I could rather get an S8 as it was going to launch in May and I did not want to get another S7 due the last two I received both had major issues which led to out of box failures. She said that I could go on the waiting list but that I needed to confirm by Friday 14 April. She could then put me on the waiting list for the S8, and I would need to pay an additional cost as the S8 is more expensive, but she couldn't say how much that would be.</p> <p>I phoned back on 11 April to confirm I want the S8 and she was unavailable, I asked the lady that answered my call if I couldn' t speak to another manager and she said no only this lady dealt with out of box failure replacements. I asked her if she couldn't just put me on the waiting list for the S8, she said no but that she would leave the manager a message to contact me back.</p> <p>The manager never phoned back, so I phoned back again the next day, the lady on the phone told me again the same story and the manager would phone me back. Again the manager didn't phone me back and I phoned the store again. This continued until finally a manager phoned me on 5 May over 3 weeks later! <br />I missed the call but phoned back, the same lady answered and said the manager was unavailable, but that he had said that I can come collect the S8 on 8 May and that I would need to pay in R1000.</p> <p>Interestingly enough this was not the previous manager I spoke to, so I don't know why when I phoned on 11 April the lady said I could only deal with this one manager.</p> <p>On 8 May I phoned the store again to double check the phone is in stock before driving an hour to the store. The lady that answered the phone said there is no stock, I asked to speak to a manager, no-one was available and she said she would leave a message for the manager to phone me back.</p> <p>That afternoon a manager phoned me back and said the phone is actually in stock and he isn't sure why the lady said it wasn't. He said that I would need to pay in R1000, I asked him is he 100% sure as I need to drive an hour to the store. He confirmed and said he would let the manager that is in store that evening know that I am coming and the amount I need to pay in.</p> <p>When I got to the store I dealt with the other manager, he confirmed the day manager told him about me, but he said unfortunately the payment I need to make is over R3000 and he isn't sure how the day manager got to R1000. <br />He phoned the other manager and then told me he is sorry the day manager can't say exactly how he came to that number. I also questioned how they calculated the replacement value of my device as it seemed low seeing as the phone was 7 days old.</p> <p>I was furious after being messed around so much by the store staff and the inconvenience caused. You cannot verbally quote an amount and then change it later and have no good reason for why the previous quote was incorrect. He said unfortunately there isnt much he can do as Vodacom is a big franchise and there are rules, but if it was his company he would just ask me to pay the R1000. The only thing he was able to do was credit my account for the handset cost I have been paying as part of my contract, as I told him I havent had a phone for 2 months yet I am paying for the phone. And the reason I dont have the phone is due to their staff's incompetence and bad service. I am not sure whether he actioned this??</p> <p>I told him I do not want an S7 as it has been giving me issues ever since I have upgraded. I then left the store.</p> <p>A manager phoned me 08 May to ask me about my experience with my Out of box failure handset replacement. I told her that I still don't have a phone and about the shocking service. She said she would look into it and contact me by the end of the day on 09 May. She never phoned back.</p> <p>I have been a loyal Vodacom customer for over a decade, but after this shocking service from the Vodacom, it really makes me want to cancel my contract. But unfortunately if I do leave I am liable to pay the remainder of my contract.</p> <p>Vodacom what are you able to do to make this situation right? I feel it is only fair that i do not get charged for a handset I have not had for 2.5 months and therefore want my account to be credited. I hope that due to all the bad service I have experienced and inconvenience I have been put through that you can offer me the S8 at no extra co-payment or at the price quoted!</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>