ATTENTION VODACOM: EXPECT A CALL FROM THE CONSUMER PROTECTION BOARD

<p>ATTENTION VODACOM: EXPECT A CALL FROM THE CONSUMER PROTECTION BOARD</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>One might ask what takes to get service out of Vodacom. The answer, it would seem, is nothing less than a miracle.</p> <p> </p> <p>Vodacom supp**** a package consisting of laptop + 2 gig data + Huawei modem.</p> <p> </p> <p>PROBLEM NO 1</p> <p>There is no accounting for the data this device consumes. No matter how frugal I am with data, I can be sure of a “run out of data” message well before the end of each month.</p> <p> </p> <p>PROBLEM NO 2</p> <p>The connection is unbelievably poor. It continually disconnects. I spend more time waiting to reconnect than I spend actually working.</p> <p> </p> <p>The latest of my many appeals to Vodacom for help, however, is a story South African consumers need to hear.</p> <p> </p> <p>Saturday, 03 Dec 2016.</p> <p> - 10:29 am: I phone Vodacom.</p> <p> - 10:58am: After 29 minutes, Xolisa finally answers.</p> <p> - 11:01 Xolisa puts me on hold.</p> <p> - 11:07: The line goes dead.</p> <p> </p> <p>Clearly, the call centre isn’t going to help. I set off for the Vodacom “Super Shop” in Eastgate.</p> <p> - Time of arrival: 12:27 pm.</p> <p> - Time of departure: 13:51 pm (one hour, 24 minutes).</p> <p> - Assistance received: None whatsoever.</p> <p> </p> <p>Please read that last line again. After queuing for an hour and a half, I am deflected to some other department in Vodacom.</p> <p> </p> <p>In utter desperation I take the laptop to Incredible Connection, realising I will be charged. The product is supposedly under warranty but I have despaired with Vodacom.</p> <p> </p> <p>Incredible Connection Eastgate adjusts the software to halt updates. Too early to tell whether there is any improvement in the data consumption. What I can tell is that the connection is now unusable. It is incapable of staying connected, and is incredibly slow. </p> <p> </p> <p>Let’s summarise.</p> <p> - 38 minutes on the phone to Vodacom – fruitless.</p> <p> - Additional one hour 24 minutes in Vodacom “Super Shop”– fruitless.</p> <p> - Help from Vodacom: Zero</p> <p> - Device status: unusable</p> <p> </p> <p>This abused customer has HAD ENOUGH. I have reported the above to the Consumer Protection Commission.</p> <p> </p> <p>(These are the people who enforce the Consumer Protection Act no 68 of 2008; contact <br /> **********