BAD SERVICE ALL AROUND

I was convinced to renew my fibre contract.. I moved and wanted to relocate my line.. after being told that the relocation request was submitted and I must wait the 30 days for the line to be deactivated at the old address in order for it to be activated at the new address... after 23 days without any communication I called to find out what the progress is and was told the relocation was declined due to vetting... which I can't understand. They signed me up for a new contract after I wanted to cancel.. I confirmed with them if I am on the new 12 month contract and explained that I am moving.. they said it's fine I can do the relocation. I then did the relocation request with the agent over the phone and she confirmed that everything is in order and I just need to wait the required 30 days...

Only then to be told that their system has declined the relocation request and I must try again after 60 days.. by this time I had already moved.

Nobody at vodacom could give me an answer as to why this was happening.. I got 3 different possible reasons.. all of which was aparrantly an error on their end and they will escalate for it to be fixed so that I cam have access.

I was told to wait 24 to 48 hours and someone will contact me back.. ofcos nobody called me back excep besides 1 agent who promised to try his best to figure it out. In the end he gave up and stopped calling..

I asked several times for a supervisor and was promised someone will call.. nobody called..

The 30 days was almost up and still the same error message... vetting declined. I was told it declined because there is already an active line. I was told vetting declined because of my credit score.. I was told vetting declined because my account was in arrears in December and I app**** to relocate in March.

I could believe that there was already an active line and can't have 2 lines at the same address because the address I moved to is an address I had fibre with vodacom 1 year ago.. so they obviously did not release the line when I moved.

I can't understand why it would decline the vetting for a relocation based on my credit score because why would you sign me up for a new contract if my credit score is bad? I was also told by 2 agents that when doing a relocation the system automatically bypasses and credit check.

And lastly.. how can a billing issue from months ago cause an issue with a relocation request after you just signed me up for a new contract?

None of this was making sense.. only making me upset..

March 27th 2024 I was told to speak to the cancellations / retentions team because this is where all this BS started. This is when I was informed that due to a billing issue in December the system has the status of my account as In Arrears.. however my account has been up to date since January and I have invoices to prove that. I was told by Celine, a so called supervisor that she will personally look into this and assured me that the status on the account needs to be updated so she is sending an email to their backoffice team to rectify the issue and to remove the decline message in order for the relocation to complete. She assured me that by Monday April 1st the issue will be resolved and I will be able to active.. afterall I did the relocation request on March 1st. 30 days prior. She promised to send me an email after we spoke to confirm this details and her findings and what will be done to rectify the issue. No email from Celine.

I then waited patiently for Monday.. still no internet. I gave it another day. Same thing. I then called on the 2nd to find out what is going on.. apparently nothing was done. No notes on the system as to what Celine found or done.. nothing. Once again I had to explain the situation because their system does not allow for notes to be captured or they just couldn't be bothered to leave notes.. frustrated I explained and was told they are escalating. Once again I ask for a supervisor.. Once again I get told someone will contact me.. once again I get told 3 different stories as to why this is happening. But still ibidy seems to know why it's happening. All this time I am being billed for internet I don't have.

Finally after another week I decided to call in and ask for a supervisor from the retentions team.

Again I get Celine.. however, I did not recognize her voice or when she told me her name..

I explain the issue.. and she quickly tells me the vetting declined due to credit score and a billing issue. She proceeded to take me through the full life of my contract with vodacom over the years... when I moved from one address to another and each time my contract gets replaced with a new one.. bear in mind.. I am moving between 2 houses.. only 2.. back and forth.. that is my prerogative and my business. According to vodacoms terms and conditions, I am allowed 1 free relocation..

Each time I relocate there is an issue..

Back to my conversation with Celine... she talks me through my term with vodacom and all the times I moved my line.. in the end she tells me that because I requested a relocation after taking out a new contract, THEIR SYSTEM has vetted me too.many times and therefore will not allow the relocation to take place. I asked her if and when I am doing anything with their agents on the phone should their agents not tell me or explain to me that this can't be done? Shouldn't THEIR SYSTEM flag the process to let the agent know that this can't be done before signing me up or processing anything? Afterall I did explain to the cancellations lady the very first time when I called to cancel that I can't afford vodacoms payment for fibre, that I am moving to another address and I would prefer to go with another provider for a lesser amount.. that is when she told me she can offer me what is called a 'DEAL MATCH' to lower the amount of the cost per month on a new contract.. then once I am on the new contract and new billing amount, then I do the relocation.. so that is exactly what I done. On the 23rd of February I was switched to a new contract for 12 months at a reduced amount of R579 pm. On the 1st or March I called to confirm which package I am currently on and the amount I am to be charged each month and the agent confirmed I am on a new 12 month contract at a reduced amount. I then ended that call to call again to speak with anither agent with whom I once again confirmed which package I am on and the amount I will be billed who also confirmed the new package and then and only then I requested the relocation. Now I don't know if it's THEIR SYSTEM or THEIR TRAINING or THEY JUST DONT CARE or THEY JUST STUPID or ALL THE ABOVE... that agent took my details, confirmed its an address I lived at previously and had fibre with vodacom just 1 year ago and told me everything is good to go and I just need to allow for the 30 days for the line to be deactivated at my old address and for it to be activated at the new address.. simple.. and that I should look out for any communication from vodadom in the coming few days or weeks.

Why during that 30 day period did I not receive any communication or notification that the vetting declined? Why did I have to call after 25 days to find that out? Surely if the vetting declined it would've done so either immediately or within 24 to 72 hours...

So now it's been a month and a half with no internet.

Back to Celine from Vodacom Retentions.. the so called supervisor.. after she told me nothing can be done and I need to check with the credit beurro, I asked her if the agent is supposed to advise me this can't be done or shouldn't their system flag it whilst doing the application or request or why advise me to take a new contract and then do the move if I can't? I then asked her, "basically what you telling me is I can't have internet at this address?" She says NO With an attitude. I ask her, "so basically I have to pay for internet I don't have?" With an attitude, she replies, "YES". What kind of customer service is that? And from a supervisor nonetheless. A decent answer would be, "I am sorry sir, at this time our system will not allow us to process your request for the relocation. I apologize for the inconvenience and will help you with logging a request for a refund for the month you are being billed without internet." That wouldve been fine.

But because she basically flat out told me I'm *****ed and I must still pay and not have internet is what threw me over the edge..

She then proceeded to explain the situation to my partner telling her that she is going to send us an email with a form I need to sign in order to manually do the relocation request.. send it back to her (Celine from Retentions) and she will manually process the request.. the form she sent is a contract for the new 12 month line at the old address.. nowhere on this contract she wants me to sign does is mention a relocation to the new address.. she thought she can trick me into manually signing the new 12 month contract so that they can throw it in my face later to say, "here sir.. you signed the contract."

And in all this time, I can't get internet with any other service provider because Vodacom never released the line when I moved out last year..

I called vodacom a week later after speaking with Celine to cancel and to have the line released. I am told that she is logging the request for cancelation and I should receive an email of which I need to affirm that I wish to cancel.. i will also be billed extra because I am wanting to cancel a new contract before the term is complete.. I have yet to receive any email or sms with a confirmation for processing of the cancellation.

I then asked the same girl from cancellations who can I speak to to get this line released by Vodacom and Vimatel so that I can go with anither provider as myself and my partner have tried with multiple service providers to get fibre at this address when their was no active fibre service because I moved my line to another address, all the S.Providers said the same thing.. "we are unable to proceed with completing your application for installation as there is currently another service provider occupying the line.. She tells me that I must first cancel my fibre service with vodacom in order to get fibre from another company.. I explain to her that I moved my line to another address, the address I am currently at is my partners house and there is no active service here... my active service is at another address. So what you telling me is that I must cancel my internet with vodacom which is at another house in a different area so that my girlfriend can take out internet with Afrihost or MTN at this, her address? She says, "Yes sir. In order to release the line, you must cancel your internet.. I told her that makes no sense. So because I previously had internet with vodacom at this current address and I did an outdoor relocation to another address she can't have internet with another provider at her address unless I cancel my internet? Repeatedly I said this trying for her to understand but for some reason she just could not understand the logic.

Basically I told her, "so if I move to another province and move my internet, no cancel, relocate.. and someone else who I don't know moves into this house... they can't have internet unless they contact me to cancel my internet? Let's just say she was stumped.. I asked if I was done with her? If she logged the request to cancel and can I end the call? She says yes..

Still I am waiting for the email to confirm I wish to cancel.

So now I'm going onto 2 months with no internet with vodacom. I can't move my line, I can't get internet with anyone else.. I'm stuck with them and paying for something I don't have..

They want me to cancel and wait 30 days and to pay for another 30 days..

The reason I didn't cancel when I moved initially was to avoid having to wait the 30 days to cancel and still have to pay. I wanted to cancel and was prepared to pay and wait.. but because I can't get internet with anyone else, because I was advised to do a new contract and then do the relocation now I'm in this position.

I FOLLOWED THEIR INSTRUCTIONS AND DID WHAT THEY SAID.. I WAITED AND WAITED AND AM PAYING FOR A SERVICE I DONT HAVE.. I GET TOLD FLAT OUT THAT THEY WILL NOT MOVE THE LINE BUT MUST CONTINUE TO PAY OR WAIT 30 DAYS TO CANCEL AND PAY FOR THE MONTH I AM WAITING AND PAY A PE ALTY FOR EARLY CANCELATION.. THIS IS NOT RIGHT.