Being forced to pay for an EXPIRED VODACOM DATA CONTRACT concluded at Dion Wired

I took a 24 months contract with vodacom starting from the 09 June 2017 at DionWired.

The contract is in relation to cellphone numbers *** and ***. They are both data contract.

My contract with vodacom ended on 9 June 2019. I was puzzled to receive a letter from vodacom advising me that my contract was for a period of 36 months. I queried it with Vodacom call Centre consultant and she also confirmed that the contract I took at Dion was for 24 months . She said it was however captured by vodacom as 36 months contract. She told me that she cannot help me further as I signed the contract at DionWired. She Refered me to DionWired and said I should resolve it with them.

I then went to Dion wired at Kolonnade mall, Montana in Pretoria where I signed the vodacom contract. I spoke to Marius the sales manager who advised me to send him an email explaining the dispute. He promised that he will attend to my dispute and revert to me by the 18 June 2019.

I send an email on the 15 June 2019 outlining my query. I also attached a copy of the contract which clearly state that the contract I signed at Dion wired was for a period of 24 months.

Marius did not revert to me and on the 21 June 2019 I send him an email requesting a response and he then told me that the matter has been referred to their head office. I never received any feedback from him until towards the end of July or beginning August when my lines were soft locked again and I went to the store again. This time the store manager told me that their head office has instructed him to pay the cancellation figures.

The store manager failed to pay and my other lines remained soft locked and when I called vodacom they demanded that I pay for the expired contracts before they could assist me. Vodacom has been using this trick since July. They would soft lock all my lines and when I call their call Centre they would demand that I pay for all the accounts including the one that have expired before they could assist me. They told me that if the account is in arrears their system does not allow them to access the account. In July I paid and lodged a dispute. After about 7 days I then received an sms saying query closed. I called them and they advised me to lodge another dispute. It continued like that without vodacom resolving the dispute. They also failed, despite several request, to provide me with cancellation figures for this contract. They would soft lock my phones and tell me the same story... we are unable to access your account because it is in arrears and we will be able to assist you one you have paid the outstanding amount of the contract that has expired because on our system despite the 24 months contract that you signed they reflect as 36 months

Vodacom has now suspended all my lines. I am now caught in between. I really do not understand why should I be inconvenienced by a mistake that was made by Dion Wired. I am not privy to the agency agreement that Dion wired entered with vodacom. The deal was advertised as a 24 months contract and it was sold to me as such. I signed for a 24 months contract and not a 36 months contract. Vodacom is aware of that but keeps on billing me and suspending my other lines which have nothing to do with this issue.

I don’t understand why vodacom cannot resolve this issue with their agent Dion wired and take me out of it

Yesterday I went to vodacom customer service in Midrand and I was advised that the only thing they can do for me is to log a dispute on my behalf and escalate it. They advised me that unless I pay the arrear amount of the two expired data contract my account will remain suspended until the dispute has been resolved.

I don’t have a 36 months contract with vodacom, the contract I signed with vodacom is for 24 months which ended on the 9 June 2019 so I do not understand why am I still being billed and being forced to pay for this contract when both vodacom and Dion wired have acknowledged that the contract that I signed was for 24 months.

Please help I wonder how many other people are being bul**** this way by Vodacom and Dion wired and end up succumbing to this bullying for fear of being handed over to their attorneys for collection or their credit score with credit bureaus being negatively affected