Big mess with upgrades at Tygervalley branch

I would like to share my unbelievable bad service from Vodacom Tygervalley branch. I have been a Vodacom customer for many years now and renewed numerous contracts with them over the years.

The end of June my daughter visited from Potchefstroom and it was time for our upgrades. We went to the store and were helped by a young man. At that stage, I paid for FOUR contracts at Vodacom. I explained to him that I ONLY wanted to renew the two phone contracts ending with -145 and -041. (At that stage, I had already given notice for the two lines I did not want to renew per telephonic conversation with Rowan Govender, staff number 9961 on 1 June and again to Janelle on 13 June to make sure everything was in order and that there was no upgrade on the two lines I wanted to cancel.)

I told this to the young man helping us that I ONLY wished to renew the aforementioned contracts. He understood this and started to introduce their current deals to us. He renewed our contracts in a jiffy. He suggested that we kept our contract packages as it was, since my daughter only used data. I was told that the fees would result in R329 for the one and R319 for the other, resulting in a total of R648. I also requested that my debit order details should be changed. I filled out a form with the new details and handed the new banking details to him. He told me that the details would immediately be changed. I also asked that my monthly bill should be sent to my email and not via SMS (which he also did not change).

On Friday, 29 July, I received an SMS from Vodacom, thanking me for renewing my contract on one of the other 2 lines that I cancelled. On Saturday morning first thing, I went to the branch (30 July). Everyone seemed occupied in the shop, not looking up, and I walked to the first 'open' desk next to the door. The young woman was on her phone at the time. I told her all of the above and explained my confusion with the SMS. She looked up the details on the computer and told me that indeed, only two lines were renewed. Mine (-041) and another (066 number). I explained that I only upgraded the -041 line and -145 one. She told me that the sales agent upgraded the 066 line instead of the -145 one because that was only a data line as my daughter used only data. She told me to phone *** (she gave me this number) and tell them to just swop the renewal phones' numbers, since I still wanted the -145 number. Apparently it was some 'administrative task' that only they could do. She explained that it would be no problem, since I keep the contract, it is just that the one contract should be swopped with the other which they will easily do for me on the customer service line.

In the meanwhile, it was time for the debit orders to go off. My bank sent me a message that the Vodacom payment bounced back due to 'insufficient funds', upon which I found that Vodacom never changed my details! (I am closing the savings account since I don't use it anymore.) A woman (named Pretty) confirmed that no bank details was changed and offered to quickly change it on the system for me. I immediately arranged for the fees to be deducted on my other account, since I will never be a non-paying customer of bills. She explained that it would be deducted the next day, but I would have to pay a penalty of R100,88. (My bank also deducted an additional penalty fee!) I had never, ever been in a position where a debit order bounced back! What a bad record for me at my bank now...I am so ashamed for negligent mistake caused by Vodacom.

Furthermore, I spoke to Sandizile (also on the *** line) with regards to the strange SMS and to change the details as I was told Saturday at the branch. She told me to immediately go back to the branch for them to rectify their mistake. She explained that the branch upgraded the wrong number and that only the branch could reverse the upgrade to cancel the upgrade on the wrong number.

On Wednesday, 3 August, I went to Vodashop at 15:00. I was helped by the manager who pointed out all the discrepancies on my account - very different from what we agreed upon when renewing our contracts. Apparently I needed to have 3 lines because to get the data, we need the 066 line and to get the new phone (which my daughter already received), we also needed the renewal of the -145 line. He also told me that he did not know where the young man got the rates of the new contracts (total of R648) since the contracts added up to nearly R1 000. He was not impressed with the service I received from the girl on Saturday (who I pointed out in the shop) and told me that he will definitely have a word with her since she was again on her phone at that moment.

I told him that I was not prepared to pay more per month than what I agreed upon and expected to receive what I was offered. He explained that it was impossible. He worked on the computer and said that my daughter's phone(s) would add up to R398.

He then told me that both contracts were renewed for a 36 month period!! I explained to him that this was impossible, since the young man and I talked about this upon which I told him that I only sign up for 24 month contracts, since the battery life of phones lasts only 2 years the way we use it. I emphasised that I wanted it over 24 months.

I told the manager that I did not accept this at all. He said to me that changing the contracts to 24 months would lead to a steep increase in fees - up to R1 000. I said I was not prepared to pay R400 per month extra for mistakes on Vodacom's side. He could not offer me a satisfactory solution for their problem and said he would contact Vodacom the next day to find out what to do.

When I left just before 17:30, he told me that he would talk to Vodacom Head Office early the next morning (i.e. Thursday, 4 August) and he asked which time would be convenient for me to take his call with regards to feedback from head office. I told him any time after 14:30. He wrote this down and promised to contact me the next day at 14:30. He also told me that the penalty fee for the bouncing debit order would be reversed by Vodacom.

Today, is 9 August. I have not received a single phone call from the manager (after spending 2 and a half hours in his shop to sort out their mess)! I have received a "quotation" via email for the adjusted fees for my daughter's contract (R398), but it STILL showed 36 months! I assume my contract stayed the same, also over a 36 month span!

No, Vodacom. This is unacceptable. I wonder how far a customer still needs to go to fix the mess made by *********** employees. 3 staff members at 1 branch - each more ***********, uninformed and unwilling to assist the customer when they messed up the upgrades!

I wonder if turning to the Hellopeter platform would evoke any reaction from Vodacom whatsoever or if the ******** attitude would spread over the whole of Vodacom. I simply cannot believe that, in a time where there are so many cell phone service providers wishing to sign more customers, Vodacom really doesn't care about anything at all! Is it because I was a small fish in a huge pond?