Billed for impossible high Data Usage from 3G router

<p> </p> <p>I got a shocker of a debit order that went off my bank account end October 2016 – I got the SMS notification the morning of 1 November of +R11000 that went off my bank account. I immediately checked my account (which I got in October, but never checked as trusted Vodacom to be billing correctly) and noted that the “problem” is with by 3G data account – an amount +R7000 was added for data usage. I immediately logged a call with Vodacom to investigate. Got my reference number and was told to wait.</p> <p> </p> <p>(NOTE- after this scare, all sim cards were removed from any device that is linked to the 3G data line – so, no mobile data could be used)</p> <p> </p> <p>I waited… then got an SMS to tell me the querie was resolved… no correspondence … nothing.. still got no idea as to what happened. I had to log another call…</p> <p> </p> <p>I went to a Vodashop to ask if they could help – the only help they could give me, was to inform me that an even higher data usage amount is billed on my October invoice - +R13000</p> <p> </p> <p>That is when I received a call from the “data department” to tell me that will as sign of goodwill write off an amount of R11471. That still leaves me with +R7000 and the odd +R2000 that I need to cover. This person took a week, but did sent me the report of data usage on my 3G contract that shows that within minutes 106megs were used on a 3Grouter, and it is repeated immediately after another – about 10 to 15 times, then stops and later it happens again…and so it continues to use data – but that kind of usage is impossible – the router is not capable of that speed of data download… again I queried. And again I was told to wait…. My last call was logged 6 December 2016 and I was notified that the SLA date is 27 December 2016. And again I waited… 27th came and passed and still no answer!</p> <p> </p> <p>On Monday 9 January 2019, my daughter got an SMS on her tablet – not related to the data contract at all – to say the query I logged was resolved. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE??? I still got no answer from anybody – no SMS, no email, no call…</p> <p> </p> <p>Now I need to phone again! And every phone call costs me money!!</p> <p> </p> <p>I speak to a call centre consultant that can not help me – that can not understand and need to ask the supervisor what to do…and everytime I need to hold for close to 10 minutes. Eventually he told me that he can see a credit of +R11000 that will be due to me at the end of January or 1 February. Great! Now I ask for confirmation – please send me an email with this information… again I was told to please hold.. then I got cut off… After 42 minutes… and still no answer…!!!</p> <p> </p> <p>Again, phone… and explain to no avail..</p> <p>I got an SMS from Vodacom asking me if I was happy with the service, to which I responded NO!</p> <p> </p> <p>Then got a call from Jabu that promised me that will follow up and communicate back to me – that was Monday 9 January… we are now on Wednesday morning… and still NOTHING.</p> <p> </p> <p>I decided to phone again and again had to explain and again no help… and this call centre agent could also not perform… promised to log a call and send an SMS with the reference number … and again .. nothing…</p> <p> </p> <p>Where do I go from here.. how can I get this resolved? I</p> <p> </p> <p>In the meantime, with this dispute hanging, it shows that I am in arrears with my account and it will have an effect on my credit record – that needs to be stopped. My profile with Vodacom has been adjusted and I can not do an upgrade of one of my other accounts with Vodacom – all this because they have an issue with the billing of data usage.</p> <p> </p>