Brutal Inconvenience, apathy and customer-disservice suffered at the hands of Vodacom and MiWay after being ****** of my Samsung Galaxy Z-Fold 3 at Sandton Square Mall

* I flew up to Johannesburg for work purposes on the 13th of March 2022. I was facilitating a Software Team Conference for the first 3 days of the week ahead and I needed to get some stationery from CNA. * I had to facilitate daily sessions at our Team Conference from 08:00 to 17:00 every day from the 14th to the 16th of March 2022. Any personal time was after hours. * Our hotel was located across the road from Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton. I, accompanied by a colleague who travelled with me, headed to the mall at 16:00 in the afternoon. * It appears that my phone was ****** out of my jacket pocket as we were approaching CNA in the mall. It was about 16:20 on Sunday, 13 March 2022 at Sandton Square Mall * The moment I realised it had been ******, the same day, I went to one of the Vodacom Shops in the Mall to block the phone. I also got a new sim-card and did a sim-swap so that I can use a loan-phone until my ****** one is replaced * The store agent who helped me informed me that I, supposedly, have free anti-theft cover that I could claim from. It was, supposedly, active until the end of March 2022 as per the store attendant. * She also told me that I had to lodge a claim with the police once I received an SMS from Vodacom with an ITC Reference Number. When the SMS came, it didn’t contain anything… the field which was supposed to contain the ITC number was a simple space… * I went to the police station anyway and, of course, they couldn’t help me. They did, however, give me a form to complete once I get the ITC and IMEI numbers. * I received the following details by phoning Vodacom 082135 on Monday the 14th of March 2022.

ITC: ***5 IMEI: ***

* I lodged a case with the Sandton Police Police Station in Morningside on 15th of March 2022 and was given the following case number:

Police Case Number: 937/3/2022

* On the 16th of March, I lodged a claim with MiWay giving them the ITC Reference Number and the IMEI number I received from Vodacom. * Later that day, I went back to the Vodacom shop to lodge a claim against the Free Anti-Theft policy that they told me was still active. Because it was after 17:00, they informed me that they insurance dept is closed and they would send it in the following day. * They gave me a number (***) to phone to follow up that the claim was lodged. * I phoned them on the 17th of March 2022 and gave them all the details. The lady who assisted me asked if I had previously exchanged the phone, because she had no ITC reference on the IMEI number I gave her. * Because MiWay had asked me for proof of ownership by submitting pictures of the box, I asked my wife back at home to send me pictures of the box… including the IMEI number. So I checked to see if there was a difference between what Vodacom gave me and what was on the box and there was indeed a difference. * I proceeded to block the correct device and got a new ITC Reference Number, as follows:

The IMEI Number on my box is: New IMEI: *** New ITC: ***1

* I was also informed by Vodacom Insurance that the “Free Anti-Theft” had, in fact, expired, so I couldn’t claim for it, even though the Vodacom shop told me that it was still active.

Does anyone give a damn for the inconvenience and the loss of a R35,999 device!? I guess it’s my fault for getting it in the first place…

* My consolation was that MiWay was processing my claim. * After I returned home from Johannesburg, I kept on phoning MiWay to find out the progress of my claim. * Eventually, after I phoned them on the 22nd of March 2022, they informed me that they would decline my claim because the phone I had when I took out the insurance was different to the phone that was ******. When I did take out the insurance, I had informed them that I would be changing my phone in two months time. * MiWay was VERY EAGER to phone me to take my business away from my previous insurer… but when it came to paying out, at the very least for the amount I was paying insurance cover for, they declined citing that it was my responsibility to phone them and tell them that my device had changed. * Eager to take money… Not so eager to pay up. DEN OF *******!!! * Likewise with Vodacom… Eager to get you into contracts… but turn away when their clients face misfortune. GREADY BLOODSUCKERS!!! * After about 24 years of having contracts with Vodacom… * As I’ve only had this new phone for 4 months, I’ll be paying it off for the next year and a half. I will be terminating ALL my contracts with Vodacom. And asked how likely I am to recommend either Vodacom or MiWay to my friends, you can rest assured the answer will be NEVER! In fact, STAY AWAY FROM THEM!