Complaint against Vodacom: Misleading Sales Practices and Unfair Resolution

My husband was due for a contract upgrade with Vodacom. He initially made an enquiry himself but was unhappy with the offers presented, so he decided not to proceed and to wait.

He was subsequently contacted by a Vodacom sales representative who offered him a contract deal, allegedly in recognition of his long-standing loyalty as a Vodacom customer. Throughout the telephone conversation, my husband repeatedly asked the representative to confirm the monthly instalment amount and the contract term. The representative confirmed these details, and my husband agreed to the deal based on those assurances.

However, when the debit order date arrived, Vodacom attempted to deduct almost double the monthly amount that had been agreed upon. Upon further investigation, my husband also discovered that the contract term was longer than what had been communicated to him during the sales call.

Vodacom investigated the matter and advised him that they would collect the device and cancel the contract. However, he was told that he would first have to pay the inflated debit order amount, after which Vodacom would process a refund. We were also informed that the sales representative would receive a three-week suspension.

How is this an acceptable resolution?

My husband is the customer who was misled. He is the one who now has to deal with the financial inconvenience, pay an amount he never agreed to, potentially wait for a refund, and ultimately be left without the device he signed up for. Meanwhile, the employee responsible for providing incorrect information faces what appears to be a very limited consequence.

Vodacom is effectively expecting a loyal customer to bear the financial and practical consequences of its sales representative's conduct. Why should my husband have to pay for a mistake he did not make?

We did not agree to the higher monthly instalment or the extended contract term. Had these details been communicated honestly from the beginning, he would never have accepted the offer.

We expect Vodacom to take accountability for the way this contract was sold and to provide a fair resolution that does not penalise the customer for its employee's actions.