******** Debits, Service Suspension, Breach of Contract and Consumer Rights Violation

Dear Vodacom Complaints & Escalations Team,

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding the handling of my cellphone contract and account, which has resulted in financial loss, service disruption, emotional distress, and repeated violations of my consumer rights.

Account Background

I have been on a cellphone contract with Vodacom since December. The agreed debit order date is the 25th of every month.

Summary of Issues

Vodacom failed to debit my account on the agreed debit order date.

Despite this being a Vodacom error, my line was suspended, rendering my phone unusable.

On 30 January, I contacted Vodacom and made a payment of R982.19 using my card over the phone. The payment was processed, confirmed as received, and I was assured the line would be restored within 2–5 hours.

The line was not restored. I contacted Vodacom again on Saturday morning and received the same confirmation and assurance. The service remains inactive to date.

On 2 February, my account was debited again without my consent or agreement, resulting in insufficient funds and my bank account going into a negative balance.

Two debit orders were run within four days, contrary to our agreement.

I have spent several hours on calls, been transferred between departments, forced to repeat my story multiple times, and experienced poor and disrespectful service.

I was advised to visit a Vodacom store to listen to call recordings, without clarity on compensation for my time, travel, or inconvenience.

Promised call-backs from consultants and management did not occur.

Consumer Rights and Legal Concerns

Vodacom’s actions constitute violations of:

Section 54 of the Consumer Protection Act – failure to provide quality and timely service.

Unfair and unauthorised billing practices.

Material breach of contract.

Potential violations of the POPI Act, relating to the handling of my personal and banking information.

Formal Demands

I hereby request the following:

Immediate restoration of my line.

A full refund of the duplicated debit.

A full investigation into my account from the inception of the contract.

A root cause analysis explaining the debit failure, suspension, duplicate debit, and service failure.

A detailed list of all consultants and managers who handled my calls and account.

Copies of all call recordings related to my account.

Written confirmation of Vodacom’s contractual obligations and how these were breached.

Appropriate financial compensation for:

Time lost

Money lost

Emotional distress

Inconvenience and reputational impact

Written confirmation of how Vodacom intends to prevent a recurrence.

Way Forward

I am pursuing further legal action for breach of contract, financial loss and consumer rights violations

I expect this matter to be treated with urgency and professionalism.