Deplorable Treatment

My recent experience at Vodacom Tygervalley started off positively but quickly deteriorated into a disappointing display of poor customer service and questionable ethics.

During a device upgrade, I was advised by the consultant to opt for the Huawei Pura 70 instead of the Pura 70 Pro. Trusting the consultant’s recommendation, I proceeded with the upgrade. However, I was not present during the unboxing of the phone when they attempted to transfer data from the old phone.

I left with the phone late on a Friday afternoon and returned first thing Sunday morning (around 10am) expressing my dissatisfaction with both the phone’s performance—particularly the camera—and the fact that it was not compatible with Android Auto in my vehicle.

I was informed that I could return the device, but I would be charged a R1000 fee despite having used it for only two days. Additionally, the contract would need to be cancelled and reprocessed, all subject to managerial approval. Upon contacting the manager, I was curtly told that assistance would not be provided and that a reversal was not possible. I followed up with a detailed email outlining the situation, which was simply forwarded to Head Office. Unfortunately, they too were dismissive and unwilling to consider the full context of what transpired.

To make matters worse, I was never refunded the R450 transfer fee. I also had to purchase a USB device for R250 and was charged an unexplained additional R99.

This experience has been marked by a lack of consideration for the sequence of events, my history of almost 30yrs with Vodacom, and a clear disregard for customer satisfaction. I find the ethics and service standards here utterly unacceptable. Never again!