Disgraceful service from Vodacom Rosebank

On Saturday 31 March 2018, Vodacom Rosebank processed a contract upgrade for me. I was issued with a new 2-year contract and a new Samsung S9 plus.

As part of the contract upgrade, I elected to accept the Cellsure insurance that was offered to me for the device.

It was communicated to me there and then by the Vodacom Rosebank representative that the insurance would be activated immediately and that the policy documents would follow in due course. I left the store under the impression that my new device was insured, having re**** on the Vodacom Rosebank representative’s representation to me in this regard.

In the early hours of Wednesday 4 April 2018, I was held up outside my home by gunmen, my new cellphone and other items were subsequently ******.

I returned to the Vodacom Rosebank that very same morning first thing and was asked to complete an insurance claim form for the device, which Vodacom Rosebank submitted to Cellsure on my behalf.

On Thursday 5 April, I was informed by Vodacom Rosebank that Cellsure had repudiated the claim. I did not understand why Cellsure had repudiated the claim because Vodacom Rosebank had sent me the comprehensive insurance policy documents on the afternoon of Wednesday the 4th of April 2018.

I returned to the store where Vodacom Rosebank insisted that I pay an amount of R12,869 – 00 (as excess), which I believe is the cost price of the device. I duly presented the insurance policy which stipulates an excess of R650 – 00.

Later that day, Vodacom Rosebank called me and advised me that the reason Cellsure was repudiating the claim was because Vodacom Rosebank had not “activated” the insurance timeously on Saturday 31 March. Vodacom Rosebank had only “activated” the insurance with Cellsure on Wednesday 4 April after I’d been in to see them that same morning.

Vodacom Rosebank then requested me to “meet them halfway” and pay an amount of R9,000 - 00 for a new device.

The above set of facts clearly indicate that Vodacom Rosebank did not activate the insurance policy despite being instructed to do so and despite representing to me that they had and as a result of their failure, negligence, misrepresentation and/or maladministration my phone was not insured by Cellsure at the time it was forcibly removed from my person and unless Vodacom Rosebank agrees to furnish me with a new device at it’s expenses, I will incur damages to the tune of c. R19,000. I am currently incurring damages already in light of the fact that I am without my new S9 plus. I also suspect that Vodacom Rosebank’s may have acted **********ly in that notwithstanding the fact that they knew full well that they hadn’t sent the necessary documents to Cellsure to activate the insurance, they still tried to submit a claim with Cellsure.

I am furious and I should not be expected to suffer the consequences of what is clearly Vodacom Rosebank’s fault. I expect Vodacom Rosebank to issue me with a new S9 plus immediately, failing which I will issue a letter of demand and failing a favourable response from Vodacom Rosebank after that, I will issue summons.