Extremely Poor Customer Service After a Failed Cancellation Request

Account Nr - I***-2 Cancellation Reference: 5-***7809 - (7 March 2024) Cancellation Number - 5-***2961 - (04 June 2024) Call time - 08H16 - 04 June 2024

The are two issues that this complaint will address:

1. Failing to cancel a contract after confirmation that a contract will be cancelled. 2. Poor service received from consultant regarding the above when I escalated.

I called Vodacom to cancel my contract on 07 March 2024. I was told that it takes a calendar month for a cancellation to be effected. So the effective date of cancellation was to be 30 April. The last debit order was going to be 01 May 2024. After the my account was debited I though that the contract had been cancelled.

Anyway, they failed to cancel the contract as agreed and I was debited again on 02 June 2024. I called today, to enquire about the failed cancellation, and I was unfortunately handed over to a consultant called Mohammed Ebrahim.

After Mohammed acknowledged that Vodacom had failed to cancel the contract, and would only effectively cancel at the end of this month, meaning I would be billed again, I didn't accept this as the service failure occurred on Vodacom's end. He went on to tell me that these were Vodacom's Terms and Conditions for cancellations and its not him that was personally responsible for failing to cancel and regardless this is how the cancellation would be effected. He then told me that he'll get the consultant that did the cancellation to assist me as that's how that consultant works. Mind you, I hadn't blamed him for the failed cancellation and I also told him that, the processes that company's use for certain transactions would be the same regardless of who's processing the transaction. Anyway, he continued to fight and be rude and then said that the contract would continue. He was extremely arrogant throughout our interaction.

After an up and down between me and him regarding the issue, I asked for his surname and the call reference number so I could escalate the issue and also lay a complaint regarding the service I received from him. He then told me that he's not allowed to share his surname and would have to confirm with his manager if he can share his surname and the call reference. I also requested a complaints email/contact number so I could complain about the service I've received and have our call to be listened to.

After returning to the call, he provided his surname as well as advise that the call reference is the number I've used to call Vodacom, which is my number and this didn't make any sense. Mind you, Vodacom had called me back as my initial call was cut. I made him aware of this, but he insisted. He failed to inform me of either the complaints process nor the complaints contact details.

After this I received another reference number for cancellation (5-***2961) with confirmation that the cancellation would be effected tomorrow (05 June 2024), and I would receive a survey to rate the service and contact from Vodacom regarding a credit note. Mind you, there was no apology.

There was some sort of resolution after I had fought with Mohammed and told him that I would lay a complaint, but customers should not have to resort to this in order to have their problems addressed. It was all unnecessary considering that it was Vodacom's fault that the cancellation was initially not effected. I have gone and reversed the debit order at my own cost and I hope this reversal doesn't at all affect my credit rating.

As I reflect, this was all supposed to be an easy and quick fix. Acknowledge an error has been made, apologise and then rectify the issue. We spent almost 42 minutes dealing with this.

After this entire experience, it's unlikely that I will take up products with Vodacom again.