Fed up.

I am terribly sorry to be “that” client, but I have reached the point where I am genuinely fed up with Vodacom’s handling of my account and the complete lack of resolution I have received over the past three weeks.

For approximately three weeks now, I have been unable to make calls or use mobile data because my Open Account has consistently reflected a balance of R0. This has had a direct impact on me, both personally and at my workplace, where I have already experienced significant difficulties with work-related communication.

During this period, I have dealt with approximately four different customer care consultants, and unfortunately, I have received a different explanation from each person:

Initially, I was told that my account was blocked. This was apparently resolved, but my services only worked for approximately three hours before the exact same issue occurred again.

I was then advised by a different consultant that, due to the confusion and incorrect information provided to me, I would receive a refund in airtime.

I was subsequently told that the issue was that everything on my account had simply been used and that there was nothing further that could be done.

The last explanation is particularly concerning because I am on an Open Account. My understanding is that this account does not simply “run out” in the same way a prepaid balance does; it is intended to allow usage beyond the available balance and subsequently reflect the applicable charges. Therefore, being told that everything has simply been “used” does not adequately explain why my services have been unavailable or why my account has repeatedly remained at R0.

I would also like to make it very clear that I have actively been trying to resolve this matter. Because I cannot make calls from my own Vodacom number, I have had to use another phone and spend my own airtime repeatedly calling Vodacom customer care in an attempt to get assistance.

I am a busy working person and, unfortunately, I cannot simply spend hours on the phone during working hours whenever there is an issue. I have therefore had to make these calls during odd hours and whenever I am actually able to step away from work. This is also the reason why this complaint has taken some time to escalate, not because I have not been trying to resolve the issue, but because I have been trying to resolve it around my working hours and at my own expense.

At this stage, I am not interested in being passed between another four consultants and receiving another four different explanations. I need someone with the authority and technical knowledge to properly investigate my account, establish exactly what has gone wrong, and provide me with a definitive explanation.

Furthermore, given that I have effectively been unable to use the services I am paying for throughout August due to an unresolved Vodacom-side/account issue, I am requesting a full refund or reversal of my August charges.

I have made repeated attempts to resolve this through your customer care channels, including spending my own airtime to contact Vodacom from another number, and have given Vodacom more than enough opportunity to rectify the matter. It is therefore unreasonable for me to be expected to pay for a service that I have been unable to use for the majority of the month, particularly when your own consultants have provided conflicting explanations and have been unable to resolve the issue.

Please escalate this complaint to the appropriate department and provide me with:

A full explanation of what has happened to my account;

Confirmation of why my Open Account has remained at R0 and why my services have repeatedly been suspended/unavailable;

Confirmation of what happened to the airtime refund I was previously promised;

A full reversal/refund of my August charges; and

Confirmation of what is being done to ensure this does not happen again.

I would appreciate a written response and resolution rather than another instruction to contact customer care, as that is precisely where I have been attempting to resolve this for the past three weeks.

I look forward to receiving a proper resolution.

Kind regards, Jolene