********** Contract Approved Against My Account

In May 2017, a service provider in Durbanville, Chad's Cellular, whose contact details I have, phoned me and told me that "Vodacom has turned down your new contract because you have previously upgraded. You must either return the phone or buy it direct from us!" I was taken aback because at the time I was in Pretoria and nowhere near Durbanville. After a short discussion I informed the proprietor that if anyone took out a contract of that nature in my name, it is **********. The proprietor apologised to me and said he would sort it out. From the End of June 2017 I have been billed R586.23 per month for a handset and a line that I never took out.

At the end of June 2017 I phoned Vodacom (111) to report the matter and after a merry runaround between the accounts department and legal and several calls later, I was eventually informed by someone at the ordinary helpdesk that I was required to send a sworn affidavit and an ID with three sample signatures to ********** which I did on 14 July 2017. I received no feedback or acknowledgement of receipt of the affidavit and when I was billed again at the end of July, I called 111 and was once more requested to send an email, but this time directly to the helpdesk operator, which I did on 11 August 2017. Since then I have tried twice to follow up but I hear nothing. I have now been billed for the fifth time for the ********** handset and line costs contracts.

I find Vodacom to be an intransigent, arrogant organisation who imply that the onus of proof of ***** lies with me. They bill me monthly while some secretive, inaccessible "***** Unit" investigates my claim without ever giving me feedback. Furthermore, not even their own employees at 111 are able to give me any further information other than "a ***** case has been opened". I have just spoken with the manager at Chad's Cellular who has informed me that the case has been closed but she did give me the case number. By my calculation, Vodacom now owe me R2,931.15 for a ********** contract that four months after reporting, the shadowy "***** Unit" at Vodacom have not been able to resolve. I am hoping that by placing this complaint here, I may get some action.