Handed over to Lawyers for a contract that Vodacom insists doesn't exist.

Below is an email that I sent to the lawyers at Hammond -Pole after being told that I had been handed over for non-payment of an account. Neither Vodacom nor the Lawyers have had the decency to reply yet I have now been told that my Credit rating will be affected for non-payment. The account in question is an old Data contract that I have not used since prior to closing the bank account that was being debited for payment. When I tried to cancel the contract (as I was closing my bank account) I was assured by Vodacom at The Pavillion that the contract did not exist. Please see below for full details:

Thanks again for your email ********. I have to admit that I am starting to become very agitated by the responses I am getting. I keep querying how I landed up being handed over to a collection agency without any notification from Vodacom whatsoever! You must have a contact at Vodacom that you can send this email to. Let me lay out, once and for all, why I am challenging this and why it is that I expect communication from Vodacom regarding this matter!

1. I went into Vodacom at The Pavillion to attempt to close this account in January of 2017 and was told by the consultant that he could not find the account on his system. (When I transferred from Altech Autopage I received notification that my contract for 082******* would be transferred to Vodacom and there was no mention of the account in question.) I insisted that I was still being debited for the account and was assured that it did not exist! So I figured I would just go ahead with closing my bank account and Vodacom could contact me if there was a problem. After all I was also there to change my banking details for the Debit Order that was in place for the 082******* contract. 2. Vodacom email me my invoice and statement every single month for the 082******* contract. 3. Vodacom have NOT ONCE communicated with me via email, SMS or regular post to let me know that there is an outstanding payment on the account. 4. If they had had the decency and business ethics to do so I would have paid any outstanding amount and CLOSED the account as I had wanted to. 5. Due to Vodacom’s lack of communication I am now expected to pay over 6 times the amount I should because they have not been competent in handling their accounts correctly.

I am sure you understand the problem I have with all of this. Vodacom have my telephone number, email address and physical address. The onus was on them to call me and make a query regarding this account when the first payment did not go through! Why must I now, 11 months later, be made to feel like a ******** and have to pay over and above what is due.

I have cc’d the email address that I receive the account for my current contract on. Perhaps they can shed some light on the situation?

If Vodacom can prove that they tried to contact me before handing me over then I will gladly settle the amount by the 15th of December. I will require reference numbers and contact methods.

I have been a loyal Vodacom customer for many years and I have never missed a payment. They should have had the decency to contact me themselves before it came to this.