Incredibly poor service from Vodacom, Lakeside Mall, Benoni

I upgraded my Samsung S10 Note to a Samsung S23+ at Vodacom Lakeside Mall, Benoni on the 4th October 2023. Below is what has transpired since I returned the phone, within the required 5 working days (as required on my contract), as it was faulty.

4-10-2023 UPGRADED AT VODACOM LAKESIDE MALL

10-10-2023 I TOOK PHONE BACK TO VODACOM LAKESIDE MALL BECAUSE IT WAS FAULTY. NOT RINGING WHEN SOMEONE CALLED ME – JUST GETTING AN SMS 10 MINUTES LATER TO SAY I HAD A MISSED CALL. NO SIGNAL IN MY BEDROOM AT ALL AND NO LTE OR 3G, 4G, OR 5G, BUT MY HUSBAND SITTING NEXT TO ME HAS 3 BARS AND LTE AND 4G.

VODACOM SENT IT IN TO BE CHECKED

17-10-2023 – I COLLECTED IT – THEY SAID IT WAS CHECKED AND IS NOT FAULTY. THEY HAD DONE A SOFTWARE UPGRADE. THE PHONE HAD THE EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM AS BEFORE. 01-11-2023 – I HANDED PHONE IN AT SSS CELLULAR (SAMSUNG APPROVED AGENTS) IN BOKSBURG FOR THEM TO CHECK IT. 06-11-2023 – COLLECTED PHONE FROM SSS CELLULAR – THEY ALSO DID A SOFTWARE UPGRADE AND SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND A FAULT WITH IT.

07-11-2023 – PHONE STILL DID NOT RECEIVE CALLS (DOES NOT RING). AGAIN, I JUST GOT AN SMS TO SAY I HAD A MISSED CALL.

I TOOK THE PHONE BACK TO LAKESIDE MALL AND THEY BOOKED IT IN AGAIN. IT WAS RETURNED ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER AND APPARENTLY THEY FOUND NO FAULT. WHEN I BROUGHT IT HOME, IT STILL HAD EXACTLY THE SAME FAULT. 30-11-2023 - A GENTLEMAN CALLED MARIO CAME OUT TO OUR HOUSE AND CHECKED THE PHONE AGAINST HIS OWN SAMSUNG S23 ULTRA AND HE HAD 3 BARS WHILST MY PHONE HAD 1 BAR AND HE HAD LTE WHILST MINE HAD NOTHING. HE TOLD THEM AT VODACOM THAT IT WAS FAULTY.

VODACOM THEN GAVE ME ANOTHER SAMSUNG S23+ AND IT HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS AS THE FIRST ONE.

MARIO TOLD ME THERE WAS NO POINT IN HIM COMING OUT TO MY HOUSE TO CHECK TO CHECK THE SECOND PHONE AS HE KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND WOULD JUST BE WASTING HIS TIME. HE SAID I HAD TO TAKE THE PHONE BACK TO VODACOM AND BOOK IT IN AND THEY WOULD PROBABLY LET ME PAY IN THE DIFFERENCE FOR A DIFFERENT PHONE (SAMSUNG S23 ULTRA OR SIMILAR), WHICH I WAS PREPARED TO DO.

19-12-2023 I HANDED THE PHONE IN AT VODACOM LAKESIDE MALL.

28-12-2023 MARIO CALLED ME TO SAY THAT VODACOM WAS NOT PREPARED TO LET ME CHANGE TO ANOTHER PHONE AS THEY COULD NOT FIND A FAULT, EVEN THOUGH HE HAD EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT MY PHONE DID NOT GET THE SAME GOOD CONNECTION THAT HIS PHONE AND MY HUSBAND’S PHONE DID. HE SAID I SHOULD CALL A MAN NAMED WERNER, WHO WOULD EXPLAIN WHY VODACOM WAS NOT PREPARED TO LET ME GET A DIFFERENT PHONE.

I CALLED WERNER AT 12H45 TODAY AND GOT THROUGH TO HIS VOICEMAIL. I LEFT A MESSAGE ASKING HIM TO CALL ME BUT HAVE NOT HEARD FROM HIM AS YET.

I am 75 years old and can no longer fight with these people, Wendy. I am completely computer literate and have owned a Smartphone since the first ones came on the market in South Africa. From the very first time that I took the phone back to the saleslady who did my upgrade at Vodacom Lakeside Mall, I have been treated with disdain and disrespect, as if I do not know what I am talking about. I have used Vodacom Lakeside Mall for the past 12 years for all my upgrades and am disgusted with the treatment that I have received from them.

I am now desperate as I signed a 3-year contract which is costing me R1200 per month, but I do not have a usable phone. I took the phone back as soon as I realized that the phone was faulty. I no longer know what to do. I can’t sell it as it is faulty, but I have to keep on paying for it. This phone retails at about R26900.00.

I would really appreciate some help with this as I do not know what else to do.

Laura Wallace Lakefield, Benoni Cell: ***