LACK OF SERVICE FROM VODACOM - FAULTY SIM CARD

I’ve had an issue with my Vodacom SIM card for over 2 weeks. I bought the SIM card, it was registered for RICA but it still is not working. It worked for about 4 hours the day AFTER purchase and has not been working since.

I’ve spoken to about 5 call centre consultants and been to the store twice. Each person gives me a different story about why the SIM card is not working.

1st - I was told that it was not registered correctly for RICA: which could not have been the case because I was able to use it for a few hours.

Then I was told that it needed to be synchronized, the call centre agent then did what she said was the “synchronization” of the SIM. It still did not work after that.

Next, I was told that the previous agent was not supposed to “synchronize” the SIM which meant that the SIM card was damaged due to that process and I need to buy a new one to do a sim swap.

I went into the store, waited almost 45 minutes only to be told that they are “offline” and cannot help me. I was asked to leave my number so that they could contact me later. No one ever did.

I then decided to take matters into my own hands once again and bought a new SIM card, called the 135 number to request a sim swap only to be told that the number I’m trying to sim swap “does not exist” and that I should “go into the store with ID and Proof of address” to have the issue sorted out.

I went back to the store and AGAIN I was not helped because apparently “there’s no network in the store”. HOW are you whole network service provider but your excuse is that you have no network? My number was left again, but I’m not holding my breath.

I’m at my wit's end right now because that is the number that is on all my branding for my work and I’ve already lost thousands of rands due to not being able to communicate with my clients for, now going into the 3rd week. This is unacceptable! Is someone going to reimburse me for the loss of income due to this ridiculous issue? Or at the VERY LEAST, is anyone going to do their job at some point?

I cannot even port the number to another network because I have to have this sim swap done first before the alternative network provider can assist. I've been a contract customer with vodacom for about 10 years now, but surely this is the end.