lies more lies and incompetence

<p>Summary:</p> <p>· Vodacom lies</p> <p>· Vodacom pricing is inconsistent and greedy</p> <p>· Data cost has doubled overnight, at least on my account</p> <p>· A hi-tech company with low-tech, *********** people</p> <p> </p> <p>Vodacom cost of data complaint – the beginning – a 3 year saga</p> <p>16th January 2014</p> <p>The ongoing confusion at Vodacom of how much data bundles should cost.</p> <p> </p> <p>I want to spend a few bucks with Vodacom but they don't want me to.</p> <p>The problem could lie in 3 departments headed up by:</p> <p>Andries Delport - Chief Technology Officer</p> <p>Phillip Patel - Consumer Business Unit</p> <p>Gary Hagel - Customer operations.</p> <p>3 relevant titles, at least one function might help. But all 3 guys are invisible to the customer base and are not publishing their phone or email details. Technology is 21st century but customer relations are mind-numbingly bad (unless you are BEEEEG). </p> <p>You have a problem? Go to the customer care line and talk nonsense for 10 minutes.</p> <p> </p> <p>There was an urgent need to download a 600 MB file. I have a top-up contract for a laptop modem. So I went into my personal Vodacom account page to arrange 1 GB extra.</p> <p>Late last year I also needed a gig. How much I said. R79.00 they said. The web site didn't accept credit or debit cards and no other payment method existed. Customer Care said "Buy from your bank". At the time I was not told to buy airtime at the bank and convert it.</p> <p>Standard bank did offer 1 GB but at R149.00 not R79.00.</p> <p>As I was rushed I bought it.</p> <p>1 GB is offered on my Vodacom web account page @ R79.00 but they say it’s not valid, I must pay R149.00?</p> <p>Complained to Vodacom about the vast difference in price. I suggested that as the quoted price was on their web site they were legally obliged to honour it. They nicely came to the party and gave me a credit of R79.00 thus wiping out the difference between them and SB. I later, happily spent R49.00 on additional 500 MB.</p> <p>Vodacom's web site is always 3 parts to the wind. I check Broadband usage frequently. A progress bar tells me how much I have left, if it's working. It's always less than 2 other software checks but not enough to steam about. To pay by DC/CC has been impossible. Today, the option is available. So fill in the stuff, get to the drop-down asking to select what I want, and I click on "Mobile Internet once-off 1 GB - R79.00".</p> <p>Great. Press finish then move to top of screen where the message states DC/CC not working try again later. They mean later in 2018.</p> <p> </p> <p>My internet connection is via a laptop with a Huawei modem, doesn't do voice, what on earth will I need airtime for? Each time I buy data, airtime must be purchased then converted. What a waste of time. I really sympathise with the banner creator who hammered Cell C as useless. The level of frustration in dealing with barely functioning people is heart stopping. Sad reminders of Telkom’s arrogance.</p> <p>Since Pieter Uys left, it’s been downhill all the way. Finding a brain at the Fourways Mall shop is needle in haystack stuff. These cell phone operators are smug, arrogant and making loads of money unregulated by a *****ic government. Is there anyone in SA who is actually responsible for anything?</p> <p>Foreign Investment is drying up. If we can't get 60 Mb/s in our cities at a cheap price companies will not come only to be *****ed by the big 3.</p> <p> </p> <p>For months the web site has been unfinished and unreliable "Sorry web-site not available". </p> <p>Vodacom complaint – 17/11/2016 - continued</p> <p>Nothing changes.</p> <p>Data cost doubles:</p> <p>Attempted purchase of 500 MB data for modem on laptop.</p> <p>Cost of 500 MB data is now R99.00. It’s been R49.00 for months – WHY?</p> <p>Clarence, at the Vodacom help desk says it’s always been R99.00. Lies! 1 GB data was R79.00, now R149.00 AGAIN.</p> <p>Convoluted purchase; must buy airtime from the bank which I have to convert to data. Still no possibility to pay with CC or DC.</p> <p>Current airtime balance is R51.65. On 15/11 it was R55.00. Why the drop? It has not been consumed by data. It has been apparent for some time that Vodacom ‘*****s’ airtime for no reason. Remember the guy who became a millionaire in the UK by *****ing cents from client bank accounts. Vodacom is pulling the same stunt.</p> <p>As data is running out, I try to buy 100 MB of data for R29.00. Cannot do so, message on drop-down box “You only have R20.32 available airtime.” Yet the site tells me I have R51.65. The web designers are unable to do simple arithmetic that balances across two fields on same page. Today the progress bar says 65 MB remaining of 65 MB. It should say 65 MB remaining of 2 GB.</p> <p>For comparison attempted purchase of 500 MB data on my cell phone using *111#</p> <p> </p> <p>Today cost: 14/11/2016 Biggest bundle listed is 250 MB @ R25.00 = R50.00 for 500 MB. Valid 1 day.</p> <p>30 day cost: R99.00</p> <p>Why the big difference?</p> <p>Clearly the people designing the web site have lost the plot, not that they ever held it. The site has been plagued with problems for years, down time, outdated or wrong information, inability to buy data directly from bank account. The web design team does not have access to a brain, the mismanagement and sloppy coding is obvious to all. They even do site maintenance on a Saturday morning. Have they not heard about Sunday from midnight to 06:00?</p> <p>17/11/2016 – 12:00</p> <p>Clarence said he needed to resynch the site with my number, don’t know what that means. He’s done something because now I can’t buy data on the site only airtime. There’s no other option. Who is responsible for the web site? Find them and fire them.</p> <p>Need help from Vodacom? Go to a franchised shop where the owner is knowledgeable and motivated.</p> <p>HATE TO GIVE TELKOM CREDIT BUT THEY OFFER ADSL 100GB FOR R99.00. IN THE MEANTIME VODACOM GOES UP AND UP AND UP…………….</p> <p>Don’t the government have a stake in Vodacom? Conflict of interest? Never mind. Maybe we get to the nub of the problem. From a dysfunctional website to pricing confusion, even the debit order fluctuates monthly from 1st, 2nd or 3rd. I fear a general malaise and that always starts at the top. No more top-ups for me so Vodacom loses and my business suffers.</p>