Misleading Sales Practices – Vodacom Upgrade Not As Promised

I am extremely dissatisfied with the way I was treated by a Vodacom telesales agent during an “upgrade offer”.

The agent called me to offer an upgrade on my data device. I clearly stated that I was happy with my current contract and did not want to upgrade. He then told me that if I did not upgrade, my monthly payment would increase to over R600. This put unnecessary pressure on me and pushed me into considering something I did not want.

When I said I would rather go to a Vodacom store myself, the agent insisted that the stores do not have the same deals. He then sold me the idea that I would receive a Huawei 11-inch tablet for R299 per month.

When the delivery arrived, the product was nothing like what was promised. Instead of a Huawei 11-inch tablet, I received a Vodacom Tab 8 — a completely different, much cheaper, and low-quality device. It is clear that I was misled into accepting this upgrade.

Vodacom has now arranged to collect the device and cancel the upgrade, but this does not change the fact that the consultant used false information to sign me up. It feels as though Vodacom is simply getting away with dishonest sales tactics with no accountability. I only agreed to the upgrade based on the information the agent provided, which turned out to be untrue.

I am requesting that Vodacom take this matter seriously and accept responsibility for their agent’s misleading sales practices. I would like Vodacom to either: 1. Provide the originally promised Huawei 11-inch tablet at the agreed R299 per month, OR 2. Clearly state what action will be taken against agents who use false information to secure sales.

It is completely unfair for a consumer to be pressured and misled just to close a contract.

I look forward to a fair and appropriate resolution.