Misrepresentation and ******* data charges

Having had vodacom contracts for over 20 years and being a loyal customer, I am now truly disgusted and am of the opinion that my money will be better spent at more ethical suppliers.

On Friday 23 November 2018, we took out a data contract with Vodacom. This contract is for 2gb data per month with a MacBook. Because it was a cheap deal offered on black Friday, we took it for the computer - not the data, as we have monthly Telkom 200gb which is more than sufficient for our monthly usage.

Today, January 7th we receive our statement for December and to our shock and horror, we see that we are billed for an exorbitant amount of over R8300!

Vodacom’s business practice is underhanded and *********, to the effect that:

A) We were lead to believe that we were purchasing 2gb a month with the computer contract. We were not told that the line is ‘open’ and once the 2gb was used the data would continue running. If you are told you are purchasing 2gb thats what you think you are buying. B) At no point were we ever sent a message to say that the data bundle has been depleted. C) At no point were we sent a message to say we are out of bundle and are being charged out of bundle rates.

We were out of town from December 5 to December 19.

On December 31 we get a message stating that unusually high data usage is being recorded. Because it was the last day of the month, and because we thought we were still using our initial 2gb we were not concerned, as the next day was a new month and according to our thought processes, it would run out and stop and we would get a new 2gb the next day. No clue did we have that the 2gb we bought was ‘uncapped’! How does a data bill get run up to over R8k when you are hardly using it and relying on and using your standard main source of data, being wifi?

VODACOM, under no circumstances will we pay a CENT more that the 2gb we purchased from you. Legally, morally and ethically, no consumer can be expected to fork out an entire months salary at the drop of a hat for something they did not use nor purchase in their own minds! You did not communicate to us via sms or any other means that data was depleted and out of bundle rates were being app****!

Because Vodacom omitted to communicate the status changes in terms of data usage, you have no legal right to claim a cent more than the 2gb purchased - this information has been verified and has been obtained from a lawyer.

Should you continue to bill us for this money or attempt to hold us liable for it, please rest assured that the following actions will be taken:

1) A formalized complaint will be lodged with CCSA (Consumer Complaints South Africa). There is something called the Consumer Protection Act and your actions are anything BUT legal, nor is it in the best interests of the consumer.

2) A formalized complaint will be lodged with the National Consumer Commission at the department of trade and industry.

3) A formalized complaint will be lodged with the CGSO - The Consumer Goods And Services Ombud.

Please don’t think for a second that you will be allowed to get away with this.