One word: INCOMPETENCE

PLEASE READ BEFORE GETTING CONTRACTS FROM VODACOM

I have 2 cell phone numbers, due for upgrade since end December 2022. I have been trying to upgrade these numbers for a whole week straight, due to technical difficulties on the website. Yesterday, I was successful, FINALLY. Order numbers: *** and ***. Expect delivery within 5-6 days.

A Vodacom consultant phones me today to confirm one of the orders and personal particulars, as per the usual process. I have upgraded successfully online in the past and am fami**** with the sequence of events. We go through the whole process of confirming personal details, when I am eventually made aware that the order needs to be cancelled, due to the fact that that particular upgrade is linked to the wrong cell phone number. No, they cannot just change the number, oh no, they must cancel my order and I must do another one from scratch.

He gives me a number I could phone to rectify the situation (***), which I phone, highly upset, only to find out that not only did consultant number 1 cancel the order, no no, he cancelled both my orders and the only remedy? You guessed it. Do the whole process AGAIN. Oh, the incompetence!

Now tell me this, say I do like wasting my own time and decide to do both upgrades again, why would the outcome be different? I was not the one that did the upgrades online on the wrong numbers. I was not the one that also supp**** the wrong delivery address (the one for my previous employer 4 years back), even though I have upgraded numerous times since and received successful deliveries at my current place of employment. This PREVIOUS address was never even an option when I completed the online upgrade. Everything I did online was perfect. How can I be sure, you ask? Well, after doing the same thing repeatedly for 100 times, you kind of become an expert.

But wait, there is more, I received no correspondence (e-mail, sms, nothing), confirming that the orders have indeed been cancelled. Only the word of 2 *********** Vodacom consultants. Say I do the whole process again and the first 2 haven't really been cancelled. I could end up with duplicates of EVERYTHING.

So, in actuality, the online portal is designed to force people into doing upgrades in-store. But why would they want to do that, you might wonder? Simple, really. MONEY. As is the case with everything in life, you have to pay an admin fee of R150.00 per upgrade when you do it in-store, last time I checked. With inflation, might be more.

I have been a loyal customer for 10+ years, never missed a single payment. You have lost me, Vodacom. I will have my current contracts run their course and will be seeking a different network for my upgrading needs. Oh and rest assured, I will be vocal about the situation to anyone who will listen and dissuade anyone from entering into any form of contract with Vodacom and I will do it with GUSTO.