1 reviews | Active since Dec 2017
Pathetic service!!!
I fell into arrears with three of my lines in 2016. The account was converted to prepaid and subsequently deleted from the network in June 2017. In August 2017 Vodacom referred my account to a Debt Collector (Burnard Raaf and Associates). On 29 August 2017 the debt collectors contacted me for the first time. In my conversation with Ms Ramchurran of Burnard Raaf and Associates, I noticed she had an extremely wrong amount. She had R32 000.00 outstanding debt when I knew my debt to be R10 436.00. Nonetheless I sent her all the information I had from Vodacom and asked her to go back to Vodacom for a correct outstanding amount. From the 29th August 2017, she only responded on the 14th of September 2017, forwarding me a statement for R16 330.02. I wrote back to ask what amount exactly I was expected to pay - she referred me to the statement. Nonetheless, I settled the R16 330.02 on the 26th September 2017 directly with Vodacom because the debt collectors had never given me an account to deposit into. On the 28th September 2017, Ms Ramchurran (debt collector), wrote to me enquiring when I was going to pay the account. I sent her the proof of paying the R16 330.02 on the same day, with a note - CASE CLOSED. Little did I know what was to happen next. I have spent the next two months receiving emails from Burnard Raaf and Vodacom with varying amounts - with no explanation until I wrote back to Vodacom in October 2017, registering my unhappiness with their debt collectors. The response I received from Vodacom was even more appauling ........"give us the name of the person who authorised the amount you paid (R16 330.02) as we never authorised it and there is still an outstanding amount on the account, etc. Only for them not to mention the outstanding amount. I responded to say I paid the amount that was sent to me by their debt collector on their letterhead for R16 330.02. Notheless, what was to happen next was bullying at its best. Vodacom Legal responded by giving me an account for R7943,00 to pay because they said - " I owed balance of contract on 2 lines which were going to end on 01 January and 24 March 2018, respectively." I was appauled!! I don't have a contract that was ending in 2018. All my lines had prescribed by the time the account was handed over, and a statement dated 03 July 2017 from Vodacom Legal to me had billed me for the balance of contracts on the two lines, except for the one taken on 16 December 2014. In fact, to my horror, the contract signed on 16 December 2014, was the one owing the most, on their email giving me the detail of what I owed. Just to mention that between the 28th September and 01 December 2017, I have supposedly owed Vodacom - R18 800.00, R14 900.00, R12 000.00, R10 200, R8200, R7943.99, etc. Other different amounts given to me in one day or in a space of 5 days. I gave up. I begged Vodacom to get my file back from the debt collectors, they refused. I wrote to the Debt Collectors - who cared for nothing to double check the information they were working with from Vodacom - despite me insisting I did not owe anyone - and begged they returned my file - in October, they also refused. I brief a lawyer (Legal wise) in October 2017, nothing happened. I reported Vodacom to the National Consumer Commission (whom I am sure are still doing their work); and reported Burnard Raaf for the sloppy job they did on my case. I have even asked them if it was just sheer incompetence they had handled my case in that fashion, to which Ms Ramchurran responded by saying she had not been hopeless in dealing with my account. It is the council for debt collectors that responded within 5 days and got me and the debt collectors talking. On the 30th November 2017, I was now owing more than R15 000.00 on the same account. An amount from both Vodacom and its Debt Collectors. No one cared to do a proper job, I kept saying that and crying that I did not have a contract ending in 2018 and that I have even overpaid Vodacom for about R2000.00 for subscription amounts I had not benefited from. Its been 3 months of HELL. I has been so traumatised and so abused by Burnard Raaf and Vodacom Legal department, equally. I have taken so much time out of the office to go Vodacom, request for copies of my contracts, scan them, send them to Vodacom (many times), wondering why I had to give their information they had. There has been one standard response line from both Burnard Raaf and Associates and Vodacom Legal - your 2 contracts are ending in 2018 and you owe balance of contract on both lines - no matter how many times I sent these documents to them. On 1 December 2017, after a few to and from with the Debt Collectors Council - them forwarding me information from Burnard Raaf and mine to them, I realised, we were far from concluding this matter. After a Management Committee at my work that afternoon, I requested (yet again), to go to Vodaworld this time. I got there and after a struggle by their consultant to reach Vodacom Legal ( ********** ), I asked for a CEO. A certain gentleman, whom I still commend to this day helped gave us with Vodacom Legal's direct line. I spoke to Simon for more than 1 hour 30 minutes, directing him through my emails, giving him dates and times, trying to demonstrate I did not have anything due to Vodacom. He promised to do his own analysis as he said my case had previously been handled by his colleague Silindile, and that he would revert to me by 12h00 on Monday, 4th December 2017. He also said I could contact him directly on ********** by 12h00 on Monday, 4th December 2017. Indeed, at 09h26 on Monday 4th December 2017, I received a call from Vodacom Legal's Simon and instantaneously, I received an email from him - all to say the account was settled in September 2017.......the story I know. I then asked what redress do I have seeing they (Vodacom Legal and Burnard Raaf) put me under enormous stress, depression and anxiety with the forever changing amounts they were giving me. I have been told to go and look for legal recourse from the High Court by Vodacom, which I also see as yet another arrogance. They are a big company with a lot of money and will be able to defend themselves easily in the high court while I will struggle to pay legal fees. My phones are still locked and I am told my name will only be removed by ITC in 7 days. More than 2 months after I settled the account.
Dear Customer,
Thank you for making us aware of your complaint.
Kindly be advised that a consultant will make contact with you in due course to assist with your query.
***Please note*** Beware of phishing ****s.
Vodacom will not contact you via Whatsapp to request your personal details.
Regards,
Vodacom Consumer Website Team
Dear Customer,
Thank you for making us aware of your complaint.
Kindly be advised that a consultant will make contact with you in due course to assist with your query.
***Please note*** Beware of phishing ****s.
Vodacom will not contact you via Whatsapp to request your personal details.
Regards,
Vodacom Consumer Website Team
