Penalty fees without providing a Device

Due to my retirement, I allowed my cellphone contracts to run their course. I did NOT receive any device whatsoever as part of these contracts. The contracts are for airtime only.

As a pensioner, I can no longer afford these airtime contracts, particularly because I now make use primarily of the Wi-Fi service that I subsequently took out. I was under the impression that these airtime-only contracts — again, with no devices attached to them — would expire in June 2026.

I therefore wanted to terminate the contracts, only to discover that they apparently run until June 2027. As I have explained, these contracts are for airtime that I do not use.

Vodacom initially suggested that I change the contracts to packages costing approximately R20 less per month than I currently pay. What difference does Vodacom seriously believe R20 per month is going to make to a pensioner trying to reduce his monthly expenses?

I do not receive a SASSA pension. I am simply trying to put my financial affairs in order following retirement. Had I known that I would predominantly be using Wi-Fi and would have little or no need for this airtime, I would never have renewed these contracts.

Yes, these contracts originated from renewals extending over several years. However, for approximately the past four years, NO DEVICE has been supp**** as part of these contracts. They have been airtime-only contracts.

Vodacom now maintains that I must pay R2,801.04 in termination penalties and migration fees in order to cancel these contracts.

Once again, there is NO DEVICE involved. Furthermore, if I terminate the contracts, I will obviously not be using the airtime for which Vodacom would otherwise have had to provide a service. Vodacom therefore suffers no loss relating to a device, nor will it have to provide the airtime that I would otherwise have been entitled to use.

I find it extremely disappointing that an organisation of Vodacom's size would impose such a substantial penalty on a pensioner who is simply trying to reduce unnecessary monthly expenses.

By comparison, MTN charges one month's subscription in a similar situation and then allows the contract to be cancelled. Vodacom, however, wants to charge me R2,801.04 simply to terminate airtime contracts where no device has been financed or supp****.

I have always paid my Vodacom contracts punctually and faithfully. After years as a loyal, paying customer, I find this treatment unacceptable.

Pensioners regularly complain about the financial pressures they face. In my opinion, imposing this type of penalty in circumstances where there is no outstanding device and the unused airtime will simply no longer be supp**** amounts to blatant exploitation.

I therefore request that Vodacom reconsider this matter, waive the R2,801.04 termination and migration charges, and allow these airtime-only contracts to be cancelled without an unreasonable financial penalty.