Still at the mercy of vodacom - will take money but will not deliver service

We are truly fed up with Vodacom fibre and the entire relocation process. We have moved 3 times in the last 3 years and every time we are stuck without Fibre for over a month. This time it’s the worse and we have been **** to and let down so many times that we are doubting we will ever see our fibre connected again.

On 7 January 2021 we phoned Vodacom fibre to inform them that we will be moving into a new residence and we will be needing their assistance to ensure we receive a fast connection as I work from home and I am unable to provide an income without connection and I also study. I have a daughter that is also studying and needs to attend online classes. The guy we spoke to ensured us that this could be done as many people get connected within 2weeks. Having moved 2s before we know this not to be true and so on our very first phone call, we expected there is going to be issues… we were right. On 15 Jan we were able to send our proof of address and the Vodacom fibre relocation form to Vodacom. The Vodacom fibre reconnection form you need to complete states they need 1 calendar month in order for them to arrange an installation. We sent the forms and spoke to the gentleman that received them. Being unsure we confirmed if a calendar month is considered 30 days or 1 – 28 Feb? He answered that it is 30 days and we will receive our installation by 15 Feb. Despite us asking if it could be done sooner, we were told they cannot confirm but it will be within 30 days. As we have moved before we also know Vodacom needs to inform us that they started the process and you should receive a SMS with a update. This did not happen so I started phoning everyday to find out when they will be processing my documents. But no one ever responded. On 15 Feb we still had not received anything, despite reminding and asking them daily to get this sorted out. I was on the phone for half the day speaking to consultant after consultant because no one gets back to you. All I wanted to know was when were they going to connect us. I then spoke to a lady who told me a calendar month is considered 1 – 28 February and I must just wait. On 16 Feb I spend the majority of my day trying to find out how this process works and when I will be connected. I spoke to 20 consultants, 19 consultants told me that a calendar month is considered 30 days and I should be connected by now. The other 1 was a Vodacom customer care consultant, not even from the Fibre department. From all the consultant that I had contact with only the customer care lady emailed me and informed me she has sent and urgent request for assistance to the fibre department. Out of desperation we contact Prem *** to see if he could possibly assist. He ensured me not to worry he will get it sorted out and escalated. 18 Feb I receive an email from Prem requesting that I sign a quotation, we were rather confused as this is done in the beginning of the process and we had already done this when providing our proof of address. This document was sent to Kgosiemang Matlodi *** with this document I provide an explanation of its urgency and how long we have waited. There is no response. On 19 Feb I spend half the day trying to get an update, I then receive an email from Mathodi asking for my signed quotation, meaning that she has not even bothered checking her inbox despite knowing my case is urgent. I then keep sending emails to Vodacom and all the above without any feedback until 23 Feb. On 23 Feb I was cc’d in a email that shows that on 17 February *** was asked to urgently assist me, on 23 February they followed up with her regarding feedback. Her response was that the customer does not state where she is moving to. The forms are then sent to her and she then asks Confidence Mailula to urgently assist me. There is also an email advising her that it had been received in January and the address is also mentioned a number of times in the email trail, she simply did not look. On 24 February a Technician claiming to be sent by Vodacom arrives at my house and informs me I do not have the correct equipment and I need another device. They leave and we have no idea what is happening. Again no one answers my call, the call centre does not know how to help me, they simply send an email to escalate it. I am asked to send my relocation form again as I did not complete the correct one, they send me the exact same form to complete. This is concerning as this is the first step in the process of relocation. At this point I should be connected, not starting a process. But she insures me that because I have now gone through the process it will be done quickly. On 25 Feb I phone and plead and beg for some feedback, non is received. On 26 February we receive a device from Vodacom and we ask if someone can send a technician as we do not know how to connect it. We had hope that this might now come to an end. But again, despite calling and sending emails no one was able to tell me when a technician can come. On 1 March a technician is sent to my house and informs me that this is not the correct device and that this is not their line. There was nothing they could do for us. On 2 March we are asked to send our proof of address again for the 3rd time. The subject of the I sent was URGENT and was sent at 13:45 to ***. She also informs me she will escalate this to her manager Neo Malatji *** I sent the proof of address to her and cc multiple other individuals involved in my case. Not one person responds. On 3 March I spend the morning following up again until Rethabile phones me and askes me to send her my proof of address. Explaining that I have sent it to her I asked her to go check her inbox. She has received the email and in 24 house she has not checked and read an email in her inbox subjected as urgent.

From here on up until now I have just been made one promise after the other with no service delivery. I dealt with Sip******** who promised me he will assist with immediate effect. He then informed me that Vumatel should be the ones doing the connection and he will inform the team. According to him he phoned Confidence on 4 March asking her to escalate the situation. Did not hear anything from him again. I also worked with someone in the fibre department, not sure of his name but contact number is *** he also phoned me from ***. He also promises to get the job done and he has some one that will assist the very next day. I also on this day cc all these individuals and ask them to please let me know if my situation will be resolved by the end of Friday so that I can make other arrangements if it wouldn’t. No one had the curtesy of letting me know. They simply do not care. On Friday 6 March I speak to him in the morning and he promises to get back to me by 9:00. Despite me calling he comes back late the afternoon informing me he had to take his wife to hospital. Please note that at this point I still don’t know what it is they have to do as they are not making this clear to me at any stage. When I phone the fibre consultants, they simply say my profile is not updated properly and they are not sure what is going on. Today is 9 March and I am still not connected. For a communication company one would think they understand the need for connection. They were informed that there is a child struggling to receive education yet that did not matter, they knew a mother was not able to generate an income with out them providing their service that is being paid for. I am behind in my assignments and I have spent more money on data in the last 2 months then the profit I have make. This has financially and emotionally exhausted me. Today at 14:33 I received a phone call from someone claiming to be from Vumatel. She informed me she does the scheduling and she can assist me next week Monday. When I mentioned to her that this would not be good enough as I have been waiting for 2 months, she was not made aware of this and she will let me know if she can assist me at 8:30 the next day. She will get back to me shortly…… I have phoned to follow up, she does not answer her phone and Vumatel does not know what I am talking about. I have also received a SMS from Vodacom stating that my Service Request status is changed to CLOSE, but I am not connected yet…… So, I will say this to Vodacom, my contract is with you, you made the mistake to not follow a procedure and neglected me as a client. You have sent me from department to department claiming each would take 24 hours or 72 hours or 3 days, yet no one ever gets back to me without me having to have to beg and plead. I have been **** to day after day and have been made to believe my connection is just about to happen, when in fact you all knew it would take longer. I do not know when this will end, I have done much more then should be expected on a customer. It is not right for organisations to treat paying customer like this, they are quick to take your money but ignores you when you ask them to deliver the serviceMy next step is to start a petition asking Vodacom customers to sign demanding that Vodacom changes their relocation process and provide better customer service. We should not have to pay for what we do not receive. We should not have to spend our hard-earned money on data when we pay for a service provider. They have no value for their customers, we are simply just a number. Vodacom will be held accountable and when I relocate again, I will not be relying on Vodacom but rather ending my contract. I would rather pay more for a service then be treated like I have been by this organization.