Terrible Client Experience and Service

Series of events.

• Phone taken to repairs on the 02nd May 2024 to Vodacom Shop (Repairs) – East Gate (Job No. ***6). Advised to wait for the SMS indicating that quote is done. • Call follow up done on the 04th May 2024 to Eastgate to get quote and was advised still in assessment. • 06th May 2024 – SMS received about my quote being ready – Contacted Eastgate and was advised repairs quoted at +/-R19600. To my surprised they advised no excess as I was due to pay the full amount as insurance has a different phone listed on the insurance policy. • Due to Insurance not operating on weekends at the time I called I then reached out to them on *** on Monday 08th May 2024, where a consultant named Kabelo assisted in updating the correct device on the insurance. I then called Eastgate and they advised that they are able to now see the device and will proceed to process claim and advise me. I did not receive a call back till I called later in the afternoon again and was advised Insurance system was down. • Tuesday 09th May 2024 – I called insurance spoke to Victoria and they advised the store should now be able to advise me on the details of the quote and excess, which I called the store (Eastgate) and they advised to call me back. I received a call back (Carmen) around 11 am advising me that the Insurance has indicated that my phone must be flagged as “Write-off” due to extent of damage, a new device must be offered to me. She indicated a phone within the range of previous phone and advised will get back to me with what I will need to pay as excess once insurance approves. Later she called me back advising that Insurance has indicated that I am Under insured as my policy is only R25000 and I will have to pay the difference myself as well as excess. This concerned me as how can I be under insured when during my Upgrade process was undertaken to validate insurance along with me getting the new device on the 05th November 2022. • I then called Insurance spoke with to enquire on this which I was advised I should have updated my policy on the new device, which my query was since 2011 having a contract with Vodacom during upgrade when given the overall instalment – consultants will provide me a chronology of the Instalment breakdown and what it entailed and I was never advised of being “Under Insured” or having to contact Insurance as I had an active Insurance showing on the system. Even thought I could have queried the matter I opted to proceed for a “Back Premium” calculation in order to be on the correct bracket to obtain a phone within my range as per day to day need/use of the phone. Which consultant I spoke to on Tuesday the 9th never advised me they had already escalated my account and how/what the escalation was about or how the back premium worked. • No one from Insurance reached out to me, Until I made contact again on the Wednesday, 12th May 2024. Sopke to Lumka I was advised that the Back Premiums amount t R2795 which I needed to pay before acquiring a new phone from the store. • On the same day Friday 12th May 2014 I went to the store with hope to finally have the matter resolved. Upon my arrival I was assisted by Carmen and made a payment of R2800 she then went ahead to process the claim and Insurance rejected the new phone request advising that the initial quotation must be re-submitted, which the store did and Insurance responded that I am not eligible for a new phone anymore but must book phone in for repairs. When I enquired as to why the back and forth when initially they said phone is a write-off but now I must go for repairs again, the response was that the initial claim was 75% of the policy value but on the new one it is lesser.

This aggravated me as in many instances no information was forth coming unless you ask: 1. From inception – No careful assessment and profiling is being undertaken by their consultants to ensure client experience and care of the clients time and impact. 2. Excess of the new phone from the old value would have been around 15% of the R25000 and I could have paid the difference myself and get the phone had all things been explained than all the back and forth. 3. No proactive feedback is being provided by insurance and client is left to do the follow-up themselves over and above the frustration and means they make to work on a resolution. 4. The initial verdict has impacted by reliability as work due to submitting report that the previous phone is written off therefore Business (My company) should remove it from the system as the registered phone my access and authorization so I can enlist a new one once I have received it. Now I am expected to go back to the Business and explain something I myself and confused of and no clarity was provided as to the definition of “write-off” initially meant. 5. I have been without a proper working phone for over 15 days and counting which impacts my ability to work and manage my personal affairs including my business as I have no proper working spare phone and Company is not able to register a temporary phone that will need to removed again as that constitutes “Access Violation” 6. Today – 15th May 2024, I called insurance following up on the query reference number *** sent by them on Saturday morning – Consultant could not even pick it or mention anything instead advised I must book phone in for repairs – this just added to my frustration with the level of care, service and some basic courtesy to provide clear context to the matter.