The inefficiency and lack of service from Vodacom and RAM Hand-to-hand couriers.

THE INEFFICIENCY OF VODACOM AND RAM HAND-TO-HAND COURIERS My husband has now been waiting for 3 months for an upgrade. His phone was damaged, and he was due for an upgrade, so we ordered on 2 June 2020. The phone was dispatched to RAM Hand -to-hand (or meant to be) Couriers. They phoned me twice within the same minute about a week later, but I happened to be away from my phone and when I tried to phone back, I could not get hold of anyone or leave a message. I tried phoning them and had emailed (only to receive a ticket number each time) but no one answered the phone, and no one rep**** to my emails. I had been following the tracking and then noticed that they had sent the phone back without even trying me again. I notified Vodacom again and was informed that I would have to reorder a phone, which I did. (We thankfully managed to dig up the phone and retrieve the simcard from the damaged phone and my husband has been battling on an 8-year-old phone which is very frustrating as it hardly has storage and is incredibly slow) Again, we waited and followed the tracking. This time RAM did NOT phone, NOT EVEN ONCE. I sent a couple of emails and no one ever responded. I tried phoning numerous times, but I think everyone had the excuse about COVID and Lockdown and things just were not normal, and people were working from home so there was no one to answer! I waited for a call from RAM and when I next checked the tracker, I noticed the phone had been returned to Vodacom again. I phoned Vodacom and eventually managed to get hold of Rochelle. I had tried her numerous times but I would have to leave messages for her and she NEVER got back to me. When I eventually got hold of her she informed me that I could no longer get the phone I had previously ordered but that I could get a much better phone on the same contract. I asked if the monthly contract price was going to be the same and she acknowledged that it would, so I agreed. She also promised that she would send me a Simcard as the old one would not work in the new phone. I then discovered that the price agreed upon was more than what I had originally agreed upon. The phone had already been dispatched to RAM couriers. I immediately phoned RAM and made sure that we were being charged more than what we had originally agreed to. This time at least the phone was being answered at RAM and I made sure they understood that this phone was NOT to be returned and I checked whether they had MY number as my husbands phone was not working so he would NOT get messages. I had continually told Vodacom that RAM needed to contact me. This time Ram phoned us. I did not give them any opportunity not to. However, as normal with RAM, although Vodacom promises that the phone will be delivered to the house or workplace, RAM do not deliver to farms. I was quite happy however, to travel to meet them if they would just contact me. I had been driving with certified ID and proof of residence in my vehicle for 2 months in case I happened to be in town when they phoned (we live on a farm.) When Ram eventually did phone a week later, they wanted me to meet them in a town an hour away. I suggested we meet halfway, where they would not then have to travel on the gravel. However, when the parcel arrived there was no Simcard with the phone. Immediately I phoned back to notify them. It took another month before I eventually got the phone, but I have still not been able to sort out the contract in the month. Vodacom notified me that I could just buy a Simcard and, yes, I could just do that. They promised me that they would pay me back for it but I kept informing them that I could NOT trust them because they kept breaking promises to me and on principle I was not going to buy a Simcard until they sorted out the contract. They have subsequently paid for a card which I have collected but the contract to date has not been sorted out. I was promised that they would deduct the additional amount that they were charging me each month or give that amount in airtime monthly. However, even though I have been promised half a dozen times, when I have asked for it in writing, that it would be done, it also has not been done, If I say I have made over 100 phone calls and sent more than 100 emails in the 3 months then that is NO EXAGGERATION as I phone and email almost every day, usually more than once a day. I leave messages but no one gets back to me. I eventually told the person that I was not going to put down the phone until they put me through to a supervisor. I had asked Rochelle numerous times for the name and contact number of her supervisor. She just ignored my requests. When I eventually did get the number of her Supervisor after 2 weeks, it was no better. Alexia Pillay (or Jansen, as I have 3 email address for her), was the one who made all the promises without fulfilling them. She no longer answered calls, did not return calls when I left messages and stopped answering my emails. Out of desperation I again told the person I wanted to speak to Alexis’s supervisor. (I forgot to say that often by 4 o clock in the afternoon I was informed that Alexis and the supervisors had left the work already. Because I work it is often the time I find easiest to phone because I have already found myself sitting on the phone for almost an hour being passed from one person to the next and then eventually being cut off. Thank goodness, there were some people who would phone me back again so that I did not have to go through the whole process all over again and explain my story a couple of times a call. I was eventually put through to Thato Khoele from another department on Monday 17 August. I asked her please to help me as no one was answering calls or emails and I was getting totally frustrated and have a husband who is battling to do his business because of a terribly slow phone! She seemed incredibly helpful and asked that I give her until Thursday the 20th to sort out this problem as she was off the following 2 days and then would be returning. I did not hear from her and that afternoon sent her an email to remind her of her promise. I still heard nothing from her and sent her more reminders on Friday 21st and tried phoning but was never allowed to speak to her but I was promised that messages would get past onto her. Nothing was hear from her. So, once again on 21 August, I refused to get off the phone until someone was able to help me. An extremely helpful man was unable to get hold of Alexis or her supervisor (as they had left early once again) but he sent me the contact details of his supervisor, Xoliswa Oliphant. I immediately emailed his supervisor (at the same time CC’ing all the previous people, Alexis included). Xoliswa never came back to me. I then took to writing in the email in bright colours and large bold lettering to any Vodacom email address I had and tried phoning. No one rep****. Eventually on Thursday afternoon 27th Alexis returned one of the many calls I had left that day. I even phoned a private number of a colleague, Verona Chriselda, I think, who promised that she would get her to phone me back. Alexis was always sweet on the phone. By now she had started apologising to me, although previously Vodacom would take NO responsibility for the inefficiency. She promised once again to put in writing what she kept on promising me by phone. I was to send a letter to authorise the Simswap which I wrote but was wating for the confirmation in writing. I never received an email. I sent her a reminder. Friday morning I sent her a reminder again at 08h05. Nothing. I phoned and left 3 messages. Nothing. I had tried to give them an opportunity to show that they DO CARE for their clients. That every single person is important even if it is not a big contract. Numerous times I has reminded them that we had been customers of Vodacom from 1994 and had had a continual contract with Vodacom. We felt that surely they would look after loyal customers. But no, they do not respond. VODACOM DO NOT CARE. I am therefore appealing for someone to do SOMETHING!!!! TOMORROW WILL BE 13 WEEKS THAT MY HUSBAND HS BEEN WAITING TO USE THE PHONE FOR THE UPGRADE. (In the meantime, we are being charged for the phone!!!)