Top Up Collections Plan

<p>I have been a Vodacom contract client since 1996 and never, in all these years skipped a payment. At the end of 2016 I unfortunately could not make the payment, due to very sad circumstances. I immediately contacted Vodacom to see whether I can make a payment arrangement. As my contract also ended at the end of last year, I told the agent that I was not going to renew my contract, but that I would rather go on a prepaid service. Without any compassion I was told that I cannot make payment arrangements and I cannot go on prepaid until my account was fully paid.</p> <p>While I was still making plans to see how I can make this payment, on 6 January, I receive an email from Vodacom to inform me: THIS EMAIL SERVES TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR VODACOM CONTRACT HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY CONVERTED TO A TOP COLLECTIONS PRICE PLAN DUE TO ACCOUNT BEING IN ARREARS..... It further states: THE PLAN REPLACES YOUR PREVIOUS VODACOM CONTRACT....THIS IS A TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENT UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT YOUR ACCOUNT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP TO DATE.... then it goes on to say: PLEASE CALL SUBSCRIBER COLLECTIONS...TO DISCUSS PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS. It goes on by asking the question: how does this benefit you? And one of the benefits they note is: WHILST PAYING OFF YOUR ARREARS AMOUNT, YOU WILL REMAIN CONNECTED TO THE VODACOM NETWORK AND RETAIN YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER.</p> <p>Needles to say, I was very happy that I was put on this plan and immediately contacted Vodacom to make the necessary arrangements. My joy did not last very long. The agent I spoke to, very rudely told me that I can only go on this plan, once I am 90 days overdue. Then it started. I wrote e-mails to customer care, I phoned them and every time I was referred back to customer collections, but they refer me to accounts. It seems as though most of the agents have never heard of this plan. I cannot tell you how many calls I made and emails I wrote. On 20 January, I at last spoke to an agent at customer collections who told me that she had noted my payment arrangements. She also told me that she could not activate the Top Up Collections Plan, as it is system generated. The system will send me a message to tell me when I am on this plan. (Remember, the email informing me of this plan stated categorically that YOUR CONTRACT HAS BEEN CONVERTED....TO this plan. When I told her that my phone was locked and I cannot receive messages or calls, she told me in that case I would have to phone in regularly to see whether I am on this plan. Well, I have phoned a hundred times, to the point that I have now given up. I wrote to customer care, to get a contact number or email address to lodge a complaint. They acknowledge receipt of my letters, asked me to answer security questions, but never rep**** to my letters.</p> <p>In the meantime I have made the payment as arranged (actually I have made two payments), but I cannot use my phone as it is still locked. Also for incoming calls and messages.</p> <p>I would like to know from Vodacom why did they tell me I was put on this plan, if I am not on the plan? Why would the tell me that I can make use of Vodacom network after I have made payment arrangements? It is now a month since I received their email and I have got nowhere. If my contract was converted to this plan, as they stated in their email and I have comply by making the payment arrangements, why am I not reaping the benefits of beingconnected to the Vodacom network, as they clearly promised in their mail?</p>