TRANSFER OF DECEASED CONTRACT HOLDER'S ACCOUNT - NO CUSTOMER SERVICE

I'VE SPOKEN TO VODACOM'S CUSTOMER "CARE" PROBABLY 25 TIMES NOW - AND EVERY TIME I GET A DIFFERENT ANSWER AS TO WHICH PROCEDURE TO FOLLOW IN ORDER TO TRANSFER OUR DECEASED FRIEND'S ACCOUNT TO ANOTHER USER..... TODAY A MEMBER OF YOUR HIGHLY S****ED AND FRIENDLY STAFF THREW DOWN THE PHONE IN MY EAR AS WELL - I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO.

WE'VE BEEN PHONING VODACOM SINCE THE 12TH OF FEB 2018 TO ARRANGE PAYMENT OF THIS LADY'S ACCOUNTS - AGAIN A MEMBER OF YOUR HIGHLY S****ED AND FRIENDLY STAFF THREW DOWN THE PHONE IN MY EAR AFTER TELLING ME THAT SHE CANNOT GIVE ME YOUR BANKING DETAILS, BECAUSE SHE MUST BLOCK THESE ACCOUNTS AS IS THE CASE IN THE EVENT OF A DEATH.

THEN WE SENT THROUGH ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION OF THE DECEASED. THEN WE REQUESTED FOR THESE ACCOUNTS TO BE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER OWNER - THIS PERSON, MR H, ALSO WENT TO A VODACOM STORE (NUMEROUS TIMES) TO HAVE THIS TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP DONE - NO-ONE SEEMED TO KNOW WHAT THE CORRECT PROCEDURE IS IN CASE OF A DECEASED PERSON'S ACCOUNT. THEY HAVE HOWEVER ASSURED HIM THAT THE TRANSFER OF THIS ACCOUNT TO HIS NAME WILL BE DONE BY THE 16TH OF MARCH...NO-ONE IN THE VODACOM SHOP INFORMED MR H OF ANY OUTSTANDING BALANCES ON THIS ACCOUNT..AND THAT THAT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT STOOD IN THE WAY OF THE TRANSFER TO BE DONE SUCCESSFULLY???

THEN ON 7 APRIL 2018 MR H RECEIVES A LETTER FROM YOUR LEGAL COLLECTIONS DEPARTMENT STATING THE FOLLOWING - THERE IS A BALANCE OF R3,724.23 TO SETTLE IN ORDER FOR THIS ACCOUNT TO BE CLOSED - WHICH WE OBVIOUSLY DO NOT WANT AS WE'VE BEEN REQUESTING FOR THIS ACCOUNT TO BE TRANSFERRED TO MR H'S NAME...MR H HAS NO ISSUE IN SETTLING THIS ACCOUNT AT ALL, THAT IS WHY WE’VE PHONE VODACOM ON THE 12TH OF FEB IN THE FIRST CASE (IF YOU LISTEN TO YOUR RECORDED PHONE CALLS YOU WILL GET THIS INFORMATION). HOWEVER IN THE LETTER IT IS ALSO STATED THAT "HOWEVER OFFER CERTAIN OPTIONS TO THE SURVIVING FAMILY MEMBERS PRIOR TO CANCELLATION, THESE INCLUDED CONVERTING THE NUMBER TO PRE-PAID SUBJECT TO PAYING THE CANCELLATION FEE, OR TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP ON THE CONTRACT AND CONTINUANCE OF THE CONTRACT." HOW - HOW SHOULD THIS BE DONE IF WE'VE FOLLOWED EVERY SINGLE PROCEDURE GIVEN BY YOUR STAFF??

ON FRIDAY 13 APRIL 2018 I SPOKE TO A VERY HELPFUL PERSON AT YOUR CALL CENTRE AND SHE HOWEVER TOLD ME THAT THE TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP IS PENDING ON THIS ACCOUNT, AND ALSO LET ME KNOW THAT IT’S BECAUSE OF THE OUTSTANDING BALANCE OF +- R3800.00 THAT NEEDS TO BE SETTLED BEFORE THE TRANSFER CAN TAKE PLACE. I HOWEVER PHONED THE CALL CENTRE AGAIN TO REQUEST A STATEMENT OF THIS ACCOUNT BEFORE JUST MAKING PAYMENT AS THE AMOUNT GIVEN TO US ON FRIDAY DIDN’T CORRESPOND TO THE AMOUNT IN YOUR LETTER DATED 07 APRIL 2018. WE DIDN’T RECEIVE ANY STATEMENT AS OF YET, AFTER BEING ASSURED THAT WE’D GET IT BEFORE COB ON FRIDAY 13 APR 2018.

I MAILED THE LEGAL COLLECTIONS DEPARTMENT ON FRIDAY TO ASK THEM TO PLEASE CONTACT US AS WE CAN’T GET HOLD OF THEM – I RECEIVED AN AUTOMATIC GENERATED EMAIL SAYING THAT I’LL BE CONTACTED WITHIN 3 DAYS – NO CONTACT FROM YOUR SIDE AS OF YET, TODAY IS DAY 4.

SO THIS MORNING I PHONED VODACOM AGAIN ASKING WHAT THE CORRECT PROCEDURE IS IN CASE OF A PERSON’S PASSING – AND YET AGAIN I GOT A DIFFERENT MESSAGE. WHEN ASKING THE PROCEDURE TO FOLLOW SHOULD SOMEONE WANT TO DO A TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP OF THE DECEASED’S CONTRACT THE LADY TOLD ME TO TAKE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION TO THE NEAREST VODACOM STORE AND REQUEST A TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP – SO THIS HAS BEEN DONE AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED - MR H ACTUALLY ALSO PAID AN OUTSTANDING AMOUNT ON THAT DAY HE REQUESTED THE TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP.

SO THEN I WAS TOLD THAT THIS ACCOUNT HAS NOW BEEN ERASED AS NO PAYMENT HAS BEEN RECEIVED. THE LADY ALSO TOLD ME THAT NUMEROUS SMS’S WERE SENT TO INFORM OF THE OUTSTANDING BALANCE OF THE ACCOUNT. WHEN ASKING HER TO WHICH NUMBER THE SMS’S HAVE BEEN SENT SHE COULDN’T TELL ME – SO WHEN I ASKED THE SIMPLE QUESTION OF HOW CAN VODACOM SEND SMS’S TO A DEAD PERSON’S NUMBER AND EXPECT ANY RESPONSE, THE PHONE GOT PUT DOWN IN MY EAR – SHE OBVIOUSLY DIDN’T FIND MY COMMENT FUNNY. I CAN CONFIRM THAT MR H DID NOT RECEIVE SMS’S STATING THE OUTSTANDING BALANCE ON THE 13TH OF FEB, 20TH OF FEBRUARY AND SOMEWHERE IN MARCH AS WAS TOLD THIS MORNING. THE ONLY SMS’S RECEIVED ROUND ABOUT THAT TIME WERE SMS’S THAT STATED THAT NO TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP HAS BEEN DONE YET… ALSO WHEN ASKING THIS PERSON WHY NO STAFF MEMBER OF VODACOM INFORMED MR H OF ANY OUTSTANDING BALANCES ON THE ACCOUNT WHEN GOING TO A VODACOM SHOP TO REQUEST TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP (AS WAS TOLD TO DO BY VODACOM), I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A LEGAL MATTER AND NOT A MATTER WITH VODACOM AND THAT THEY WON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION?????…….AND THAT I SHOULD PLEASE TALK TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. WHEN ASKING HER HOW I CAN CONTACT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT SHE TOLD ME THAT I CAN ONLY EMAIL THEM, I CANT PHONE THEM……..

I SIT WITH MY HANDS IN MY HAIR, AS I HAVE DONE ALL OF THE ABOVE AND STILL I WAS TOLD THAT THIS ACCOUNT HAS BEEN ERASED AS NO PAYMENT WAS RECEIVED. AND STILL AFTER REQUESTING A STATEMENT (AT LEAST TWICE, AND AGAIN THIS MORNING), WE STILL DON’T HAVE A STATEMENT OF THE OUTSTANDING AMOUNT TO BE SETTLED?????????

ON NUMEROUS OCCASSIONS I’VE ASKED THE QUESTION OF HOW I CAN TAKE THIS MATTER FURTHER TO LODGE A COMPLAINT OR TALK TO SOMEONE WHO CAN ACTUALLY ASSIST ME….THE NICEST ANSWER I’VE RECEIVED IS THAT THEY ARE SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE CAUSED – HOW IS THAT SOLVING ANYTHING??????? I’M JUST GETTING OLDER, MORE FRUSTRATED AND REALISE HOW PATHETIC YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS!

SURELY WHEN ACCESSING THIS ACCOUNT IT SHOULD BE NOTICED THAT SOMEONE HAS MADE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO DO A TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP, OR REQUESTED A STATEMENT IN ORDER TO MAKE THE CORRECT PAYMENT ETC ETC???????????????????

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING AND ACTUALLY ABSURD.

SHOULD YOU NOT WANT ME TO MAKE A FUSS ON SOCIAL MEDIA I SUGGEST YOU GIVE ME A CALL AS A MATTER OF URGENCY PLEASE. WE HAVE BEEN VERY PATIENT UNTIL NOW.