Upgrade bungle and subsequent high bill

Subscribers please watch your accounts, especially after doing an upgrade, as I have had quite a frustrating time trying to resolve a query over the last 2 months (it is actually a horrific story if one reflect on how easy it is for one's finances to be turned upside down by a service provider). I am resorting to this platform in a last ditch effort to get Vodacom to pay urgent attention to my problem. I have been trying since 16 August 2018 to try and resolve a billing/account query due to an upgrade to my 3G contract (from 500MB Top Up to 10 Gig Top up for R199 p.m, which was on offer at the time)-this I did in July 2018. The long and the short of it is that somewhere along the line this Top Up package turned into an OPEN data contract, which resulted in me being billed R2800 (roughly) for August 2018 and already receiving a bill of around R2900, "which will be debited from my account on 01 October 2018"; I have now decided to, should the deduction happen, dispute it with my bank.

I have spoken to around 6 different consultants (from Abongile to Nthibiseng and I don't know who else..) and all of them, without exception, committed to "escalate" the matter and to come back to me with an answer, because obviously we now need to get to the recordings of the time of the transaction/agreement, to determine who is at fault. Needless to say, I had to make the follow up calls from my side, otherwise I would still be waiting and the matter remains unresolved. Just in addition, the history of this package is that I initially took it as a 5 Gig (Top up) and downgraded it to 5ooMB (Top Up), as my needs changed and then upgraded to the latest 10Gig (Top Up), in terms of my understanding of what I wanted/needed and could afford.

As a longstanding, loyal customer of Vodacom (with 3 different contracts), since the mid 90's, I am quite disappointed in the kind of treatment one is receiving at this juncture and needless to say, I am starting to weigh up my options, given the competitive nature of this business. I may very well bit them farewell very soon and pay whatever penalties if needed to get out all contractual agreements.

I am not even considering going to the Consumer Commission, as I have had my fair share of dead ends with that body.

So my advice to consumers is please don't get caught in the same trap that I have landed in ; these service providers only want our money, but sound customer service is non-existent. I am not even sure if they analyze this "Customer Service" survey data that we submit after every call, because if they did, we would talk a whole different story now.

I mean how long can it take to get a recording in your won business/operation, unless one's systems is in a mess!!

Lastly, the question that I am asking Vodacom is, "who in his/her right mind, given the high cost of data in the RSA, would go from a 500MB Top UP to a 10 GiG OPEN CONTRACT (and you're just a normal salary earner)? Anyway I am open to hear from you soonest Vodacom, to see how we get to the bottom of this scary and health threatening situation. I am R2800 poorer this month due to your systems failing me!! Complacency in your competitive environment is definitely not an option, so please act urgently, would be my humble advice to you.