URGENT!!! - DATA CONTRACT

Dear Mr Shameel, Joosub

I have been a loyal Vodacom customer for many years. Today I write this message with the hopes that it eventually reaches you. I write this email with a lot of frustration but mostly, with disappointment.

In February 2022, I renewed my home internet solution with Vodacom. I was helped by a young lady at your Cornubia store in Durban. I had taken out a contract that comes with 100GB anytime data and an Alcatel router. On pick up, I was surprised to have seen an Alcatel router as I am in the IT sector and haven’t seen the brand for many years trending, however, I was happy to have received the device nonetheless.

Upon setting up the equipment at home and connecting my mobile devices and TV, I discovered that unfortunately, the router doesn’t support many of these devices. This is due to the model being outdated. I then started experiencing severe network issues. I had called the store and the agent whom I signed up with directed me to the tech zone in Umhlanga, Durban.

I had taken my router and sim card for an assessment to the tech zone hoping that they could troubleshoot and assist with the numerous issues I had been experiencing. To my absolute disgust, the technician comes out of a backroom after ‘assessing’ the device and tells me that I had damaged the router pins and sim card. Firstly, when I had taken the device and sim card to the store, both were in working condition but with limited connectivity, there were NO physical damages, the moment he brought back the devices then suddenly it was a physical damage issue and not software. This is absurd! To be blamed for damaging my own product.

Anyway, following that incident the technician tells me that I need to pay R400 to fix the router pins and to do a sim swap for the ‘damaged’ sim. He went on to say that there is no guarantee that they can fix the pins as they haven’t done this before. So, here are the issues,

1. I must pay R400 for a router that I DIDN’T damage.

2. I must pay for having no guarantee of a working router and

3. I must pay to ‘fix’ a router that doesn’t even support my devices. This makes no sense!

Following this, I went on to tell him and the agent at Cornubia that I will do a sim swap, but I need to use my own router as it supports my devices and the Alcatel router is sheer useless. I went on to the La Lucia store to do the sim swap. Dear God, this was a nightmare. Your team at La Lucia is completely clueless.

On the 11th of March, the first sim swop was done. This failed, the sales consultant gave me the wrong sim card. The second sim swop failed, they didn’t register it. The third sim card failed, I have no idea what went wrong as your extremely rude team at the La Lucia store told me they can't do anything as they did too many swops, and it's not working…so then what? What must I do as the customer now if they can't do anything as the service provider?

I then went BACK to Cornubia and contacted Vodacom social media, they now did ANOTHER sim swop. This now ‘apparently’ shows as registered on the system, and has synced however, Vodacom now needs to link this sim to MY router and they refuse to do so!!!

What is the issue with Vodacom! They have refused to whitelist my router and still insist on me ‘fixing’ the Alcatel router which DOESN’T SUPPORT MY DEVICES.

Today is MONTH 2 having no data and mind you, Vodacom has been very very quick to debit my account.

Mr. Joosub, I am fed up beyond words and I now leave this in your hands. It's been 2 months of no data and no help.

I trust this will be sorted out this week. I was also refused upon asking to cancel my contract based on the above, so I am now paying Vodacom to cause me frustration and stress and get no services out of them.