Vodacom – 28-Year Loyal Customer Severely Let Down by Misleading Advice and Poor Service

I have been a Vodacom customer since 1997 and currently have 9 contracts on my account. I have also been a Vodacom RED VIP customer for many years, so this complaint comes from a place of long-standing loyalty – not from someone who jumps networks at the first inconvenience.

On 31 December 2025, I contacted Vodacom to: * Cancel two contracts that were already on a month-to-month basis, and * Restructure my own contract, as I no longer required the expensive RED VIP package with unlimited airtime.

The agent assisting me strongly pushed for renewals on the two contracts I wanted cancelled. After approximately 15 minutes of arguing and repeatedly stating that I do not want to renew, the agent eventually cancelled them.

For my personal contract, I was specifically advised to downgrade to: *A data plan at a discounted rate, PLUS *An airtime plan with 1,000 minutes per month

Based on this advice, I agreed to the change.

Seven days into the new year, I suddenly ran out of airtime. Knowing it is virtually impossible for me to use 1,000 minutes in a week, I contacted Vodacom again – only to be told that my contract never included the 1,000 minutes and was only downgraded to a data contract.

In other words: I was either misinformed or misled by the agent.

As a result: * I can now only make calls via data, * I even loaded R200 airtime, which is now completely useless, and * I was told that a reversal back to my RED VIP contract can only be done from February 2026.

So, due to Vodacom’s mistake, I am forced to live with an unsuitable contract for an entire month.

In 28 years with Vodacom, I have never experienced such poor service. I use my phone daily and extensively for work, and this situation is not acceptable.

Vodacom remains my preferred network, but I am extremely disappointed in: * The incorrect advice, * The resistance to cancelling contracts, and * The complete lack of urgency in resolving this problem.

What I expect from Vodacom: 1. Immediate correction of my contract to either: * The promised plan including 1,000 minutes, or * A full reversal back to my RED VIP plan without waiting until February 2026. 2. Refund or credit for the R200 airtime that I was advised to purchase but cannot use. 3. A formal investigation into the agent’s conduct and the misleading information provided. 4. Written confirmation of the actions taken to resolve this matter.

At this point, I am not a happy Vodacom customer at all, and I expect this matter to be escalated and resolved urgently.

Hans van der Merwe