Vodacom - a source of irritation,!!!

Good day,

I would like to make my dissatisfaction with you as my cell phone provider, known.

I have taken 2 new cell phone contracts this year with you as my service provider.

I am getting calls from people asking to speak to Shyaam (not sure of the spelling). It appears that the cell phone number assigned to me in my contract, had previously belonged to Shyaam and has since been recycled and re-assigned to me.

As the result, I have to put up numerous calls from unknown people requesting to speak to Shyaam. Being a systems administrator, I have been inundated with just too many calls on a daily basis. This is actually interfering with my performance at work as I require my cell phone in order to provide support to computer operators in the workplace.

If this was bad, the worst was yet to follow. Calls from marketing call centres. To add to my stress and frustration the hundreds of messages and calls from marketing companies, I have never heard of. Most are insurance companies, clothing stores etc etc etc.

These call start with: You qualify for..., We are offering you..., We are not selling you anything... or This is just a survey.... The aggressive and sometimes forceful marketing strategies employed by these call centre agents evokes an emotion of anger, with the contemplation of me using belligerent language. After every such call, I block the number. But these calls keep persisting.

I have just about had enough as I consider this harassment and an invasion of my privacy.

As an IT person, I know when initiating a new contract, to ensure that my personal information should NOT be disclosed to a third party. But whether it is captured accordingly, is questionable.

When I questioned these callers, who even address me by my first name (and probably in possession of additional details) as to how they know me by my first name, they inform me that I probably have an account with one of their sister companies. When asked, who are some of their sister companies they name companies at random. I don't have or consider having any accounts EVER!!!

Having indepth IT security knowledge the only common factor is YOU, VODACOM that could have divulged, shared or even possibly sold millions of mine and other users personal information to call centre marketing agents.

As I have already mentioned, 2 contracts. The other phone which I gave to my elderly mum (82), is slightly better as it would appear that it is not a recycled number but she also gets so many calls and messages, that she prefers to power-off the phone.

So, summing it up, I am paying for a service that is invading my privicy, irritating me, stress me out and negatively impacting on my performance at work.

Prior to this, I had a CellC prepaid sim. No problems. Yes, I did get a few marketing calls and messages and blocked them but since signing with VODACOM, it has become a living hell. The list of blocked numbers and messages just keeps growing...daily. It appears that this is a job on its own (blocking numbers). VODACOM should actually be paying me as an employee to take these calls and messages all day.

I am being harassed on one contract and the only relief I get from the other is by switch it off. All this, at a monthly premium.

I am considering reporting this to the regulator of Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). In the US and other western countries this type of law suit would run into millions of dollars. Here in South Africa, a guilty party could be sued for a maximum of R5 million if successfully persued legally.

So, I have no answer to this dilemma. I don't know these callers who are addressing me by my first name.

What I would like from VODACOM, is: 1. sort out this recycling issue 2.remove my numbers from all marketing agencies. Even their own!!!

I have already had bypass surgery and VODACOM is instigating another heart attack.

I am sure millions of cell phone subscribers have to deal with this. But this is going a bit too far (putting it mildly).

Thank you A.Heera