Vodacom blacklisted me

<p>I've been with Vodacom for a while and have become increasingly fed up with their poor service and ********* practices. The last straw came this month. In June I asked to be moved from contract to prepaid instead of upgrading. I asked the assistant at the store as well as the people I had to call to make this change if I had any outstanding fees on my account. All of them assured me I don't and that from 1 July I only have to add airtime when I need to.</p> <p> </p> <p>As instructed, I switched off my phone and took out my sim on 30 June and switched everything on again on 2 July. A week later Vodacom deducts money (R227.50) from my account as if I'm still on contract. I reverse the payment and stop the debit order at my bank. I think that maybe it's a glitch and they just need a bit more time to sort it out. </p> <p> </p> <p>Suddenly on 3 October they deduct money out of my account again - even more (R325.56) than in June. I reverse the payment again and go to the Vodacom shop in Eikestad Mall to find out what's going on. They can't help me and instruct me to phone the accounts department. (I don't know why there's a shop if they can't help with anything and I have to spend hours on the phone with some stranger each time.)</p> <p> </p> <p>I phone Vodacom's accounts department and get sent from one person to the next. According to them I still owed money on my contract. I explain to them that I explicitly asked several of their people about this, several times, when I changed to prepaid and every single person assured me that there is no money outstanding on my account; that I'm starting prepaid with a clean slate. The best they can do is put me through to their complaints department to lodge a dispute. I get a reference number. </p> <p> </p> <p>I'm so fed up with Vodacom I decide to move over to Cell C (5 October). The move is painless and I stay on prepaid. On 15 October I go to Cell C to get a new phone on contract - I have all my paperwork in order, everything is filled in completely. Turns out I can't go on contract with Cell C because Vodacom has blacklisted me. </p> <p> </p> <p>I'm beyond ****ed. I tried following up with the reference number - either the phone keeps ringing for such a long time that the phone automatically hangs up or they send me around from one person to the next. Another excuse was that their computers are down and I have to phone back in an hour - when again no-one answers.</p>