CB
Charl B

1 reviews | Active since Jun 2013

23 Apr 2022, 11:21

Vodacom Cellucity - Service, Quality and Compliance non-existent

On Saturday 16 April 2022 at 15:24:01, I renewed my current cellphone contract with Vodacom at the Somerset Mall branch of Cellucity. Their representative advised me that I should get a Huawei nova 9 (I had been using a Huawei nova 8i). I emphatically told the person that I use my phone for business. Doing OHS&E audits, taking corresponding photos, and writing reports. I back-up all the relevant information to my laptop for further elaboration at my home-based office. I had alreadybacked all the data from the nova 8i phone to my laptop when concluding the "deal" at Cellucity in Somerset Mall, Somerset West. I will try and keep this review as short as possible, and not go into all the details. I set up the new phone (nova 9) and wanted to "restore" the backed up data to the new phone via a Huawei application known as "Hisuite". I linked the nova 9 to the application, and immediately got a. Message that in order to use the application and retrieve the data, the latest version of Hisuite would have to be installed on the nova 9 phone. Once the installation was finished, I tried to retrieve the data from my computer. ZERO success, totally unsuccessful! I tried a few times with the same result. ZERO success! I went to the official Huawei website and found that this particular problem was actually a "MAJOR" problem. One which Huawei was/is duly aware of, since numerous people all over the world have had the same issue. Huawei i states that once the latest version of Hisuite is installed on your phone and computer, there is no way to retrieve any data, since the "updated" Hisuite software cannot and will not allow access to the backed-up data. Customers should refer the matter to their service provider in their country. There is no way whereby a person can "back-date" the software on the new phone and linked computer/a or other device used for backing up data. I went back to Vodacom Cellucity and informed the representative of this issue and that I cannot at any cost afford to lose the information (data as described here) since it is the heart of my consulting business! They told me that it is "impossible" to lose the information, I as the client must be doing something wrong, and that there is NO WAY, whereby the ENCRYPTED DATA can be lost, and unable to be retrieved from my Windows 10 HP laptop, which till now has been, and still. Is functioning perfectly. I should go home, use the Hisuite application, try and sort out the problem, and come back again if the retrieval process didn't work. Needless to say, the "process" - followed to the T - once again did NOT work! I expected nothing more OR less! I went back to Cellucity and was met with an attitude and comments that they can't help me, and that I should take note that I am the "First and Only" person to experience this particular issue - REALLY!!! I insisted that I want to cancel the deal, and return the phone and protector I received, since I simply cannot afford to be stuck with this issue, which according to all the information from Huawei and other sources on the internet, cannot be resolved. I got ZERO joy from the representative/s and "Management" at Cellucity Somerset Mall, Somerset West, and am stuck with a serious issue which neither the Cellucity REPRESENTATIVE OR the relevant "Manager" is prepared or able to sort out satisfactorily. I am forced to be stuck with this issue, accept the loss of critical business data, and DO WHAT?!? Cellucity represents the cellular service provider Vodacom, and I will have to refer this exceptionally POOR "Excuse for Customer Service" to Vodacom, for further action and resolution.

Apart from Vodacom Cellucity NOT following the regulations of the "Consumer Protection Act", their so-called "customer service" is pathetic from the "front-desk" to the "Management".

Potential customers should deliberately NOTE this serious " business management problem", and preferably NOT USE Vodacom Cellucity Somerset Mall, Somerset West as a cell phone outlet and "service provider", which from personal experience, is Non-existent.

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Replies (3)
Vodacom
Vodacom's reply23 Apr 2022, 23:13
Official
 Dear Customer, Thank you for making us aware of your complaint. Kindly be advised that a consultant will make contact with you in due course to assist with your query. ***Please note*** Beware of phishing ****s. Vodacom will not contact you via Whatsapp to request your personal details Regards,Vodacom Consumer Website Team 
CB
Charl B's update25 Apr 2022, 12:47
Reviewer Update
To date, I have still not received any response from either Vodacom or their service outlet Cellucity in Somerset Mall.
I expect Vodacom to confirm the cancellation of the agreement signed on 16 April 2022.
I will approach another service provider to look at other opportunities that will not pit me as a consumer in the extremely precarious position I currently find myself in.
CB
Charl B's update25 Apr 2022, 17:42
Reviewer Update
Without Prejudice

Dear Sir or Madam,

I already gave the relevant store the name of the application, which users worldwide are all fami**** with is Huawei's own "Hisuite". Huawei publicly admits they don't have a solution to the problem. Taking my laptop to the service outlet "Cellucity" is indeed NOT going to solve the issue. I have lost a ton of incalculable information, which cannot be retrieved.
I have been made out to be "********," "unable to use current technology," etc.
I expect Vodacom to cancel the "contract" and I will find another cellular service provider e.g. MTN to assist me in getting ANOTHER brand phone without the hassles of Huawei and its pathetic software backup application called "Hisuite".
I have already many times queried the terrible breaks in communication via the Vodacom cellular network especially the Helderberg area (W-Cape), which Vodacom seemingly cannot fix.
Now, to top it all off, I have this unacceptable issue with critical business and other data and information being lost.
Please arrange with Cellucity to cancel the contract, and I will gladly take back the Huawei nova9 phone and cover - which is still boxed - back to them.

I will appreciate your urgent attention to the matter and speedy response to this communication.