Vodacom

Since February 2023 I have been unemployed, and as I was almost 60, could not find other employment. So, when I turned 60 in April 2023, I became a SASSA old-age pensioner.

Speaking to Vodacom about an early termination of my contract, I was told: sorry, no can do, you will pay or there will be consequences. Funny, not long after the conversation the increases started.

Around September 2023 my one number’s term came to an end (the data one) and it was switched to pre-paid. Lucky me! A saving of around R400.

April 2024 there was an increase of R28-58 on my phone line. A few days ago I received an SMS threatening me that as my early upgrade is due, there will be an increase if I do not upgrade. Sure enough, this morning I received my invoice and statement. And there it is: R5-34 increase. Punishment for not upgrading. Never mind, in December all this will be over and I will go somewhere else.

I have been under contract with Vodacom around 8 years and I have been a loyal customer; paid on time, not owing Vodacom a penny. What was Vodacom’s response? Every now and then they tried in an underhanded way to ***** from me, not provide a service that they said they would and then come up with some pathetic excuse for their behaviour. To this day they owe me money for overcharging me VAT. Maybe I should not complain, it is only a couple of cents. What would happen if I owe THEM a couple of cents?

Every time an upgrade was due, I had to select a package that was more expensive and more expensive and more expensive. I could never select a cheaper package – Vodacom refused point-blank. At the moment I am on 200 mins, 200 sms’s and 2GB or 4GB data I think – cannot bother to go and check. I am lucky if I speak 10 mins and use 50 sms’s a month. Probably 80% what I get is wasted. But thanks to Vodacom I could not get a package to suit me because they were so desperate to squeeze more money out of me that I had to take a more expensive one – every time.

The data is a joke. The tower where I live has endless problems and almost daily for long periods there is no internet coverage. This has been going on for almost two years now. I do not waste my time to complain any more. It is pointless.

So, Vodacom, you are a bunch of ****** and “*****” to boot.