VODACOM INCOMPETENCE AND THIEVERY STRIKES AGAIN

<p>On 19 May I answered a call from a landline number, thinking it could be business-related, but alas, it was from Vodacom. They spoke about my account with them so I thought it was a legitimate call relating to my (exorbitantly priced) cellphone contract. But alas no, it was a sales call. I stupidly allowed myself to be duped into agreeing to a 2 year 5GB data contract with Vodacom with a free Huawei R216 router. The package arrived at my work on 25 May and once I got it home, I had a good hard think about it and realised I did not want to be tied into another 2 year contract with Vodacom, after I had switched from another network provider to Vodacom for my cellphone and had regretted it ever since, thanks to ridiculous contract prices and expensively priced data that runs out at the drop of a hat.</p> <p> </p> <p>So I did what a consumer has a right to do, I contacted Vodacom within the "cooling off" period to request that the contract be cancelled and the device be collected. I spoke with a Vuyokazi Mpofu on 5 June 2017 who advised she would arrange collection of the device and request the cancellation. She forwarded me an email sent to ********** and said they would contact me to arrange pick up. When, a week later, I had still not heard anything regarding the collection, I emailed Ms Mpofuon Monday 12 June advising I had not been contacted regarding collection and wanting confirmation that the contract had been cancelled. She responded the same day to say she had also had no communication form collections and once she had a reference number she would contact me. </p> <p> </p> <p>Again, I heard nothing regarding collection and nothing from Vodacom. After emailing Ms Mpofu again on Tue 20 June, I then called Vodacom on 22 June where I was passed to THREE different departments until I got through to NoNo in Cancellations. She advised me that cancellations could only be requested through her department, which is all well and good, but I was told by Ms Mpofu, a Vodacom customer service representative, that she was processing the request, so I had no reason to question or doubt that. NoNo advised she was requesting collection of the device through RAM couriers which could take 3-7 working days. I asked her to confirm that the direct debit for the contract wouldn't be taken off on 1 July since I had requested a cancellation and she said that since I had not registered the sim card, the direct debit shouldn't be taken off.</p> <p> </p> <p>RAM Couriers collected the device from my work address on 26 June 2017. Imagine my surprise today (Tue 4 July) upon looking at my bank account transactions and seeing that Vodacom had taken the direct debit for the contract I had requested to cancel from my account! I immediately called Vodacom and the customer service representative I spoke with informed me the data contract is active and no cancellation request has been processed. He advised that I should log a case with the Solutions team and then go through to the cancellations team. He put me through to the Solutions team who have logged an escalation with reference number 1- ********** ********** . I was told someone from Cancellations would contact me within 7 working days, but frankly, I am done waiting for Vodacom to get their act together and resolve this.</p> <p> </p> <p>I have encountered nothing but incompetence, ignorance and a lack of caring from the Vodacom customer "service" representatives I have spoken to. I requested the cancellation of the data contract within the cancellation period, but it has now taken a month to even get a reference number. I am being charged for a contract I am not using as I do not even have the device and never even opened or registered the sim card.</p> <p> </p> <p>This is UNACCEPTABLE. I want someone from Vodacom to process the cancellation of the unwanted data contract IMMEDIATELY and to refund me the money that was taken from my account for a contract I never wanted.</p> <p> </p> <p>This is yet another reason why I regret moving over to Vodacom and at the end of my cellphone contract I will most certainly be taking my business to another provider. </p>