VODACOM IS JUST USELESS!!!

<p>Vodacom must be the most useless pathetic Service provider in the World!!!</p> <p> </p> <p>I have been struggling for weeks now to sort out a number of issues with my cell phone account. WITH NO JOY!</p> <p>I have been a Vodacom customer for almost 20 years now (yes, since we had the old "brick phones"), and the service is just getting worse and worse each year. Valued customer????</p> <p> </p> <p>Firstly, they NEVER answer the Customer Service line. You hold forever "Apologies - we are experiencing high call volumes"... then after holding for 10 minutes, they tell you "Press 2 and we'll get back to you" - which they don't do. SOMETIMES you are lucky and they return your call some days later.</p> <p> </p> <p>Secondly, if you send them a mail, again, if you are lucky, you'll get a response but only after days.</p> <p> </p> <p>Thirdly, when you are (extremely) lucky and they do get back at you, the call centre agent cannot assist - don’t know? don’t know how? don’t know why? Will find out and get back to you (yeah right) etc...</p> <p> </p> <p>The last 3 months I had EXTREMELY high bills to pay Vodacom. Majority of the amount due to data usage. So I requested that I want to know exactly which sites was accesses that used all the data. The agent who "assisted" told me that due to some "Privacy Act" I cannot get this information. WHAT? Whose privacy needs to be protected?? It is MY account and I have to pay it, but I am not allowed to know what I am paying it for!! WHY??? What response is that?? After a huge argument eventually she said she will refer it to some or other Department who will get back to me with "some info", but it won’t tell me exactly what sites were accessed that used all the data, because they are not allowed to do so???</p> <p> </p> <p>The purpose of an itemised bill, is to show you exactly where your minutes went to, but as for data, it just shows you a list of data calls indicating how much data was used with each call, but NO indication where? What does that help?? And when you ask for it you can’t get it because of some "privacy act"?</p> <p> </p> <p>The issue I have with huge bills due to data is not unique to me. I know of at least 3 other people who had these exact same issues with Vodacom in this past months. Including myself, it is 4 people out of the small number of people I know. Just imagine how many thousands of clients have the same issue, and Vodacom charge and smile or cut your line if you don’t pay. "We are not going to tell you where the data went, you just have to pay it or we cut your line".</p> <p> </p> <p>In November, since my data was running out on who knows what, I got the message to rather buy data now, as "in-bundle" rates still apply. So I used the *111# to buy additional data (as the App was AGAIN not working). I selected the once off 250MB option. Before I did it I viewed my balances. After I finalised the transaction, the full amount for 250mb was loaded to my bill, but my data only loaded with 100mb - where is the other 150mb THAT I AM BEING CHARGED FOR?? When I queried this with Vodacom (after an agent eventually called me), I was informed that I opted for the monthly top-up of 250mb, which I definitely did not - I already had to pay huge amounts to Vodacom, why on earth would I want to extend my business with them. Had it not been that I still had to pay this contract for quite a period, I REALLY would have ended all business I have with Vodacom. Once this contract is done, I will DEFINTELY not upgrade but DFEFINITELY turn to ANY OTHER service provider, as ANYONE would be better as Vodacom. Service CANNOT BE WORSE than this what I am experiencing at Vodacom. Paying for data but not getting it - I wonder how much this will actually add up to from thousands of clients over a period of time...</p> <p> </p> <p>I received no bill for November, and had to request it 4 times over 2 weeks before I eventually got it. Vodacom wants your money but you must BEG for an invoice. WHY???</p> <p> </p> <p>On 1 Dec, when I switched on my phone, I follow-up on my balances. On the App it shows that my monthly free minutes has been loaded as well as my free data, HOWEVER, the "current usage" is already on R385. R385 for what - I haven’t used any data or calls yet, how can it already be R385. Again, I received no satisfactory answer on this... "Free" minutes?? "Free" data??</p> <p> </p> <p>When checking on the Vodacom site now, I am already charged an amount for domestic calls, yet I still have free minutes available - why do they charge me for calls if I have free minutes! I pay a huge subscription for these "free" minutes (Red Advantage package). Same with data, I am already charged for data, yet I still have free data available.</p> <p> </p> <p>These are not my only problems - I can still go on for quite some time...</p> <p> </p> <p>Vodacom's problem is that their management clearly does not understand the concept that when competition increases, you need to up your game to stay in front of your competitors, which INCLUDES CUSTOMER SERVICES. Vodacom feels feathers for their clients and has no urgency in attending to clients' problems, or ANY WILLINGNESS to sort it out! Or the capacity or knowledge or s**** to do so.</p> <p> </p> <p>I actually think their biggest problem is that they think they are SO BIG, they will always be in business, no matter how poorly they treat their clients, no matter how unsatisfactory their service is, they will never go under. They must watch out, sooner or later they might start to fall behind the competition, clients will only tolerate pathetic service to a point and will then go seek service somewhere else where they actually get it. If enough people get fed-up with Vodacom and leave, in the end they might just sit with the problem of not dominating the market anymore, but actually forcing themselves out of the market due to their poor service delivery.</p> <p> </p> <p>I DO NOT ADVISE ANYONE TO TAKE ANY CONTRACT WITH VODACOM IN SA. IT IS NO PLEASURE TO DEAL WITH THEM AT ALL. IT IS NOTHING BUT FRUSTRATION AND ISSUES AND PROBLEMS WHICH NEVER GETS SOLVED.</p> <p> </p> <p>Is there an ombudsman for this industry? Where do you go to?</p>