Vodacom Repairs - Dishonouring Warranties and Breaking long term business relationships

I have been with Vodacom since 1997. I have had initially mid level contracts and in the last 5 years or so high level contracts.

I am currently on Red VIP with one of my lines, and I spend R4 ********** a month.

I upgraded my ********** 656 number in Jan 2018 to an iphone 8. At the beginning of this year, my screen started not switching on (even though the rest of the phone worked perfectly.). My wife took the phone in to Vodacom Repairs at Sandton City - who verified that the phone was still under warranty. The phone was booked in. We received a document attesting to this, noting that there was a small chip/scratch on the bottom of the phone.

10 working days (or so) later we were informed - after the phone had been sent to higher level technicians - that the phone is being taken out of warranty because of physical damage to the phone - the chip. We were told that if we would like the malfunction of the phone to be fixed, the phone will need to be replaced and we need to pay in R9000. I was amazed. The phone had undergone no physical damage and it was only a year old. Now that there was clearly a factory related problem with the phone Vodacom was finding a reason not to cover it.

I have complained about the problem. I was told on several occasions that Mr Abdul Ebrahim, the manager at Vodacom repairs, would call me back. When I eventually (now 12 February) got through to him, he agreed with me on the phone that the phone was not physically damaged in any significant way. He told me that he had examined the phone himself and he did not agree that it should be taken out of warranty. He had sent the phone back a second time to head office who again returned the phone and stated that it is out of warranty (-now also citing that a year had passed and that the phone was now no longer covered by warranty timewise either. It has been with Vodacom repairs since before the warranty expired!) He helpfully suggested that I call the call centre and remarked that if my complaint isn't resolved, I should consider taking it up with the CEO's office.

I am deeply disappointed in this service. I estimate I have spent well over R800 000-R1 000 000 with Vodacom over the past 22 years. My entire medical practice functions through Vodacom. And Vodacom is not honouring a fair claim on one of my phones still in warranty. (I have had over 20 contracts with Vodacom over the years.).

If this decision is not reviews and sorted out fairly, I will port all my numbers to cell-C and go beyond Hello Peter to write a testimonial on my practice facebook page, the Star etc as to why I suggest the public seriously consider not using Vodacom as a preferred service provider.

I am well aware that I am a small fish in the Vodacom sea. But at the end of the day enough small fishes who bring this to the public's attention will show the public what kind pf a brand I'm beginning to think Vodacom really has become ?

(I have also tried to send this letter to the head office of Vodacom Repairs and have been fed back into the call centre more than once.)

Dr Daniel Israel Melrose Johannesburg