Vodacom service

Subject: Vodacom Customise the Customer Experience when it suits them. Loyalty means nothing.

I’m a Vodacom subscriber of 11 years, I’ve been loyal in supporting the company with contract after contract and not once have I hesitated nor blinked an eye lid to select my service provider since. Today though I question whether I’ve made the right decision because my experience has been truly disappointing and showed me that to Vodacom I am just another subscriber whom they could care less where I take my business.

2 months ago my contract came up for renewal and Vodacom had launched a special which was marked solely for Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which offered an iPhone X with Unlimited minutes and 10GB of data for R1299 p/month. Now my contract is a consumer contract and not a SME contract so Vodacom declined outright and said they cannot offer me this unfortunately and I should take something from their consumer catalogue.

So I decided to take out a consumer contract which was a iPhone XS on a “M+” (400 calling minutes) contract with 20GB free at R1499 p/month.

The kicker for me comes at the beginning of this month when my good friend calls Vodacom as his contract is up for renewal and asks the same question I did. Can I upgrade my consumer contract to the “Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) offer for an iPhone X with Unlimited minutes and 10GB of data for R1299 p/month?” And well Vodacom running their process in the manner that they do agreed to do so by giving him an iPhone XS with Unlimited minutes and 10GB of data. Now this is not the SME contract but it’s my contract except that they’re giving him unlimited minutes?? Why wasn’t I offered that and just given a blatant rejection? Am I not a loyal enough subscriber? Am I not Vodacom’s priority?

So I contact them and relate this matter and I am told that “Sorry but your upgrade has already been done and we can’t change anything”. This is absolutely unfair to me as a consumer because it’s not as though I was asking for something extra ordinary or my friend asked for something different, why weren’t we allowed the same option? And now it can’t change? What’s sickens me is I’ve been a subscriber of Vodacom of 11 years which I cannot change! Better yet is I told them to charge me R100 or R200 more and I’ll take the change and they refused.

In response I’m told, bring us an offer from another provider and we’ll match it. Is this the way Vodacom treats subscribers? Is this some sort of game to see who calls them at the right time? Loyalty means nothing? Double standards and taking our money when it suits them seems to be Vodacoms thing.

I am so disappointed and for once I am considering why do I bother being loyal to a company like Vodacom when I’m not value as a subscriber.

This needs to stop and we consumers need to be protected. All the operators talk about personalizing the customer experience but is this what they mean???

Truly disappointed, Naeem ********** 786