Vodacom Service Delivery Failure

I live on the south side of Umdloti Beach in 37 Newsel Road. Signal here was always excellent and most of the neighborhood moved over to Vodacom.

Around the beginning of October 2023, we started having signal problems. Actually, the signal completely disappeared. I reported this to the agent I deal with at the Gateway Durban branch, and he asked me to get him the names, numbers and addresses of affected subscribers. This I did and he submitted a complaint on my behalf. This was on 5 October 2023.

After no responses and then a response to say the issue had been resolved I instructed Viresh to cancel all my contracts with Vodacom in a watsap on 18 October 2023. I again followed up with him on 24 October 2023 as I had heard nothing. On 25 October 2023 he asked at what address the local repeater station was installed. I gave him the address as 34 Newsel Road, sent him the location and a photo of the aerial. He promised to put the address on the service request and follow up.

On 1 November I again followed up with Viresh and he asked me if anyone else had complained. I gave him the names and addresses again; this time he requested at least 10 names. Again, he said he would escalate the issue.

Due to no response, I again requested that my contracts be canceled on 9 January 2024. He said he would review the account. Again, I forwarded him a list of further subscribers who were having problems.

Due to no response, I again requested on the 29 January 2024 that my number and my data number be cancelled. The data contract had expired and my number, ***, was expiring at the end of January 2024. I said I would retain the other number, *** for now as expiry is only due in 2025.

On 1 February 2024 I received a service ticket notification with reference number S5-5C***Z.

I then had to do a sim swap for my number ***. I was told that payment needed to be made as we had changed the debit order details. This I did and I sent him proof of payment on the 5 February 2024. I received no response.

I then noticed that my account on My Vodacom was showing in arrears. I sent the details to Viresh requesting explanation as I had requested that my data and phone contracts be canceled and put on to pay as you go. He confirmed they had been canceled hence why my bill for the data contract had suddenly increased by over R1000.00. I was no longer on contract.

On 14 February 2024 I received a notification saying that my Ticket Reference Number S5-5C***Z had been closed. Mpho Thosago from Customer Care confirmed that the problem with my serving tower had been resolved. The problem had not been resolved and I still have no signal. On 29 February I received a message from Viresh asking if the problem had been resolved. I informed him that it had not been resolved. I then again requested why my account was still showing in arrears.

He then told me that cancelation was done in the first week of February, which was a short month, and that February would be the last month. I told him that this was unacceptable as I had given repeated requests to cancel the data contract immediately and my *** number on expiry of the contract term.

I am now being asked for payment of the full account, which includes my data contract ***), my number ***) and my office phone ***). This is unacceptable as the only contract remaining in operation should be ***. I am happy to pay this contract amount of R2549.00.

With no ability to get any response from Vodacom I am forced to take the matter up with an objective party to unwrap this profound failure by Vodacom to deal with my issues.