Vodacom *****s from people on Settlement

I have been a Vodacom contract customer for over 15 years and emigrated to the UK in April this year. Before I left, I asked Vodacom for a settlement on my current contract, willing to settle the outstanding amount on the device, plus a REASONABLE cancellation charge.

But no, Vodacom sent me a settlement invoice, charging me for the remaining 13 months on the contract for the line rental?? Basically, making me pay in advance for 13 months worth of minutes and data that will never be used by anyone as the line will be cancelled. This is blatant thieving and profiteering.

The consumer protection act states that a supplier may charge a reasonable cancellation charge. Vodacom charges 75% of your line rental charges for the remaining period of the contract as a cancellation fee, plus the remaining amount on the device! Rip-off and NOT reasonable! To put it in perspective, my contract was about R1400 pm, of which the device portion is R400pm and the line rental (minutes and data) is R1000pm. The settlement amounted to about R4000 I had to settle for the device (which I said I’m willing to pay), and AFTER their supposed discount, need to pay an additional R10,200 to cancel the contract???? So I must pay Vodacom R10,200 for minutes and data that nobody can or will use? Again, thieving.

I didn’t have the time to challenge this with the consumer Ombudsman, but warn anyone else about Vodacom’s profiteering and gready ways. I will however be taking the case up with the Ombudsman now, as I’ve begrudgedly been paying R1400 per month for the last 4 months while I’m overseas and unable to use the number and still have 9 months left on the contract, when I told Vodacom before I left that I’m willing to settle the device charges of R4000 plus a REASONABLE cancellation fee for administration, NOT R10,200 for minutes and data that nobody can use.