VodaCom Un-Blacklisting Disaster

Our IPhone X was ****** and blacklisted with Vodacom. The phone was recovered and all the documentation to lift the blacklisting was submitted to the VodaStore in Reds Mall (Centurion) the morning of 18 June 24. We were informed that they will send us the reference number. The morning of 20 June 24 we went back to the store to enquire about the reference number and were told the documentation was only submitted the previous day as the soft block on the SIM had to be lifted first. We then contacted Vodacom Customer Care who confirmed no un-blacklisting request had been logged. The documentation was then emailed directly to Vodacom and a reference number received within minutes. Later in the day we were provided with another reference number by the Voda Store and when provided to Customer Care they confirmed this request was only received that day. Cleary we were **** to at the VodaStore.

We were informed the blacklisting of the phone had been lifted. Nearly three weeks later, two visits to Vodacom in Midrand and many phone calls later the phone still does not work on the VodaCom network. The phone works with simcards from other networks and the Sim card works in other phones. Vodacom have tried black listing and un-listing the phone again, we have been requested to take the phone to an IStore who clearly state it is a VodaCom problem. On the phone settimgs it states the phone is not allowed on the VodaCom network. In desperation to avoid having to purchase another phone we have requested to have the contract that does not include a phone te be changed to prepaid without penalties three months before the contract end. This has been denied and the contract change approved only for when the contract term ends. VodaCom now want us to take the phone back in but cannot guarantee that they will have a similar load phone available. VodaCom is so compartmentalised that the different department cannot speak to each other but need to communicate via email. Our recommendation is to avoid VodaCom or if your Phone on the VodaCom network has been ****** and blacklisted, make sure you do not get it back.