Vodacom unreliable new service for SMS roaming

I have been a customer of vodacom for 16 years, have been using the SMS roaming facility for two years until March 2016. In January 2016 I was set to travel for work for three month and activated SMS roaming using the usual ROAMON/OFF to 123, so that I could access SMS banking alerts & text family and friends while traveling. On 19 March I could not deactivate the SMS roaming using ROAMOFF to 123 was informed that service was not available and I should use 31050, that failed too I was informed to call the call centre..which you can't do with a phone that is SMS roaming!! I went to a vodashop and the assistant called and my phone was deactivated...so I thought...I was able to make calls but could not receive any...I called again and they sorted that out. A week later I was set to travel again, tried to activate SMS roaming using the 31050 and could not do it. I called the call centre said they would activate it before I fly out -did not happen. Returned home and was again scheduled to travel, I called the call centre before I left to activate SMS roaming they said they would, it did not happen. Now I'm stuck outside the country with no access I sent and email to customer care. Zero