Vodacom’s red tape and bullying tactics

I am administering the cell phone contract on behalf of my 83 year old dad. In October 2018, I was informed by Vodacom Customer Care that my dad’s cell phone contract will expire on 3 January 2019. I was also told that I need to phone them ( ********** ) again in the beginning of December to cancel the contract a month in advance in order not to be liable for any costs after 3 January 2019. On 30 November 2018, I phoned again to cancel his contract. I was then informed that I now need to phone them in January 2019 to terminate the contract. I was told by the Vodacom representative that if I comply with the previous instruction from Vodacom in October, it will be seen as a premature cancellation of the contract. I enquired as to the reason for this sudden change and I was told that Vodacom’s internal rules have since changed. I asked up to which date my dad will then be liable to make the monthly contract payment. I was told that he will be charged up to 31 January 2019. I objected strongly to this change and to the fact that my dad has to pay for an additional month while his contract already expires on the 3 January 2019. I indicated to the service representative that we don’t want and don’t need any extra services after the contract expires on the 3 January 2019. The representative did not have a response to this. I find this bullying tactics unacceptable: 1. In my view a two year contract should come to an end at the end of two years. There should be no need to cancel it or to confirm that the contract will not be extended. If one of the parties is desirous for a new contract to be entered into, that party should take steps to ensure a meeting of the minds and take steps for a new contract to be entered into, failing which the contract should automatically lapse. 2. I have gone beyond this to ensure that there is no uncer*****y regarding my dad’s intentions but was then met with Vodacom’s red tape. Why is it at all significant when I inform Vodacom of my dad’s intention – whether 5 months in advance or one day in advance. Is Vodacom not capable of making a note as to a customer’s intention regarding a contract? How can an indication that a contract will not be extended, by any stretch of the imagination, be seen as a premature cancellation. In my view Vodacom is trying to make it as difficult as possible for clients to exercise basic contractual rights. In my view its conduct amounts to an abuse of power and bullying of clients. 3. Lastly, I do not agree that Vodacom can unilaterally force a client to pay a subscription fee for 25 months if a 24 month contract was entered into. My dad was not told that he cannot enter into a contract after the end of a given month, nor was he given the service for the partial month free of charge. Under those circumstances, I do not understand how Vodacom can attempt to force an 83 year old individual (or for that matter any other client) to make an additional payment for a full month whilst the contract is ending (in this case) on 3 January 2019. In my view Vodacom is busy with unfair business practices which is to its financial benefit and to the detriment of their customers. Prospective customers of Vodacom need to consider whether they want to do business with a company which is demonstrating such abuse towards its customers. This is also not an isolated incident. I had a big problem with my own cell phone contract which took months before it was somewhat sorted. The incident described above is the second of this nature in one week involving Vodacom that I have become aware of.