Worst service from Vodacom

I purchased a Huawei T5 Tablet from Cellucity in Kenilworth Centre Cape Town on 22 March 2020, my first debit order went off on 25 March 2020, we noticed that the tablet did not function properly but the Country went on complete lockdown a few days after we purchased and stores were closed. One is able to claim "out of box failure" in 7 days after you have purchased the device, I tried to contact Cellucity but they were closed I then emailed Vodacom.

I mailed the customer care email and was asked to authenticate my account countless times. I wanted to claim the out of box failure but could not get assistance as stores were closed. I got fed up and just left it at that as the struggle was pointless and frustrating.

When stores opened I could not go in because I contracted Covid along with other members of the household and we were in constant recovery or isolation.

During this period I seem to have missed an email from Janelle Meyer who wrote from customer service in April. Janelle advised that I have to take the tablet into the store when the lockdown is complete and stores open abs claim the out of box failure. But due to frustration and attempts to get help from Vodacom customer care and our household being ill I missed this email. My email reference for this was ***1.

In January 2021 the tablet died completely. I took it into your store in the canal walk branch. The unfriendly and basically silent miserable faced woman, named Kelly, took the device and booked it for repair. She gave me a form which I could not read as my toddlers were running out of the store and I chased after them so I just blindly completed the form however I had explained the history to Kelly but she didn’t seem bothered and just said to complete the form to book in the device. She had more interest in becoming annoyed at my kids that were touching the display dummy phones.

Kelly hadn’t written or noted the history of faults on the tab or my struggle in trying to contact Vodacom, mind you the tablet was also still under warranty which I also mentioned to her multiple times.

She told me that the store would contact me to collect. No one had contacted me.

On 7 March 2021 I contacted the store and a lady who answered said the tab is ready for collection. I sent my husband the form to collect when he arrived the same lady Kelly helped him and asked for a payment of R400 I refused to pay as this was firstly a faulty device from the start and secondly I was not informed of any fees that will be charged for this repair. She told my husband that the insurance wants that payment. I said he cannot pay that aside from the device being faulty on purchase she did not inform me she was claiming from insurance for repairs!! Mind you the device is even still under warranty!!

I asked him to escalate the matter to a manager. She said the manager was not there and she would have him call me Monday which was the next day. I did not receive a call the next week and spoke to Emelio who advised there are no notes to escalate this matter to a manager so clearly once again Kelly did not do her job!

I asked Emelio to please escalate this and he said the manager will call me next Monday, again no call received! I called back the week of 15th March and spoke to Emelio who advised his manager that I didn’t get a call. I heard the manager tell him he called. I asked when I have no missed calls. The manager who was present told Emelio to tell me he will call me the next day! I have again received no call! I called last weekend 20 March 2021 and spoke to a lady who said her manager is not there and Emelio isn’t there either. She will make a note for them to call me. No one called.

The sales assistant clearly didn’t advise me of anything when I dropped the device off in January 2021.

To date I spoke to 5 different sales consultants who are supposed to refer my matter to a manager Antonio. I think they said his name is. All have not assisted me!

And remember I have been paying an instalment every month along with insurance for a device that doesn’t work properly and now completely dead and in the Vodacom store since January!

I wrote to storecomplaint @ *** and *** on 26 MArch 2021 to complain about the service and the store. Zanele Mahele called and mailed me on 31.03.2021 to advise she will escalate this internally and she was to get back to me or a manager from the store, I heard nothing and emailed her again on 8th April 2021, to date no response.

A Morne from the Vodacom Canal walk branch contacted me in June 2021 and said "unfortunately I need to pay the R400" I explained to him this is not fair as there was an issue with the device from the start he was going to check on the details of my complaint and h history and get back to me which he never did.

A Thato Makoti the Executive client liason Officer at Vodacom contacted me after I handed my matter over to Lawyers he promised he would resolve it soon, it’s been almost two months now and still no joy from him, this is horrible service from nboth the Vodacom representatives and Vodacom as a company.

This is why I decided to report them