POOR SERVICE, SUPPORT & CONNECTIVITY - VOX

Since switching over to Vox in April 2023, we have had nothing but issues. We continued logging calls and received multiple ticket number (probably 19 by now), to resolve the matter (slow connectivity and frequent interruptions, without the lines being down). We even tried switching over from a Metrofibre Line to an Openserve Line, thinking that it might solve the problem, since Vox was unable to solve it.

The first technician that was sent to the house was unable to even test the line, as he did not have any equipment to do so. I was just called and asked to test the line myself from my laptop when I get home.

And lately Vox does not send technicians out to the house to investigate the issue. Even when receiving a router, you need to install it yourself in the hope that it has been done correctly. After multiple calls we managed to get one out. He said that he reset everything and that it was working just fine now. It did, for about an hour, and we were back to square one. We had to then just log another call.

Sometime last year they did a router replacement. This changed nothing. Towards the end of last year, during one of the calls with a technician, the technician mentioned that the Microtik box installed is not ideal for the use in wifi systems. Why then even make use of it?

Another technician suggested that we connect our devices via a LAN cable. The router firstly does not even provide enough ports for such an activity. And secondly, it defeats the purpose of even having wifi. I might as well revert back to a dial-up connection.

Finally one of the technical team managers called me, and promised that a senior technician would come and investigate the problem. He never pitched. The technical manager called me twice at the most inconvenient time, and when trying to call the callcentre back, I get told that he will just contact me again. And so we are still waiting for the senior technician to make a call to our house.

Finally I decided to start looking for other options. The least that Vox could do after the terrible service and connection issues we experienced, is to waiver the early cancellation. I was then told that it cannot be done as they cannot account for downtime on our setup. The actual issue was just receiving on average about 8mbps (when receiving anything at all), while we are paying for a 300mbps line. All devices continuously keep on buffering. We struggle to send e-mails and even WhatsApps, while standing right next to the router.

In accordance with the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, Chapter 2, Part H, Par 55, the following applies: "(2) If a supplier fails to perform a service to the standards contemplated in subsection (1), the consumer may require the supplier to either- (a) remedy any defect in the quality of the services performed or goods supp****; or (b) refund the consumer a reasonable portion of the price paid for the services performed and goods supp****, having regard to the extent of the failure"

In this, I am even entitled to claim back the money paid over all these months. All I am asking for is to get the early termination fee waived. Claiming back the fees paid over all these months would be much more than that.

Furthermore, as we all know, the 1st of January was a public holiday. Since the cancelations department was closed, I lodged the cancellation notice and request on the 1st of January with the technical team in order for it to be an exact calendar month.

Now I am told that I did not give a calendar month notice, and despite the fee that I must pay, I have to sit with this useless system until the end of February, and still pay for it every month. This after I went out of my way to cancel it on the first of the month, as per their requirements, even though they themselves did not make provision for customers to do this.

Trying to get support surrounding this matter on their Whatsapp line is also near impossible. After requesting to speak to an agent twice in one day, I only received a response 24 hours later. When contacting the callcentre, expect waiting periods of 25 minutes. Clearly Vox is overcommitted, and cannot deliver the services they promise.

When considering a Telecommunications provider, let Vox be the last one to consider, or better yet, do not consider them at all.