After applying for a contract with Vodacom and receiveing a faulty cellphone which was returned, after full payment has been made, Vodacom has still not refunded this amount after 6 months and 6 different request 'loggs'. Each time this refund request has been 'logged' and I would need to wait 21 working days for this payment to clear in my account, but obviously I have waited too long, and still no payment. There is never someone spesific to talk to who can give information regarding this issue and they never get back to you one any requests.
What else can I do to fix this?

I noticed on the 5th of January 2005 that Vodacom did not debit the said account. I then contacted customer service (111) to see why they did not deduct the month fees owed by me. I was told that there was no record that I had changed my account details. The account details were then changed over the phone and I requested the bank charges to be paid to be as it was though fault of Vodacom. I was told that it had to be first be investigated (fair enough). The proof of my debit order being changed was faxed the next day and my bank statement was fax on the 14 January 2005.

On the 18th January 2005 my service was suspended. I called Vodacom and was put though to the accounts department. I spoke to a very rude and unhelpful lady. She would not reconnect my phone until I paid the month’s outstanding amount and Vodacoms charge for a returned debit order. When I asked her for a team leader she said she could not put me though.

I phoned again (a few seconds later) and the person I spoke to was able to put me though to a team leader (funny that). The team leader said that he could not reconnect my phone as the CIC department was still investigating my claims that I changed my bank account details. He then told me that they did not get the faxes which I sent previously and had to resend them. I did so the next day (19 January)

That evening I called Vodacom and spoke to a lovely lady who was able to assist me. I asked her if my fax from that day had been received and she said (wait for it) that I did not need to refax as the documents sent previously were in fact on the system. She then (a day later from the previous person) was able to reconnect my account.

The next day I got a call from account department demanding the outstanding amount. Once again I had to explain the whole situation to her. She said I had to go to the bank and pay the outstanding amount. This would normally ok but I was 19 and did not own a car. There was also not standbank near my husbands work. Now should I walk the 2 hour walk from my house to the bank just to fix up the mess up Vodacom made? I don’t think so! As was previously agreed at the end of January they would debit my account of the January and Februarys subscription. I did however tell her to not debit my account of the fee Vodacom was charging me for the returned debit order and she said that there was no record of any problems or queries I was having with Vodacom so she did not know what I am talking about.

On the 25 January I got a call to say that my account had been sorted out and Vodacom was basically at fault and they would refund me the bank charges.

The next day or so I received a sms stating that I have an outstanding balance of R360.00 and if I did not pay I would be disconnected. This amount still includes the return fee for my bounced debit order. I took it as a computer generated sms as just a few days before I was told that everything was sorted out.

On the 27 January 2005 whilst trying to deal with a horrific tragedy of a young man that killed himself I reached for my phone to call his parents and you wont believe it but I was once again disconnected and at a time when I need my phone the most.

So lets recap….

* Vodacom screws up with my debit order – my phone is cut.
* After dealing with rude “customer service” staff I eventually manage to get it reconnected.
* I make arrangements for a double debit order month end – cool everything is sorted and I am happy!
* Was told that they don’t have bank statement etc – I need to refax
* Called the next day after re-faxing and I was told that I did not need to as the 1st copy sent was in fact on there system.
* Next day accounts departments bugs me and demands money (are they stupid)
* Once again agreements are made for a double debit order
* Received call on the 25 January to say everything is sorted out – YIPPY!
* Get sms demanding the money – ignored as thought it to be an error.
* Two days later my phone is ONCE AGAIN cut! But at a time when I really needed my phone!

So before I continue with my story just looking at the recap I am sure is making you frustrated. Basically Vodacom was demanding the payment for January but I never had my phone connect that often during that month because Vodacom made a mess up and did not receive payment. So it works like this – Vodacom has a legal department and are telecommunications giants and this means they can do as they wish, charge you for a service which they have not even bothered giving you.

When is enough, ENOUGH. Is a contract not a two side deal? Why should I keep my side of the contract if the other party is incapable of keeping theirs?

Well the story goes on….

On the 29 January 2005 after a month of hell and abuse from Vodacom I had enough and I prematurely cancelled my account with a long letter of why I am doing this. I refuse to pay the fee of any sort. I had hell with Vodacom and they can’t even offer an apology.

I will attached the proof of cancellation, the letter and proof of it being sent FYI.

I resent the cancellation request letter just so they can know that I was unhappy.

On the 10th February 2005 I sent my second letter of complaint – bearing in mind that no one has yet contacted me with regards to the first letter.
Also at this point I was still not refunded the money owed to me by Vodacom.
When arrangements were made for the double debit order at the end of February for the month of January and February I told them that I only authorise the debit order of R575.00 this is excluding the fee Vodacom still wanted to charge me for the returned debit order. I found out that they were still going to debit my account for the fees charged by Vodacom. Surely after all this time they have figured out what they doing! I immediately with draw all monies out of the account so that Vodacom would not steal money out of the account that they had no right to. I know its only R75.00 but out of principle I really felt strongly that I would not let them get away with it.

In all fairness to Vodacom I paid them for the month of January although they certainly did not deserve it. But that was the last thing Vodacom will ever get out of me.

Although I cancelled the contract – all I was looking for was an apology and an attempt to rectify their mistakes, yet they kept turning a blind eye to their fault and never addressed my letters.

I sent the letter again a second time just for the fun of it.

So now they are sitting with 2 copies of the first letter and 2 of the second.

On the 15th February 2005 I received a letter saying I had seven days to pay the outstanding amount or the contract will be permanently suspended and I will be liable for the contract amount.

On the 26 February I sent yet another letter to Vodacom. In this letter I stated that I was unhappy with their service and wanted Vodacom to contact me.

This letter was also ignored.

Later I sent a copy of all the letters sent to Vodacom to Amanda and then to Adele Strydom. They also never addressed the issue.

On the 17 March 2005 I received a letter saying that they had no reply to previous correspondence (Can you believe it – after all the letters and phone calls they still want to tell me that I have not replied!) and they permanently suspended my service and was now liable for the amount of the contracted.

On the 19 April I got a lovely bright red letter as my final demand and still no one has addressed the issues I was having with Vodacom or apologised for them inconveniencing me the last few months. I was in contact with Mina and Tanya and still they did not address the issues.

I stopped wasting my time and this useless company and carried on with my life. I never heard from Vodacom or their attorneys for 2 years and suddenly on the 23 June 2007 I get a letter in the post from their attorney for the outstanding money. 2 years later they want to now hassle me. I told sello at the firm to go back to their client Vodacom and ask them about the endless letters I have sent them and how in fact the reason this account is in this state was due to Vodacom’s incompetence. Well I never heard from them again for another 2 whole years.

In August 2009 I got a sms from VVM attorneys. I called them and said the same thing as I told the attorney 2 years ago. VVM attorneys have been hassling me ever since. I have explained what has happened to them.

I sent a letter to Vodacom and VVM attorneys. Basically sayings fix this or I will go public. VVM phoned me to say Vodacom says I must pay. I then called a few people at Vodacom and VVM attorneys and told them I was going to give them a day to fix it or I will bring them down. My last call from VVM was on Christmas eve at around mid day to demand money. Who phones anyone the day before Christmas to bug them for money! Needless to say I said what I had to and hung up J

It’s now the middle of January 2010 and still Vodacom has not fixed this or apologised to me. And it is now that I have decided to do what I said I would do and take them down. I want South Africa to know what bad service Vodacom offers. 5 years down the line I am still experiencing bad service.

If your children have cell phones, don’t wait until something goes wrong when they need to call you or the police and Vodacom lets you down. Their lives are not worth the chance.

If you saying you have never had a day’s trouble with Vodacom – Don’t speak to soon. They are always making errors and when they do it to you, you will surly experience their disregard for your rights and principles. They want what they want and there is no telling them otherwise even when they at fault.

Read though my evidence and make a wise decision before you are also fighting with a service provider that say they offer reliability and all they over is years of hassle.

All documents are in the process of being scanned and will be placed on to this site so you can see the letters I sent (with proof of being faxed). Please bear with me.

www.vodacomsucks.co.cc

I use to have 500 megabites a month on my 3G account which was just enough. suddeny my account skyrocketed for no apparent reason. I upgraded to 1 Gig, and within 4 days, that gig was depleted. Seing that my automatic updates and so on were not activated on my laptop. I then phoned Vodacom and requested an itimised billing acount, which i havent received for 6 weeks and waiting. I then discovered that if I phone my 3g sim card, it actually rang!! IT RINGS EVEN IF I AM ON THE INTERNET!!! so it became apparant that i am not the only person who uses this number, but it does seem that i am the one being billed!! R3500 was taken out of my bank account by vodacom and R2600 the previous month. R6000 give or take was deducted!! various phone calls, referance numbers, vodacare shop visits...and no help, answers, or itimised bill. A cloned card? an inside job? Pathetic and useless personell...Please help! vodacom is taking large amounts of money from my account and no one can tell or show me why!!!

Mokotsi C.T
P.O.Box 4836
Mushung
0809
Cell 0721266493

My name is Nomsa Mudau. I am having a problem with my ID, I never loose any of my particulars but my details (ID) is being used to purchase and to open accounts. The problem started in December 2008 when I recieved a call from Jet Store that someone is buying with my account. I had a jet account for over 10yrs without any problems. I disputed the purchases and the problem was sorted in April 2009, I ended up closing the account. In May 2009 I received another call and was told I open an account at Identity store and I disputed the account as well, Today on the 21/10/09 I received another call that I open account in December 2008 purchasing a contract phone which owes R9000. I never open such account as I'm using prepaid phone. Please I need your help as the scam continues and when contacted the shops they said there is nothing they can do as am not the only one with the problem. I am worried because I believe nothing I done to apprehend the culprits instead I am the one who suffering running around back and forth from police station to the shops querring about the accounts.My e-mail address is [email protected]