FAIR AND SQUARE
CONSUMER COMPLAINTS WITH DEVON KOEN
SEND letters to the Weekend Post Fair & Square column to fax number (041) 585-4966, or e-mail them to fair@timesmedia.co.za Vodacom woes 1
In November last year Vodacom, sent me a portable router, but when I opened the package and read the documentation it stated in the contract that I had to be younger than 65. I am 73, so I phoned its customer care centre and staff arranged for it to be collected, which is what happened.
Unfortunately in the following months Vodacom deducted various extra amounts from my debit order cellphone contract, so I phoned and staff told me the money would be refunded, which it has not been.
It now owes me R633.19 and I am still waiting because the Vodacom service is pathetic at the call centre and in its outlets.
I am really sorry for the staff in these outlets as I think that they would like to help, but can’t. When I have phoned Vodacom, I have waited long for staff to answer my calls, sometimes more than five minutes.
The last call I made to Vodacom was yesterday [March 23] on 082-1946, but staff told me that they had a problem and would call back after 5pm. I’m still waiting.
Let’s hope Vodacom can correct the situation, as being a pensioner I cannot afford this mistake and I would really advise people that when they take contracts out, do it via bank stop orders which the companies cannot add to, not a debit order which they can.
JEFF BRATBY
A Vodacom spokesperson responded: “As a company that aims to deliver an unmatched customer experience, we are committed to resolving each and every customer query that comes our way as speedily as possible. Contact with Mr Bratby has been made and we can confirm that the number has been cancelled and the router collected. The number which was issued was then migrated to pre-paid on December 20 last year. A credit refund on the customer’s Vodacom account will be processed for the amounts billed on the number.”
Vodacom woes 2
About three weeks back I purchased a LTE USB dongle from a store, it was a Friday morning. By the Sunday the Rica had not been done so I could not start
using this service.
I went online using the Vodacom apps and purchased a data package and got nothing for my purchase. I then went through my bank, purchased a second package and this worked.
Once online with my LTE dongle the speed really seemed very slow so I did a speed test using the Vodacom site. Download speed – 1.2 MBPS Upload speed – 800 KBPS This was the best speed that I could get out of all the tests I did and I found it unacceptable for the service I purchased for my business. So I contacted support using the e-mail option so I would have written proof of my dealing with the company.
Staff phoned me back and after having to purchase a further 1GB of data, as the previous data had been used up doing testing, they sent me a mail. In this mail they told me as it was still within the seven days of this purchase, I should return the item to the store for a refund.
The following week I went to the store with all the e-mails in hand and the
LTE dongle, sim card and proof of purchase. All staff did was give me the runaround, telling me the dongle would need to be tested by the technical department.
I asked them if the speed was OK at the technical department would they then expect me to relocate my office there where I could possibly get a reasonable speed?
The conversation went back and forth, and it became very apparent they had no interest in sorting out my issue.
At this point I had had enough and just walked out of the store, leaving everything with them. Now considering they had the printed e-mail with my e-mail address, I later thought they might contact me using that but nothing.
I went back to the helpdesk via e-mail explaining what had happened and so far all I am getting is the runaround from the company. Every time I send a reply, asking what is going on, I get the reply it is still under investigation.
As this was just not good enough, I posted on Hello Peter about this situation. I suppose I expected a bit much as I just got the normal copy and paste reply on that as well.
As I am running a business, I was forced to go out and purchase a product from an alternate company that supplies this service. So I now suppose this complaint will also just get the normal copy and paste reply and I can just take it as a given that I am out of pocket of around R1 000 for even expecting a business actually to provide a service it was very willing to sell me in the first place.
All I can say is this type of treatment of your customers is outright disgusting.
DAVID
A Vodacom spokesperson responded: “As a company that aims to deliver an unmatched customer experience, we are committed to resolving each and every customer query that comes our way as speedily as possible. Following investigation, the customer has been refunded for the router and 5GB of data has been loaded on his account as a gesture of goodwill.”
Excellent experience
I would like to thank Ronel and her waitresses [at Old Grey Club] for a super lunch [on March 28]. We were a group of 18 Old Pearsonites from many years ago, loved the interior and hope to see you again in the near future. Once again many thanks.
1959 SCHOLAR DStv increase
Seems this decision was also made in the dark and no-one informed. We as pensioners need to budget and it would be the decent thing to let us know beforehand about the increase.
We are still getting repeats from years ago, so increases don’t make sense.
PAUL DE VILLIERS Great service
I would like to thank Beadshop, Newton Park and all its staff for the best service always, such a pleasure every visit. Keep it up!
SATISFIED OLD LADY