Man fights Vodacom after being blacklisted

A FRUSTRATED Bonteheuwel father who fears for his family’s life wants to move and buy a property in a safer area.

But Clinton Bester can’t do so, because a cellphone giant has mishandled his account which led to him being blacklisted.

For months Bester has tried to get Vodacom to clear his credit record so that he can buy a home and build a better life for his family.

Bester, his wife and children live in gang-plagued Bonteheuwel and are allegedly being threatened by a local gang.

Bester said the couple’s cousin’s friend was murdered in their garage and his wife witnessed their uncle being shot seven times in December.

Bester told Weekend Argus he signed a contract with Vodacom in May 2016, which included a retrenchment benefit policy.

He was retrenched that same year. Upon submitting a claim for the benefit, he learnt that the policy was never activated.

Weekend Argus is in possession of the signed contract with CellSure.

According to Bester, Vodacom has also handed him over to attorneys and he has subsequently been blacklisted.

He claimed at one time he was asked to pay an amount of R194.72 to make up for the “arrears” on the retrenchment policy before Vodacom would “entertain” any claim.

“I then made the payment in good faith and still nothing was done. I phoned, sent emails and no outcome.”

A few months later Bester was re-employed.

Vodacom spokesperson, Vinnie Santu, confirmed that Bester activated a contract which included an insurance for retrenchment and disability.

“When he lodged a claim with CellSure Insurance, it emerged that his insurance policy was never activated. This was an error on the side of the consultant/agent.

“We have sent a request to the credit bureaus to update Mr Bester’s profile. It usually takes seven working days for the profile to be updated. ”

Bester is seeking legal advice.