Yebo turns to no for cell prize
VODACOM is refusing to pay a prize to an East London winner in its Yebo Millionaires game.
Gonubie resident Neville Edworthy, 57, struck it lucky when he received a text in January congratulating him for being one of 90 to win aR1 667 share of a R150 000 cash prize for getting eight of nine letters correct.
But months later his fizz turned more and more sour as his prize money kept its distance. After he’d played the weekly competition for five years for small wins like R12 and R29 airtime, the January 17 text said he would be contacted to retrieve his gift.
The part-time construction worker said the wait stretched from weeks to months.
With help from his sons, he contacted Vodacom earlier this month – and was told he was “too late and the prize expired”.
“I waited this long because I believed that they would call me like the message said.
“I also didn’t know when and how the money would arrive. I wanted it to be a surprise for my family as my wife and I are both unemployed.”
Neville’s son Jody said he dialled several Vodacom helpline numbers before someone eventually helped him. “A lady spoke to me, although I never got her name. I gave her my dad’s letters, and she confirmed he had won the money, but said we had waited too long to claim it. She said we were supposed to claim within three months.
“I told her that Vodacom never called us, and she told me the text he received was supposed to have had a number to call for forms to be sent to us, but I told her that the text didn’t have such information as it just said they would call us.
“She gave me excuses until she eventually hung up.”
The Dispatch tried for two days to reach the Vodacom national office for comment but despite e-mails and calls, the company’s media relations office had not responded by the time of going to press. A call to the Vodacom line set up to for Yebo Millionaires queries gives an automated response: “This number is not valid.”
Competition rules state that airtime winners will receive their prize automatically, while cash winners will be contacted telephonically by Vodacom.
“I feel let down by Vodacom,” Edworthy said.
“I kept playing because I always saw people saying ‘thank you Vodacom’. Now I don’t believe those other people got their prizes either.”
Consumer journalist Wendy Knowler said: "Vodacom's response seems quite unreasonable. First, the text says Vodacom will call, and they didn't provide contact information or a deadline.
"A person who conducts a competition [Vodacom here] is required by the Consumer Protection Act to retain records of winners for three years, and give them ample time to get in touch, as well as provide a full list of prizes and confirm an acknowledgement of a prize by the winner. How many other people are faced with this?" —