Vodacom review: Overall service

On the 10th of April, I walked aided with my crutches into a Vodacom store with the hope of reducing my contract fee due to financial constraints. I was greeted by KB, who claimed to be a manager. Trusting her expertise, I explained my situation, seeking a solution that would lower my expenses without compromising connectivity. What followed was a series of misleading promises and blatant disregard for my needs.

KB assured me that she could slash my contract fee from what I believed to be around R800 to a mere R500, bundled with a new phone that I didn't necessarily need. Despite my insistence on preserving my contacts and WhatsApp data for sentimental reasons, she assured me they would seamlessly transfer to the new device. However, upon leaving the store, I discovered that neither my contacts nor WhatsApp had been migrated properly. I did contact the store on the same day spoke to Thandile who told me to bring back the phone and he would update my contacts properly. Also I was given different charges for the migration.

To add insult to injury, after signing the contract I was informed the new phone does not come with a charger, with KB adamantly insisting that my old charger wouldn't work. Naturally, I trusted her judgment, only to find out later that the replacement charger was defective. When I returned to the store seeking an exchange or resolution as promised within 7 days, KB directed me elsewhere, washing her hands of any responsibility.

As if that wasn't enough, my bill arrived, revealing that I was being charged for not one, but two contracts – a detail conveniently omitted during the initial transaction. Despite my repeated attempts to rectify the situation through emails and store visits, Vodacom remained obstinate, denying any wrongdoing and refusing to provide a satisfactory resolution.

It's abundantly clear that to Vodacom, customers are nothing more than numbers on a balance sheet. Loyalty means nothing, and accountability is non-existent. They failed to honour their promises, neglected to provide adequate support, and left me feeling exploited and deceived.

What's most infuriating is that they had the opportunity to make things right by exchanging the faulty phone, but now it's too late. As a customer of Vodacom since 1996, I expected better treatment. It's time for Vodacom to prioritize integrity and customer satisfaction over profits and indifference.

I did however ask to be directed to a superior but was told that they could not direct me. I did also send numerous emails to the store also called to make sure that they had received them but also no responses.

#VodacomExposes #CustomerExploitation"