Vodacom
reviews and complaints

Worst service provider for a year they have been overcharging on my data contract. When you buy data you have to buy airtime and convert to airtime at a hire cost. They do not care that you are disabled and a pensioner. They are rude and arrogant. You always have to listen to a whole lot of answer this answer that. Then you must own an extra phone so that should you need to upgrade your data or have a problem. Or buy more data. You have to have this phone as the sim is bigger than your current phone. then even though married for 41 years they still want to verify your husband even though the cash in the bank is mine. Strange I would say. Then they loose the data you have purchased for R300 oh just buy again is the attitude. What why do they not buy it. Then this month 10GB to go through only 5GB is loaded. What IDIOTs work there

Good day

I checked at my detailed balances (using *111#) and the sms stated that I still have 9.84 GB data until 15/09/2020, yesterday. This morning I received an sms which said that I ran out of a data bundle. When I checked it again it said that I have 0 MB data available. I still believed that I had 9.84 GB. Why would it tell me that I have data left for almost 4 years and now I have nothing? I need to get my data and if it was a error they need to fix they system!

Good afternoon

I am not usually a person that complains about poor service, but this is just unacceptable and ridiculous .

20 November
I have tried to load data on my cellphone, and after trying a few times and being unsuccessful I phoned vodacom's customer care number.
They tried to load it from their side and said that there was a technical error, but because it was a Sunday the technical side will phone me back no later than Tuesday.
No one contacted me.

Tuesday evening I phoned again, explained my whole story again, and the guy promised me that he will sort it out and phone me, the next morning at about 9.
This never happened.
On Thursday I phoned them yet again, when i spoke to a lady just to find out that no one ever logged a query at the technicians.

She told me that she will find out what happened and call me back before 12:00. She eventually phoned back after 15:00, asked me if i could write down the reference number, i couldn't and asked her to please sms it to me. I am still waiting on her sms.
In this call i also heard that i had 2 packages on one number. 2 months prior to this Vodacom phoned me and asked if i wanted to migrate to a larger package that i accepted.
Over the weekend i knew no one would be able to help me, so i didn't bother phoning.

On Monday i phoned again.  The lady was very helpful and told me she would phone me back the next morning, knowing that i had not trust in anyone at Vodacom to phone me back, because she could not retrieve all the information that she needed, and had to refer it to the technicians. She at least called back, but with no solution.

Yesterday morning i had to phone yet again, just to hear that nothing has been logged against my phone number, and therefor the problem was still not solved.
The guy that i spoke to at least got it right to give me a reference number for the query.
At about 14:30 i received a sms that it was handed over to another department to assist.
At 14:45 i received another sms saying that the query has been closed.
No one phoned me, and i still did not have any data on my phone.

30 November
Today i had to phone customer service yet again, with no result either, everyone at vodacom promises to phone back and find out what the problem is.  I still do not know what is wrong with my phone or if i will receive any data for the new month. Also i still can not load data.

How in this day and age do we have people, a service provider, that do not provide a service? Why do we as customers have to fight for a little bit of service if it is actually what they are there for, and what we pay for?

This is not the first time that someone at Vodacom does not do their job properly and i have to be the one that has to pay for it in the end.

I am really so frustrated and irritated with all of this.

Kind regards
Corrie Beukes
3 Kalami, Gie road, Table View, Cape Town
[protected]

I upgraded my contract end October 2016, my new contract started in November 2016. Since my new contract was activated my LTE did not work. Went to Vodacom 4U in Cradlestone to get assistance at the beginning of November. They re-synchronised the system and nothing helped, this went on for a month on the 28th November while trying to synch the system my data, min & sms disappeared and now have no service at all. I called 111, 191, went into numerous Vodacom stores and the story ends with we cannot do any more the IT needs to manage the issue and i must log a call. The turn around time is supposed to be 48 to 72 hours. However they don't bother calling back or resolving the issue. However the reminded me the 60000 others Vodacom customers have the same problem. I am apparently not unique to the problems Vodacom are facing, i will have to get into the 60000+ que and wait my turn. Shocking service, as a customer I feel helpless and the staff at the outlets are unable to assist. There is no escalation process no management to refer to and no references numbers. Totally reliant on some minion in the back office to fumble till it finds a solution.
Dear Mr /Mrs CEO of vodcom get off your ### and do something.

I Updated my Contract with vodacom online and took one of there CPO phone, at the same time i changed my package to a higher priced package to suite my needs .

The Device a i5s CPO unit was delivered at the end of June / Beggining of July this year,

I updated the ISO to 8. something then at the end of August to 9. something,

From then until End of September my Phone started acting up with regards to making or receiving Voice calls, The device would also hang when i tried to use the touch screen to make or cut the call for voice, however, i was able to use it on data calls using the apps installed, this too started to become a problem the week i decided to take the phone in around end of September Repair Number ( [protected] )

Once delivered i got an SMS saying the device had been booked in . ( Capetown - Bayside Mall)

I was asked to fill in a form with regards to pass words and To remove find my iphone in store which i asked for assistance with and once the lady was happy i left the Store

I asked to have my data backed up as i was happy to pay the Fee required for the backup

On the 20/10 i got an SMS saying the phone had been returned as the find my iphone had not been deactivated . I was not sure how to do it online but the person was kind enough to explain how to do it which i duly did and SMSed back, they said it was fine

I received and SMS to say to come collect my unit, 24/10

On going into the store i was advised my phone was not repaired as i did not approve a Quote, I asked why i didn't receive a call or SMS about this, and i advised the stores person it was only 2 months old why would i require to authorize a unit under guarantee

As they couldn't explain this i paid a R57 fee just to get the phone so i could have it delivered to another store where the staff where more helpful

I booked it in on repair [protected] on 27/10 the same day at Tygervalley vodacom as when i took it from the Bayside mall . They apologized and advised it would be corrected .

I received an SMS to collect my unit on the 23/11, which i did on the 26/11
The report said No Fault found, I put my sim card into the phone to check it only to find the same problem and i showed the instore technician, who rebooked the phone in on [protected]

I called the Technical repair center today the 30/11, and they advised the phone was sent back as the find my iphone was activated ? how if i had to delet it in October was it activated and why was i not called and advised or why am i having such difficulty with the poor customer techical know how, the vodacom shops have special reps for other brands which help their clients .

I am not happy to have been sitting withjout the unit for nearly 8 weeks getting merssed around, Vodacoms Service is poor, the instore service is poor and the technical know how of staff is poor

I'm complaining about an upgrade that never happened
Try to upgrade in September 2016 at Vodacom Nigel to a laptop was but was declined, Vodacom still charge me for a laptop that I didn't receive.
I upgrade over the phone in October 2016 and received as a Samsung J1mini on October 19th via courier, upgraded from 1 gig data contract to 150/month flexi airtime.
My contract change then from 1gig data/[protected]@R241 to R150 airtime/month, Vodacom still bill me R345 this month? ?
Please let me know what is the problem, I called the 110 no but they can't help me.
Thanks
Mrs GJE Riekert/[protected]

I phoned the customer care line on [protected] and was transferred to customer services where i was then told i needed to phone [protected], my query was simply to ask if someone could please help me find a branch that had one of the phones listed for exchange for 1000 talking points, i had been to 5 stores in the umhlanga area where i was told by sales staff i should get an S7 edge and pay the difference of R8000 and get that instead, completely ignoring my request for the free phone nevermind the fact that not a single shop had any of these phones in stock, i was then transferred to the pre-paid customer services who then told me he would transfer me to someone who would be able to help me locate a phone, upon hearing my request, the very rude woman told me she would transfer me back to the pre-paid customer services, i enquired as to why, to which she responded this isnt her department, at this point i had been to 5 branches and transferred at least 4 times on the telephone, i enquired as to whether or not she was sure and she just said to me i must phone 082 111, after enquiring again as to whether she wasnsure or not and explaining my frustration with the situation she proceeded to ignore me, this is a terrible experience as a customer, I have a copy of the telephone conversation in my possession and would be happy to share it with you, as i am already planning to share it on every social media platform at my disposal,

I hope I am responded to urgently as I am very ready to express my right to freedom of speech in an attempt to get people to leave your network

I did an online updrage in March 2016 while working for Nedbank Sandton, I then changed employment before the handset could be delivered. I called Vodacom to change the delivery address but I was told it is impossible, I was told I will have to wait for the courier company to return the phone to Vodacom and then the upgrade will be cancelled. I will then be able to do a new upgrade using my new work address. I have been calling Vodacom since April 2016 to try and resolve the issue with no success. Vodaom is still busy sending R110 airtime and I am paying for the airtime with no handset. My number is [protected] and when I try to upgrade online the system doesn't allow me. I want to cancel the contract since the upgrade failed and legally I don't have a contract with Vodacom.

I have a business contract with a number of lines connected. On Thursday 24 November 2016 I attended at the Greenstone Vodacom shop to upgrade a number of lines.
The attendant was very helpful and successfully upgraded the lines.
As part of the upgrade I was given a "new" Samsung S6. I suspect that this phone was not new in that:
1. Stickers on the back;
2. Box opened;
3. Non-factory software "ACT" that caused the phone to run diagnostic tests repeatedly (more than 100 tests) each time you started or used the phone.
I returned to the store on Saturday 26 November 2016 (2 days later) and was told that I had to send the phone in. I had to get an adapter for my sim card in that my old and new phones take different size sim cards.
I was within 7 days of purchase and the manager (separate story) refused to even consider a new phone. This is contrary to the Consumer Protection Act and nobody could help me.
On the manager aspect - I was given to the assistant manager "Marco" who tried his best to help but his manager (who came into the store and left when my issue was discussed with her - with a shopping bag in hand) refused to deal with me.
I have been badly and unlawfully treated and the in shop assistants could not help and the manager was absent.
I now need to travel up and down to see the progress with my business in Kensington and I live in Edenvale.
I demand a new phone and all paperwork to be completed when I arrive.
I have some 7 contracts with you and have been a loyal customer for more than 20 years. I expect better service.
Paul Farinha
Main number : [protected]

Placed an order on Monday.
Takes more than 2 hours to reach any consultant.
My application was not processed and confirmed after calling in myself.
Takes 2 hours (again) just to reach a consultant and confirm my order which I had placed the previous day and it seems it was never processed.
Promise of next day delivery is a scam as I had call in (again!) just to follow up on my order -it seems delivery will not take place the next day as promised!

I have not been able to make calls or use the internet on my phone for over a month now. I have been to three different Vodacom Branches and made numerous call to the call centre. I hear the same thing over and over: ''The account is in order, the matter has been escalated, someone will call you back.'' Nobody ever calls back. I have been in contact with the KZN Regional Office for Vodacom, spoke to a Client Liaison Officer, no feedback. I am paying for a service that I am not receiving. This is completely unfair and unacceptable. How can this company refer to themselves as ''South Africa's best and leading cellular network''? It is clear that they are clueless when it comes to customer service.

I have received my mobile wifi R216 15November and Immediatly phoned activation to activate my sim. It has been 6 working days of which my sim is still not activated. I have phoned activation many times of which they say yes they can see it should have been active long time ago " turn around time 24- 72 hours.

I have a business to run of which I need Internet, now I am stuck without Internet of which first of all waited not only 7 working days for the device and now already a total of 13 working days to use the actual device.

How is this acceptable for the best network?

After my monthly data bundle was depleted I purchased a 2GB bundle on the Vodacom App but it was not allocated to my account even though my purchase was confirmed. I checked my balances & noticed that my data was still on 0 so I purchased another 2GB which also didn't go through. The same thing happened in October when the Data bundle I bought only reflected a day later & I was charged over R200 because Vodacom failed to update my account when the purchase was made. I called the customer care & was put through to 3 different consultants & was told they are aware of the problem with the data bundles not being allocated. I then asked why if Vodacom knows about this problem are they still charging customers Out of bundle rates probably hoping it doesn't get noticed & only crediting those few that do query the charges, then I was told I needed to speak to the Data dept & again got transferred. I held on for 19mins listening to that same rubbish tune they've had since forever until I hung up. I suspect this problem has been going on for a while because after querying data charges in July I received an email saying "as a once-off gesture of goodwill. Vodacom will credit your account to the value of R1090.56". What passive-aggresive bullcrap is this? Like they doing me a favour by crediting me what they've overcharged me for. What "good will?!" They had no problem giving the credit because they know they're at fault! Now my Bill so Far is again over R1000 for this month wonder if I'll get another "good will" credit? What about all the other months I wasn't monitoring my how Vodacom handled my data usage & now that I am monitoring it on the Vodacom App they still charge me for the data used to do it!

I have been a client of vodacom for over 14 years. My contract is up and due for an upgrade. I had a look at the contracts available but none suit me. I need a higher data package which you do not offer. For the same price of my current package I could get unlimited everything from telkom or pay less with higher data from afrihost. I word in the fibre industry so I fully understand the need for excess amounts of data. I called and spoke to a consultant in Wednesday last week who said she would forward my request to the price match department (if this even exists) and I would receive communication Withings 48 hours. It is now Tuesday and still no word. I called today and explained my entire situation to some bad person on the other end of the line who then hung up the phone. I called back twice and held in for over 15 minutes each time with no answer from one of your useless consultants.
If this is the way you treat your king standing clients I don't think I want to continue being a client. I want to stay with you but everyday you are making it less appealing. I'm ready to cancel my contract and tell Riley world of your poor service.
My question to you is how you can treat your clients like this when you no longer own a monopoly on the market and further more when a company like telecoms is a quarter of the price.
I truly hope you get your act together and call me in the next 24 hours.

My upgrade date on my contract was 15/11/2016. Since the 15th, I have been phoning Vodacom's Upgrades department every day. I am being send from pillar to post, with no assistance. The Upgrade Department tells me that there is something wrong with my account, I have to contact the Accounts Department. When I contact them, they tell me that my account is up to date, I have never missed a payment, I have to contact the Upgrades department again. I have been told more than once that their system is offline, someone will phone me back within a few minutes. Nobody ever phones back. I applied online a few times and I get and e-mail every time, saying that an agent will call me, but nobody calls. I have 2 contracts with Vodacom. I want to upgrade one of them, the other one can be cancelled. I have been paying my account every month for 22 months, why is it such a struggle to get it upgraded? The number I want to upgrade is [protected]. I can be contacted on [protected]. Thank you, Madrie du Plessis.

I have received a bill from Vodacom for usage during October 2016 for oer R5000. I have a data contract for 5 Gig (cell number [protected]) which I hardly use and during October I have only used it once to book seat for a flight from East London which can never have used more than 5 gig data. I only use the data bundle with a 3g router which is only for emergencies because I do have a DSL line for home use. Phoned Vodacom on 21 Nov 2016 and they have promis to phone back on 23 Nov which never happened an I have to phone again. They promised to look into the issue and send sms that the issue has been escalated to support specialist with reference 1-[protected]. Not receiving any further feedback again phone Vodacom on 29 Nov 2016, holding on for 40 min and again only get a reply and sms that it has been escalated to support specialist., new ref 1-[protected] and a promise of feedback on 1 Dec 2016. The problem is with the incorrect billing an incorrect debit order is now going to be debited to my account tonight and I have to battle yet again to get it refunded.
This is the worst service which I have ever received from Vodacom. The customer care line is one of worst lines to log a complaint and is now the only way of dealing with Vodacom, very quick to bill the customer but taking their time to resolve problems. I am not the only customer complaining for incorrect billing in November - some reported pon Hellopeter and others on News24.Mobile & Cell Phones

@Vodacom
Thank you for the wonderful service I have yet to receive .
Just a high level overview of your Service. I did an application on 23rd August 2016. This was for the iPhone on a package for R199. I got a call from your confirmations department for the necessary verification process. I called a week later and was advised that my order was cancelled. Why. Only the wonderful people in your department would know. The order was then placed again and I received a call from the courier company advising me that delivery of my phone would take place on the 02nd September 2016 . I have yet to take delivery of the phone. I called again in early October and spoke to another agent escalating my query and promised that I would receive my phone he then resigned and I was left without any feedback. I spoke to Sherilynne who re-opened my case last week and promised me delivery of my phone. The confirmations department called me and did the verification process. I called through on the 28th November 2016 and was advised that my order was again cancelled. Why. Only the wonderful people in your department would know! After chatting to numerous agents who clearly have no customer skills . I was advised by Sherilynne that my order was cancelled as I had failed the confirmations. When I asked for a managers name and surname, this is against company policy yet my personal details are provided to you telephonically. Please can you advise which lie I should actually believe: if I failed verification/confirmation, how would I receive a call from your courier company regarding delivery in September. I have called your Customer Care / Sales department on numerous occasions . They have asked me the security questions : why wasn’t this updated as per current. Please listen to my calls as this is purely unacceptable.

account no; NM055481-3
cell; [protected]

This morning(29 November 2016) in FIN24 complaints of clients of extreme high data accounts settled by Vodacom.

I'v visited midrand June of the same issue and requested to cap account.

To my amazement received account again oct once again extremely high, visited centurion shop, migrated contract to make more data available but also once again ask to cap account .

Even with my visit yesterday at Vodacom the attendant did not explain settings on slim phone to stop automatic offloads, only after I read the Fin 24 I investigated further.

my extreme accounts ; two invoices since new contract and took delivery of slim phone March 2016- one exceeding R 1300 for data and another nearly R700.

My humble request is for some sort of credit to be accommodated likewise your clients in Fin24 report.

regards
rod van der walt

A few months back I upgraded my phone at the mentioned branch. That same day I asked the consultant to update my details (surname and postal address). Today (29/11/2016) I saw that none of my details have been updated, so I phoned the branch. Once I finally got through, the person that picked up the phone (Itumeleng) told me none of the consultants are free to help me, I must come to the branch in person to fix the problem.

I find it irritating and a nuisance to must go back to them to fix the stuff I ALREADY gave to them. Why aren't they doing their job? And why must I waste my time and petrol to go back to fix their mistakes?

I regret the day I upgraded there, and wouldn't refer anyone to them.,

Good day,

I am writing this email on behalf of my mother K.S Vorster

Please not the following:

1. Mobile has been a prepaid number for many years and that the phone she owns has been purchased by myself as a gift to my mom 2 years ago.

2. Early 2016 she was offered a WiFi device with 2GB data per month on a 24 month contract at R119.00 per month. Contact name Manthe.
The WiFi device data was transferred to my moms cellphone monthly to enable her to utilise at any time and location.

3. In July 2016 a Vodacom salesperson called her to offer a Tablet contract. She said she is not interested, but was convinced to take delivery of the device and to see if it works for her - with the option to return within the required period with no obligation to continue with the contract.

Tablet was returned on 26 July 2016 Waybill V1P0012544 RAM couriers, signed by Simon

4. My mother also called on 26 July twice and spoken to a Nhtabiso and and Ester to confirm that the tablet was send back and that they must remove from er name.

5. The amount of R248 was continued to be deducted form her bank account. After numerous calls to get the Vodacom account department to rectify this matter, remove this from her name and cancel the debit order, resulted in no success. Debit order was not cancelled where after my mom went to the Bank to stop this debit order herself, as she has now tried all avenues to resolve the matter with Vodacom.

6. The above followed with numerous calls o Vodacom customer care, she spoke to numerous people, the last on 7 November 2016 (Ntswakil) reference number S3-GBCW-WIXYF.

7. She started getting sms's that she is behind on payment for the tablet device and that she must pay up, or she will be disconnected. More calls, and with the assurance that this will be rectified, nothing was done and she was disconnected which resulted in huge distress and psychological breakdown of my mother. The frustration to not been able to talk to anyone who is able to assist, promises of rectification but no action and the absolute frustration of not able to resolve anything.

Now I am insisting on answers:

Why was the tablet not removed from her account?
Why after so many calls did they not cancel the debit order?
Why after so many calls did they not assist my mom in resolving this matter?
Why do Vodacom insist that she has a contract phone, whilst she has a prepaid phone and at no time whatsoever did she sign up for a contract phone?

How dare Vodacom disconnect her phone line and services whilst she is monthly paying for the wifi data and do not have the tablet and did not sign up for the tablet or any phone contract?

I insist on the re-connection fee to be reimbursed in full.
I insist on the refund for the tablet to be payments deducted in error as a matter of urgency.
I insist on proof that she signed up for a contract phone and if not I want a refund to her for the months it was deducted form her account.