Vodacom
Reviews and Complaints

I am currently a long standing customer with Vodacom and have more than one contract with them.

On July 22 I upgraded one of my contracts to a higher option with a Samsung S7 and a Samsung TAB 3 Lite. During this telephonic upgrade i was told that there were no charge and admin fee for the upgrade. The upgrade was effective from the 01 August 2016 onwards.

On July 25 I received the Samsung S7 and TAB Lite 3 with a sim card for the lite 3.

On Aug 1 I called Vodacom activation department to activate the sim on the TAB Lite and was told that it would take 24hrs for activation.

On Aug 3 I called again speaking a customer care agent who then refered me back to activations

On Aug 5 I spoke to activations again, still no joy

During this time, my husband who utilises this number had visited the Northgate Branch for a sim swop and get the CLI activated. They went out of their way to help but they were limited in trying to assist.

Aug 5 I called the customer care number a few times and was transferred to various departments accounts, collections, activations etc. Eventually it was picked up that my account was reflecting in arrears and as such was locked therefore no services could be activated on my account. The agent then helped with a 3 way conversation between accounts, customer care and myself and it was confirmed that an invoice for an upfront fee for the upgrade was billed. I had not received a copy of this invoice and a week prior my normal Vodacom debit order had been debited off my bank account. I was very confused as this invoice did not fall part of the statement that was received by myself from Vodacm. The invoice date was for the 22/07/2016. During my conversation it was confirmed that I was billed incorrectly and that my query was escalated to a supervisor. The customer care agent promised to call me back the same day once the account has been unlocked. I then preceded to the Vodacom at Northgate branch for assistance and they checked the system but could not help me as Vodacom migrated my contract onto their new system which they did not have access too. The manager from the store escalated my query via an email.

Aug 8 I called the customer care centre again, my account was still locked and the agent couldn't see any update from Aug 5th. I then requested to speak to senior person and was put through to a Team Leader. The teamleader said that the agent could not have confirmed that the invoice was billed incorrectly and he would need to investigate and listen to calls. He would call be back regarding my query.

Aug 12 I again called the call centre, asked to speak to the Tleader from the above, he was not in. Again I spoke to the agent who tried to assist me. She spoke to accounts department who then escalated and said that someone would call me that day by 15h30.

Aug 17 Spoke to customer care again and was transferred to accounts. Accounts said that the query was closed with the comments that the amount was due by me and that I am saying that this number was not upgraded. I tell the agent that through all my conversations with the agents I have never disputed the upgrade but the upfront fee attached to the upgrade. I asked to speak to someone senior and was told that the senior was not available and she would get the senior to call. I left my details

Aug 18 T/Leader calls this number which my husbands uses, he tries to speak to the T/Leader but she can not discuss anythimg with him as I am the accountholder, he gives her my number to contact me.

Aug 19 Vuyo from collections calls me, I take her through the my query and dispute the invoice in question. She says that I need to speak to activation department, at this point I am fustrated and tell her so. She asks me to hold while she speaks to activation. Activation confirms with her that I should not have been billed the upfront fees. She then tells me that she will raise the query and generate a reference number. I express my concern about my debit order going of my account for August, she says that she will cancel my debit order on the system and I can reinstate once the query has been resolved. I also let her know that I am being billed a monthly charge for the handset so don't understand the upfrant fee payable.

Aug 22 I receive an sms from Vodacom confirming that my query has been escalated to a support specialist with ref no. 1-[protected].

Sept 4 I call customer care to find out about the status of the query and if the credit note has been passed, I am told that the status still reflects open. I request to speak to a TLeader, non are available to take my call. The agent says that she will escalate and ask her TLeader to call me.

Sept 7 I call the call centre again, no update and the status still reflects open and under investigation. I ask again to speak to a TLeader, I am place on hold. The agent comes back to say that she is trying to find an available T/Leadeif I would like to continue to hold, I say yes. She then goes on to say that she is also trying to hold of someone in the department that is handling the query. Places me on hold again for about 10mins, come back to saying that the person that has been handled the query is not available and she will try to get hold of him and come back to me during the course of the day.

At 09h14 receive an sms from Vodacom requesting payment within 5 days for the invoice on query.

I have now reached a point of absolute irritation as well as fustration with trying to resolve this query with Vodacom. Their customer care department cannot assist with resolving this issue and always need to escalate with no resolution.

I need this resolved and need to CLI and sim on the TAB activated.

Accordingly to the agents spoken tho over the last few weeks, this query should have been resolved within 48hrs. It is now a month and a half with no resolution.

The impact on this is not just the activation of services that I am paying for and not receiving but also my credit record. Vodacom is comprising my credit history because irrespective of who is at fault this will impact my credit record has an individual. It effects me personally and will be a record on file that will follow me my whole life.

Iam a Vodacom contract client, I sent my phone for repairs last week and I got an sms that I should come and collect my phone. When I went to collect it they told me that its no longer under warranty as it was opened at the back.

I do understand that, but now they refuse to repair my phone and I should go somewhere else to repair it. This is totally unacceptable as I did not take my phone for repairs anywhere else. My son opened the phone thinking it had a battery to take out. My phone is a Experia M5 and the battery cant be taken out. Initially I sent my phone to Vodacom because after I had fully charged it, it refused to turn on.

Now Vodacom is telling me that I must go and fix it somewhere else, this simply means as a customer I must go and get a contract somewhere else. This is not service that I condone, atleast give customers an option of repairing their phones let them pay for the repairs.

Iam an unhappy and sad customer as I am thinking of opening another contract with another service provider.

Thank you

Good day

This is now a ongoing problem and I refuse to pay, i contacted vodacom and they were of no help there.

Vodacom contacted me to upgrade the 1st of May 2016 my contract should be R599 pm but ever since the amount of almost R900 deducted. The first month I paid it as i thought subscription etc but after that i refuse to pay it. No one told me anything that it will be so much when i upgraded and this was now the 3rd month.

I dont care if the nr is off or if it affects bad on my name but i refuse to pay things no one told me about

ACC nr : I4004788-9
mrs Maartens
[protected]@gmail.com

Judging from the complaints for September 2016 alone it is obvious that there is a serious lack of assistance and support from Vodacom!
I have been on Vodacom contracts for many years but on 30 August 2016 I cancelled my contract because, after the assistant in the Vodashop at Cresta tried for an hour to get my bank details changed, it "could not" be done. It was easier to cancel my contract, this being the assistant's advice, (and interestingly enough, this went very quickly - does Vodacom not want to retain clients?). I went onto pre-paid and promptly paid for BIS for 2 months but am unable to activate BIS on my phone or set-up my email account - although it was operational when I was on contract. I phoned twice on 1 Sept and twice on 2 September, each time being told to do different things none of which worked. I was eventually told on Friday 2 September that the matter would be escalated to the service department, but seeing that it was nearing the weekend I would only hear from them on Monday 5 September (2016). We are now after hours on Tuesday 6 September and no-one has had the decency to contact me.
I sent an email to a lady, who will not be named and shamed, from the Vodacom Upgrade Information Corporate Division, who was trying to get me to do upgrades, to inform her of my problem and that as a result I had cancelled my contract so would not need to do upgrades. I also mentioned that maybe I would receive better service if I changed to another service provider as well. Imagine my surprise when she said she was sorry to hear of my predicament but hoped that the new service provider would be able to assist me better!
Like I said, it appears that Vodacom, although claiming to be the best service provider, definitely does not have their clients best interests at heart!
Very bad and disappointing service after having been a Vodacom client ever since I bought my first cell phone many many years ago.

I'm a long standing customer with Vodacom and I am appalled at the service I'm receiving when trying to upgrade my mobile phone. I did the upgrade on Friday 2 September 2016 and was promised delivery on Monday the 5th of September. The processing department contacts me and says it will be delivered on Tuesday 6th September. I wait all day as my current cellphone isn't working at all. Using my landline and waiting a long time on the phone to speak to a consultant, she says the phone will only be delivered on Wednesday the 7th September. I've been without my phone for 3 days and I'm still being billed by Vodacom.

Nicolas Karides - Platinum Vodacom Member.
On The 02/09/2016 received a sms informing me that my membership would not be renewed due to insufficient spend.
I called Plat services same day and was put through to Red Crew and they were not able to assist, I requested that a Plat Manager call me to date have not received a call 06/09/2019
When renewing my last contract at Vodaworld I was advised by Vodacom salesman to change to the contract I am on now.
My Questions are: Why change contract when salesman knew what spend had to be to remain Plat member
Why nobody from Platinum has called me back as I wish to query the Plat rules which were revised 1 st June 2016 of which I read about in sms dated 02/09/2016.
I am extremely dissatisfied with the service I have received in this regard
and would appreciate a call from Platinum manager as to how this problem can be resolved urgently

Vodacom asked me to call and cancel the contract at specific dates and I called twice, come the time the contract ends my line was just cut despite having requested that they convert it to prepaid.

Now I am asking for the account status letter I am told I cannot get it as my contract is cancelled, if I tell them it was at the term and the fact remains that I was the holder of the account, made payment and do not owe Vodacom they still refused and told me that my number is now prepaid so I cant get a letter because my number is active.

Customer agents are rude and useless, the legal department promises and do not send me a letter and I am later told that one of them did not send the request through so I will have to wait for another 48 hours, they cannot help me.

VODACOM can really leave you broken for the rest of the year, i really hate the day I took that contract, I have paid their money and now I must keep dancing for their guitar because they are treating me like I am not their client.

I HATE VODACOM! THEY ARE USELESS!

Good Day, my vodocom number has been out of service for the last 20 days, due to vodacom deactivating my number. i managed to contact vodacom to resolve the issue and did what i needed to do on my part. i was told it would take 5-7 working days, however from phoning the call center, who keeps dropping the phone call every time they cant answer one of my questions.
everyday i phone its a different story.

it now exceeds the 7 working days and yet no help from vodacom, when the 7 days are up they tell me that i need to wait another 7 days.
i am told that none of the staff at the vodacom offices have a number to escalate the issue and even them have to call teh call center.
the manager at the Randfntein branch (Jaen -Marie) caanot assit as they too can only phone the call center, who keeps dropping their calls as well.
today i am told to wait another 7 days as there is nothing they can do about reactivating the phone, as that is vodacom policy.

so is vodacom's policy to wait over 30 days to have your phone reactivated and to drop the phone when you call them, can someone please inform me if this is vodacom's policy.

On Sunday (04/09/2016), I noted that I have not received my 1GB data for the month, I phoned the customer care line to find out what the problem was. I was on the line for 25minutes and 27seconds (which they actually spoke to me about 2minutes). The thing came up that I am not the account holder, my father is the account holder but he has given me the authority to handle the matter, because he is in USA.

I told them the matter, and when they wanted to continue they found out that I am not the account holder so they may not proceed, even if I have all the information they need to verify (ID, postal address, contract number, etc.) they told me that it will be the easiest if I go to the nearest Vodacom outlet so that they can check the account from there (still with no account holder in sight because he is not here)

the next day, Monday (05/09/2016) I went to the nearest Vodacom outlet, where the lady "helped" me. She provided me with a reference number, and emailed the proof (letter that is signed by account holder) that I may proceed with any matters/ queries with the account.

Later the day, I received a mail that stated I can phone in with my reference number to get the problem resolved. when I phoned in I was on the line for 27minutes and 6seconds, spoken to a consultant for about 3minutes. this is very bad service in the first place, get more consultants to help the clients and the service will be better and faster.

Just to find out when I have spoken to them on the Monday afternoon that I am not the account holder for authorization I may not proceed, when I told them the Vodacom outlet told me that it will be fine and that they have sent support documentations that I may proceed, the guy speaking to me with an attitude told me that he cannot see the mail (cannot open the mail) - useless sending it then.

so regardless to say my matter is still not resolved, because I have to drive up and down between Vodacom outlets and work, being on the phone for almost half an hour twice nothing can be done.

the account holder is working in another country and don't have the time to phone in and resolve matters like this. not to mention different tie zones...

the thing that irritates me the most is that I don't want to buy any thing, I don't want to adjust contract terms, we (my father and I) just want to know why I am not receiving data. as well as the previous month that I did not even noticed that 1GB data was not received a high billing was invoiced.

I have done upgrade on the 25 of August. At the Handelshuis in Riversdale South Cape.
The lady made a mistake. Instead of a contract ism swap she has made a ism swap to a pay as you go.
When I found out they try to revere the ism swap but because you are using a new system they cannot do it. I have a guesthouse with the contact number of my cell. [protected]. My business cannot be contact. And nobody seems to do something about it. I am loosing a lot of business.
The area manager told me I have an open order. It is already 2 weeks.
They told me I am the first one. Cannot believe this. That I am the only on in South Africa with this problem!

For the past three years, I have been paying for a contract that I have not been using. I had relocated out of the country and unbeknownst to me, even without the contract renewal, the money continued to be deducted from my Absa account. Now, that I am back in the country, I went into Vodacom to inform them that the Absa account is closed and I wanted to pay off what was outstanding. On the 29th, I was told that it was an amount of R409 which I immediately paid. I was also told that the number was eligible for an upgrade so, in order to confirm that the account was up to date and confirm eligibility for an upgrade, I needed to call 082 1959. Since the 29th, I have been trying to get through to the 082 1959 number. I do not have the time to sit on hold all day. Today, when I finally have the time to dedicate 15 minutes to being placed on hold, I do so, only to be told I now owe R109 because Vodacom tried to deduct money from the account for the contract and it was not there. I do not understand how I could go from paying up a contract completely to owing Vodacom money within the space of a few days. This, after several attempts to reach out to sort out the account- whether to close it or to upgrade. Now, I am being told I need to call a different number- Customer Care. Really? Can I not have the account resolved in one call? This, I need to sit on the phone for another 15 or more minutes! Not acceptable.

For the last couple of months my account gets suspended for no reason, when I call customer care they unlock and apologize, other times they say it is with legal, i must contact legal? well I have tried to call legal, it is impossible - I sent an email, got a automated reply back saying they will make contact within 5 working days - the last email sent was Aug 12, today is September 05
My account is paid, zero balance and in good standing according to my records. If I query my account with Vodacom they say all is good, no arrears... I simply can not continue with this treatment... why suspend somebodies line for no reason... glitch on your system well then sort it out

I have requested the cancellation of my expired contract 4 times, but my account continues to be debited. I have spoken and emailed several agents but no help. Here is the last letter I sent them, followed by the customer care number I received in response. S3-G1MKF-F9JE.

Vodacom Customer Care

Account cellphone: [protected]

Dear sir/madam;
I have requested on three occasions for the above contract to be terminated. Yet I am still being debited monthly for it.
Previously there were two phone numbers on my account, one due to expire in Sept 2015, the other due to expire Jan 2016.
In August 2015, I spoke telephonically with an agent to arrange the cancellation of both contracts on their dates of expiry. I was assured they would be cancelled on the respective dates. I was immigrating and needed to be sure that they would both terminate upon expiry without me having to call back later.
I again telephoned an agent in Sept 2015 shortly before leaving the country to ensure my request had been received and processed. I was told it was. I submitted a written request on your website to cancel in March 2016 after I saw I was still being debited for the expired contract.
To date, I am still being debited for the contract which was supposed to end in Jan 2016.
Please cancel the number [protected] and re-imburse my bank account for the payments taken off after the contract expired. I would appreciate a confirmation of this email.
Sincerely,
Jacobus Pieterse

Since then I have received email correspondence from two different agents, both requesting my banking details and other personal details. These were provided twice. Then I receive a message saying they tried to call me on the above number [protected] but could not reach me. If the agent had read the content of the email they would realize the number is no longer in use as I am in the US. However, I responded with another email on 22 Aug (last correspondence date), with no further response from Vodacom and my account was once again debited end August.
I am requesting again that my contract be cancelled and that I be re-imbursed for the full amount taken from my account since Jan 2016 when the contract expired. if you check the phone records you will see the phone number has been in use for months.
Thank you
Jake Pieterse
I can be reached via email: [protected]@uniqueinsightusa.com

I have been a Vodacom customer with the same number since cell phones came to South Africa . I am appalled at the service at the Vodacom outlet in Cavendish Square and the response from the Head Office. They promised me every day that my data bundle would be connected ( switch the phone on and off) then it was a head office problem, then it was a technical problem. After 5 days of buying out of data bundles, call them up to three times a day I eventually asked them to cancel and I would go to Cell C.

No apologies no compensation, just repeated "I don't know what is happening". Such incompetence is disgusting.

I am a loyal Vodacom supporter of more than 10 years now. I upgraded my contract on the 02/06/2016 and eversince then I only had problems. They keep locking my phone stating that it is a Credit Bar limit that is blocking my phone. After nnumerous phone calls to the call centre, Vodacom Head Offie, Vodacom Accounts department, nobody knows why this is happening and what is going on with my contract. I've even been to a Vodacom store and i've sent numerous emails but no one has been able to assist me. This is the worst service I have ever received from any company. Im paying for a service that Im not receiveing and they just dont care. How is it possible that I have to phone everyday (Sometimes 3 times a day) to unlock my line an they have no idea what is going on?

I phoned about six month's ago regarding my cell phone contract. The agent said that my contract is expiring 31 October but an upgrade takes place two month's before that. I phoned on Friday 2.9.16 to try and cancel this contract. The agent told me that I'm in luck because my contract expires 31.10.16 but I need to phone cancellations on 0821958...so I did that. Agent Brain Mchumu at cancellations told me that my contract is only expiring 30 Nov. I phoned the customer care no again and Jasmin told me that my contract is definitely expiring 31 Oct but I must phone one of the stores and see if they can help. I phoned Woodlands Branch in Pretoria. A very rude lady told me, after I asked if it's possible to check something "I can't help you...I'm busy". I told her she's very unprofessional and that I will be reporting her. So tell me...what and how must I go about cancelling my contract because It seems at this stage as if no one knows when this contract is expiring. My number is [protected]

My contract says r479.00 vodacom deducts r1393.18 from my account.
When i phoned no sorry your account is arrears but i have proof of payment.
Vodacom - no we will not refund you.
Vodashops oh no sorry we cant help please phone the call centre
no customer service no one willing to help solve the problem.
The customer has no say and is always wrong.

End July 2016 I upgraded my contract to the double deal S7 edge plus free Tablet and 10 000 educational voucher. When the device was delivered the tablet had no earphones in the box and no sim card. I called customer service and after almost a week I was re assured that they will deliver the earphones as well as sim card, this of course didn't happen, simcard was eventually delivered but with no earphones. At the end on the month my account was debited with R2 700 instead of R550 and when I called the customer service they said it was a mistake on their side. I immediately called my bank and reversed the payment. After numerous calls my problem was not resolved and each agent will give me a different stories. I kept getting sms's that my account was in a reuse. Eventually I decided to cancel my upgrade. Again this was done through the call centre and I was promised that the device was going to be collected, of course this didn't happen. I then went to the head office personally trying to sort the issue out once and for all. Again, I was promised that the device will be collected but of course another week passed and nothing. My husband then took it upon himself to try and sort the issue out, at last they collected the device and after one week I called the call centre and they said the upgrade has been reversed. On the 2 September 2016, I called the call centre to try and sort out my payment and they found that the device is still being added to my account even though the reversal has been done. I would like to cancel my Vodacom account but cannot do so as my account is in a reuse. This ordeal with Vodacom has made me physically ill. I'm having sleepless nights thinking of how this matter will be resolved. I don't know who to contact or where to go from here. If there is anyone who can help me resolve this issue I will really appreciate it.

Jan van der Vyver
Sel [protected]
Ek is baie ongelukkig met Vodacom.
My datalyn kon ek nie gebruik vanaf 11 Junie 2016. Ek het Vodacom 12 Junie geskakel en hulle sê toe my lyn is geblok ek moet ‘n simswap doen wat my R67 gekos het. Ek het dit die 13de gedoen maar my lyn was nog geblok, hulle sê toe my rekening is oor die R13, 000.00 daar is bedrog op my lyn. Die einde van Junie was my rekening oor die R89000.00. Ek moes toe ‘n verklaring by die polisie aflê en met my ID vir hulle stuur. Ek het my rekening geblok en steeds het iemand toegang tot my rekening gehad. My rekening was die einde van Julie R12358.43
Tot hede het ek nog geen gebruik gehad van my datalyn nie want hulle moet eers hulle ondersoek afhandel. Dit is onaanvaarbaar want ek moet maandeliks betaal vir geen dienste.
Ek het hulle al verskeie keer geskakel en elkeen het ‘n ander antwoord met verwysnommers.
Die mense met wie ek gepraat het is Ronny, Balesa, en nog ander. Verwys nr’s 1-[protected].
Die bedrog afdeling se nommer is [protected], die request nr is [protected], die lyn betrokke is [protected].
Net om terugvoer te gee.

Gister was ek weer met Vodacom in kontak.

Ek het met Oupa van bedrogafdeling ([protected]) gepraat en met Lindie wat die saak aangeroer het (het nie haar nommer.)

Hulle het bevestig dat die problem opgelos is. Ek het my datalyn gekonnekteer maar toe ek by die huis kom was my lyn weer gesluit.

Oupa het my ook meegedeel dat my saak al 27/7/2016 opgelos is maar dit is nie die geval nie.

Ek het met Everd van Vodacom [protected] op 15/8/2016 gepraat wat my toe meedeel dat my saak ‘n nuwe request nr het 1/[protected] en dat hulle besig is met my probleem, hy kan dit nie aktief maak nie.

Ek is nou rêrig gatvol vir Vodacom dat hulle nie my probleem kan oplos.

Elke persoon met wie jy praat vertel jou ‘n ander storie net om van jou ontslae te raak.

Gister 1/9/2016 het hulle my weer geskakel en gesê dit is net 'n tegniese probleem wat hulle sal regstel. Weer net woorde.
Dit is nou al 2 maande en 24 dae wat ek sonder diens is. Pateties

Vodacom Ref: 1-[protected]
I received an email 28 December 2015 asking me if I have added a new line to my contract. I immediately replied by email that it was not me and it does not belong to me. I only now realise that even though I alerted Vodacom to the fact Fraud has been committed on my account they went ahead and added the line. I reported it again on 16 August 2015 as well as cancel two other lines on my contract. Today my cell number that I have had for years was suspended and the Fraudulent line on my account continues to operate and I have to continue to pay for it. Over and above this my address has been changed on my account without my permission. I am in Tanzania and depend on my cell number that Vodacom took upon themselves to cancel. I can't buy a plane ticket because my bank cannot communicate with me. How can they let a reported Fraudulent number that I must pay for continue on my account but cancel my number I have had for years? When I phone in I get told they don't know how it happened and will query it. It will take 24 hours but up to 21 days. This is a gross mistake by Vodacom yet I must get in line for them to try and sort out the problem. Since 16 August I have had no communication from Vodacom with regards the Fraud. I need the Fraudulent number [protected] removed from my account and reimbursed for all the charges since inception on that number. Secondly I need my number [protected] reinstated with immediate effect.