Vodacom
Reviews and Complaints

As of the 1st Sep we started experiencing problems with cellphone reception. We are unable to make calls, receive call and we cannot use the credit card machines. I phoned Vodacom on the 1st & 2nd and have two Service Request numbers, on the 3rd I received a call from them and during the conversation the signal cut out, nobody phoned back on the landline number I provided! This morning my MD gave me a real earfull and once again I phoned the call centre. They advised that they are still working on the problem, but did at least phone the MD and advised him. How does Vodacom expect to have loyal customers if for 5 days our business (in the adventuretourism sector) cannot receive calls from our customers? If we cannot communicate with our customers how are we expected to pay for a service which we are not getting? Does it really take 5 days to attend to a problem? Surely Vodacom have better infrastructure than this? We are expected to pay their bill but they do not compensate us for the loss of income! I do find this absolutely unacceptable.

I received a sms from Vodacom that they recorded unusually high usage on my data account. For the past month (August) I could not access my data usage to see how much of my 1GB data is left. I did not receive any SMS's on my data card to say that my data bundle has been depleted. They could however warn me with a SMS on my cell phone after I used more than double my bundle on my cell phone witch is linked to my data contract that I need to pay them a small fortune. Why could they not have warned me that my data bundle was finished on my cell phone?

When I took out this contract I asked that when the data is finished that the thing must stop working. When I queried about that they told me that it was only compulsory for the first 3 months and then they removed it. I did not ask them to remove it. I now had to re-apply to get the bundle capped.

Bottom line is Vodacom is catching lots of customers with this and the poor customer must pay. Why did they remove the cap after 3 months? I budgeted for R349 per month an not R2300. Vodacom’s service ****s.

Dear sir,

Vodacom south africa still using "black face"

Please give us the correct department to complain about your overall marketing outlook as it relates to your african demographic. We find your advertisement of a white man dressed in "black face" to be down right offensive and regressive in the post apartheid south africa. Most african south africans have been so oppressed and cut off from the rest of the world they do not even realize the deep nature of these offenses.

In post apartheid south africa, we find your racial representations to be regressive and insensitive to the ethnic majority who are still marginalized. 78% of adverts of south african origination is still pro-white. That means the visual advertising time is dominated by white european people. When coupled with international adverts and international programmed content across all visualized broadcast mediums it raises white visibility to 89%. It is almost as if the african demographic is invisible as a target audience. Beyond blatant tokenism our findings found the african visual representations in hiv, servant roles and alcohol related content to be 83% in the same given period. Therefore when africans are present onscreen they are usually in these roles.

With these white dominate adverts coupled with the very obvious economic apartheid how is your company responsible for a new south africa? Because unless this is challenged the notion of a rainbow will remain the greatest south african hoax.

Many thanks

Ayesha zelealem
www.Africanholocaust.Net

Http://en. Wikipedia.Org/wiki/black_face for more info on black face

No vodacom, you did not send me the international roaming disclaimer you claim you did. I cannot keep quiet about this matter. You repeatedly say you investigated the usage & found it to be accurate. At no point did I dispute this. That was not my complaint. My complaint was that I was not given any form of notification of how much the international roaming would be. Please re-read that as you keep trying to sort out a problem that suits you rather than listening to what my actual complaint is. I was never, repeat, never sent the disclaimer. If somebody would take the time to actually read my correspondence accurately you would see that. We were sent a link to the vodacom website, a website which I have already explained costs a fortune to be on. The email we received from vodacom said they would be sending further information at a later date. We never received this disclaimer. So my complaint stands at the fact that at no point did you as my service provider provide me with any information relating to the fact that I would be billed such a high amount.. Rather say you are not interested in my problem than feigning concern.

After having phoned the department responsible for porting at Vodacom several times over the last 4 days, a message on Hellopeter that was answered by Vodacom and the response it will take 24 hours given more than I can count and I am still using my Virgin sim. Why doesn't anyone at the Vodacom know what is going on. I have bought 3 sim cards at their request. It would give customers more confidence if everyone in the call centers and Vodacom stores had the same answers to concerns, answers that made sense not wildly outrageous claims that it takes 24 hours. Instead tell me I am number x in the queue to have my number ported, yours should be done in x hours. Or your port didn't go through because we didn't get to it instead of we had technical issues. I think that there is too big a void between call centers and the departments that actually deal with the physical issues at hand. When I call with a real issue I want real solutions not scripted responses. I am very irate at this point in time. So when I ask for the whole process to be cancelled I should not have been surprised with the response that it will take 24 hours.They can't even stop a process they can't complete...

I have been a customer of vodacom for ages. I have 2 family top up contracts, 2 weekender everyday contracts and 1 3g contract with them, five in total. I have just completed a transfer of a business 500 contract from my employer to myself, 6 contracts in all. On saturday, 22 aug 09, my gadget, a nokia 6210 navigator, went blank and dark on me in the middle of an sms I was typing. Since then, the lcd goes blank and dark when I slide it open, and lights back up when I slide it open. I took it to vodacare polokwane to have repaired, only to be told that it is liquid damaged. They gave me a report and told me to claim from my insurance, after they made me pay r57 against my protestations. I got the phone last august when I upgraded and it is still under warranty. When I claimed from vodasure, I was told to pay r832.19, r500 of which I am told is the excess for liquid damage before I get a replacement phone. I refused to pay this amount. Why does vodacom think they can bulldoze customers into paying exhorbitant excesses by declaring on their own that the phone is liquid damaged when it is still working but malfunctioning on the lcd?

On saturday 21 august 2010 I sent a worker to buy a pouch for my blackberry from vodashop middelburg. The sales person, eben gave us a universal pouch. When I saw the pouch I told my worker that this pouch is not what I want, it will not work for my phone. She drove back to vodashop and they refused to take it back. This is unacceptable. I didn't use the pouch and I didn't damage the packaging in any way. This is not the first time it happened. Now I have 2 pouches for my blackberry that I don't want and they refuse to take back either one.

I have finally lost my patience with vodacom. I use their 3g datacard service for my business internet and email connection, and have continual problems with the service from vodacom,. Despite my connection reflecting hsdpa connection, it is impossible to maintain network connection, and it reflects a speed of only 50-200bps, making it impossible to even connect to the internet or download emails. Furthermore, network connection is 'dropped' as much as 10 times per hour.

I reported this problem to the call centre on 11th august, again on 14th august and again 18th august 2009. Each time, this problem has not been resolved, yet I see on their webite, that my logged queries are all reflecting a 'closed' status. I continue to have this daily problem and my business is suffering dramatically.

Interesting to note that on 21 august, there was a 15 hour power failure in my area, but as I have a generator, I was able to operate my laptop for that entire period. Amazingly, I experienced perfect connection and perfect speed on that day... Which I believe was due to 99% of network users in my area not being online and using vodacom's network due to the power failure.

Can you believe vodacom can not provide continous coverage in the randburg area!? That's their own staff's words! They had to instal another tower 1st but that was 1 year ago! So mine and my fiance's cell phonesdont work at home and my mobile inet connection doesn't work either! So I had to resort to getting a landline installed, doubling my telephone bills a month! Shocking attitude and service from such a big company. I'm moving my accounts to another network!

Unlawful and unauthorized deductions from my cellphone account by vodacom. An sms is sent to the customer as follows:
You are subscribed to ume ltd. , games world. Cost r5/1days...
... To unsubscribe, sms stop to 40841.
I have never even replied to any of these sms's, but yet they charge me.
This is fraud for I have never applied or agreed to any extra services or payments. Not via sms nor signature. If this matter is not solved within the next month with all my money paid back to me, I will expose to any and every investigative journalist is south africa and I will open a case of fraud with the police. I will sue the crap out of vodacom, and so will a couple of thousand other people.

W. J. De beer

I purchased a new cellphone with vodacom& they advised me to get insurance for it and get it covered. I have been paying for the insurance up to date and have not missed a payment since the purchase.

The cellphone got stolen and I tried to make a claim - the financial company that administers Insurance claims for Vodacom refuses to approve the insirance cover because they say that the contracty sim card that I purchased the phone with was not being used at the time of the theft. Nobody from Vodacom explained to me that I could not use a pay as you go sim card- which is a cheaper option for me in the phone when I purchased it as well as when I got the iinsurance cover for the cellphone.

Now when the phone is stolen and i try make a claim- i get given stories that I cannt make a claim. as far as I know, The money I had been paying for towards the insurance was to cover for the Phone in case it got lost/ stolen.

How do you try and keep a long story short. Especially in my case. I have been on a business contract since august 2009. I decided to get the blackberry storm 9500.In september I sent my phone in for the first repair. After getting my phone back, I sent it in 2 weeks later for the second time. This has been going on ever since. I have sent my phone in a total of 9 times. I have had a total of 4 handsets. At one stage I was sent a refurbished phone with more than 1400 minutes talk time on it. The biggest problem about this was that I was promised a different model which I didn't get.
I think I have spoken to every customer care rep at vodacom. When I did ask to speak to a manager, the customer care reps say that they have spoke to the manager and they can't help me. Do these managers actually exist. I have requested that vodacom send the phone back to blackberry and get it credited, so that I can get a different make of phone. Vodacom say I must contact blackberry. Blackberry say that I must contact vodacom. Does anyone actually know what they are doing. Has anyone got the balls to make decisions.
I have been in other places in the world and vodacom customer care is the worst I have ever experienced.In other parts of the world phone companies fight to keep you happy as a customer. At vodacom, who cares. I would like to know how the personel at vodacom would react in my situation. Maybe I am expecting a mirracle. All I would like is a phone that works. I have even requested forwarding my upgrade date so that I can toss my phone in the ocean. The best vodacom can do is 20 august 2010. That to me is not the solution I want. That still means that I will have a phone that doesn't work for another month. That means that I would of had problems with phones and vodacom for 11 months. Are these guys having a laugh.
I would just like someone to solve my problem. I would also like to know how to contact vodacom management. There is an email address on the vodacom website, but I haven't had an answer for 3 days. I have emailed all my corrospondence and job numbers to vodacom as well. What else am I suppose to do?
Why must you get to the point of threatening someone before anything gets done!

I took out a data contract with vodacom in november last year after having been a pre-paid customer since 2001. I signed the obligatory debit order and chose the 27th of each month as my pay date is either 25th or 26th of each month. I purposefully put it at this date to avoid the possibility of the debit order bouncing before my salary is paid in. I have had this contract for 8 months and vodacom have already taken the debit order off early twice! This resulted in me being charged penalties by both vodacom and my bank. I find it completly unacceptable that vodacom thinks they can just deduct money off my account whenever they feel like it. I was given legal advice that states it is highly illegal to process a debit order prior to the date that the debit order was signed for - thus it is entirely vodacoms fault and they have no right to do this nor to charge me for their own mistakes. Their illegal activities have also incurred bank penalties in my name which is dispicable. I called their 155 number and spoke to a manager as I was told I cannot cancel the debit order until my contract has been running for a year. I explained the situation to the manager and he checked the system to see if my accusations were true. He saw clear as day on the system that it is a fact that the debit order was wrongfully deducted early twice! He promised me that given their terrible mistake he would fax me the debit order cancellation forms and sms me the number to which I need to fax the completed forms. This was two weeks ago. I received the sms with the fax number but never received the forms. A few days later I called again to request the forms. The person said they would email and fax them to me immediately. I still have not received them. I went in store and was told I have to get the forms from the accounts department and cannot be given them in store. I contacted my web hosts and they sent test emails and faxes to me to check my lines. There is absolutely nothing wrong on my side. I received between 50 and 100 emails and faxes a day - why can everyone send these to me except vodacom?! I just phoned again and the woman told me she would send them. Still nothing. I told her I am now very annoyed and sick of vodacom and their nonsense. The complete lack of customer concern is shocking. I told her that I want the forms by the end of today as I do not have time to try and convince them to do their jobs. I then put the phone down as I do not have the patience to argue with inefficient people all day. The woman actually had the audacity to phone me back and reprimand me for hanging up on her! I have been advised that call centre staff do not have the right to call a customer unless requested, so who the hell does she think she is calling me to tell me off?! Every day that this situation drags out is another day closer to my debit order date. If I submit those forms this late in the month I know that I will encounter problems in gettting the debit order cancelled before the next faulty deduction is made off my account. I think it is horrific that vodacom costs their customers money due to their own inefficiency and badly trained staff. And I cannot help but wonder why they are simply allowed to break the law without any consequences. Their illegal actions are more than sufficient grounds to take them to court and I am seriously considering this option as reasoning with them proves to be a futile act.

Myself and my family have been part of vodacom for many years - the purpose of this emails serves to confirm that I am canceling all my lines with vodacom (5 lines) the reason for this decision is pure based on the fact that the service I have been receiving from vodacom since december 2009.

Attached please find a 'call limit request' - requested in january 2010, and my latest account requesting me to pay a huge amount of
R6 834.05.

The following doc220610. Pdf lines - 076 397 **** (Weekender) - call limit = r200.00
082 962 **** (Weekender) - call limit = r200.00
082 636 **** - standard = r379.89 / top up
076 112 **** - standard monthly = r205.00 / top up = r984.80 this is what my account is supposes to look like every month. It is quite clear that the vodacom consultants did not keep their customers happy as they always promises to do.

As per customer cervices and account complains they can not do anything for me I just have to pay this bill…!

Ever since december I had to go to fedcell in meyersdal every month, requesting and complaining what is happening with my account. I also requested itemized billing, to double check all calls, this has also not being done. After visiting them again on saturday the 21.06.2010 I was told that fedcell are now under new management - this is not my problem, I need my lines sorted out or cancelled.
The so called amount of r6 834.05, I will make an arrangement to pay off (R200) and vodacom will never as long as I am breathing get any business from myself my family my friends or my colleagues again.

Kindly keep me posted if vodacom will sort this mess out, or must I continue canceling the contract.

You quick and professional response is awaiting.

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter is a formal complaint with regards to a non existing service that I receive from Vodacom.

I have had my contract with Vodacom for 13 years.
Over the past couple of years I have always struggled with Vodacom’s service but now it has reached a point that is not acceptable any more. It was time for my upgrade last year and I went to Clearwater Branch, I advised them what I was looking for in a phone and they suggested the Nokia N 97.This was the top of the range according to Vodacom. As this is a business phone it is very important that I have a phone that is in top condition.

After a few weeks I realized that there was a problem with the phone as it was always flat and it would cut out while I was on a call. I then went to Vodacom and requested them to check the phone, they advised me it was because I had an old sim card.
The sim card was replaced and a few settings were changed. They informed me that this would resolve the problem.

However the same problem occurred, they then sent my phone in to be checked. After a long fight about the service they provided me with a very plain Vodafone in order for me to have a phone. Upon receiving my phone back the same problems still occurred. Then I accidentally dropped the phone and it was broken. I then sent the phone in and was informed that as I had insurance on the phone they would replace it and I could choose another phone that would suite me better. Only then I must pay R. 680, 00 because o don’t want the same problematic phone! Which I then did but again was informed that they would fix my phone now this has been going on for the past 6 months and when last week I went to Vodacom to collect my phone it was still damaged as they replaced the same screen on the phone. Than I found out that the price that the phone should have been insured for was R.8600, 00 and now I want to change my phone for a E…. and the insured price is around R. 3500, 00? I had to find out myself that the problem can only can be sorted out by Nokia them selves. Then I contacted Vaughan from the clear water branch to inform him of this. He then requested Vodacom Cresta to send it there but after 14 day it was not send in and they tried to give me my broken mobile back again.

I have now been without a phone and no replacement phone for the past 5 months. I therefore stopped payment on my account as I want this problem to be resolved. I spend allot of money with Vodacom and it’s a business phone where I am loosing allot of money due to the nature that I don’t have an operating phone.

Now Vodacom has blocked my phone completely and require an R 1720 security deposit from me which I refuse to pay as I still don’t have a phone. I called the call centre and requested my phone to be unblocked and remove the request for the security deposit and was advised that a supervisor would call me back to resolve the problem but I am still waiting.

Vodacom has a contract with me that means that I have to do my part of the contract and Vodacom has to fulfill their part of the contract. It now seems that Vodacom is hyding behind their franchise and that they must resolve the problem. Vodacom does not supply me with a new contract every time I upgrade my contract. Vodacom has also not supplied me with an insurance policy of my phone, I don’t have anything to have an overview of what Vodacom has provided me with

All I am asking for is for a Cell phone that is working and my account to be unblocked as I have paid everything up to date. I am sure that is not too much to ask as you are supposed to be my service provider.

I have had this contract for 13 years and this is how you treat a long term customer.

Please note that I live in Tarlton and have to drive up and down to Clear water mall. That means 6x 50km = 300km = 40 ltr. Of petrol @ R. 8.57= R. 342.80!

I have lost so much business because of Vodacom and need my number to be activated.

I believe this letter will be treated with a matter of Urgency.

Please contact me urgently to resolve this problem.

Regards,

Peter

Vodacom telecommunications,
Claims department - vodacom promotions,
260 bath road, slough, berkshire sl1 4dx - united kingdom.
Tel:+44 [protected].

Dear sir/madam
The lucky winner

You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of $500, 000.00 dollars
(Five hundred thousand dollards) in this vodacom tele-communications e-mail
Draw.

To claim your prize:
Please contact our fiducial agent (Our customer care representative)
Name: dr. Lewis morgan,
E-mail address:dr. [protected]@live.com

8th may 2010

To whom it may concern

With the following letter, I wish to tell you (And lodge a formal complaint against some staff working at vodacom, south africa)
Re: my htc tytn ii cellphone

I was living in shanghai, china when my husband bought me a htc tytn ii cellphone (December 2008). He came to visit us in shanghai and brought me the phone. From day one, I have been having problems (Please see below for list thereof) with the phone. I was not able to use the phone and therefore just left it as is for some time. When I returned to south africa in (My passport can verify these above mentioned trips) jul 2009, I again did not have the time to take the phone in for repairs/looked at, seeing as we have just opened our second business in randburg (First one in midrand) and both branches needed allot of attention then.

I think it was in jan 2010 when the phone just was getting worse and worse (In trying to use all the functionalities) and decided to take it in for repairs. I firstly marked my phone (As anyone in their right mind would do) everywhere on it with a permanent making pen. This marking pen cannot be washed or rubbed off. A couple of days (I think 2 weeks) later I received the phone back (With the makings still on it obviously) and they said that they just reloaded all the software again and it seemed to be working fine at the time.

Then again it started giving me problems. With running the two business, I again put it off for repairs/looked at, until 26th apr 2010. That is the day that my husband took it in for repairs/looked at.

The following are the problems that I was/am experiencing with my phone:

1. Not making sound when clicking on something to select.
2. Alarm does not go on to wake me or remind me of things.
3. Have to press several times to select something.
4. Today (20 apr) , the phone shut down and sent an error report to htc.
5. Battery goes flat in one day.
6. Cannot take too many photo’s, the hone starts hanging. By & ldquo;too many”, I mean about 5/6 photo’s.
7. When have reminders or saved sms’s, then the phone starts hanging.
8. Don’t have any music or photo’s saved on the phone, because it makes the phone hang all the time.
9. Some sms’s only receive hours later.
10. People call me, then the phone says to them that it is switched off, but the phone is never switched off.
11. The phone reboots itself.
The following happened on the day that my husband took the phone in for repairs (26th apr 2010) :

My husband booked the phone in with vodaworld ([protected]) , in midrand. They gave him a & ldquo;job number/card” (5655908) and recorded on there, the problems with the phone as I have listed above and also that they have kept the battery of my phone. Never at anytime, was my husband or i, told that we can get a & ldquo;loan phone” in the time of my phone being in repairs.

The contact person listed on the & ldquo;job number/card” is a mr. Fairbairn kriel (Fairbairn. [protected]@vodacom.Co. Za) , but he was never available for me to talk to. I have also asked for him a couple of times.

Once my husband returned to me (In our randburg business branch) , he gave me the documents for the phone. I then decided to call in to ask how long it would take and what they will be doing to the phone. I asked to speak to mr. Kriel, but was instead put through to a lady called promise. I asked her what her designation is and she told me that she is the supervisor. She also then asked me for my job number and then said that they will send it in and see what the tech guys are going to say about the phone. I told her that I do not wish for them to again just reload the software on my phone. I told her that, clearly there is something wrong with the phone and that is why it is not working properly again. I told her that they either need to fix it (Correctly this time) or give me a brand new phone. This particular phone costs allot of money. She then said that htc does not allow them to give customers new phones when there is something wrong with the existing one. I then told her that this is the second time that I am sending the phone in and it cannot just keep on going like this. Me having the phone for a little while and then it stops working properly……i have paid for a good phone and I want a good phone!

She then said that we will have to wait and see what the tech guys say. I then told her that I wish to have the name/s of the people working on my phone; so that I can directly confirm with them, what they have done (It has been impossible to get hold of her again after this call) with my phone and why what they have done was done. She then said that she will be in contact with us, when she has any information on the phone.

I then told her that I need to phone back soonest, seeing as I have no other phone. She then said that I can get a loan phone from them. I then asked her why they did not mention that to my husband when he dropped off the phone in the first place!? I then said that my husband has to now drive all the way back to midrand from randburg, just to go and get a loan phone that they could have offered him while he was there?!

My husband then went the next day to pick up a loan phone for me, to use while my phone was being looked at.

The following happened a couple of day ago (Maybe 29th or 30th apr 2010) :

I called [protected] and asked to speak to promise. I was put through directly. I spoke to promise and told her who I was and that I would just like to know what the progress on my phone was. She then said that she thinks that the tech guys are just going to replace the mother-board with a new one. I then said to her that I don’t think that this is going to work. I told her that there is something clearly wrong with the phone and that I suspect that they also just replace the motherboard the last time they had it and it did not work that time either. She said that she cannot do anything, until they give her feedback. The matter was just left there for the time being.

The following happened 2 days ago (6th may 2010) :

I called [protected] and asked to speak to promise. The reception lady asked me my name and job number and I gave it to her. She then asked me what it was in connection with and I told her that I need to know the progress of my phone. She said that promise is not in (Seeing as she took down my details, I suspect that she was told not to put me through when I call her) , but she said that she will put me through to someone else that can assist me. She put me through to a man called tiaan. I asked him what his designation was and he said that he is one of the tech guys. He then also asked me for my job number and said that we will receive a message shortly via sms on my husband’s phone, confirming that my phone is ready for collection. He then also mentioned that the & ldquo;mother-board” was replaced, as he can see on their system. I then told him the whole story about my phone from day one that I got it (As mentioned in the beginning of this letter).

He then told me that he thinks that the phone will work properly and that I should use it for at least a week and then, should I have any further problems with it, give him a call [protected]) and he will then see what to do with the situation. I then said that promise said that htc refuses to replace any non-working phones. He did not respond to the statement, but said that he will try and assist me in every way he can, once the situation arises. I then thanked him for his time and said that I will most definitely let him know within one week, should any problems arise.

The following happened yesterday (7th may 2010) :

My husband went to midrand to pick up my phone. He then had some things to do and only came to me in randburg later in the day.

When he gave me the phone, because it does not have any of my handwriting written on it (With permanent ink) , I immediately saw that it was not my phone and told him to take it back. He then said that I must call the repair centre and report this first.
 

The following are all the calls made and spent most of my day dealing with this:

1. Tried calling [protected] (Promise, is her name. She told me that she is the supervisor) several times. Each time, no one answered the phone. It just kept on ringing. Never got through to anyone at all.

2. Tried calling [protected] (Tian, is his name. He told me that he is a tech guy) several times. Each time, no one answered the phone. It just kept on ringing. Also never got through to anyone here.

3. Called [protected], spoke to lindy. I asked her politely to speak to one of the managers or supervisors. She asked me why and I told her that I have a serious complaint. She then put me on hold and the line was cut off after about 4 minutes on hold.

4. Called [protected] again and again asked to speak to a manager or a supervisor. I was put through to a lady called keneilwe maseng. I first asked her what her position in the company was and she told me, & ldquo;i am the person that deals with escalations”. I asked her if she does not have some kind of proper designation and she said no.
I then proceeded in telling her about my whole situation and she said that she will investigate and get back to me 1 hour later (16:00).

5. At 16:05, keneilwe maseng has still not called me, so I decided to call her instead. I told the person that answered the phone, that I wished to speak to keneilwe maseng and I was put through to her immediately.
I asked her why she did not call me back and she said that she has finished her investigation and she was about to call me back to give me the result thereof. I don’t think that she ever took the time to actually investigate this matter. She just left the matter and ignored my plea. I want to see the proof of keneilwe maseng actually investigation this matter. Be it recordings, notes that were made and also the people that she spoke to.

She then said that she was told that & ldquo;only the mother board on the phone was replaced and not any other parts of the phone”. I then started getting irritated and said to her that I know that this is what they said, but that is not the truth! I said that I have told her already that this is not my phone, because I have marked each and every part (All over) of the phone with permanent (Cannot remove) marking pen. She then kept on saying the same thing over and over, repeating the same sentence over and over (“only the mother board on the phone was replaced and not any other parts of the phone”) I then started shouting at her to be quiet and she just kept on repeating the same sentence over and over and over again.
I then stopped and calmly told her to put me through to her supervisor. She then said that she does not have a supervisor. I then told her that she is lying. She cannot be the top of the ladder, seeing as she does not even have a proper designation for her job. She then said, & ldquo;it does not matter if she puts me through to anyone else, because they all will tell me the same thing”. I then told her that she cannot refuse for me to speak to someone more senior than her and she then said again that she does not have anyone more senior than her.
Needles to say, I was at my boiling point and started shouting at her, again, with her repeating the same words over and over again (“only the mother board on the phone was replaced and not any other parts of the phone”).
She then eventually said that she will put me through to a senior person. The next person that I spoke to, was a man called paul ontang. I asking him what his designation is and he said that he is part of call centre. I then said that I asked to speak to someone in senior management and asked why keneilwe maseng put me through to him? He said that he does not know, but maybe he can assist me with something. I then told him that I do not wish to repeat myself again. He then said that I must just tell him everything and he will try and sort it out for me.
I said ok, told him everything and then started telling him where I actually marked the phone. I first said that I marked the phone on the sim card flap. He then repeated what I have said, three times. I then stopped talking for a minute and then asked him if he is screwing around with me, by repeating everything I said, three times. I was really getting irritated by then. Then I moved one to tell him about another area and again he started repeating what I have said a couple of times. I then got so angry (Seeing as it was feeling that he was mocking me, by pretending to be interested in helping me). I then put the phone down. After about 30 seconds, he called me back. I then asked him what he wanted and he said that he wants to find out exactly where my phone was marked and how. I then proceeded in telling him exactly where it was marked. He then said that he will do some investigation and then get back to me with the end result. I then asked him why he would take interest in doing this, because keneilwe maseng already said that they did not replace anything and that there is nothing that they can do. He then said that he knows, but he will investigate anyway.

6. I have always dealt with a man called chris maree at the vodashop in craighall/hyde park and thought it would be good to seek his advice. I tried to track him down, but was told that he does not work there anymore. I was then told to speak to a man called luallen (Craighall vodashop & ndash; [protected]). I then told luallen my whole situation, including the problem I am now dealing with, and he told me that he will find out some things and get back to me the next day at 10:00 with some info. He said that he have had many such complaints from customers, being given someone else’s phone when the tech guys cannot find the problems with their phones. He has still not gotten back to me as yet.
7. After the call with keneilwe maseng, I was so shaken up, that my husband had to take me to our doctor’s offices, to get treated for having an anxiety attack. I cannot believe that someone can make another person so angry by not wanting to admit to something that they have done wrong.

8. I then decided to start writing this letter and blast it out to as many people as I can, in order to get this corruption to an end here in south africa!

Things that I have noted about the phone that I have received (7th may 2010) :

• the phone does not have any of my handwriting on it.
• the battery also does not have my handwriting on it.
• it also has some & ldquo;dots (Marks) & rdquo; on the screen.
• some scratch marks. My phone still had the plastic screen cover on it.
• the & ldquo;sim-slot” has some kind of mould marking on it (Proof of regular use).
• the screen part is a bit bent open at the top.
• two chip marks on the back of the screen slider.
• when you turn the phone in your hand, you can hear that something is loose inside.
• one of the & ldquo;cushions” behind the screen, is broken off.
• the keyboard keys, shows marking of constant use. While I have never used it on my phone, because it was not working properly.
• the & ldquo;camera-flap” in the back, has scratches on it. Where I have never had any reason to remove my flap, it is not supposed to have those kind of scratches on it.
• all the screws on the back of the screen shows tampering with is. I never have removed the screen and nor was it done last time my phone went in for repairs.
• the serial number (I. M. E. I. Number) has been changed (The phone is insured and is now void, because the serial number has changed). Keneilwe maseng said that when the motherboard is changed, the serial number also changed. This has now created big complications on my insurance and this matter has to be dealt with!

The following happened today (8th may 2010) :

No one called me about this matter, nor did I call anyone about it.

___________________________________________

I either want my phone back, fix properly with no more hick-ups or I want a brand new phone or all my money back! Either one of this three, I will not settle for anything less. It is my phone and I have paid for it. If I don’t get it back, it construed to fraud.

I wish to be reimbursed for my time spent on the phone (Not being able to deal with my customers in my business properly) , also, reimbursed for my petrol money, driving to and from vodaworld (Randburg to midrand).

The conversation with keneilwe maseng must have been recorded. Please find the recording and listen to it.

I never ever thought that I would experience such bad service like this.

If vodacom wishes, I would even undergo a & ldquo;lie detector test”, to proof that I am telling the truth about my markings on my phone, no problem!

Thank you,

Marianne

My contact details:
Marianne gao
[protected]
[protected]@ink4less.Co. Za

I would like to start by saying that my business is a vodacom customer (And so have all my businesses ever since I bought my first cellphone about 15 years ago).

Right now, I am highly offended by their business practices. They charged me r4226 for data that neotel charges me r220 for. That is r4000 more than what is fair.In this day and age it is a disgrace. It is immoral, unacceptable and criminal. Shame on vodacom.

Their out of bundle rates are inconceivable. For a mistake on our behalf, we are penalized with 1920% markup. To charge your contract customers this amount for out of bundle rates is nothing but criminal.

This stands contrary to any sound business practices.