NELSPRUIT – When a couple took out a contract on a BlackBerry Q5 Smartphone at Vodashop, I’langa Mall on September 6, they could not foresee how little joy they would receive from it.
Ms Luanne Wyngaard explained that the price plan they had chosen was a Top Up 135 at a monthly subscription of R289 to receive R135 airtime, 100MB free data and BlackBerry messenger (BBM) services.
However, from the get-go the the value-added BlackBerry services did not work. The data was not free, using the airtime and the BBM services did not work without airtime on the phone.
Numerous complaints and visits to Vodacom were to no avail, even though the store gave them additional airtime at its own cost. Eventually Vodacom decided to stop this, and recommended that the Wyngaards cancel their contract.
The manager Ms Ilisma du Toit said that Luanne signed the contract early in September, but when the problems arose, Vodacom’s head office advised them that the specific contract was not available any longer as changes had been made to the package later that month.
To mediate, Du Toit logged numerous calls with head office. Eventually they were advised that the contract be cancelled at no cost to the customer and they made arrangements for Luanne to be reimbursed.
She was incensed. She said numerous complaints directly to head office did not lead to a resolution either.
“My question is how it can correct the other customers’ problems with BBM text, but not correct mine and why am I now being told that there is
nothing further it can do for me?
“Surely as a reputable cellphone company it would want to keep my business. Why do I have to now go to the trouble of applying for another contract at another service provider because Vodacom simply refuses to assist me? “Surely it should know that a complaining customer is the most loyal one because they are not simply taking their business elsewhere.
“I am Vodacom’s customer and no matter how little I may pay for the contract, my instalments were paid on time and up to date. I then deserve nothing but the best service and treatment from it.”
