Vodacom makes cancelling cellphone contracts unnecessarily painful (pillar to post nightmare)

[Bishop Barron]

So I’ve been trying to cancel two Vodacom cellphone contracts, and honestly, I’ve never experienced anything this exhausting from a company.


It feels like the entire system is designed around one goal:
make it as difficult as possible to cancel a contract, and keep charging you even after you try to cancel.


I wasn’t even trying to fight them. I was willing to pay whatever they asked, even if I felt it was unfair, just to be done with Vodacom. But they made that nearly impossible.

What Vodacom seems to aim for​

• Make cancelling contracts extremely difficult
• Push you “pillar to post” between departments
• Keep you paying even after cancellation attempts

---

What happened last year​

1. I tried to cancel and was convinced to switch to a “better, cheaper” plan instead.
2. I was promised around 40% savings — I ended up saving R50.
3. They also didn’t explain that the conversion would cost me about 3× my monthly subscription in one month.

Lesson learned: never agree to a “better plan”.

---

What happened this year (trying to cancel properly)​

My goal: Cancel both contracts and pay everything required.

1. Asked for a premature cancellation quote. Was told they couldn’t help because I didn’t have the phone numbers — even though I had my ID and full account details.
2. After being sent pillar to post between departments, I eventually got the numbers.
3. Then I was told I can’t get a settlement quote because I had requested one last year. After insisting, I was given only an invoice — not a settlement quote — and aggressively pushed to change plans again.
4. I was told settlement quotes can only be requested on specific weekdays and that I must call again on the 3rd.
5. On the 3rd, I called again and honestly had to lie just to avoid being passed around endlessly. Eventually got the settlement quotes.
6. Tried paying via the Capitec app. Wasted hours. Was told to add a mysterious 5-digit number before the account number. Nothing worked.
7. Called again asking for an account number — was told Vodacom “does not give account numbers”.
8. Went to the Vodacom store in Vosloorus and paid both settlement amounts in store.
9. I was told they could not submit the cancellation because I didn’t have a physical ID — a soft copy was “not acceptable”.
10. I asked multiple times if there were any other amounts due beyond the settlement. I was told NO.
11. Since the store wouldn’t help, I personally emailed the proof of payment, cancellation form, and ID copy.
12. Called the cancellation department to confirm — only to be told there was another subscription payment due (end of Feb / early March).
13. Went back to the store, paid the extra amount, and asked for my debit order to be cancelled. I was assured it was done.
14. Because I no longer trust them, I called customer care — and was told the debit order was NOT cancelled.
15. Went back to the store. Same consultant now claimed debit orders can only be cancelled 3 days after settlement — directly contradicting what she told me before.
16. Eventually, one helpful customer service agent escalated things and said I would receive an SMS once cancellation is successful.
17. The cancellation department then said they are not responsible for debit orders.
18. So store says one thing, call centre says another, cancellation department says something else.

---

Final thoughts​

All I wanted was to pay what I owe and leave. Even if the amounts felt unfair, I was willing to pay just to avoid Vodacom.


Instead, I spent countless hours, dozens of calls, multiple store visits, and still don’t fully trust that my contracts and debit orders are actually cancelled.


This experience feels intentionally painful.


If you’re thinking of cancelling a Vodacom contract — good luck. You’ll need patience, time, and zero trust in verbal confirmations.

 

[B-1]

I avoid contracts and debit orders like the plague these days. Its very clear the man in the street is not the client. Neither for the banks nor the mobile operators we are just the cash cow.

 

[saor]

Seems a common thread on these forums. Vodacom have become this massive corporate machine that seems unable / unwilling to bend down to help. It's all just red tape and tedious process.

Edit:

 

[VC-1]

@Bishop Barron - We duly note that you have NOT LEARNT that contracts always start in WRITING and TERMINATE IN WRITING no matter company/corporation and includes Vodacom despite what is stated by ANY OTHER Vodacom employees.

The written method:-

1. Compose a properly written termination letter to the CEO clearly stating termination and move to prepaid etc.
2. Have a reputable courier deliver your letter to his HQ at Corner of 14th & 13th Roads, Noordwyk.Midrand,1687 ensuring a POD (Proof Of Delivery).
3. Vodacom now has your written notice and no EXCUSE with the benefit of full legal recourse if you require it.​
4. You should now see a proper resolution to your problem.​

 

[Beyond.Celsus]

Social media

Do not call them. Do not go to a store

Make as many social media posts on as many social media platforms you have shaming them and make sure to tag them

They will contact you

 

[MduMad]

That is so painful and not fair play by Vodacom.My experience was a bit different. When my contract ended, I went to a Vodacom store and told the person helping me that I wanted to cancel my contract since it ended.I was told to call a certain number and I requested and insisted that they call the number for me using their instore phone, which they did.After ansewring their seurity questions I told the person on the other end that I want to cancel the contract and I made it crystal clear that I do not want to upgrade and please do not try to sell me another product, I am here to have the contrat cancelled and nothing else.That was it. Few minutes later I got a confirmation sms that the contract has been cancelled.Sometimes you just need to put all your feet down and tell them you are not playing games with them.

 

[dee rage]

Same thing is happening to me currently.

Did a "Premature Cancellation" with voda scam and paid everything in full on the 13 of January. Sent the proof of payment to [email protected]

Yesterday on the 20 of May, Voda scam deducts money from my account. Claiming that I never closed the account, I only "paid forward for the coming months" and the contract is not over. I hate this company so much!

I told them to cancel the contract and terminate the sim card, yet here we are!

 

[deweyzeph]

It's 2026, why are people still falling for the scam industry that is cellphone contracts? The phone is not free. That special deal is not special. No matter how enticing it may look, each and every single cellphone contract is nothing more than a very clever finance agreement designed to rip you off and lock you in for life in an endless cycle of cellphone upgrades and voice and sms bundles that you will never use. Buy your phones cash and switch to prepaid. Don't be a victim.

 

[Heisenborg]

It's 2026, why are people still falling for the scam industry that is cellphone contracts? The phone is not free. That special deal is not special. No matter how enticing it may look, each and every single cellphone contract is nothing more than a very clever finance agreement designed to rip you off and lock you in for life in an endless cycle of cellphone upgrades and voice and sms bundles that you will never use. Buy your phones cash and switch to prepaid. Don't be a victim.

But iPhone my bru

 

[airborne]

All I wanted was to pay what I owe and leave. Even if the amounts felt unfair, I was willing to pay just to avoid Vodacom.
Instead, I spent countless hours, dozens of calls, multiple store visits, and still don’t fully trust that my contracts and debit orders are actually cancelled.
This experience feels intentionally painful.

If you’re thinking of cancelling a Vodacom contract — good luck. You’ll need patience, time, and zero trust in verbal confirmations

MTN is similar, it's near impossible to speak to anyone that will help you, you just have to fight and argue and Call and make a noise until eventually you get hold of someone that can help you. That can take weeks if not months and you will have wasted a huge amount of your time in the process.

It's 2026, why are people still falling for the scam industry that is cellphone contracts? The phone is not free. That special deal is not special. No matter how enticing it may look, each and every single cellphone contract is nothing more than a very clever finance agreement designed to rip you off and lock you in for life in an endless cycle of cellphone upgrades and voice and sms bundles that you will never use. Buy your phones cash and switch to prepaid. Don't be a victim.

Some people need contracts either for high volumes of data or voice calls, I have had many contracts over the last 10 years and not a single one of them included a device.

 

[Herr der Verboten]

So I’ve been trying to cancel two Vodacom cellphone contracts, and honestly, I’ve never experienced anything this exhausting from a company.


It feels like the entire system is designed around one goal:
make it as difficult as possible to cancel a contract, and keep charging you even after you try to cancel.


I wasn’t even trying to fight them. I was willing to pay whatever they asked, even if I felt it was unfair, just to be done with Vodacom. But they made that nearly impossible.

What Vodacom seems to aim for​

• Make cancelling contracts extremely difficult
• Push you “pillar to post” between departments
• Keep you paying even after cancellation attempts

---

What happened last year​

1. I tried to cancel and was convinced to switch to a “better, cheaper” plan instead.
2. I was promised around 40% savings — I ended up saving R50.
3. They also didn’t explain that the conversion would cost me about 3× my monthly subscription in one month.

Lesson learned: never agree to a “better plan”.

---

What happened this year (trying to cancel properly)​

My goal: Cancel both contracts and pay everything required.

1. Asked for a premature cancellation quote. Was told they couldn’t help because I didn’t have the phone numbers — even though I had my ID and full account details.
2. After being sent pillar to post between departments, I eventually got the numbers.
3. Then I was told I can’t get a settlement quote because I had requested one last year. After insisting, I was given only an invoice — not a settlement quote — and aggressively pushed to change plans again.
4. I was told settlement quotes can only be requested on specific weekdays and that I must call again on the 3rd.
5. On the 3rd, I called again and honestly had to lie just to avoid being passed around endlessly. Eventually got the settlement quotes.
6. Tried paying via the Capitec app. Wasted hours. Was told to add a mysterious 5-digit number before the account number. Nothing worked.
7. Called again asking for an account number — was told Vodacom “does not give account numbers”.
8. Went to the Vodacom store in Vosloorus and paid both settlement amounts in store.
9. I was told they could not submit the cancellation because I didn’t have a physical ID — a soft copy was “not acceptable”.
10. I asked multiple times if there were any other amounts due beyond the settlement. I was told NO.
11. Since the store wouldn’t help, I personally emailed the proof of payment, cancellation form, and ID copy.
12. Called the cancellation department to confirm — only to be told there was another subscription payment due (end of Feb / early March).
13. Went back to the store, paid the extra amount, and asked for my debit order to be cancelled. I was assured it was done.
14. Because I no longer trust them, I called customer care — and was told the debit order was NOT cancelled.
15. Went back to the store. Same consultant now claimed debit orders can only be cancelled 3 days after settlement — directly contradicting what she told me before.
16. Eventually, one helpful customer service agent escalated things and said I would receive an SMS once cancellation is successful.
17. The cancellation department then said they are not responsible for debit orders.
18. So store says one thing, call centre says another, cancellation department says something else.

---

Final thoughts​

All I wanted was to pay what I owe and leave. Even if the amounts felt unfair, I was willing to pay just to avoid Vodacom.


Instead, I spent countless hours, dozens of calls, multiple store visits, and still don’t fully trust that my contracts and debit orders are actually cancelled.


This experience feels intentionally painful.


If you’re thinking of cancelling a Vodacom contract — good luck. You’ll need patience, time, and zero trust in verbal confirmations.

Ag shame nè

 

[naughty001]

they are ALL massive twatty cants - i had similar from MTN and Telkom too and my brother experienced similar from Cell C - my solution was to say fark you to any and all contracts and i'm on prepaid now and i kept that old number (procedure was the same as porting it) but i did not want to lose the number because i'm using it for more than 30 years now

its just a matter of paying cash when i need a new handset but i buy lower midrange phone models rather than flagships anymore because i don't really need the extra functionality even though i may want it but i stick to what i can afford to buy for cash so i purchased an S24 FE instead of a S24 Ultra and since it uses the same software at 90%+ of the speed it really did not matter - all i am missing is the S-Pen and practically the better screen that the Ultra has

 

[Grant]

they have way too many peons who lack the authority to even decide what to have for lunch.
as a result, one gets shuffled from pillar to post, dept to dept - and passed around like a cheap bottomboy on a greek fishing trawler

 

[airborne]

they have way too many peons who lack the authority to even decide what to have for lunch.
as a result, one gets shuffled from pillar to post, dept to dept - and passed around like a cheap bottomboy on a greek fishing trawler

Near all support centres are like that now, they hire the cheapest lowest ranking peons to man the phones/chat and all they are allowed to do is escalate the issue to some black hole where nothing gets done, rinse and repeat ad infinitum till your head explodes.

 

[marine1]

I have posted about this before, they try everything in their power to keep you engaged in some sort of payment to them, I found this out very quickly and threatened them with a complaint to the regulator, not that it would have helped.
DO NOT let them upsel you, tell them in no uncertain terms, you want to CANCEL !!!. They are no doubt getting paid to keep you on some sort of contract. Its skelm business