Beware: VodaCare has no respect for your property

[morkhans]

Once again VodaCare Canal Walk managed to utterly fail at providing anything near resembling service. The last time I had a Nokia with a broken microphone repaired they stripped one of the screws inside the phone and left it to me to discover it (two weeks after my 3 month warranty had expired). I only noticed because the mic broke again and I took the cover off to remove and re-insert the SIM. The manager simply shrugged his shoulders at me when I confronted him and I was left with a phone that was more broken than when I had booked it in.

More recently my B970 bricked after an attempt to load the latest SP4 firmware update from the Vodacom downloads page. This tale is following the same path of woe. Read on...

When I booked my router in I took it there with all the original packaging and cables. The woman behind the counter insisted that they book everything in, when realisticly all they needed was the router and the AC adapter. Reluctantly I complied with the warning that I had been through a warranty swap out with them before where the refurnished 3G card they gave me looked like it had been salvaged from the bottom of a trash can, whereas the faulty 3G card I had given them looked brand new. The note on the job sheet said "original packaging". In hindsight I should have made them prefix "mint condition" to that. The day after I had booked the router in a technician from Canal Walk phoned me to say the router was being shipped up to Midrand after it had been inspected for customer induced damage.

So yesterday I received a call to pick-up my router. I asked what the resolution was and they said the software had been upgraded. This was good news to me because it meant getting my original router back. When I took ownership of my router I noticed that the box had numerous dents in it, some even looked like they could be holes. The lid had tears in the corners. So I pointed it out to the man behind the counter, who didn't seem too phased by my complaint. When I pointed out to him that when I book things in it's scrutinized thoroughly for any opportunity to avoid honouring the warranty, yet once in their system it's a free for all, he was then quick to blame Joburg. I suggested that as they were the store I was dealing with they take responsibility for the condition of my property. He then apologized and offered to fetch the store manager, so I said "great I'd like to speak to him". Conveniently the store manager had "stepped out" so I insisted on his name and number which they gave me. I then called later after getting home and explained the whole story to him. The point being that if the box was subjected to that amount of force what did my R2700 router inside not have to deal with? He was quite calm and apologetic about the whole thing and took down the job number and said he would follow-up. Apparently there are QA checks in place in their system and a flag should have been raised at the condition of my packaging. He said he would call me back. Chances of that? Probably zero.

This evening I plugged my router in and surprise, surprise it's not working. I called the manager again and expressed my unhappiness at this latest discovery (he still had not called me as promised) and he has asked that I bring it in. So again, because Vodacom are too cheap to hire technicians in Cape Town, my router has to be drop kicked up to Midrand, "fixed" and then rolled back down to Cape Town.

I am so VERY angry at this point.

Pictures of my box: http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showgallery.php?cat=925

 

[xrapidx]

EINA!!!!

O/T: When did you become a mod

 

[X-Gamer]

I hate it when stuff like this happens.
VodaCare Tygervalley is no better. I booked in my phone, and it came back fixed but with the Video Calling camera's lens cover missing (and the fault had nothing to do with this part of the phone). So i take it back after i discovered it. They return the phone with a piece of rubber dislodged around the LCD. The rubber seal which prevents dust getting on the screen.

So i take it back and they couldn't see what the problem was. After thoroughly explaining and showing them, the lady goes back to the technician. I get the phone back looking "normal". So after a few days i notice that the backlight is clearly visible around the LCD. It turns out that they completely removed the Rubber seal, which to them, is probably just there for fun. LCD proceeded to get all dusty.

And i never went back to VodaCare Tygervalley again!! Ironically, I took it to Vodacare Canal Walk, who booked my phone in, even though it wasn't there fault, and sorted my phone out completely.

Hopefully the manager will have some good news for you, and this doesn't happen again.

 

[morkhans]

EINA!!!!

O/T: When did you become a mod

Sometime last year, were you not paying attention

I hate it when stuff like this happens.
VodaCare Tygervalley is no better. I booked in my phone, and it came back fixed but with the Video Calling camera's lens cover missing (and the fault had nothing to do with this part of the phone). So i take it back after i discovered it. They return the phone with a piece of rubber dislodged around the LCD. The rubber seal which prevents dust getting on the screen.

So i take it back and they couldn't see what the problem was. After thoroughly explaining and showing them, the lady goes back to the technician. I get the phone back looking "normal". So after a few days i notice that the backlight is clearly visible around the LCD. It turns out that they completely removed the Rubber seal, which to them, is probably just there for fun. LCD proceeded to get all dusty.

And i never went back to VodaCare Tygervalley again!! Ironically, I took it to Vodacare Canal Walk, who booked my phone in, even though it wasn't there fault, and sorted my phone out completely.

Hopefully the manager will have some good news for you, and this doesn't happen again.

Well at this stage I am giving the manager the benefit of the doubt, but I am contemplating calling VodaCare Midrand to find out what exactly the technician did for myself. Strange how Canal Walk sorted you out. If only there could be consistency in service levels I would not need to waste more time and energy here...

 

[VC-1]

Morkhans
Sorry to hear of your problems but I wish to offer my method of solving poor service problems from large corporations like Vodacom and their franchises.
Use the Small Claims Court procees as most of these problems are for less than R7000.
(a) Both parties may NOT have their Attorneys present.
(b) You MUST prepare your case properly.
(c) When the Court Commissioner rules in your favour arrange with the Sherif to ATTACH the property to the value of your claim (The Large Corporates Telephone Exchange and their Copiers).
(d) Take to the Newspapers to attend the court hearing.

Now you have the CEO in person begging to resolve your problem NOT his appionted "Firewall" or "Exceutive Client Liason"

This system work for me in a matter between one of the major phone manufactures and a Cellphone repair place who made the incorrect to hide behide the "Water Damage Clause"

From October 2010 you will have more say in terms of the Consumer Protection Act that is why Vodacom has to ammend all their contracts later this year.

Best of luck and if you need help in your preprations please PM me,I will gladly help.

 

[morkhans]

Morkhans
Sorry to hear of your problems but I wish to offer my method of solving poor service problems from large corporations like Vodacom and their franchises.
Use the Small Claims Court procees as most of these problems are for less than R7000.
(a) Both parties may NOT have their Attorneys present.
(b) You MUST prepare your case properly.
(c) When the Court Commissioner rules in your favour arrange with the Sherif to ATTACH the property to the value of your claim (The Large Corporates Telephone Exchange and their Copiers).
(d) Take to the Newspapers to attend the court hearing.

Now you have the CEO in person begging to resolve your problem NOT his appionted "Firewall" or "Exceutive Client Liason"

This system work for me in a matter between one of the major phone manufactures and a Cellphone repair place who made the incorrect to hide behide the "Water Damage Clause"

From October 2010 you will have more say in terms of the Consumer Protection Act that is why Vodacom has to ammend all their contracts later this year.

Best of luck and if you need help in your preprations please PM me,I will gladly help.

I have just booked the router in again. I met with the manager and showed him the damage to my box and explained to him what the monkeys in Midrand should be doing when they find themselves confronted with the lesser spotted bricked B970. He said he would see if he could arrange a swap-out for me and said he would call me tomorrow (again, still waiting for that first call. tick-tock).

@Proseal Thanks for the suggestions, they will probably be my next course of action if things are not resolved to my satisfaction the second time round.

 

[morkhans]

So after 3 promises to call a well as follow-up in email I have heard nothing from the store manager at Canal Walk. Yesterday I called and he was off-shift so I left a message for the other manager, who has also not called me back even after I explained to the receptionist it was urgent and I was unhappy.

This morning I contacted the person in charge of all Cape Town based VodaCare shops and he will now be looking into my problem...

 

[xrapidx]

And probably also not call you back.....

 

[morkhans]

And probably also not call you back.....

Surprisingly enough it has worked wonders. I have had a call back from the Canal Walk store manager as well as the person I spoke to this morning. He has made some serious waves and finally there is action.

 

[xrapidx]

Did you ask the Canal Walk manager why he couldn't be bothered to return your calls?

The reason companies react the way they do these days is because employee's like that can get away with doing what ever they please - no accountability.

 

[morkhans]

Did you ask the Canal Walk manager why he couldn't be bothered to return your calls?

The reason companies react the way they do these days is because employee's like that can get away with doing what ever they please - no accountability.

His excuse was that he told me he would call me when he had some information, which for the life of me I don't recall, but I still feel he's in the wrong. Given the numerous occasions I had contracted him and my frustration as a client he should have been way more proactive and called me even if he did not have any information. I have been told he has been given a blasting and that a swap has been arranged for me. The courier company has also been given an earful.

 

[Antonf]

His excuse was that he told me he would call me when he had some information, which for the life of me I don't recall...

In situations like this I always take my phone, start a voice recording and ask the person to repeat what they're saying... Amazingly, I get call-backs most of the time! Likewise, I record ALL conversations on my phone, and tell call-centre agents, etc I'm doing it. Works wonders

 

[morkhans]

It just keeps getting better. Last night I picked up my "new" router (the seal had allegedly been broken before I arrived to check everything was there). While all the peripherals were indeed still sealed in plastic the router looked used. Anyway so I fired the router up, applied the SP4 update (successfully this time - more on that later). After configuring all my settings and connecting it up, I kept finding that I was stuck in GPRS and it would not ramp up to 3G. So after much testing and resetting I have declared this router faulty as well <sigh>. So it's back to Vodacare again this evening.

 

[morkhans]

So I called Vodacare to tell them the router was faulty and I'm bringing it in again. I also told them I was not prepared to wait 7 days for the cycle to repeat itself and suggested they arrange for an advance swap out. They did a bit of song and dance but I have been told a new router will be arriving on Monday. I was also told the real reason why the box is not sealed is because the replacement router is shipped without a box (in bulk I guess) and the client is then given a new box with the replacement router.

 

[morkhans]

Finally some decent service from Vodacare. I dropped off my faulty router on Friday evening and Monday lunchtime I received a call to say my replacement router was ready for collection. I fired it up this evening and it's working perfectly. So 3rd time lucky. I still cannot believe what an absolute mission this was, but at least when you move up the food chain there is action and willingness to help.

 

[xrapidx]

You should of had them delivering it you by now

 

[roberth]

Finally some decent service from Vodacare. I dropped off my faulty router on Friday evening and Monday lunchtime I received a call to say my replacement router was ready for collection. I fired it up this evening and it's working perfectly. So 3rd time lucky. I still cannot believe what an absolute mission this was, but at least when you move up the food chain there is action and willingness to help.

What about posting these guys phone numbers for the next poor soul who has similar problems!?!

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Shocking! Don't they test swap-out units before?

Did you make a note of the IMEI and serial numbers of your original router, and did those match when first you received your original (and dented) router back?

 

[morkhans]

What about posting these guys phone numbers for the next poor soul who has similar problems!?!

I'd rather not. People can PM me for details if they are stuck.

Shocking! Don't they test swap-out units before?

Did you make a note of the IMEI and serial numbers of your original router, and did those match when first you received your original (and dented) router back?

Evidently not. I did notice on the 3rd router I got there was a big fat red QC passed stamp on the work sheet

I made notes of the IMEI & S/N for each router. They were different.

So far the replacement router is working well!