Free HSDPA Swapout

Have you already swapped your old 3G data card for a new HSDPA data card?

  • Yes, I now have an HSDPA data card exchanged for old 3G data card

    Votes: 35 81.4%

  • Don't select this option [IOW please don't vote for this option]

    Votes: 8 18.6%
  • Total voters
    43
Another HSDPA Swapout "Story" ...

Add this Saturday story to Deiphos's one.

[Names and contact numbers will be supplied to V3G via PM later, withheld to protect the innocent]

9.30 AM - Phone Vodashop #1: I ask the "Senior" guy (met him a week ago when I visited the shop and they "did not have stock" and put my name on a waiting list). Have you folk got 3G cards? "Yes, sure" /me gets just a bit excited!:) Can I come and collect one? "New Contract or Swapout?" Swapout "Sorry they are RESERVED for new contracts only!" But you are not supposed to discriminate? "Sorry, cards are reserved". /me decides to cut the call and save my airtime.

9:40 AM - Phone Vodashop #2: I ask the same lady I spoke to in person last Saturday, at least she is HONEST - Sorry, we still don't have any stock but your name is on the waiting list (reads me all my info back to verify). Fair enough, no problem here. It's a much smaller outlet anyway so I actually have no problem believing her.

09:45 AM - Phone Vodashop #3 (actually Incredible Connection) - Now life gets interesting! Have you got stock of 3G cards? "Yes" Can I come and collect one? "Yes" (I decide to at least tell them it's a Swapout so I don't drive all the way to the Mall for nothing / just get pi88ed of) It's a Swapout, HAVE YOU STILL GOT STOCK? "Yes, we have swapped a couple so far, no problem!" /me now perhaps getting a bit optimistic. And sales assistant I have just spoken to is really friendly and helpfull.

To cut a long story short we drive to the Mall and the BRANCH MANAGER attends to me. Ok, VIP treatment. Then the !@#! starts. He tells me he he needs my current Simcard PUK number? I think / say: Like what the PUK for? :confused: Apparently they have to swap the sim as well (32k for 64k), I can't see why - he just says it MUST be done and he needs the Credit Card type thingy my 32k Simcard came on and my PUK number (which happens to be in my laptop case at home) I ask like what happens to the R200 odd "airtime" on my current (32k) card and he says I must "use it up before swopping" BUT he will try and get it transferred to my new, presume FREE as well 64k card with a NEW number that I don't know why I need anyway! :(

So I start getting stern with him and my 16 year old daughter has to tell me to "cool it".

Then it gets worse: He looks at the original receipt (dated 18th November 2005, Vodashop Shelly Beach) and says sorry, you don't fall into the February - Arpril 2006 "window" (or whateva if I have the months wrong) - I have to pay (he thinks, starts looking at / showing me emails from the Vodacom Trade Partner Helpdesk) R499 in :eek: !

To make it worse a small crowd of spectators has gathered. He is clearly pi88ed with me because I am telling him just how wrong he is (according to the excellent info provided here by Vodacom3G).

So I go home, no HSDPA card and hot and bothered.

Beginning to wonder if HSDPA is worth it.

If I had to treat my customers this way I would either be fired or would have none left!
 
internaut said:
As much your ordeal was/is pretty frustrating WRX1KNP, I cant help but find your post very entertaining. :D :(
Click to expand...

Thnx, I kind of meant it to be that way - I wanted to use more smilies but seems we are only allowed four ...

I am actually "so over this whole "swapout thing" anyway. I don't really need the extra speed at this stage - it's more a case of having the latest card for redundancy / in case I want to sell it. The extra speed will only really be meaningfull for me if we get lower "PrePaid" (meaning "Out Of Bundle") data Rates. I am working at an Internet Cafe (2 x 1Mbit ADSL lines, load balancing router, ISA Server, so on) so it's only really for home / Laptop use. I keep Win XP's Auto Updates turned OFF! :eek:

But I was :mad: this morning. If we "Informed" are getting the run around like this can you imagine what is happening to the "Un Informed" ?

Let's see what V3G can do ...
 
I was thinking, we have an Incredible Connection here at the mall too, maybe I should try them, they haven't given me problems with my queries before and seem to be very helpful.
Maybe I should take some of this information posted here as some ammo for some of the 'Un Informed' questions they might have :p

I can't help but see the funny side to all of this ;)
 
Good for Incredible Connection

I phoned Incredible Connection and asked them if they had stock, and sure enough they had about 20, where the vodashop like 300 metres from IC had none. So I prepare all my info get the card into its original packaging and off I go to the mall.

I enter IC and speak to a sales guy, he calls the supervisor and then she gives me a wierd look. I tell her I would like to swop out the 3G card for the HSDPA one and she then asked me when I bought it, I promptly replied 20 Feb 2006. Then she frowned and said, 'Sorry we only swop out cards purchased after 1 March, we got an email stating so.' :mad:
I then informed here that I have information stating otherwise and that I can swop it out regardless of when I bought it. She backed down and said I will quickly take your card and make sure all is in order. I gave her the card and off she went. It took her about 30 secs to come up with another reason why she can't do it.

This time she asked where I bought the card, so I replied 'At the vodashop on the other side of the Mall'. She then said, 'Sorry, can't swop out cards not bought from this store, you will need to go to your original store. :(
I then told here to phone the Dealer Help Desk and ask them, coz I know you can swop it anywhere, she than backed down and said she will call the guy who deals with Vodacom contracts.

Talked to the guy and he simply printed a form from the vodacom site and filled in some details that were on the contact. About 20 mins later I walked out with my new HSDPA card :D

So I think you should just be presistant when things like this come around, you will get the prize in the end, the effort may differ though. :p
 
Glad you got sorted, Deiphos. :)

I have to agree on the persistant part - I could have INSISTED to speak to the original sales person I spoke to on the phone, I have a feeling she would have done it "no fear". But unfortunately she was busy with another new contract (Cell Phone) client when I got there, I said I would wait but the Branch Damager, erm, Manager insisted on getting "involved". :rolleyes:

Fair enough, I "manage"a "shop" myself, he was only trying to help out. But his lack of knowledge was total and to make things worse he INSISTED that I had to get a new SIM Card, when he found I was not falling for that line at all he jumped onto the same "1st March" bandwagon your sales assistant did. And it was BUSY around the Vodacom stand (IC is probably PMB's biggest Computer Shop!) and my kid was definitely thinking that this whole thing was totally "uncool", plus the original person I spoke with on the phone was looking around like she wished the proverbial earth would open and swallow her. So in the interests of "puplic order" (LOL) I just left it - V3G can take it up from here.

Like I said earlier, I am not desperate for the card, I only use it after hours to do email / browse forums, banking & so on at home (like now). I obviously want the higher speed in reserve for future use when my whole usage pattern will probably change (meaning I won't have permanent, daily access to ADSL TelkomDemonMonops bandwidth @ work anymore) - and this could be sooner rather than later. The real problem here is the confusion created by these people in the broader public's eye which undermines what I (and I am sure many others!) consider to be the excellent job Vodacom have done of this whole 3G / HSDPA thing. We get a lot of folk (Cafe clients) asking for advice on what to use and I personally have no reservation in promoting Vodacom 3G (obviously warning them about the high "out of bundle rates") as the best mobile solution. (And if you have no Telkom landline then fixed solution as well.)

Enjoy HSDPA!

- R
 
Last edited:
Retail channel MUST swap your 3G card

Confirmed again, the retail channel MUST swap out your 3G card if they have stock. There is no such thing as swap-out stock and retail stock.

If they insist, get their details and PM to me.

1) Shop name
2) Shop location
3) Person you spoke with
4) Short overview
5) Your contact number
6) Your contact e-mail

ic, can you stick this to the top off the forum, if possible?
 
The dealers do not want to swop cards since they are credited the incorrect amounts. There was a dealer bulletin stating that the full amount will be credited, but when it comes to the credit the cost of the old card is credited, not the cost of the new hsdpa card :( that is the reason the dealers are hesitant to swop out cards.

If anyone who purchased a 3G card should go back to their original dealer to receive the best service.
 
w00t! i might just get a vodacom account with this type of service!!! pitty about the vodacom ceo :( ... thats all thats stopping me... but other than that... Im really impressed :)
 
Fantastic1 said:
The dealers do not want to swop cards since they are credited the incorrect amounts. There was a dealer bulletin stating that the full amount will be credited, but when it comes to the credit the cost of the old card is credited, not the cost of the new hsdpa card :( that is the reason the dealers are hesitant to swop out cards.

If anyone who purchased a 3G card should go back to their original dealer to receive the best service.
Click to expand...

Fantastic1, why don't you PM me your understanding of this process and I can put you in contact with Vodacom management to clarify.

There is no way Vodacom is going to allow it's channel to be penalised by this process, so there's some communication problem somewhere.

I spoke to a few Vodashop owners and they're swapping cards like it's going out of fashion, so they don't see it the same way you do.

Drop me a PM.
 
really vodacom3g, the stores are not getting there full orders including the vodashops, some vodashops order 50 hsdpa cards but only receive 4,
the credit note is an error in the billing system and many dealers have complained.

when you enquire at many stores, they say that they do not have any cards to swop, but if you want to buy a new contract hsdpa, they have enough.
We already in contact with many senior or regional managers about this, and we hope they can rectify this problem
 
I'm getting seriously pissed off with Vodashop Edenvale.

1. They will not tell me if they have stock and if I say its for a new contract they say we should be getting tomorrow.

2. They have taken my details down 4 times in 2 weeks. How do you claim not to have stock for 2 weeks ?

3. The say no I have to go to Vodaworld for a swop out they the only place with stock if i say its for a swapout.

4. They refuse to order one for me ( I said if Vodaworld has stock the warehouse has stock so order one that I can come collect they say no for a swopout you go to Vodaworld. I confirmed with Vodacom Direct that there is stock in the warehouse.)
Whats so difficult about getting a card for me and holding it for me to collect they know I'll take it I call every 2nd day.

5. This is the shop I got my 2 3G contracts at (I know it has no bearing but you think they would be willing to go the extra mile for clients who supports their store.)

So yeah where to now....

V3G help on this would be greatly appreciated as this card is in the field and I dnt have it with me all the time so I need to have confirmation that a store close to me has one in stock and will book it out for me to collect the next day when I pull the card from the guys out there using it.

If you need more detail I`ll pm it

Thx

G
 
V3G, I don't have proof of purchase as I was give my card by a friend. Any chance of a swop out!
 
Veroland said:
Can they refuse to swop if you don't have your card's original packaging anymore? Someone told me they will ge grieve without it!
Click to expand...

From what I understand, other forumites have been gently insistent and got swapped without packaging....
 
Hope the Vodashop in Vodaworld is better than the Nokia shop there, last time I had "gently threaten with physical violence" before they would repair the factory bug on my under warranty phone.
 
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