Vodacom dodgy behaviour, won't unsubscribe from services.

xrapidx

xrapidx

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My mom has been trying for weeks to unsubscribe from a daily service which charges R5/day.

She's followed the unsubscribe process, called Vodacom who all but help - basically telling her its her problem, and she must unsubscribe.

They're now staying with me for Christmas, and asked me to have a look - I can see she literally tries to unsubscribe every day, and gets a unsubscribe confirmation, and then an hour or two later - a Welcome message.

Today, I did the stop all thing, got a confirmation - literally a short while later, a welcome message - no one else had the phone, it was in my pocket.

Looked a into it a bit deeper, its the Vodacom Video Play service - how does she go about getting this to stop? It's probably cost her a small fortune already, for a service she doesn't use, and can't get unsubscribed from - Vodacom obviously quite happy to keep raking in the R5/day - won't help her?

How in this day, do you get automatically subscribed to a service directly from a provider, with zero request? (it even happened when her phone was off for a while)

Great that a pensioner has to deal with this sort of service.
760170
 
@xrapidx - As always and repeated again is this advise which applies to most other consumer matters. The resolution can only be resolved in written format and not via this forum.

1) Submit an official written complaint via email to [email protected] that has been properly constructed clearly stating the problem at hand requesting a refund of all subscriptions ensuring you receive a Service Reference number.
2) Allow for 7 Business ( Mon - Fri /Excl Public Hols) days to resolve.
3) If NOT resolved only then compose a properly constructed email to [email protected] using the given Service Reference Number as the first word in your subject line eg. Acuuuuuuu- Illegal WASP services.
4) You now have an reasonable prospect in resolving the problem.

Festive session greetings :)
 
Ivanr said:
@xrapidx - As always and repeated again is this advise which applies to most other consumer matters. The resolution can only be resolved in written format and not via this forum.

1) Submit an official written complaint via email to [email protected] that has been properly constructed clearly stating the problem at hand requesting a refund of all subscriptions ensuring you receive a Service Reference number.
2) Allow for 7 Business ( Mon - Fri /Excl Public Hols) days to resolve.
3) If NOT resolved only then compose a properly constructed email to [email protected] using the given Service Reference Number as the first word in your subject line eg. Acuuuuuuu- Illegal WASP services.
4) You now have an reasonable prospect in resolving the problem.

Festive session greetings :)
Click to expand...
Think you're quite optimistic with nr4... But will try as well.

Not really expecting this to be resolved by this forum, more about continued awareness of how these guys continue to operate.

My mom is just one person out of how many? It's a pretty good income stream taking advantage of others.
 
Ivanr said:
@xrapidx - As always and repeated again is this advise which applies to most other consumer matters. The resolution can only be resolved in written format and not via this forum.

1) Submit an official written complaint via email to [email protected] that has been properly constructed clearly stating the problem at hand requesting a refund of all subscriptions ensuring you receive a Service Reference number.
2) Allow for 7 Business ( Mon - Fri /Excl Public Hols) days to resolve.
3) If NOT resolved only then compose a properly constructed email to [email protected] using the given Service Reference Number as the first word in your subject line eg. Acuuuuuuu- Illegal WASP services.
4) You now have an reasonable prospect in resolving the problem.

Festive session greetings :)
Click to expand...
Good luck to the OP on that. Had a problem and did exactly that but Vodacom service people (including the ones at the office of the ceo) were some of the most useless and incompetent people I have ever come across.

What sorted my problem, at least it stopped me getting recurring text messages about another user's data usage, was me deciding to port my number hoping it would sort of reset- which it did, cause I stopped receiving the infuriating text messages.

Granted, our problems aren't quite similar but related.
 
xrapidx said:
Think you're quite optimistic with nr4... But will try as well.
Click to expand...
@xrapidx - Resolving matters with large corporations demands patience and sticking to proper admin procedures.
Inspite of what others state the basic principal will always function, not like our media that rely on "hearsay" as a basis of fact.
Remember that the written system provides good grounding for legal action. The verbal " you say,I say" is doom to fail.
 
xrapidx said:
My understanding is Stop All does exactly that? However, I noticed the unsubscribe confirmation had a "t&c" type link... If you click it, it goes to a page where it lists exclusions, one of those being the Vodacom Video Play service.
Click to expand...

On MTN its done via *136# codes *136*5# spacifically, I'm sure Voda has their own. There you can block or allow all WASPs


3ff36182a54423fb572ca2f1e9b87fe3.jpg
 
Sounds like a dodgy app doing stuff in the background.
Which service is it subscribing her to?
 
What version of Android is it running? Android 6 and up you can directly check which apps have SMS permission.
  1. On your Android device, open the Settings app
    Settings app
    .
  2. Tap Apps & notifications.
  3. Tap Advanced
    and then
    App permissions.
  4. Select a permission, like Calendar, Location, or Phone.
  5. Choose which apps should have access to that permission.
Click to expand...
 
The easiest way out would probably be to port the number to another provider...
 
Those Ts & Cs clearly state that if the service is not used for 30 days you will be deregistered.
It also state to opt out you must uninstall the app on all of 5 devices linked to your account.
Hence why I said uninstall the app. Clearly the special offer was taken up and then inadvertently continued with even if it was never used.
It is a dirty trick no matter how VC argues. Many people get confused with these things and VC is thus guilty of exploiting them.
 
Geoff.D said:
Those Ts & Cs clearly state that if the service is not used for 30 days you will be deregistered.
It also state to opt out you must uninstall the app on all of 5 devices linked to your account.
Hence why I said uninstall the app. Clearly the special offer was taken up and then inadvertently continued with even if it was never used.
It is a dirty trick no matter how VC argues. Many people get confused with these things and VC is thus guilty of exploiting them.
Click to expand...
Problem is, you can't uninstall the app? Unless you're talking about the Video Play app, which isn't installed. (If there is an app)
 
Vodacom called, initially tried to blame a dodgy game, but she has none installed.

The only apps on the phone are stock apps - she only uses the phone for communication. It's a shitty entry level phone.

Anyways, they've refunded her, and said they've blocked the service (again). Let's hope it's for good.

---

One thing I don't get - why would Vodacom allow dodgy apps to subscribe people to their own services? What's in it for the app creator?
 
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