Vodacom forcing me to pay for their mistake

[Fox1]

This is a scam and nothing more. It's either the sales person wants a higher commission or the manager is in cahoots with the sales rep.

 

[cavedog]

you have a complete notebook though. if it happened to others besides you then it seems like a ploy to drum up new business fraudulently. you can understand why they want all the money though. not agreeing with the tactics. deplorable really. someone realized they made a moviese error and now they are collecting. you got a new laptop though so you should pay the full price. don't shoot me now. no-one there wants to take responsibility so now the customers are out. like the banks and this ABIL nonsense.

Let me make this scenario for you.

You buy a TV for R10 000. They deliver the TV to your home but inside is a sealed Samsung Galaxy S5 too. You don't open it but keep on calling and calling to find out what is going on and what why you got it. Everytime you get told is a promotion and part of your deal. You get told it more than 5 times. After 4 months the company that sold you the TV is now telling you MUST pay for the S5. When you told them that you opened it already then is too bad for you because you need to pay them R7000 cash now or they will just bill your bank account or credit card for 24 months to pay it off.

You did not WANT it. You DID NOT apply for it. You inquired countless times about it and no one fetched it or said anything about it. Now they just want the money no matter what you say.

That is not fair and I think in no way Legal.

 

[Beachless]

I dont think they have much to stand on in your case you made every effort to find out what was going on and was assured you rightly own the device and have an invoice with it listed as R0.

Personally I would tell them they can collect it at any time(make them sign for collection)but you are not willing to pay for their mistake. As was said in a previous post if you have proof of it being a R0 priced item they will have a very hard time blacklisting you.

Also if they just add the ammount to you contract price put a stop order on the debit order and pay the correct ammount. Dont let them try and bully you.

 

[cavedog]

I dont think they have much to stand on in your case you made every effort to find out what was going on and was assured you rightly own the device and have an invoice with it listed as R0.

Personally I would tell them they can collect it at any time(make them sign for collection)but you are not willing to pay for their mistake. As was said in a previous post if you have proof of it being a R0 priced item they will have a very hard time blacklisting you.

Also if they just add the ammount to you contract price put a stop order on the debit order and pay the correct ammount. Dont let them try and bully you.

Indeed I have. It was in my first bill that was emailed to me so I had all the calls that said its part of the deal I need nor worry and I had this invoice with my voice part that is correct. I did not have a reason to be worried but the way they are targeting me now..... Its really difficult situation. I did email consumer watch @ ecr an cc vodacom customer care and social media team.

They are refusing to take back the used laptop. They want the a sealed one back.

 

[ld13]

This is dirty of them. I remember your thread and how you were told that you won it as part of the promo. I would solidly refuse and opt for option 4: Vodacom said I won it - who in their right mind would NOT open up a prize like that for 3 whole months?!

 

[akescpt]

Let me make this scenario for you.

You buy a TV for R10 000. They deliver the TV to your home but inside is a sealed Samsung Galaxy S5 too. You don't open it but keep on calling and calling to find out what is going on and what why you got it. Everytime you get told is a promotion and part of your deal. You get told it more than 5 times. After 4 months the company that sold you the TV is now telling you MUST pay for the S5. When you told them that you opened it already then is too bad for you because you need to pay them R7000 cash now or they will just bill your bank account or credit card for 24 months to pay it off.

You did not WANT it. You DID NOT apply for it. You inquired countless times about it and no one fetched it or said anything about it. Now they just want the money no matter what you say.

That is not fair and I think in no way Legal.

Dude never said it was legal. Underhanded business tactics. All I'm saying is you are making use of it. They made a 'mistake' now they want you to pay. Amazing how they can just add stuff without signatures.

 

[cavedog]

Dude never said it was legal. Underhanded business tactics. All I'm saying is you are making use of it. They made a 'mistake' now they want you to pay. Amazing how they can just add stuff without signatures.

Yeah very worrying how they can just add stuff without the client even knowing about it. What if I did not have access to email or missed a call. I would have never known that they would just add it to my account and debit my bank account.

 

[Wall]

Can't Ockie help?

 

[OGroteKoning]

/snip
I opened the box to find a notebook inside. 10 calls to Vodacom after sales confirmed 1 by 1 that is part of the promotional contract and I need not worry.
/snip

Ask for the transcript of the call/s where they say this. All their calls are recorded

 

[cavedog]

I did and the manager at aftersales said they have no obligation to supply them to me. When I questioned her why I was misinformed about it then because the recording will show that, she said that the consultants that misinformed me was no aware of this error.

Vodacom got a answer for everything whether it right or wrong.

Ask for the transcript of the call/s where they say this. All their calls are recorded

 

[OGroteKoning]

I did and the manager at aftersales said they have no obligation to supply them to me. When I questioned her why I was misinformed about it then because the recording will show that, she said that the consultants that misinformed me was no aware of this error.

Vodacom got a answer for everything whether it right or wrong.

You might be talking to people who can not make decisions but just follow orders - you need to speak with more senior people - let them listen to the recordings

 

[MickeyD]

You might be talking to people who can not make decisions but just follow orders - you need to speak with more senior people - let them listen to the recordings

^this

And these underlings are trying to cover up their mistakes else they are liable to answer for them. Easiest way for them is to hide behind the corporate mask and guilt trip you into agreeing to pay for their errors.

A word of advice... when you start replying to them in written form, insert the term "WITHOUT PREJUDICE" on the top of every page.

See here for an explanation --> http://www.findanattorney.co.za/content_without-prejudice

 

[Ockie]

Can't Ockie help?

OP.........Please can you gimme your ID number. I want to see if I can access your credit vetting and see what dealsheet was used to activate you. ON there I will be able to see exactly what equipment was supposed to be issued. I am going to try, but I think Vodacom have made it so that we cant access applications that was not done on our own dealer ID, but I will try.

 

[KleinBoontjie]

Taking tricks out of the motor salesmen handbook. I also was a victim of paying for their fault. I got my money back in the end, but no one is counting the damages incurred to get the money back, like in telephone bills, bank cost, personal time etc. It's like when you phone them to report a fault on their side, they think you have all the money and time in the world. When the only person with my money and time is their CEO.

 

[sajunky]

They are refusing to take back the used laptop. They want the a sealed one back.

They did already gave you a choice in the official letter dated 19th August. Your representative to speak is Mark Graves who signed the letter. Respond in writings to Mark Graves that you want to arrange collection of the laptop (option 1) and there are internal problems in the department responsive for collection.
You can't be hold responsible for opening laptop, as amount on invoice is 0.

 

[SoTrue]

Refer to the National Consumer Protection Act 2008, for example section 20

 

[SauRoNZA]

No contract no deal.

How is that so hard to understand? If you have a contract that says there's a laptop at your cost then you are screwed.

If you don't have a contract that says that and they can't prove that you signed such a thing....free laptop.

 

[SauRoNZA]

It doesn't state on that piece of paper that they want a new sealed on back.

I would have just given it back as is based on the letter.

 

[cavedog]

It doesn't state on that piece of paper that they want a new sealed on back.

I would have just given it back as is based on the letter.

I phoned the aftersales number to arrange for the collection. She asked me if it had been opened then I said well yes because of all the calls that said it part of the promotion and the zero charge invoice.

She said ohh I can't return and opened laptop because its now "used" and they can not resell used items. She then told me I only have 2 options left. Pay the full amount or just leave it and they will automatically add the R292 to my account that will be debited from my bank account.

 

[Ockie]

Cant open the application Sorry Cavedog. Will pass on to VD. Maybe he can see what is going on.