Vodacom - Last Resort

S

sv452

Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2005
Messages
28
Reaction score
0
Good Day All,

I am posting this in the hopes that this will force vodacom to up their game in regards to their customer support as I would like to complain about the customer support except I can't complain about something that does not exist.

Bascally in a nutshell I incured a bill of R1700+- plus R200+- in VAT for data usage now usually it is quite fine that it is user error but this was not user error. The way this happened was that this night owl promotion was included in the total data left over but at the time I did not know about this promotion and also nothing on the page made a effort to actually pull my attention to it or even a warning stating the valid times for this promotion and that data charges will be incured if used outside the promotion time span. So I pretty much did what I always do and that is to only have a look at my total bandwidth left over and proceeded to do some lekker surfing thinking all was good in the world. right !

At some point I got a sms saying that my bill is exceeding my avarage and upon closer inspection the above ammount loomed like a army waiting to invade. (Lucky Me)

When I questioned how this is possible I merely got a "automated" reply from someone sending me a whole load of docs telling me I do not know how to work my data charges and also I need to get a IT Guy to check my PC. I am a IT Guy and a Programmer and I know my PC inside out and also know how to be resposible hence the reason I make sure I check how much bandwidth I have before suring to avoid exactly this kind of problem.

This got me in a shouting match with the support person who finally escelated the problem. I then got a call at some point from a arrogant guy (tempted to put his name in here) that had a fight with me saying that I am pretty much a idiot and should "shut up and pay up" and then proceeded to hang up the call after I insisted on talking to a manager and was told he is the most senior and then changing to say that manager is out.

This is now a month later and still no resolution to the problem, I sent a email providing a screen shot mockup of what the web interface should look like so that people do not fall in the trap like I did and I see the web interface was now modified to more or less put things right but I am still hanging in the air and I am now getting sms saying I am in arrears but I refuse to pay for something that is not my fault or done purposefully by me. I have paid my account in full minus the data charge and vat.

Now I am here looking for someone that would be from vodacom that actually show that they care about their loyal customers(been with vodacom for 8 years and have two contracts) or someone that had similar problems and can shed some light on how to resolve this issue.

I thought that I pay for a contract to recieve a service plus customer support in the event of any problems but right now I have only problems and also feel like a piggy bank that is expected to only pay and pay and pay without questioning why I am paying.

I am so frustrated as I believe I did the right thing by observing that something was wrong and getting in contact with vodacom so this can be resolved instead of blissfully carrying on using the data and incuring a huge bill and then trying to fight full well knowing that I was wrong.

Kind Regards.
 
Last edited:
The night owl bundle is seperate from your normal bundle and should be seperated on the Vodacom website. VD, please can you confirm this.
 
...I read the whole thing...and have no clue what the problem is/was. :(
 
xrapidx said:
...I read the whole thing...and have no clue what the problem is/was. :(
Click to expand...

Seems he went over his cap and got slapped with a hefty bill for out of bundle data usage.

maybe the OP need to look at alternatives, such as CellC's prepaid options?
 
here is a screenshot i took at that point in time and i also incluse the mockup i made to vodacom showing what it in fact should have looked like. as you see the way they displayed it was very misleading and blended in and thus not pulling any attention to the fact that there is a promotion in play that could affect the data bundle and has special rules and conditions.

@ xrapidx: This is my fight with them(vodacom), I am being charged for out of bundle rates to the amount of R1900+- incl vat and I refuse to pay due to the misleading nature of the web interface and also the manner in which this was handled by vodacom. They are trying to force me to shut up and pay up for a mistake that is not my own. All I do when I connect online is to go and look at my total usage left over and in this case it stated that my left over usage was 2 GB+- and not that there is 2GB of promotional data bundle available and that it is only between 1201 and 0500 in the morning available.

I hope this clears it up a bit, I am used to type like i think and it tends to make thing dificult for people to interpret what i am trying to say. lucky ocleroux managed to understand somehow what i was trying to say.

:)

http://img145.imageshack.us/i/vodacomsunday21nov2010.png

http://img263.imageshack.us/i/editvodacomsunday21nov2.png/
 
Last edited:
i got slapped with a bill that is not of my own doing.
I have gone out of bundle many times before and never once complained about it as I know that I am the reason but this time I am not the reason.
The web interface did not clearly indicate that what I thought was the total remaing was not that at all. that is my fight.

Your solution of merely getting a prepaid option is not helpfull in the least.
 
Although I have a lot of sympathy I guess you will have to pay as it is quite clear from the screenshot how much "normal" and "sleepless" data you had available.

As for the website - I agree that it could be made better/clearer - a h3ll of a lot so, but I'm not going to go into that again - morkans will kick my backside.
 
they have changed it after i had my fight with the guy on the phone but out of principal i will not pay as it was misleading nothing clearly stated that fact as it was if you have two bundles it looked the same as in the screen shot as was the case for me the month before. so i did not even notice the change and only cared about my total remaining as that is what is important.

this is the reason companies get away with their ***** since everyone cowers away, i don't but one person per 1000 clearly won't make a difference.
We the people give them the money so without us they are inherintly nothing yet they go on as though they doing us the favour.

:(
 
ocleroux said:
The night owl bundle is seperate from your normal bundle and should be seperated on the Vodacom website. VD, please can you confirm this.
Click to expand...

The night owl bundle and the normal bundle reflects seperately with their own bundle balances. However it also has the Total bundle balance which is the combination of the 2 bundles.

After reading it , on first glance it looked confusing , however when i checked properley it does seperate the bundles
 
sv452 said:
they have changed it after i had my fight with the guy on the phone but out of principal i will not pay as it was misleading nothing clearly stated that fact as it was if you have two bundles it looked the same as in the screen shot as was the case for me the month before. so i did not even notice the change and only cared about my total remaining as that is what is important.

this is the reason companies get away with their ***** since everyone cowers away, i don't but one person per 1000 clearly won't make a difference.
We the people give them the money so without us they are inherintly nothing yet they go on as though they doing us the favour.

:(
Click to expand...

There has been a change made , but it was not because of anyone complaining , also the change only highlights the different bundles however the end result still combines the bundles. So there really is no difference between the old and the new site update.

I understand your query , however Vodacom cannot credit you for the data that you have used because you misread the information on the Website.
 
VodacomData said:
There has been a change made , but it was not because of anyone complaining , also the change only highlights the different bundles however the end result still combines the bundles. So there really is no difference between the old and the new site update.

I understand your query , however Vodacom cannot credit you for the data that you have used because you misread the information on the Website.
Click to expand...

excuse me ... but your attitude towards your customers suck ! the information on the site was misrepresented end of story no two ways about it, all I care about is the part that reads Total Remaining.
I try and spend as little time as possible on the site as it rarely ever work properly and when it does you try and get the info you need and get out.

Also changes was made to the site after I sent in a mockup of what it should have looked like so (by no means am I trying to take credit but it is a bit suspect (how many other users fell into the same trap? I know my fellow employee did and he got slapped with R4000 out of bundle bill)) in all respects I cannot think that you would hold to your story of me misreading. I did not misread anything you stupid twat. The information was not given clealy on your supid site.

Where in this hell of a world do you automatically activate a special and
A. do not notify the user
B. Don't stipulate clealry on the website/interface that a special is active and is bound to special conditions
C. Automatically assume that the user will see and know all this via some form of blackmagic.
D. Do not highlight it or make any effort of pulling the attention of the user that this is in effect and can have dire results for the end user.

oh wait ... i forgot ... more money for you b@stards ...

And then when the user makes contact wanting to know what the hell is going on get a email from a random support person saying that you are a stupid user and have no clue on what is going on in the world.
Then trying to escelate it you get a call from a arrogant person saying that the user is stupid and should just shut up and pay up and when user try to get hold of a manager you told there is no manager and then told the manager is out and then have the call hanged up in your face.

I am still waiting on the supposed manager to contact me almost 6 weeks later. your service is laughable if there was any service to begin with.

You always only want and want and want and want farking money but when it comes to dealing with your clients and at least remotely come to the table and say you know what we made a mistake but let's see how we can deal with it you guys just farking disapear and let the user hang in the air.

my company only deal online and if a mistake is made we rectify but also try and accomodate those that fell into the problem. and we are a medium sized company but still we make a effort becaue we know that your client is your biggest asset.

I have no clue why the hell I am still doing having two contracts with vodacom after 8 years if this is the treatment one get.
Do you guys realize that most of your income is generated from your clients and that it is the same clients you are farking in the behind like this ?

so I have now resulted to wait for my lines(I said lines because even though the money "outstanding" is only for the one line/contract both will most likely get cut (another reason then to have a fight with vodacom after I settled my account minus the disputed out of bundle charge)) to be cut because then someone will contact me and then I can at least get a chance to explain (AGAIN) why I am NOT THE HELL PAYING FOR SOMETHING THAT IS NOT MY FAULT !

I am ready to take this as far as the court because this cannot go on like this. I have enough to tie even your company up in court for at least a year plus get enough press involved to make sure that people realize that this ***** cannot carry on like this.

You guys must at some point realize that you cannot keep on doing this to your clients.
Not because I dont want to pay the louzy money but out of principal.

I hope this will give you something to think about as I am not going to shut up and I am not going to go away. I am going to be the thorn in your side for as long as it needs be.


Kind Regards.
 
Last edited:
sv452 said:
excuse me ... but your attitude towards your customers suck ! the information on the site was misrepresented end of story no two ways about it, all I care about is the part that reads Total Remaining.
I try and spend as little time as possible on the site as it rarely ever work properly and when it does you try and get the info you need and get out.

Also changes was made to the site after I sent in a mockup of what it should have looked like so (by no means am I trying to take credit but it is a bit suspect (how many other users fell into the same trap? I know my fellow employee did and he got slapped with R4000 out of bundle bill)) in all respects I cannot think that you would hold to your story of me misreading. I did not misread anything you stupid twat. The information was not given clealy on your supid site.

Where in this hell of a world do you automatically activate a special and
A. do not notify the user
B. Don't stipulate clealry on the website/interface that a special is active and is bound to special conditions
C. Automatically assume that the user will see and know all this via some form of blackmagic.
D. Do not highlight it or make any effort of pulling the attention of the user that this is in effect and can have dire results for the end user.

oh wait ... i forgot ... more money for you b@stards ...

And then when the user makes contact wanting to know what the hell is going on get a email from a random support person saying that you are a stupid user and have no clue on what is going on in the world.
Then trying to escelate it you get a call from a arrogant person saying that the user is stupid and should just shut up and pay up and when user try to get hold of a manager you told there is no manager and then told the manager is out and then have the call hanged up in your face.

I am still waiting on the supposed manager to contact me almost 6 weeks later. your service is laughable if there was any service to begin with.

You always only want and want and want and want farking money but when it comes to dealing with your clients and at least remotely come to the table and say you know what we made a mistake but let's see how we can deal with it you guys just farking disapear and let the user hang in the air.

my company only deal online and if a mistake is made we rectify but also try and accomodate those that fell into the problem. and we are a medium sized company but still we make a effort becaue we know that your client is your biggest asset.

I have no clue why the hell I am still doing having two contracts with vodacom after 8 years if this is the treatment one get.
Do you guys realize that most of your income is generated from your clients and that it is the same clients you are farking in the behind like this ?

so I have now resulted to wait for my lines(I said lines because even though the money "outstanding" is only for the one line/contract both will most likely get cut (another reason then to have a fight with vodacom after I settled my account minus the disputed out of bundle charge)) to be cut because then someone will contact me and then I can at least get a chance to explain (AGAIN) why I am NOT THE HELL PAYING FOR SOMETHING THAT IS NOT MY FAULT !

I am ready to take this as far as the court because this cannot go on like this. I have enough to tie even your company up in court for at least a year plus get enough press involved to make sure that people realize that this ***** cannot carry on like this.

You guys must at some point realize that you cannot keep on doing this to your clients.
Not because I dont want to pay the louzy money but out of principal.

I hope this will give you something to think about as I am not going to shut up and I am not going to go away. I am going to be the thorn in your side for as long as it needs be.


Kind Regards.
Click to expand...




Good day all.

I received a bill 2 months ago with the same scenario. i am only interested in my total remaining bundle on the site. i overused 1.5 GB and received a massive bill, round about R5000. WTF vodacom. after i contact you, you take your time to reply, and i couldn't pay the account. Remember, we don't all get fat salaries like you guys do.

after a call from your accounts department, they tell me i can pay the amount off over 2 months. this is not a satisfactory solution for me. i have been a customer of vodacom for nearly 4 years now and i have 2 contracts with you.

In all these years, i have never had an unpaid account or data usage query. not one complaint from me. and you can't just cut me some slack for misreading the site after the night owl stuff was added.

this is really very poor customer service. all you have succeeded in doing, is losing a future customer and 2 contracts. after all this, i will cancell my contracts and pay your crazy cancellation fee and be rid of you. i will take my bussiness to MTN.

thank you.

PM for my details
 
Last edited:
I did not misread anything you stupid twat. The information was not given clealy on your supid site.



You calling VodacomData a stupid twat but did you check your spelling............:)
 
I have seen what you guys are talking about on the site , but i guess reading is a skill after all.........................

Sorry to here about your high bill though.....:cry:
 
@sv452 please refrain from personal insults.

Rather a coincidence that sv452 and budders are posting from the same IP address?
 
planetx said:
I did not misread anything you stupid twat. The information was not given clealy on your supid site.




You calling VodacomData a stupid twat but did you check your spelling............:)
Click to expand...

planetx said:
I have seen what you guys are talking about on the site , but i guess reading is a skill after all.........................

Sorry to here about your high bill though.....:cry:
Click to expand...

:rolleyes:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X