Vodacom Phone "discontinued" BS when upgrading

Rouxenator

Rouxenator

Dank meme lord
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My folks are long overdue for upgrades so I checked the monthly deals and told them they should go for this :

VODACOM SMART ULTRA 7 + SKULL CANDY + 10GB DATA X 1 - (C) + TOP DOG VOUCHER @ R289 Reduced Sub PM on Smart M
and
VODACOM SMART ULTRA 7 + SKULL CANDY + 10GB DATA X 1 - (H) + TOP DOG VOUCHER @ R179 Reduced Sub PM on uChoose Flexi 200

They went in and did the upgrade last week and were told they will get a call when they can come and fetch the phones. Today they stopped by the Vodashop only to be told they cannot get those phones as they were discontinued.

What options are there? Can you make them give you a phone of similar spec? Are they allowed to advertise something they do not have?
 
Rouxenator said:
My folks are long overdue for upgrades so I checked the monthly deals and told them they should go for this :

VODACOM SMART ULTRA 7 + SKULL CANDY + 10GB DATA X 1 - (C) + TOP DOG VOUCHER @ R289 Reduced Sub PM on Smart M
and
VODACOM SMART ULTRA 7 + SKULL CANDY + 10GB DATA X 1 - (H) + TOP DOG VOUCHER @ R179 Reduced Sub PM on uChoose Flexi 200

They went in and did the upgrade last week and were told they will get a call when they can come and fetch the phones. Today they stopped by the Vodashop only to be told they cannot get those phones as they were discontinued.

What options are there? Can you make them give you a phone of similar spec? Are they allowed to advertise something they do not have?
Click to expand...

Tell them to cancel your upgrade request cos they cannot supply the phone you want.

You have a few options:

Phone Game and ask them how much the Samsung J5 is on the Smart M package. It was about 300pm, the last time I checked and included Game gift voucher.

Check what Xiaomi phones Game and Dionwired stock. Xiaomi generally are better value for money.

Do you specifically want the Vodafone handset due to price or is screen size also deciding factor?

The Huawei P8 lite is 199 on uchoose 200,it is better than the Vodafone handset but has a slightly smaller screen(5inches)

Are minutes or data more important to your parents?

I think they should get the LG K10 2017(5.3inch screen) cos it is better than the Vodafone handset. In the end it boils down to their usage patterns.

If you are looking for a handset that is bigger than 5inches,take the LG K10 2017 or try to get a Xiaomi on contract.

*Old people are generally bad at understanding data usage etc. Make sure the Smart M contract is "Uchoose Smart M", it is the topup version and will help them stick to a budget. *
 
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Thing is, they already signed the contract.

I told them if they really can't get the phones then they should ask them to give the Moto G4 Play instead.
 
Rouxenator said:
Thing is, they already signed the contract.
Click to expand...

Use the Vodacom website
Vodacom.co.za

Have a look at the Huawei P8 Lite and LG K10 2017,check prices etc and compare prices at the store.

Tell them you are willing to take P8 lite or K10 2017.Decide based on your budget.
 
Rouxenator said:
Thing is, they already signed the contract.

I told them if they really can't get the phones then they should ask them to give the Moto G4 Play instead.
Click to expand...

The screen quality might be better on the LG. I think the G4 play is somewhat slow aswell, i really cant remember.

Watch a review on youtube.
 
It has to be pure android, so no EMUI or TouchWiz or MIUI.

I am not sure if the upgrade contract will be declared null and void if Vodacom is unable to provide the phones they signed up for. If that is the same they can either redo the upgrade contract with the Moto G4 Play or just take the No Sim option and save.
 
Rouxenator said:
It has to be pure android, so no EMUI or TouchWiz or MIUI.

I am not sure if the upgrade contract will be declared null and void if Vodacom is unable to provide the phones they signed up for. If that is the same they can either redo the upgrade contract with the Moto G4 Play or just take the No Sim option and save.
Click to expand...

[video=youtube_share;QiLLYtDa-Us]https://youtu.be/QiLLYtDa-Us[/video]
 
Thanks!!!! wow, that is much nicer than the Moto G4 Play. It is also cheaper since they'll only have to pay in R20 and not R30 every month.
 
The smart ultras were actually good deals. I'm still not convinced on the k10. Its 2017 and this "new" phone is running an old Mediatek chip, a smallish battery, 720p screen?? I'm honestly not sure LG and Sony know how to make a mid range phone.
 
I have no problems with MediaTek and 720p on a phone is already overkill.

The problem here is they already signed the upgrade contracts. So I am not sure if Vodacom can pull out and if so what the procedure is.

Edit : Ockie? Any ideas on that the procedure is?
 
Last edited:
Rouxenator said:
I have no problems with MediaTek and 720p on a phone is already overkill.

The problem here is they already signed the upgrade contracts. So I am not sure if Vodacom can pull out and if so what the procedure is.

Edit : Ockie? Any ideas on that the procedure is?
Click to expand...

As long as the store has not processed the upgrade quotes yet. You will know if they have because your parents would have received a SMS on eich of their lines stating that their contracts have been extended. I doubt the store has processed it, as they need the IMEI number of the phone to process the upgrade for Vodacom to pay them for the upgrade.

It should just be a question of generating a new upgrade quote with the deal of your choice. If they have processed the upgrades already, then the store needs to do a dealer cancellation. This can take a few days, but should not present a problem.
 
Thanks, my folks went back to the shop today and it seems the assistant helping them last time was a bit clueless. The phones are on back order however they can't get the Skullcandy accessories which is not a problem at all. If they really can't do the Ultra 7 then the LG K10 is a much better option to go with.
 
They did the same to my work colleague in December. He needed to upgrade and wanted to get the iPhone SE only to be told it has been "discontinued". Such BS.
 
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