Vodacom vs the CPA

[lupedelupe]

Here are the details:
New contract about 1 month ago, new handset (iPhone 4).
Had issues with creating new contacts from the word go, but got it working (purely by chance) by activating iCloud.
More recently have had problems making and receiving phone calls (calls out, but zero sound; does not receive calls at all), as well as SMS that cannot be sent or received. This behaviour is erratic, but appears to be getting worse over time.

The software has been rolled back to iOS 4, and currently update with iOS 5.0.1. The settings have been checked exhaustively and the handset run with and without a cover. This has had no bearing in the inability of the phone to function as a phone, except that switching to 3G (or cellular data, or not, or Wi-Fi, or manually selecting the service provider, or not etc...) sometimes allows the phone to function - again, not consistently. The phone has been taken to the iStore and have been told the hardware is faulty.

So on to Vodacom then... a protracted series of phone calls yielded the following information: HAVE to book the device in for a repair. Pointing out that this is in direct contravention of the CPA has them sticking to their script: repair only.

The goal here is to get the device working, stat.

Launching a legal battle against VC is tempting, but expensive and not likely to yield results in the (very) short term.

Any suggestions? Contacts?

 

[VC-1]

Contact the Vodacom Rep - VodacomData - by sending your problem details via a PM

 

[chrisc]

Just make a complaint with the CPA. Look on their website for the link and forms. Unfortunately, it might take a while, but afaik they have thousands already, cell c on top of the list

 

[lupedelupe]

Just make a complaint with the CPA. Look on their website for the link and forms. Unfortunately, it might take a while, but afaik they have thousands already, cell c on top of the list

Okay. Seems like the sensible thing to do. Pity this takes so long.

 

[Acydebyte]

Ok, so in my opinion i would just let them book it in for repairs, iphones arent repaired locally and as soon as the techie recognises the fault and its not fixable via a simple software upgrade, they will give you a new replacement unit.

It will be a refurbished unit, but Apples refurbs are sent back to the factory in China where they are stripped and remanufacutred using original Apple parts.

I have sent 2 iPhones in and both were scratched to pieces, i got 2 shiny new ones back.... You will know that its a refurb because the serial number will start with 5Kxxxxxxxxxxxx

Fight the good fight with the CPA if you want, question is how long will that take and are you sure you will win when you technically havent even booked it in for them to have a proper look at yet.

I know that the CPA has the 3R`s Refund, Repair or Replace, so lets say after a 3 - 6 month court battle you get a new iPhone... was that really worth it when booking it in for repairs now and waiting about 5 working days will yield the same result ?

Here is a brief synopsis of this section of the act

"For decades, many retailers have adopted a “sorry for you” attitude when their customers return problem goods.

Either they refuse to accept that the goods were defective in any way, or they begrudgingly take the goods back and issue a credit note, valid for a short period of time.

In short, they’ve assumed total power to decide how to respond when problematic goods are returned.

Actually, common law has for many years protected consumers against defective goods – though few realise this – but it doesn’t give consumers the right to decide how they’d like to be compensated, leaving suppliers to decide what to do, if anything.

And manufacturer or store warranties limit recourse to repairs, because it’s obviously much cheaper for a company to repair an item than replace it or refund a customer’s money in full.


But the act has turned that status quo on its head, giving the consumer the power to decide on the remedy – and he or she is backed up by a Consumer Commission and Consumer Tribunal which have the power to impose hefty penalties on companies which fail to comply with the terms of the act.

If goods bought by consumers fail in some way, the consumers get to decide which of the three Rs – a refund, replacement or repair – they want.

If the consumer opts for a repair, and that repair fails within three months, or “a further failure, defect or unsafe feature is discovered”, the supplier must replace the goods or refund the customer."

 

[lupedelupe]

^
Hmmm. Which is exactly why Vodacom gets away with this.