Vodacom's website is a complete and utter mess

Another error on their site...
vc.png


I have been trying since thursday to remove a sms and data bundle from my account before the new month begins and renews...no luck.
 
I just reached my voluntary call limit (which cuts off usage of the data bundle I've already freakingwell paid for!) and tried to log onto the website to increase said limit. First, the site was undergoing maintenance. When I got in, it told me that I don't have the "mandatory permissions" to increase MY limit. Wtf? Upon trying to remove the limit in total, I got a page error. So now I can't use my damn phone unless it's connected to wifi. Can't be arsed to call them and wait all night for some help now.

I'm leaving Vodacom when this contract is up. I'm not dealing with this garbage in my life anymore.
 
Also had some technical errors trying to log into my master acc for some reason a few weeks ago, haven't tried since
 
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kingrob said:
Their site is useless to mix and match a phone with a contract, but must admit that it's not bad to look up how many free minutes, data, etc you have left. Actually quite good in that respect.
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except that those balances is also normally almost a day outdated...
 
MagicDude4Eva said:
well, Most Terrible Network is no better. One would think that corporates spending in excess of 30m Rand to rebuild sites like the VC portal would be able to do a better job. That's what you get when you hire external consultants without a clue about the core business (or ecommerce) trying to implement a consumer based solution. And it's not for the lack of trying it's about the 4th attempt and still no better...
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take a moment to call vc's call center then you will realize most people inside vodacom also has no clue about the business they are in
 
They probably learnt from Telkom. It is easier to google if you want to find something on Telkom's website, than opening and seeking it on the site itself.
 
When they are Updating the site why must it go down for a day? why not build the site on a other server and just do a update(move)
 
I dont even look at their site anymore, you cant find your phone or package on it because its just a terribly confusing place. Not user friendly at all.
 
dtba said:
When they are Updating the site why must it go down for a day? why not build the site on a other server and just do a update(move)
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Because that would make too much sense.
I'm actually wondering if they even have a test server at all or do they just get releases from developers PC to the web server
 
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Allin said:
When the vodacom4me site was scrapped there was a poll about how customers perceive the new site. AFAIK it was rated as KAWK.
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The vodacom4me website ran concurrently with the 'new' site, until it was forcibly scrapped. One of the reasons I stuck with the vodacom4me was that it was way simpler to buy bundles and check info. The issues are old (http://www.vtime.co.za/index.php/archives/1290) but shows the pitfalls of trying to 'portalize' everything.

Next on the list of badly designed websites is MWEB. If you do not save the SMS with your ADSL username/password, there is no way to find it using their website (unlike Afrihost or Web Africa).
 
Have logged into Vodacom 'portal' a few times but it goes to someone else's account. Every time you refreshed it went to a different person's account. Could send sms's and view all details, including banking (i.e. credit card numbers). Reported it on their facebook help page (not worth my time to call the call centre) and they deleted the post immediately.
 
******99 said:
Have logged into Vodacom 'portal' a few times but it goes to someone else's account. Every time you refreshed it went to a different person's account. Could send sms's and view all details, including banking (i.e. credit card numbers). Reported it on their facebook help page (not worth my time to call the call centre) and they deleted the post immediately.
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I also had this, Jannie said they have fixed it.
 
It is really a nightmare to navigate the site. I just gave up trying. What happened to simplicity and ease of use? Their accounts page is not too bad. However, after I saved my device to my account, the old device still showed up. In short, if Vodacom is serious about business, they should start with their website. I like Vodacom but lately I am put off them by their unetical business practises, system errors and their website.
 
I wanted a simple upgrade and had the misfortune of going to their website to see what I could get. I walked away so confused by the packages and frustrated by the lack of info on their website that I left empty handed.

A quick visit to the local Vodacom Store down the road solved all that.
 
lexis said:
They probably learnt from Telkom. It is easier to google if you want to find something on Telkom's website, than opening and seeking it on the site itself.
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lol, this is so true.

But all of the cell company's websites are dreadful. Cell C's is probably the best but its not much of victory when you only have to beat Vodacom & MTN. I'd personally say MTN's is worse but - meh.
 
They want you to seek info instore and not on the site.
Its a way of snagging you to sign one of their crap packages.
 
I disputed a bill, gave up and said I'll pay but not all at once. Got told someone will call me to make a payment arrangement.

When the person eventually called she told me my number (which I've had for close to 10 years) was deleted and I cannot get it back.

I'm done with this piece of sschitt company!!!
 
I would say the website is the least worry, try dealing with Vodacom Business where sheer incompetence is at its best, where you are allocated "Sipho the engineer" who works until 5pm no matter if your infrastructure that you pay R100k p/mth is falling over.
 
FatBoySlim said:
I would say the website is the least worry, try dealing with Vodacom Business where sheer incompetence is at its best, where you are allocated "Sipho the engineer" who works until 5pm no matter if your infrastructure that you pay R100k p/mth is falling over.
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I would really look at other competitors in the business hosting landscape. Despite some negative feedback, Internet Solutions still provides a very competitive solution. In our case (bidorbuy) we would have moved to cheaper venues, but the convenience of having the data-centre across the road and avoiding the "schlepp" of moving 3 racks makes IS a good value proposition. In my TCO comparisons (as well as competence) I would rate it in the order of MTN Business, Neotel, Internet Solutions, RSA Web and somewhere at the end Vodacom Business. Comparing VB's hosting service for example was 150% more expensive than IS. It just does not make sense to advertise a tier-1 data-centre when there is zero flexibility with regards to service, pricing our availability.

I would avoid ISP's utilizing the landscape of a larger ISP (Afrihost running in IS datacentre comes to mind) - don't get me wrong, Afrihost is great, but when it comes to core networks or upstream issues, they are unfortunately at the mercy of IS engineers (who will obviously treat their own clients with preference.

Vodacom's biggest challenge is that the company has turned from a lean, mean and sleek "startup" into a corporate elephant, where plenty of red tape (both internal and from Vodafone) prohibits any sort of progressive thinking which pretty much reflects in the underlying IT infrastructure and long-term vendor commitments (between IBM and Oracle). Bad historic IT decisions have created much hinderance in trying to refresh the current (somewhat archaic) systems.
 
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