Every now and again I am reminded that Telkom actually own 50% of Vodacom. I recently changed address, reported it on the vodacom.co.za site. At the same time I changed banks. However, my invoices were still being sent to the old address. So, I received notification that my account was in arrears. Fair enough, I paid the amount, and emailed customer care, receiving confimation that they’d received it. Two days later, the phone was cut off.
I still have scars from Vodacom dating from when I had a company phone with MyWealth. MyWealth were taken over by IOL, and the phone contract brought across. This highly complex change proved too much for Vodacom. For about 18 months, every second or third month the phone would be cut off, without warning. I’d go into the accounts department, clutching my phone and glaring. It would be an encounter the accounts department dreaded, as it involved hours for them on the phone explaining that everything was paid, but that Vodacom had stuffed it up again. Details would be faxed yet again, usually 2 or 3 times over a two day period, always to different people. But sure enough, a month of two down the line the same thing would happen. Eventually they started warning me, always with the welcome line Hello, is this MyWealth? The person making the call always sounded a bit surprised with my gruff response, and curt instruction to wait as I marched upstairs to the accounts department yet again.
Vodafone and Telkom are apparently vying for control of Vodacom, but I have a hunch Vodafone could be inching ahead. I prepared to write off my afternoon, and sat down to make the call. However, it took all of two minutes, was prompty answered, and without fuss my phone was reconnected. Never has that happened with Telkom!
i have sympathy for your experience, but i’m still a vodacom fan. i don’t think too many people had the same experience.