The drama of purchasing an HTC-S710 from Vodacom
About two weeks ago I decided that I wanted to purchase an HTC S710 mobile phone. The local Vodashop (in Bellville, Cape Town) had given me a brochure which advertised the HTC S710 as being free with a Talk 120 package. At some point I will relate why I chose this particular phone, but in today's blog I want to relate the emotional rollercoaster ride on which I was taken.
The Vodashop in Bellville unfortuanately had no HTC S710's availble, but they were willing to take an order. I put in an order, but stupidly did not ask them how long it would take to deliver the mobile phone. The next day I popped by the shop and they didn't have the phone yet. The following week I popped by the shop and they still didn't have the mobile phone available, and this time informed me it could take up to a month for the cellphone to arrive.
After phoning every Vodashop in the area, it became clear to me that there were no HTC-S710's available in Cape Town. My other option was to get an HTC-S710 with MTN - I wasn't keen on this as my spouse is with Vodacom and it's cheaper to phone her if I too have a Vodacom contract.
I decided to cancel the order with the Vodashop in Bellville though, as I'm moving out of the area. On arriving at the Vodashop I discovered that .... what do you know ... the HTC-S710 had finally arrived.
The Vodashop staff informed me that I would have to pay R399 for the phone with a Talk 120. I told them that according to the brochure they had given me it was free with a Talk 120. Oh they've had so many problems with the mistakes in those brochures, they said. They told me that Vodacom produced the brochure and I should complain to them. By this stage my temperature was rising, and I decided to get the phone (I was tired of waiting) and complain to Vodacom. When ringing up the bill the Vodashop staff discovered that the phone was in fact free with a Talk 120 contract (and their paper price list was incorrect).
I can only conclude that Vodacom has been fully assimilated by the Telkom geniuses.