Dear people of South Africa, why did you treat foreigners like this?

This is typical of everything I've tried to do in this country. Whether it is the water and electricty, opening a bank account, registering at the Doctors, I'm made to feel stupid and of no value whatsoever.

You may as well send me to the moon and speak in Chinese.

Today I went for my 3rd visit to the Vehicle test centre to apply for my sons Learner's Licence.

Let me tell you about visits one and two first.

1st visit

From experience I know that when you apply to do anything here, they will assume you are South African and tell you what a South African needs to do, what forms to fill in and what to bring back with you. So I go and say nicely 'Hi, I'm from the UK, I now live here in Centurion, my son is 17 and would like to apply for his provsional driving licence' BLANK FACES So I rethink what I've just said, after all I'm the foreigner, I only know how to say things the way I've learnt so I adapt and say 'my son would like to learn to drive, can you tell me what I need to do?'
FILL THIS FORM IN, COPY OF ID
'OK' says I,' but he is not South African, I know you will ask for more than that when I come back'
NO MADAM JUST WHAT I'VE SAID.

2nd visit

THIS IS THE WRONG FORM, YOU'VE FILLED IN AND WE NEED HIS ID NUMBER THE ONE YOU HAVE GIVEN DOES NOT FIT IN THE BOXES.
'We are not South Africa, I explained what I needed and why, please can you help me'
So I'm given the correct forms, told what I need 2 x passport photos, copy of ID (passport and visa)

3rd visit

BUT YOU NEED TRAFFIC REGISTRATION FIRST, BEFORE YOU CAN APPLY
'OK, this is my 3rd time here, I've asked, I've explained, I'm British, not South African'
GO TO COUNTER NUMBER 4 THEY WILL HELP YOU
Explains whole bloody thing again, given form to fill,
'but this form is requires me to provide receipt for purchase of vehicle, my son does not have a vehicle'
THEN JUST IGNORE THAT BIT, GO TO WATLOO THEY WILL HELP YOU
'What is Watloo, where is Watloo?'
THEY WILL HELP YOU THERE
'Where?' I don't understand you, I want to speak with a supervisor
THEY ARE ALL BUSY
'Do you think they will stop being busy if I shout?'
*Cue laughter from South Africans behind counter and in the waiting area
So I approach a guard in reception and ask to speak to the manager.
I speak with a woman behind a glass window, she tells me
WATLOO WILL HELP YOU

I'm in floods of tears now 'please tell me where/what Watloo is?' her reply was laughable and with that I stormed out
WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU WANT WE CANNOT HELP YOU

A woman in the car park sees my distress and tells me Watloo is north of Pretoria, it is an area and gives me directions.

I still don't know what forms I require to go there or even why, when my son doesn't own a car, I guess he needs permission to drive here, silly me for thinking a Learner's Licence would be it.

I'm sorry you're disappointed Vodafone

'I'm disapointed to see that you have left us :( If you need anything in the future you know where we are!'

This is the final tweet from Vodafone, sent yesterday afternoon, after I finally cancelled my account with them for the following reasons:

It took 9 months to reset my access to the online service. I screamed and shouted, via twitter and my blog, I wrote, I phoned, I visited the stores and nothing, absolutley nothing.


I never recieved a reference letter to say I'd been a loyal and reliable customer for 10 years.

Never recieved a response to a query about a faulty phone.

If you want you can read the other two blogs over here

http://chickenruby.blogspot.com/2011/09/its-shame-its-come-to-this.html

http://chickenruby.blogspot.com/2011/09/update-on-vodafone.html

So I gave up...what other option did I have? I said I'd go OFCOM but was polietly informed that Vodafones offer to cancel the contract at no further cost would be withdrawn and then where would I be? The contract was due to expire in December so I've saved the grand old sum of about £60. I can tell you it's cost far more than that for me to keep fighting, not just my time but the stress, the inconvienence and my airfare.

In the end I beeged my husband to help fund a trip back to the UK, a trip we really couldn't afford so I could go in person and sort this issue out, sort out problems with the banks, the post office redirection service, the other companies that had failed to action change of address for correspondence.

I am angry, I am stressed, I am pissed off and I certainly WILL NOT be using any of these companies again.

And any chance I get to tell Vodafone that their customer care is disgusting. I will.

They took my money, they didn't provide a service and now when I go back to the UK in December I don't have a UK sim card or mobile phone, which means I'll end up spending the first part of my holiday home (again) trying to sort something out.