CELL C CUSTOMER SERVICE IS EXTREMELY POOR!

I constantly receive apologies when I call, but actions speak louder than empty words. I’m extremely frustrated and feel undervalued as a client. If I don't hear from you by the end of today, I will have no choice but to cancel my contract. I will also share my experience with others, highlighting the decline in CELL C's value and service.

CELL C is quick to request payments and can be intimidating, but when clients need assistance, there’s a clear lack of support and effort. Your team’s knowledge and ability to help are disappointing, to say the least.

I keep on getting several message with different reference numbers: ***, ***, *** and this morning again, *** how many do you want to sent me? I just want answers and get assistance. This is really frustrating.

I am feeling very prejudiced with this whole experience, I have been a client since 2019 and you overpromise and underdeliver, always seem to have excuses and no follow through, but this is the worst ever. I will see today if you "deliver" on those undertakings to "assist" me.

Please stop apologizing, at this stage, nothing you say will make a difference rather than showing it by actioning it. I await your urgent response to this matter.

Another SMS, but still no resolution... Reference No: ***. I suppose this is typical for CELL C. "Our team will be in touch," right? I predict that by the end of the day, it will be the same story with no positive outcome.

If your team had some initiative, you would stop inundating me with SMS messages and actually focus on resolving the issue and providing me with an update. Yet, no one seems able to offer a real solution.

Cell C seems to evade accountability for their negligence, leaving clients like me at a disadvantage. It’s incredibly frustrating to encounter this kind of response, where agents simply say "I’m sorry" without taking any responsibility. I've never encountered such a disappointing level of service before. Again shows me that client service is not a cornerstone to the values they "seem" to uphold.

Dear VUSI, team leader with Cell C,

I want to address my concern regarding the automated email I received, specifically reference numbers *** and ***. It seems to overlook the specific issues we’ve discussed and feels like a regression in our communication.

For the sake of accountability, it is essential to have a documented summary of our conversations and the actions that will be taken. I’m also troubled by the perception that Cell C can simply express regret without addressing the underlying issues that affect clients like myself and escaping accountability

I find it concerning that issues only seem to be escalated when a negative review is posted, rather than being proactively addressed. It is frustrating that as a client, I often feel compelled to become "mean" and "frustrated" just to receive a response or action regarding my concerns.

Additionally, I have been made aware today that a debit order has been set up against my account, despite my long-standing preference for EFT payments, and now, upon needing to upgrade my services, I am facing negative impacts due to these debit orders being set up against my preference. This situation reflects poorly on CELL C and raises questions about your communication practices.

If there was an issue with my account, I would expect to be informed directly so that it could be rectified promptly. The lack of communication and accountability from CELL C representatives is disheartening and suggests a disregard for the impact of their actions on clients like myself.

I hope that you will take my concerns seriously and address these issues, as it is vital for your representatives to understand the importance of clear communication and proactive service.

I received a call from Vusi yesterday regarding my upgrade, he informed me that they have motivated as I have been a longstanding client and paying every month. He mentioned that my debit order would be removed to avoid it having an impact on my credit record and promised to send me an email confirmation as he could not send me a screenshot of the system but only an email, but I haven’t received anything yet. I’ve repeatedly requested written communication instead of just phone calls for reassurance. During our conversation, Vusi asked what I wanted to do: upgrade, cancel the contract, or switch to a month-to-month plan. I told him I needed some time to think and requested a callback today at 12:00, which I’m still waiting for.

I am waiting for the phone call as advised at 16h00.

Yet another undertaking not delivered. Does your agent have no moral compass on their empty undertakings?

Teamleader Vusi has failed to call me back as advised yesterday and not your social media agent, does the same. Vusi has undertaken to provide me with email conformating our discussion yesterday and yet failed to do so, and all of a sudden when one needs to speak to him is unundated with meetings. Sure sounds like avoidance.

Dear Cell C,
You got to be kidding me, just seconds from going through this whole situation, I read my renewal contract and AGAIN you loaded a debit order on an account I no longer make use of and AFTER the instruction to remove the DEBIT ORDER against my contract. Seriously???????????????????????
Agreement Number: ***

I'm really frustrated right now. Your security questions aren't working because I indicated I'm an EFT payer, not a debit order user. How many times do I need to request the removal of my old banking details from my account? This is unacceptable. If this continues, I will have no choice but to escalate the matter to the Ombudsman. This situation with Cell C is truly disappointing.

Please check the system for the numerous reference numbers I've received from you to resolve this issue. Mandisa, you assured me there would be no further complications, yet I'm still struggling to get assistance today. This clearly demonstrates a lack of customer service.

I’m struggling to understand why your agents, like Mandisa, can’t seem to remember commitments made just last week to update my account details. I've had to reach out again to resolve issues that were only partially addressed. This seems to be a recurring issue with CELL C. I may need to consider bringing this to the Ombudsman’s attention, as your agents appear unable to follow through on instructions.

I have taken the phone call with the manager, Gift, and it was undertaken to provide me with a copy of my contract, and have also undertaken to remove the debit order from account 074* (which was supposed to be done last week) and will upon the removal send me an email as confirmation as well as a phone call. Why was this so hard for Mandisa to do?

Actions speak louder than unfulfilled commitments. As I mentioned, if you assure me this now, what guarantees that future requests for assistance won’t be neglected? MN, you are also a culprit, you’ve also encountered issues with your commitments. What does that leave the customer with? Your apologies come across as empty, providing no real resolution. You repeatedly claim to be improving your service, yet I have enough evidence to escalate this to the Ombudsman to demonstrate the negative impact of these shortcomings.

Referring to my conversation with Gift on the even date, I requested a reconciliation of my account and a breakdown of the billing for October 2024. Instead, I received last month’s statement again. Are you trying to test my patience with CELL C?

*** - I received my statement and yet again I fail to understand why you charge me
02/11/2024 Failed Debit Order Penalty Fee (No VAT) R 70.00
02/11/2024 Invoice R 817.98
If my accounts is set to Cash / Eft Payer and my installment is supposed to be R 594.50. Last month you told me it was a pro-rata amount and now what is the reason for this now.

Dear Ombudsman,I am writing to formally lodge a complaint against Cell C regarding ongoing issues with my accounts and the services provided. I have been a loyal Cell C customer since 2019, with account number ***, and later opened a second contract, account number ***, in 2022.On 7 October 2024, I was contacted by a Cell C representative who informed me that I qualified for an early upgrade. However, during the process, I was unexpectedly told that I no longer qualified due to late payments and failed debit orders. This was surprising, as I had changed my payment method in 2022 from debit order to EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) following confirmation from Cell C that this change had been made. Since then, I have consistently made my payments via EFT, and I was unaware of any ongoing issues with my payment method.To my dismay, I have learned that, despite the confirmation in 2022, my account was still being debited via debit order, which I did not authorize. This has led to the wrongful implication of failed payments and has negatively affected my credit record. I have not consented to any further debit orders from Cell C, and I believe that continuing to process these payments without my consent is ********.I have made every effort to resolve this matter, including communicating with multiple Cell C representatives and posting a review on Hellopeter, which I have attached for your reference. Unfortunately, despite numerous discussions and apologies from Cell C, the company has failed to take meaningful action to address and resolve the issue. It has now been over a month, and I continue to face new complications every week.I am seeking your urgent intervention to assist in resolving this matter. The ongoing mismanagement of my account, the ******** debit orders, and the incorrect reporting to credit bureaus have caused significant distress. I trust that your office can help ensure that Cell C upholds its obligations and resolves this matter in a fair and timely manner.Thank you for your attention to this complaint. I look forward to your assistance in resolving this matter.

Your ignorance to this matter have been noted.

I received a call earlier, and I was informed that I would be contacted again within an hour. That time has now passed, and the situation is becoming more frustrating. This is yet another example of the lack of competence your team has in providing proper service. The only thing your agents seem to be good at is offering apologies.

If you took it seriously I won't be still dealing with this issue, and your lack of undertakings is astoundingly poor. Like I said, you sound like robots and don't have a care in the world to the negative impact to my accounts. I am just a ticket.

You see this was the case and it impacted me poorly and affected my credit rating. How interesting I find it that "it appears" that again debit orders have been implemented against my wishes and instruction. So it is therefore ******* and are you ********ly still attempting to retrieve money from an account I no longer make use off and that I am simultaneously paying via EFT. Shame on you Cell C, have you no care on what resulting impact you cause.

I have so much grounds to take this matter further and will succeed with my complaint and claim for loss and negatively impacting my credit rating.

NZ
Like I mentioned to you during a telephone conversation there is a failed debit order charge on my 074 account.

Again like I also mentioned I do not have access as the account in question is closed.

I am repeating myself continuously and you fail to get the whole picture. Mandisa was even copied in correspondence with a representative that refers to the debit order and she does not even step in and attempt to rectify the situation as she was part of it since the inception. It is flabbergasting to see that a blind eye is given and therefore I will not speak to her as she fully knew what the situation and concerns were and did nothing about it.

It doesn't surprise me anymore as representatives from Cell C does not take ownership and responsibility for their part in this matter and shifts it back to the client who ends up with the mess. If you were really so concerned and apologetic this matter would not have escalate to this degree.

I am extremely frustrated with the way my issue has been handled. You have charged my account due to a debit order being app****, despite the fact that I never authorized this, and furthermore, you attempted to debit an account that was closed without even attempting to contact me first. Instead of resolving this issue, Cell C has simply added these charges to my account, which I find completely negligent.I’ve made numerous requests, stating clearly that I’ve always paid via EFT, yet your system still retains outdated banking details. This creates a risk of the same issue recurring in the future. Additionally, I dispute the monthly charges on my 074 account and have repeatedly asked your agents for a breakdown of these charges, but I have not received any clear response. When I spoke with an agent this morning, she told me she could only assist with part of the issue, not the full resolution I have been seeking since October 2024.I’ve been very clear in explaining the problem to your team, and yet, my concerns remain unresolved. At this point, it feels as though your company’s approach is to deflect responsibility rather than actually resolving issues. What more do I need to do to get this matter fully addressed?