COMPLAINT

I had a data contract with Cell C which I cancelled on 31/01/2022 as I upgraded to a better offer with them. When I received the router and sim card for my new contract I called Cell C to activate the sim and the lady I spoke to advised that I wait for the 31/01/2022 to cancel the old contract and activate the new one. Her reason was that I had already been billed for the old contract and it wouldn't be fair to lose my benefits so I agreed. On 31/01/2022 I received a confirmation sms that my old contract was cancelled and indeed the new one was now activated. To my surprise on 20/02/2022 there was a debit order attempt of R61.97 for the old contract and I just ignored it and thought it was a billng error from Cell C. The following month 20/03/2022 there was another attempt of R131.97. I then received a call from one of their consultants saying I need to pay that money and I told them the contract has been cancelled and the consultant I had previously interacted with didn't inform me of any outstanding amounts, infact she assured me that the contract will be cancelled and the new one will kick in and that I had nothing to worry about. On 11/05/2022 I got a call from Shapiro Shaik Defries and Associates informing me that my account has been handed over to them by Cell C and that the amount I owe has increased to R322.67.

I called Cell C numerous times and even logged complaints via email but they are not getting back to me. Last time I spoke to a consultant by the name of Phumzile and she promised that her manager will call me yet I'm still waiting for the call. I fail to understand why Cell C would hand me over to the lawyers after 1 call from them. This is affecting my Credit profile. I'm a Bank employee and in the process of buying a house and this judgement is affecting me. Cell C has failed me. I'm their loyal customer and they get the money for the new contract every month without fail. Why would they hand me over to the lawyers for a contract that has been cancelled? I am not going to pay that money. Cell C needs to pull their call recordings and they will hear that I was never advised about the R61.97 that was outstanding. The fees have now increased the amount to close to R500 and I'm not going to pay it as I wasn't at fault. If Cell C fails to resolve this then I want my contract cancelled and my prepaid sim as well.