********** blacklisting by Cell C

I am not a Cell C user however, my phone was erroneously blacklisted by Cell C on 19/12/2017. Upon finding this out from my service provider on 21/12/2017, I was directed to the Cell C store (Eastgate) to assist. When entering the store and explaining the situation, I was told that the store could not help me, but I should call 084 140 to assist. So I did this.

The first call centre agent asked me to hold, and then dropped the line. The next call centre agent told me that because I was not a Cell C user, they could not help me, and that I need to speak to my service provider. I tried again with another agent who told me the same thing.

I then proceeded to call my service provider again who explained to me that Cell C was the one who blacklisted the phone, therefore they are the only ones with the authority to unblacklist my phone and confirmed that I need to contact Cell C to do this.

So I try the Cell C call centre again, but instead of speaking to these useless call centre agents, I demanded to speak directly to a supervisor. This supervisor explained that I am in the right place and that I need to complete an unblacklisting form which I can get in store. I explained that I had already been instore - Eastgate - who told me they could not assist me and to call the call centre. He responds with "they should not have told you that". This ****ed me off as I had already left the mall.

So I go to the Cell C store in Carnival on the same day and asked for the form. I was assisted by a lady named Queen. When filling it out, she asked me for the case number of the blacklisting, and I told her it was not me who blacklisted the phone, and explained the situation. She too did not know how to treat the situation and had to call the call centre. Why do your staff not know how to unblacklist a phone???

After finally establishing what needs to happen, the unblacklisting form was completed on 21/12/2017, and Queen told me she would submit this and get back to me if she needed anything further. After following up via phone calls everyday, Queen was always unavailable and would "get back to me" after I had left many messages. She did not. So on 30/12/2017, I personally went to the store to find her and ask about the status of the phone. (Mind you I stay in Randburg). She tells me she has been following up everyday and left messages for me but this was not received on my end (I know she was lying as she had the correct number for me and I used this number to call her and the store so there is nothing wrong with the line). Not convinced by her response, I called the call centre again to find out the status of my phone using the reference number that Queen uses (my phone number) only for the useless agent to tell me again that he cannot assist as I am not a Cell C user and to follow up with the store but the unblacklisting of a phone takes 48 hours. I have been waiting since 21/12/2017.

This was not my doing. This was Cell C. This should be corrected by Cell C but I am not getting any feedback, the call centre agents know nothing, and I cannot directly follow up on this and have to rely on a store clerk who is lying to me and not doing anything about this situation!!!

I am not about to lose a legitimately purchased R15,000 phone to Cell C.

Maybe the police can take this further when I open up a case of ***** against them.