Refusal of cell c to cancel contact

November 2019 cell c made some changes to my cellular contract without my knowledge or even consulting me. Their billing system changed which meant that I am unable to make calls to numbers with 087 or 0860 or 0800 with the monthly minutes I received iro my contract. For such calls I had to buy additional airtime. Which results that over and the above the R390 I pay for my contract I also have to buy additional airtime. It resulted in calls to my insurance and medical aid was no longer possible. I informed cell c of my dissatisfaction to this. I requested the cancellation of my contract as this has become a rather expensive exercise for me to have a contract with cell c. They were also unable to migrate me to the initial contract I had with them. Their response was that i must pay them R3000 to buy out my contract as they do not accept that they are in breach. I informed them that I was not the one unilaterally changed my contract they did it without my consent or consultation. The local store informed me that many customers are unhappy about the conduct of cell c as many found themselves in my position. Cell C then became clever and stated but I gave my prior written consent ito the contract allowing them to the billing or whatever changes they deemed fit during my contractual period. Referring me to the relevent clause in the contract.

I then started researching the legality on this. The western cape high court in a similar case ruled that service providers have an obligation to inform customers prior to signing contracts to point out and explain such clauses which adversely impact on their consumer rights to ensure that consumers understand the implications of signing the contract and agreeing to something like the above.

I have always been satisfied with cell c but after the financial mess they found themselves in they changed and made decisions which adversely affected customers.

Cell c to this very day refused to accept my cancellation based on their breach of contract. They then just proceeded in ignoring me.