Billing nightmare

Good day Mr Rayner,

As a valued customer of Multichoice now for many years (I took out my first contract in 1998), I am writing to you out of utter desperation, frustration and disgust,

I am literally sitting here crying because I am so angry with your company and the lack of service/feedback received to date.

And I am going to explain to you why...

I was unemployed between January 2017 to middle of March 2017. My DSTV premium went off via debit order on the 25th of each month starting from the 25th of January 2017. I asked for the billing date to be the 25th because that was the date I used to get paid at my previous employer and I assumed would be my salary payment date at my future employer too.

In March 2017 I was fortunate enough to find a new job but unfortunately my salary payment dates were all over the place - let me illustrate it to you: March 2017: I received my salary for April on the 23rd of March April 2017: I received my salary for May on the 25th of April May 2017: I received my salary for June on the 25th of May June 2017: I received my salary for July on the 26th of June July 2017: I received my salary for August on the 26th of July August 2017: I received my salary for September on the 24th of August As you can see from the above dates, my debit order in June would've been unsuccessful as I only received my salary on the 26th of June.

I received a call from one of your consultants (a lady - unfortunately I never took her name as I was busy driving from work back home) in the Accounts department on 26/06/2017 at around 17:22 from a number ********** . The call lasted for 4m 36s. The consultant advised me that my debit order was unpaid so I made arrangements to pay it manually. I also asked her to change my account to cash instead of debit order because of the different dates I receive my salary and didn't want a debit order to return on my account as it negatively impacts on my credit score (over and above incurring additional costs). She convinced me to keep my account on debit order but to move my debit order date instead. She advised me that I could make my debit order date any date I choose. We then agreed that I would keep it on debit order and that the next debit order would go off my account on the 1st of August. I confirmed the amount that I would need to pay manually for my July subscription and duly paid R1,154 on the 29th of June.

On the morning of the 25th of July I woke up to find an SMS from FNB stating that my Multichoice premium had been unsuccessful. I was baffled and upset but duly paid the installment manually on the 27th of July.

I phoned the accounts department from my recorded landline at work on the 28th of July to enquire as to what had gone wrong with the debit order date. The consultant I spoke to (gentleman) was rather arrogant when I told him that I had spoken to a consultant on the 26th of June and we agreed on a debit order date of the 1st. He told me there were no notes on the system that such a conversation took place. I asked him to escalate the matter to a manager regarding the call I had on the 26th of June as I wanted feedback as to what had gone wrong (as again my credit score is affected and I have to pay additional fees for a returned debit). I also advised him that I would prefer to rather pay my installments via EFT as the payment date of my salary could pose a problem. At this point I was still civil about the whole matter and didn't even ask for my bank charges to be reversed. He advised me that he had changed my account from debit order to cash and that he would get a manager to contact me regarding the issue around my debit order date. I thought this would be the last of my problems.

On the 29th of July I received an SMS stating that my services had been suspended due to non-payment. Baffled I lodged a formal complaint on your website, explaining everything that had transpired to date. A consultant (black lady) phoned me on 29/07/2017 at around 12:05 from ********** . The call lasted for 5m 10s. I was advised to ignore the SMS as it pertains to the reversal of the unpaid debit order of the 25th. I again asked for feedback from a manager regarding my query I had lodged the day before. Now I was told there were no notes on the system pertaining to my conversation the previous day, nor any notes pertaining to the conversation that had taken place on the 26th of June but that they will again escalate it to a manager. Again I was promised that I would receive feedback.

On the 7th of August I received another SMS stating that my account is in arrears and that I immediately have to make payment of R410.58 to avoid my services being suspended. Now I am livid as I still haven't received any feedback from DSTV regarding my query that I had lodged on the 28th of July. I phoned the call centre on 07/08/2017 at 18:14. The call lasted for 31m 10s FROM MY CELL PHONE. The lady I spoke to couldn't explain to me why there was a balance of R410.58 due on my account. She advised me regarding a re-connection fee which I refused to pay. She checked the notes and also told me there were no notes on the system pertaining to the conversation I had with a consultant on the 26th of June or the 28th of July!. Shockingly she told me that my account still reflected as a debit order account and not a cash account and that I had changed my banking details on the 30th of July! I suppose you can imagine my frustration levels at that point in time.

She was kind enough to change my account to cash payment. I insisted to speak to a manager regarding the balance of R410.58 and she then transferred me to her supervisor (I didn't take names - my apologies). He also went through the notes and told me the same story - that there are no notes of any call that had taken place on the 26th of June (please see the screenshots I'd taken from my cell phone confirming there had in fact been a call) or the 28th of July. He then also confirmed that "someone" had changed my billing date from the 25th to the 2nd - hence there was now an outstanding balance of R410.58 due on my account. He couldn't tell me who had changed the billing date. He also informed me that it wouldn't be possible for a debit order to run off on the 1st as Multichoice doesn't have the 1st as a debit order date - only the 27th, 28th, 29th and the 30th. I was advised to pay the outstanding R410.58 by the end of August (for the prorata amount generated due to the change in my billing date which I grudgingly agreed to). This time around I asked for a refund regarding the R100 bank charges I had incurred due to the returned debit order of the 25th of July, to which he rep**** that only a manager can approve a refund. I then asked for a manager to contact me for feedback regarding my initial query lodged on the 28th of July as well as the refund of the R100 bank charges and was promised that I would receive a call from a manager within 48 hours. Guess what - it never happened. I left the issue - I now admit was my mistake.

So on the 25th of August I paid the outstanding R410.58 manually. On the 26th of August I checked my DSTV Now app to see if the payment reflected. To my surprise the DSTV Now app showed that I still owed R200 odd rand which would be due on the 1st of September! Irrited (and from past experience with your company's call centres) I decided to ignore it for now, assuming that the amount would be corrected/updated once my payment of R410.58 reflects and my installment of R1,154 for September becomes due.

Today I log onto my DSTV Now app to pay the R1,154 installment for my September subscription.

Lo and behold! According to Multichoice I now owe your company R1,993!!!! To clarify - I only have two active decoders (none of them PVR decoders). One decoder has an active Compact bouquet and the second an active Premium bouquet. According to your pricing structure the Premium bouquet is R789 and the Compact bouquet R365.

I am now at a loss of words for the additional R839 difference owing on my account (simple maths: R1993 - R1154).

Why don't I simply cancel my DSTV subscription? Well it's simple Mr Rayner. I am paying a Premium subscription for my unemployed retired in-laws as this is the only form of entertainment they have. I also pay a Compact subscription for my ex sister-in-law's son (18 years old) as DSTV is what keeps him off the streets and drugs. He loves his football and since they've had DSTV he doesn't hang out with the wrong crowd in the streets. So I would like to believe I'm paying DSTV for the greater good. If it weren't for them, believe me, I would have cancelled my subscription in July already.

I have nowhere else to turn to but you. As the CEO of Multichoice, you are my last resort.

I have attached my bank statements (in an email to you directly) dating back to February 2017, screenshot of all the manual payments (EFT) made to DSTV, all of my DSTV statements dating back to April 2017 and then last but not least screenshots of the calls made to DSTV and received (including the elusive/non-existent call on 26/06/2017). I need not point out the additional costs incurred in getting backdated statements from the bank etc.

I am no longer asking for feedback Mr Rayner. I now demand it.

Please do understand if I refuse to deal with or speak to any of your call centre agents or supervisors.

If my query is not resolved soonest, unfortunately my next correspondence relating to this matter will include social media, the newspapers and a lawyer.

I hope we can both find an amicable way of resolving my issues and concerns.