Deplorable Service

In November 2022, I took up the annual “Black Friday” deal when the opportunity presented itself. The package was for R 499 p/m over 24 months, which includes internet excess. I subsequently gave notice to my internet provider at the time that I was moving over to DSTV and would be canceling my subscription. The service was then duly canceled at the end of December 2022. However, when DSTV delivered their router, it was without the important “Sim-Card” to activate the service. I subsequently informed the DSTV of this, but after numerous telephone calls to the Call Centre, waiting more than 10 minutes to be assisted each time. However, after doing that on numerous occasions without getting any help, every consultant you speak to, simply by default, promises you the “Sun & Moon”, but nothing comes of it. As a result, I am now spending a fortune on mobile data for the family, as we do not have any internet excess at home anymore. Out of frustration, I went to the agency in Gezina, Pretoria and they duly passed me off to the DSTV-Kiosk in the Menlyn Shopping Centre. Apparently, they only deal with “Certain Clients” – It made no sense, but what do I know? I had to duly cart myself off, 20 kilometers away to Menlyn from Gezina. At the DSTV-Kiosk I met with, Ms. Lebo Sibiya, who committed to championing my cause. I felt good, as I had contact with a physical person who supposedly had my “Best Interest at Heart”. It was however not to be, as it is now the second week and Ms. Sibiya only claims that she is also “Waiting” for the “Main Office” to assist. Now I do not know whether this is the truth, or simply a default answer when I happen to call and probably get given the “middle finger” as soon as I put the phone down. Now imagine if a DSTV employee apparently has “difficulty” in getting assistance, what better chance does a normal customer have? The Call-Centre is so dysfunctional and you are compelled to rather take a 30-minute drive to the nearest Contact Centre and queue endlessly, as there are only two centers in the Pretoria area for that purpose. Here you are also at their “mercy”; depending on how committed the person behind the counter is in assisting you. If you are unlucky on the day and they are indifferent, you are left to your own devices, as they would be sending you from “pillar to Post” going forward.

I have a running debit order instruction, yet the internet service is still disconnected. DSTV-Multichoice is very good in their billing and will not leave a stone unturned to vigorously pursue you in order to get their money and then some, however, the service is not commensurate. In spite of all my best efforts, by the time of me penning this post, not a single person has gone out of their way to assist me, I do not have the required “Sim-Card” and I am still none the wiser. Therefore, I am of the opinion that I was signed up to the contract under “False Pretenses”, just for the sake of enrolling as many people as they can. I am profoundly disappointed by the deplorable Multichoice-DSTV service. In the greater scheme of things, this would be unacceptable to the normal person on the street. This whole matter invariably leaves a bad taste and I am sure that any person would agree that no one should be subjected to this atrocious customer service. I feel I have no other alternative but to bring this unsatisfactory conduct to the attention of DSTV senior management. I, therefore, please need someone in management to please convince me to not cancel the contract, as I see no point in continuing with it if this is the atrocious level of service, to which I am subjected.