DStv Incorrectly Cancelled Account After Change of Ownership – Loss of Funds & Penalty Charged

After the main DStv account holder passed away, we contacted DStv to transfer the services to a new customer profile. A DStv employee advised us to submit a change of ownership form and confirmed that the existing price lock contract and decoder payment would be transferred, as the account would be taken over by the deceased’s son.

We submitted all required documents, including affidavits, decoder serial numbers, and smartcard details. On the same day, a DStv representative confirmed telephonically that the switch had been completed.

Later that day, our service stopped working and we were informed that we owed R712 to continue watching. When contacting DStv again, we were told that the subscription and contract had been cancelled — something we never requested or authorized.

We were further informed that the subscription fee already paid for the month would be lost, and that we would need to pay an early cancellation penalty of around R1,400, as well as a new subscription fee, to continue watching.

We never cancelled the service and had no intention of doing so, as we use it daily. I spent more than 30 minutes on the phone while agents repeatedly consulted managers. The agent admitted that DStv made the mistake but said they could not fix it and that we would still have to pay.

This experience highlights extremely poor service, lack of proper training, and a failure to take accountability, resulting in unnecessary financial loss to a loyal, paying customer.