Winter Promo(R899) - false advertising.

New special offer, winter promo R899 (decoder, installation and 3 months free access package).

Unfortunately there is no 0 stars option. Back story. I bought my mom a smart TV with digital tuner a few years back. Suddenly e-tv dtt stopped working for some reason.

We disconnected DSTV due to the high cost and limited packaged offerings years ago.

I saw the winter promo offering for 899(decoder, installation, 3 months access) on Takealot (also available at OK Furnitures) and decided to buy it for my mom.

Got it installed and registered in her own name, installed myDStv app on her phone. The decoder was active(1 Sept).

On 2 Sept she called me to ask if she(73 years old) needs to pay the balance(R58) on the account. I told her no, I'll check later.

I added the chat number(Multichoice) on her phone on 2 Sept and immediately entered into a chat with the bot saying DSTv Access Package Status: Awaiting payment

Entered chat with Linah wanting to know why there is a balance of 58.26 on the account when the decoder was purchased with 3 months free access. According to her the charges was for the period from 1 Sept to 15 Sept. Why do I have to pay for free service. Response Linah: Access Package is not free you need to pay to keep your service active until payment date. Sent her an image of the decoder packaging stating decoder, installation and 3 months subscription on us(DStv promo) Linah: where did you buy the decoder. From takealot screenshot of purchase. Linah: hold while I escalate. Sent her a copy of the invoice from takealot. Please hold 5 minutes later. Linah: I have escalated so they can load discount reference number #INC-***5 feedback takes 24-48 hours.

No feedback received whatsoever.

16 Sept. Mom ask me to come check her decoder there is no signal.

Service has been suspended, balance of R212.15 due. Balance brought forward 37.45 ( after discount of R20.80 winter promo has been app****) plus 174.70(DStv Access subscription) Total amount 212.15 due by 2023/09/16.

Chat with Claudia: your payment date was on the 15th. Tell her about the promo. How did you get the promo...something went wrong on our side - The chat was ended abruptly.

Chat with Neo: Explain the entire story again. Defence given etc. After a lot of shenanigans Neo re-activates service, mom is happy but the account is still not sorted.

20 September: Service disconnected again.

Account Balance 262.15 (R50 + R50 reconnection fees disconnected 2 times in 20 days).

Chat with 3 more representatives. Sent proof of purchase again, sent image of packaging again. The issue is still not resolved.

Calvo Mawelwa earned R46.6 million and Tim Jacobs R25 million for the year. Yet you are trying to rob oldvpeople and poor people by falsely advertising products. Shameless.

Mom wants me to get a refund from takealot to return the decoder at this point.

This amount of incompetence you don't even see in government. For a company that will celebrate 30 years next year I really can't understand why this is the case.