20 Years of Loyalty, Zero Service: MTN’s Endless Upgrade Nightmare!

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding the prolonged and frustrating experience I have encountered while attempting to process an upgrade with MTN. I have been trying to complete this process since Thursday, 6 February, without success, and have received no clear feedback or resolution to date.

Upon contacting the upgrade department, my details were verified, and the application process was initiated. However, I was then informed that my credit limit was 0, resulting in an automatic denial of my application. I was subsequently redirected to the credit department, where I spent a cumulative 58 minutes on two separate calls, one of which was disconnected, forcing me to start over. Despite these efforts, no one from the credit department answered my calls.

I called the upgrade department again the following day and requested to speak with a supervisor or manager since the consultant could not address my concerns. Instead, I was placed back in the queue and eventually connected with another consultant who was similarly unable to assist me. Understandably frustrated, I was eventually transferred to Ravi Pillay, who showed genuine empathy and attempted to assist as best he could.

Following Ravi's advice, I checked my Experian credit report, which incorrectly showed my MTN account as closed since November 2024, despite having an active contract that is now due for renewal. The report also reflects a spotless payment history with MTN, showing that in the 20 years I have had this contract, it has been maintained perfectly. This discrepancy raises concerns regarding the credit limit issue and the rejection of my upgrade application.

Furthermore, I have requested an email contact for the credit department due to poor reception in my area, but I have repeatedly been advised to call instead. This advice is impractical given my circumstances. I have also asked for feedback on the upgrade application submitted on Friday but have yet to receive a response.

All I was requesting is an upgrade for a Samsung A35 on the Core Plan, which includes 1GB of data and 50 minutes over 24 months at R399 per month. My available credit should be more than sufficient for this upgrade, and my consistent, 20-year track record as a reliable MTN client demonstrates my commitment to fulfilling my financial obligations.

Mfundo Mthethwa from MTN Direct Support advised it could be due to a need for a new affordability check that needs to be done, but he can't do it. Ravi went on leave and left my complaint hanging without handing it over to someone else.

In the meantime, I have taken it upon myself to call credit, who advised that since the account isn't in arrears, they can't do anything. They transferred me to billing, but they can't do anything either as the account is active with no issues. Mfundo says he can't deal with it, and neither can Ravi, so out of four departments, no one can apparently assist, escalate, or transfer the complaint to the relevant department for resolution.

I am currently unable to visit an MTN store as I am away on business. The nearest store is over 70 km away, resulting in a 140 km round trip with the same likely outcome. I even sent my mother with my ID, proof of residence, statements, and payslips to the store, and while I contacted them telephonically during her visit, they refused to assist as I was not physically present, despite having all required documentation and being available by phone and email. My current contract is ending February 26th and I will be billed at a higher rate if this can't be sorted out.

I must also express my concern about the lack of accountability and resolution in this process. It appears that the internal complaint escalation procedures are either ineffective or not being followed, as I have been shuffled from department to department without any meaningful progress.

For reference, the internal ticket number associated with this matter is Ticket #***.

I trust that this matter will be treated with the urgency it deserves and that a resolution will be provided without further delay.

Thank you for your time and assistance.

Kind regards,

Mari Boshoff