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For several years now, I am with MTN on a month by month Made for Me XL contract. Note; this is strictly monthly and not a long term contract. Due to changed working conditions I no longer need such a high contract as I operate from home where I have fibre & WiFi. However, I want to retain my current number and move to prepaid instead.

On 18 May 2023, I considered porting my number to Vodacom due to erratic MTN coverage. On 19 May 2023 MTN sent an SMS confirming my Port request.

I have then changed my mind, and the next day decided to stay and change my contract to prepaid with MTN and retain my current number.

I instructed Vodacom to cancel the port out request and they have done so. It is no longer on their system, since 20 May 2023. They confirmed this to me by SMS on 20 May 2023. Vodacom also informs me that any porting request that is not completed within 30 days lapses automatically in any event. Note that there is no porting process from MTN to Vodacom on my number active with Vodacom.

The only way that MTN can be reached is by calling (083)135. Their Customer Care and Retention can only be reached by selecting the Cancellation option.

In the past 4 weeks, I have made at least twenty calls to MTN to change my monthly contract to prepaid. I have spent several hours on the line with MTN. They will know, as “all calls are recorded”.

The only way this change can be done, is through Cancellations. Every time I call I’m told it can’t be processed as it’s stuck with the port out request, which is a blatant lie, read on. I reiterate that the port out was cancelled by Vodacom already on 20 May 2023.

I managed to reach the Porting Out Section on a few occasions, who insists that there is absolutely no porting out request pending or in progress. The Retention Section also insists the same thing, that there is no porting out in progress. Customer Care Section reports the same and insists that there is nothing on the system that prevents the cancellation and change to prepaid.

Yet, the agents at Cancellations insist that they are simply not able to perform the cancellation due to a porting out process in progress. They insist there is a note that states the number is currently in Porting Out and technically they cannot proceed and that the system prevents it. Thus, Cancellations then transfers me to Retentions who transfers me to Customer Care who transfers me to Porting Out. This loop repeats in various sequences and iterations, all starting with Cancellations.

I have written numerous memos to the email addresses for Customercare, Retentions, Complaints, *****help and Businesscustomercare. For one of these, I received automated delivery acknowledgement, but, ZERO feedback or callback.

A discussion with a very helpful Customer Care agent raised some serious concerns. I was informed that Cancellations could deliberately frustrate the process, and give clients the run around to prevent cancellation or downscaling. If this is so, this ********* behaviour amounts to ***** and ******ion.

Considering the march of events to date, the only interpretation there can be is that MTN deliberately prevents or at least sabotages my attempt to downscale my agreement with them. Note that I am not bound by any term contract, other than a 30 day notice, which in any event was given on 19 June 2023.

In the meantime, I am simply unable to leave. With my number intact or not. MTN will continue to debit my account to the order of R800/month for a service that is largely unused.

Are there any means to assist, to escalate this to a responsible person to resolve? Or, do I appeal to the courts to compel MTN, as it seems to be the only recourse at this time.