APPALLING INCOMPETENCE FROM MTN AND AFRIHOST!!!

I lost my phone on 23 December 2019.

Logged on to Afrihost online. My mobile service provider (the one I pay money to every month). Tried various online chat services (no response) eventually got hold of someone online who told me I'd have to wait 5 days for an Afrihost SIM to be delivered or I could go into an MTN shop.

Was going on holiday a few days later so went into an MTN shop. Bought a SIM card and was advised to call Afrihost to do the SIM swap. Eventually got hold of Afrihost a few days later (no response from various lines/ chats,, etc. ). Very long conversation then told by Afrihost that MTN was supposed to have told me to follow a different process and it was too late then to use that SIM to swap my number to. I'd have to go back to MTN. Went back to MTN shop. Assistant called someone on the phone and handed me the receiver - no briefing. The (incredibly rude) telephone consultant started barking questions at me including "Give me the number of the last 5 calls you made from the phone." (Who remembers 7 days later what are the last 5 calls they made from a phone?) "What MTN contract do you have?" (I don't I have an MTN contract I have an Afrihost contract). etc. Upshot was I failed the security questions and got "locked out" of my account. So there I was - standing in an MTN shop with my official South African ID card and proof of address being locked out of my MTN account because I couldn't prove to MTN's telephone consultant that I was who I said I was. Shop assistant showed me on screen various clauses of the contract I'd signed to show that I had in fact signed that I'd agreed to this when taking out my contract with Afrihost. My fault. So what now? I needed to get a sworn affidavit from the police to verify that I lost my phone and to place my number on record. Then get a certified copy of my id and go back to the shop. Going on holiday next morning so don't have time. After a few days in the mountains I feel I have calmed down enough to rejoin battle so call Afrihost - they are the people I pay money to after all - and ask them to help. They say I need a new SIM. Afrihost - the people I pay money to every month - seem unable to see into the MTN system to access what's happening or have any power to change it. (The question "Why am I paying them the money?" keeps going round and round in my brain.) I order an Afrihost SIM and agree to fetch it at the only Afrihost branch in Rivonia.

Leave holiday a day early to go and pick up Afrihost SIM. Take RICA documents. There is much waiting while service assistant goes and says various things to people "upstairs" and "the Dev team". Much waiting then am handed the SIM and told it's sorted. Put it in my phone but it doesn't work. More waiting and consulting with various unnamed experts who reside elsewhere in the Afrihost building. Am told the problem is that my original cell number is linked to a different ID number from mine and - guess what - this can only be sorted out by MTN. I try to explain that I feel it unlikely that MTN will agree and ask if Afrihost cannot intercede and assist me by communicating the information they have to MTN. Please. The service assistant at Afrihost makes sympathetic noises but it is very clear that this is between me and MTN. JUST TO REITERATE THAT I PAY MONEY EVERY MONTH TO AFRIHOST. Have lost track of whether or not I have the Afrihost SIM with me now or not, but reluctantly get up to leave the building. Am in Afrihost reception about to leave when someone comes barrelling down the stairs and asks "where you dealing with *** just now?" (I will keep names of all consultants out of this communication given it's not clear exactly where responisibility for all this lies and I'd hate the person at the end of the value chain to get blamed for what is very clearly a bigger issue.) I say "I'm not sure, they didn't give me their name. The stairs person says something like "are you the one with the SIM swap problem". I say that I do have a problem with that, yes. The stairs person says "well you've been given the wrong information. you'll need to wait." and disappears. Service assistant comes back, types things on their screen, mutters pleasantly but doesn't give me any information I understand. I finally ask if they can please explain to me what is going on? Service assistant is apologetic, says they made a mistake. I say no problem, please can we just sort out the problem. Unfortunately, it can't be sorted out there and then. Service assistant promises they will not sleep until they have got to the bottom of the problem and will call me back. No call. Not that night. Not the next day. Not a week later.

Decide to rejoin battle with MTN. Get my sworn affidavit and certified copy of my ID and proof of residence and go back to the MTN shop. Explain the story, hand over my papers. Everything seems simple. Buy another SIM put it in my phone. Am told to dial "173". The voice speaks xiTsonga. No-one seems able to figure out why or how to change it. Both service consultants in the MTN shop are mystified but jointly decide it's not important to speak to whoever answers the phone when you dial 173 anymore.

I am sent home with the assurance that it will take between 2 and 24 hours for my old number to be reinstated. I am sceptical. They get a little impatient with me. Eventually it becomes clear that I have to wait. Again.

I wait 4 hours then think that perhaps I should try to call MTN help from my mobile. guess what? MTN voice recording tells me my number isn't RICAd and I need to go into an MTN store.

The tone overall in most encounters was civil, but with a very clear assumption that these are technical waters and I should leave the navigation of them to those who know them. Every time I asked for information I was given short clipped responses that failed to illuminate the broader business process. They were patronising, perhaps unintentionally so, but nevertheless. Perhaps if someone at some point had taken the time to explain exactly what was going on and how it needed to be fixed I could have been more helpful.

It's also impossible to get past the first layer of service to speak to someone who might have more authority to act out of the box/ more access to information/ dare I suggest more willingness to help. No escalation. Just first line consultant after first line consultant. None of whom are have offered a workable solution and none of whom have agreed with each other.

I am a consultant and have used this number for 15 years or more. I have worked in the southern African region and internationally. I run projects. This is the number that people use to contact me. It is a concern to me that the current issues with reinstating this number may well be affecting potential business.

Please can someone from MTN and or Afrihost contact me with some clear information as to how to resolve this issue speedily!!!!!