Bad service and system at MTN

The last two week was a nightmare dealing with MTN. I have one account with four individual contracts with MTN; 1. My Private Cell Number 2. My Business Cell Number 3. My Data Line 4. My wife’s Cell Phone I have been dealing with MTN for over 15 years with no late payments or debit orders being dishonoured. Previously there were even more cell numbers attached to my account when my two daughter were still students. So my perception is that I was and still is a good customer of MTN. On the 15th of November 2018 I left South Africa on a business visit to Mali and Ghana being away for 2 weeks. I travelled to Ghana via Addis Ababa. On arrival in Addis Ababa I noticed that my business cell number did not allow me to make roaming calls. I must note here, my phones were all open for roaming for at least the last 10 years or more. On arrival in Accra my private cell number was able to roam however my business cell number was unable to make or receive calls. Now I must stress here that my business cell number is my business lifeline when not at office as my office number is diverted to my business cell number as I work all alone, in other words I do not have a secretary or somebody answering my office phone. Luckily my private phone was working and I could therefore make emergency call and stay in contact with my family. Then suddenly both my private cell phone as well as my wife’s phone was dead and all I was notified by sms was due to over exceeding my credit limit. Now previously in 2011 I was in Canada for over 4 weeks for business. At that stage my business cell phone account ran up to over R8000.00 and it was paid by the end of the month by debit order. Now suddenly I was restricted by now no notification to just over R3000.00 I had no means to contact mtn as I was not staying at a hotel and mtn do not provide an international support number and as both my phones were suspended it would have anyway impossible to phone them. I could correspond with my wife via the internet on WhatsApp and asked her to contact mtn on my behalf. She contacted mtn and explained my situation. However the customer call centre were not interested to help (she had all my detail) as she was not the account holder. I understand due to the *******ive situation in South Africa mtn must take some safety measures, however each and every situation have merits. They could have asked her to do an affidavit at the police and I was willing to send a letter of authority that she could act on my behalf. No luck from mtn side – nothing at all. Aventually my wife went the closest mtn agents in Boksburg and the lady there were so kind as to help. However she had to pay R2100,00 for a recharge voucher. This also did not cured the problem. At least my private cell number was now working Then I start sending emails to mtn customer care and asking them to help. All I got back was go to the website and fix it yourself. I tried, but the website is so user unfriendly with no direction and that it was impossible to raise my credit limit. I asked them to call be on my private cell number as I still could not reach mtn on it. Nobody bothered to call me. I returned this morning, the 30th of November and phoned mtn. I bitterly complained and then was transferred to credit control. My limit is now raised however my business phone can still not make call. Again I call the customer care centre and I was told the following; About 3 to 4 weeks ago I upgraded my Data Line. Now according to the customer care centre this will cause to the effect that all the contracts on my account will the go to zero. I exploded and told the lady that how it is possible that if one contract is upgraded that it will have an effect on all my other individual contracts unbeknown to me. I told her that it is a total unfair system as each contract must run independent from the other. I have now made at least 3 calls today with no luck at all and I am not able to make calls. I am beyond angry and disappointed with the bad service from mtn. I must say there is one person that is really trying to help and that is Mpoh and collections. Thank you Mpoh Pieter Theunissen **********