Confusing Billing and NO ASSISTANCE!!!
<p>On 15 September I saw my upcoming bill for R4000 odd. I called to query it with Morne La Grange who emailed his team to send me itemised billing. Someone emailed me me a CDR and URL excel spreadsheets which explained nothing and just confused me. I asked one of his team members to call me back almost daily and for two weeks no one got back to me. I finally threw my toys and threatened to go to Hello Peter and suddenly got a call from Cherildene Matthews. I explained that all I had received are two useless excel spreadsheets, one with the websites visited but no cost information against it and the other with sim number, date and cost but no site or data explanation. I did not agree to pay this exorbitant bill until he charges were adequately explained to me. Cherildene said she understood why I was confused and would call me back once she could match up the bills for me and explain the charges. I then get an email the next day from Cherildene with half a page explaining how to match up the bills once again which would take a month of sundays, and again no phone call as she promised. I also requested a payment plan of which I was told by Morne I could pay it off (I asked for a detailed breakdown first though) over three months. I contested the three months payment plan. I have never missed a payment on my bill in years...why only 3 months MTN?? No such luck, the entire amount of 4 grand was debited off my account in one go this month. I am absolutely furious and frustrated. No one seems to care that I am left with no money. I hate to name and shame but at the same time I am SICK TO DEATH of lack of customer service from MTN and this country as a whole so I have had to resort to this. If the employees are so baffled by the bills themselves that they cannot call the customer to explain it well then there is a serious problem inside your house. I said I was happy to pay the account if they could justify it but all I get is a baffling email with the same two reports once again. I have had to reverse the charges with my bank as I cannot afford to be out of pocket by 4 grand. I plan to move SPs tomorrow, this is just pathetic and the worst kind of incompetence.</p>
I posted a complaint on the MTN fb site and was contacted this evening by someone claiming to be an online agent assisting me with my query. MTN logo etc and all looked legit. They said they could assist me if I made part payment of EFT into this account number but I need to do it NOW. 1st red flag. I then freely handed out my ID number, telephone number, email address, postal address and screen shots of my internet banking statement (so they could VERIFY me) to whom I thought was an MTN employee. EVERYTHING they need to access my accounts through a call center or make payments using my credit card number which was on my statement. I caught on when they asked me what I'm earning before and after tax??!!. So when I started questioning them and said I would need to verify who they are and would need to also verify the bank details with the MTN call center they gave me for the EFT... suddenly they became abrupt and annoyed with me wanting to verify the details and only then did I realise what had happened. I have now had to cancel every single one of my bank accounts and cards and internet banking. Someone is trawling the MTN site looking for victims and unfortunately tonight it's me.
I posted a complaint on the MTN fb site and was contacted this evening by someone claiming to be an online agent assisting me with my query. MTN logo etc and all looked legit. They said they could assist me if I made part payment of EFT into this account number but I need to do it NOW. 1st red flag. I then freely handed out my ID number, telephone number, email address, postal address and screen shots of my internet banking statement (so they could VERIFY me) to whom I thought was an MTN employee. EVERYTHING they need to access my accounts through a call center or make payments using my credit card number which was on my statement. I caught on when they asked me what I'm earning before and after tax??!!. So when I started questioning them and said I would need to verify who they are and would need to also verify the bank details with the MTN call center they gave me for the EFT... suddenly they became abrupt and annoyed with me wanting to verify the details and only then did I realise what had happened. I have now had to cancel every single one of my bank accounts and cards and internet banking. Someone is trawling the MTN site looking for victims and unfortunately tonight it's me.
After much retrospection with regards to the events that unfolded last night I have come to the conclusion that this is MTN's fault. If their employee had called me back and followed through with what was promised and sorted out my query, and I didn't have to beg and plead daily for weeks to have my billing explained to me in layman's terms and not in baffling code in excel spreadsheets, then I wouldn’t have felt the need to take it to social media and name and shame them. I also might not have been so eager and pleased to have the person who was posing as an MTN representative help me online. I might have been more diligent about checking the profile first. I also wouldn't be writing this from a chair sitting across from a bank representative who has spent the last hour and a half basically wiping my banking accounts, online banking and cancelling and reissuing my cards to be on the 'safe side'. It’s all good though, two hours of my life and a bit of admin to get the better of someone who thinks they are getting the better of me? So worth it!
We are also so used to the mediocrity and the "can't care" attitude that we have come to know so well as South Africans when dealing with these institutions that a lot of the time we let it go because it's too much effort or because all our efforts do is lead us from one *********** call centre agent to another. For all I know the ********* could have been an employee's way of getting back at me for naming and shaming them on hello Peter and MTN Facebook. Now I'm not saying this is the case, it really could have been a chance encounter of some random person trawling the sites to find a victim of non-service to pounce on...but really who is to say either way? The bank official who helped me change all my accounts this morning made me aware of something I hadn't even thought of. If that ********* works at MTN they could do a sim swap on my phone seeing as they have all my details so all my otp's (over the phone) transactions can go through them now. So they could basically take over my entire life in a single calculated move just by obtaining a few of my personal details.
So people there are repercussions for not standing your ground and putting up with the kind of incompetence I received... for both the individual and the organisation. MTN I may just be one little tiny fish in your big pond, but when many little fish swim together against the tide you are going to eventually feel the waves. MTN if you are interested in actually ever getting back to me, I have every email and every message saved in case you need may need proof of the events that have taken place.
After much retrospection with regards to the events that unfolded last night I have come to the conclusion that this is MTN's fault. If their employee had called me back and followed through with what was promised and sorted out my query, and I didn't have to beg and plead daily for weeks to have my billing explained to me in layman's terms and not in baffling code in excel spreadsheets, then I wouldn’t have felt the need to take it to social media and name and shame them. I also might not have been so eager and pleased to have the person who was posing as an MTN representative help me online. I might have been more diligent about checking the profile first. I also wouldn't be writing this from a chair sitting across from a bank representative who has spent the last hour and a half basically wiping my banking accounts, online banking and cancelling and reissuing my cards to be on the 'safe side'. It’s all good though, two hours of my life and a bit of admin to get the better of someone who thinks they are getting the better of me? So worth it!
We are also so used to the mediocrity and the "can't care" attitude that we have come to know so well as South Africans when dealing with these institutions that a lot of the time we let it go because it's too much effort or because all our efforts do is lead us from one *********** call centre agent to another. For all I know the ********* could have been an employee's way of getting back at me for naming and shaming them on hello Peter and MTN Facebook. Now I'm not saying this is the case, it really could have been a chance encounter of some random person trawling the sites to find a victim of non-service to pounce on...but really who is to say either way? The bank official who helped me change all my accounts this morning made me aware of something I hadn't even thought of. If that ********* works at MTN they could do a sim swap on my phone seeing as they have all my details so all my otp's (over the phone) transactions can go through them now. So they could basically take over my entire life in a single calculated move just by obtaining a few of my personal details.
So people there are repercussions for not standing your ground and putting up with the kind of incompetence I received... for both the individual and the organisation. MTN I may just be one little tiny fish in your big pond, but when many little fish swim together against the tide you are going to eventually feel the waves. MTN if you are interested in actually ever getting back to me, I have every email and every message saved in case you need may need proof of the events that have taken place.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
We are terribly sorry for the inconveniences that you experienced as a result of this. We completely understand the frustration it causes.
The matter has been referred to the management of our Billing team for urgent attention. They will investigate and feedback to you with a way forward.
Rest assured, it is not our intention to displease you. We do look forward to improving on the service delivery to you.
Regards
Winnie
REQ:***
Best regards,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
We are terribly sorry for the inconveniences that you experienced as a result of this. We completely understand the frustration it causes.
The matter has been referred to the management of our Billing team for urgent attention. They will investigate and feedback to you with a way forward.
Rest assured, it is not our intention to displease you. We do look forward to improving on the service delivery to you.
Regards
Winnie
REQ:***
Best regards,
Hi Winnie
I have also escalated this matter to Avinash Maharaj who asked his team to call me again. AGAIN no-one has called me. I am now beyond fed up. Please advise how I disengage from my contract early and without penalties? I am really not even interested in discussing the matter any further, I just want out.
Hi Winnie
I have also escalated this matter to Avinash Maharaj who asked his team to call me again. AGAIN no-one has called me. I am now beyond fed up. Please advise how I disengage from my contract early and without penalties? I am really not even interested in discussing the matter any further, I just want out.