Despicable customer service

<p>I am now a pensioner and have had a contract with MTN for approximately 15 years.</p> <p>The contract I currently have is with a Blackberry phone.</p> <p>I get 200 airtime minutes and 300 text messages a month on my contract. Plus of course I get free internet with my package. Called BIS.</p> <p>My billing period is from the 22nd of a month to the 21st of the following month.</p> <p>I basically use the phone in the same way each month - some calls, some texts , whatsapp and checking sport on internet.so no great peaks or anything like that. My accounts from November last year till 21 March 2016 were : R 312, R290, R307, R356 and R 299.</p> <p>Then inexplicably on 21 April 2016 I receive an account for just over R1,900 . More than the aggregate of the previous 5 months - as I said previously - using the phone in the usual way that I do. In that billing period 22 March to 21 April 2016 ) I was only in South Africa. And looking at my itemised bill, every number recorded on that bill starts with (27). And in the summary - there was 1 call charge of R2-63.</p> <p>As far as I'm concerned, MTN have made a mistake in my billing.</p> <p>So, on 1 June I went to the MTN office at Canal Walk to query the account.</p> <p>I was told they cannot actually see any information on their computer screens ( really ? ), and my query would be sent to Head Office ( or wherever ) for investigation and I WOULD GET FEEDBACK WITHIN 48 HOURS.</p> <p>I did not receive any feedback.</p> <p>So, on 8 June I called their Call Centre and asked for feedback on my query.</p> <p>They said the original query had been sent to the "wrong department"but now was correct and I WOULD GET FEEDBACK IN 48 HOURS.</p> <p>I did not receive any feedback.</p> <p>So, on 10 June I called again. Still no feedback available but was for the 3rd time TOLD I WOULD GET FEEDBACK IN 48 HOURS.</p> <p>I did not receive any feedback.</p> <p>On 20 June I phoned the Call Centre for the 3rd time. Still nothing done rec query and again was told I WOULD GET FEEDBACK IN 48 HOURS. ( Spoke to Zimkhitha and Ref : ********** )</p> <p>I did not receive any feedback.</p> <p>So in despair, on 27 June I sent an email to the Customer Service AGAIN EXPLAINING AND DETAILING MY QUERY ( AND FRUSTRATION AT POOR SERVICE).</p> <p>On 1 July I received a simple explanation that I was "out of bundle " and the charges were vaild. ( Mmapula Maleba Ref : ********** 21 )</p> <p>On 2 July I rep**** saying the bill was impossible and asking for an itemised bill to prove that I was out of bundle.</p> <p>On 5 July they rep**** saying they needed my full details in order to proceed with the query. Sounds silly as they already had all my details.</p> <p>On 7 July I provided them with all my details. I also, accepting that I han't paid the extraorisdinary R 1,900 odd bill , paid an amount of R650 at their Cape Gate Branch - this , in my mind, covering the recent 2 months of "normal "activity. Paid in good faith.</p> <p>On 8 July they rep**** - suggesting these could be öut of country"charges but also saying that they could not provide me with an itemised bill as part of my query as my account was now in arrears! ( Hiekani Sambo Ref : ********** 13 ) </p> <p>On 10 July I rep**** that was unacceptable. I had been querying for 40 days and that my account was NOT in arrears when my query started. Just that their poor service had led to this situation. I requested that they provide with with an itemised bill.</p> <p>Never got a reply.</p> <p>On 19 July I followed up with Hiekani asking when I could receive a reply.</p> <p>To-date have STILL NOT RECEIVED A REPLY. </p> <p> </p> <p>In between I visted their Tygervalley Office. Spoke to Ashra. Ref : ********** . She promised she would investigate and provide feedback.</p> <p>At this stage it was 100% established that the extraordinary bill was due to me been charged for extra SHORT MESSAGES sent by me in that April billing. There was an additional SHORT MESSAGE charge of R1429-64.</p> <p>So this amount was just to do with sms text messages. I find this impossible as I never basically exceed my 300 text messages per month. ( Ref : ********** )</p> <p>Never heard from Ashra.</p> <p>On 22 July I went back to Tygervalley. Ashra was off ill ( just that day ) and I now spoke to Mark. At least he was basically helpful. My phone had been cut off ( in arrears ) and he arranged for it to be reconnected. And he, using the Ashra Reference, sent a new ürgent"enquiry to "Head Office "to resolve this issue. He felt that they had made an error and that it was im[possible that I had used 300 text messages. He mentioned they sometimes charge for non-inclusive texts ie to competition etc. But... my bill for that month had only shown the additional Call Charge of R 2-63.</p> <p>I followed up with on 25 July. He said I should request an itemised bill - but that I had to pay for that. Approximately R21 as I recall. So I requested an itemised Bill.</p> <p>I have now received the itemised bill. </p> <p>In the bill it lists 278 numbers that I dialled in that March/April month. </p> <p>On 29 July I visited the Cape Gate Branch and spoke to a Eugene. Was doing some shopping in the Centre. He has tried to be helpful. He confirmed that the 278 numbers dialled represent the total of all my calls and text messages, All are to my usual friend and family contacts. All are to SA numbers. So even if all were text messages, that is still not using my allocation of 300 texts per month. <br /> On 22 July I received my usual text from MTN saying that they had loaded my new months allocation ie 200 airtime minutes and 300 text messages. Later THAT day, I received another text message from MTN saying I had üsed up my Credit Usage and would start incurring charges ( out of bundle ?? ) .</p> <p>AMAZING - as at that stage I may have sent 1 or 2 text messages in the new cycle- not 300!.</p> <p>Also - they provide a number you can call to determine your current status re your situation. I checked and then Eugene checked and amazingly it showed that I have 711 minutes of talktime available and 596 text messages available !!!!!!</p> <p>So - I am totally perplexed. And now 60 days after first starting my query, and approximately 13 contacts later there IS STILL NO PROGRESS.</p> <p>And once again I'm being prejudiced in that my phone is cut-off so cannot make or receive any form of communication.</p> <p>I mention in the interim on 22 July at Tygervalley I paid my June account of R305.</p> <p>I have spent over R150 on petrol money with all my visits, [Plus hours of my time and I cannot even use the phone.</p> <p>How and when will this ever be resolved.??</p> <p>Please help.</p> <p>Many thanks.</p> <p>Regards.</p> <p>Peter.</p> <p>PS : PLEASE NOTE THAT WITH MY PHONE CUT YOU CANNOT REACH ME ON MY CELL - ONLY VIA EMAIL.</p>