Failure to cancel contract and charged for 2 years extra.
<p>I had been using MTN for a few years and no major issues. </p> <p> </p> <p>But I was going to leave South Africa in August 2014 but my contract was not going to end until May 2015. So I decided to pay the last few months rather than pay a penalty. </p> <p> </p> <p>I contacted MTN staff and stated that I would like to cancel my contract and not renew once it expires. They stated that this would happen. I also stated that I do not wish for this number to go prepaid as I will no longer be using the number. </p> <p> </p> <p>I was provided with some forms and sent them in along with a copy of my drivers license. I still have these emails along with replies from their staff. </p> <p> </p> <p>I thought all was well until I checked my old bank account 2 months ago and I found a direct debit charge. I thought this was stange as I cancelled everything before I left the country. I dug around and I found a monthly charge of R255 from MTN since my contract expired. They have been taking fees from my account every month for the last 2 years. </p> <p> </p> <p>I rep**** to the original staff and the monitored mailbox I contacted originally to ask why this has happened and to finally cancel this charge and to reverse the deducted funds as I have not used this number since leaving SA. </p> <p> </p> <p>No reply. This is a reoccurring theme. </p> <p> </p> <p>In the last 2 months I have tried emailing every MTN email address I could find, the staff who handled my contract cancellation, the BusinessEC mailbox and the customer care mailbox but I have not gotten a reply after about 10 emails. I tried their websites message system and I even logged a complaint on their website. Nothing. </p> <p> </p> <p>All I've gotten is automated replies and a new ticket number. </p> <p> </p> <p>I have tried contacting their customer service phone numbers. The prepaid one does not work abroad and if I use the contract one it tells me my number is prepaid and I must press 2 to connect to the prepaid number which then promptly tells me 'goodbye' and disconnects me. </p> <p> </p> <p>I have now tried their FB page message system. No reply, do read status. </p> <p> </p> <p>I am beyond frustration with this company. It is impossible for me to contact them to get a reply. </p> <p> </p> <p>I can't even cancel the direct debit through my banking app. </p> <p> </p> <p>I will never use their services again and I highly recommend that if you plan on leaving them that you check and double check that they actually have cancelled the charges. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>
I have received a reply finally from the MTN Facebook page asking me for some details.
After some back and forth they have now told me that the charge of R255 is a late cancellation fee and if I wish this can be refunded.
After stating a few times that this cannot be a late cancellation fee as I requested the cancellation back in 2014 to happen when my contract ended in May 2015 and that this fee has been deducted from my account every month since.
That is about 26 months of charges for a month to month prepaid account that I specifically asked not to have.
I have the entire original email chain requesting the cancellation to occur and for the account to not go prepaid along with the forms. I have the original ticket number as well.
I have now been informed that I only cancelled the contract in July of 2017.
I have now requested an email address that I can forward this original request to and I am awaiting a reply.
I thought I would finally be able to put this issue to rest but it has gone from bad to worse.
I have received a reply finally from the MTN Facebook page asking me for some details.
After some back and forth they have now told me that the charge of R255 is a late cancellation fee and if I wish this can be refunded.
After stating a few times that this cannot be a late cancellation fee as I requested the cancellation back in 2014 to happen when my contract ended in May 2015 and that this fee has been deducted from my account every month since.
That is about 26 months of charges for a month to month prepaid account that I specifically asked not to have.
I have the entire original email chain requesting the cancellation to occur and for the account to not go prepaid along with the forms. I have the original ticket number as well.
I have now been informed that I only cancelled the contract in July of 2017.
I have now requested an email address that I can forward this original request to and I am awaiting a reply.
I thought I would finally be able to put this issue to rest but it has gone from bad to worse.
I have gotten another reply from the MTN Social Media team and they have instructed me to contact the customer care team via mail.
This is the same team that have ignored my numerous emails for months. I see no use but I have now emailed them the entire proof that I requested the cancellation in 2014 and 2015 along with my forms.
I do not hold any high hopes of this team contacting me as they have not rep**** to my previous emails.
I have gotten another reply from the MTN Social Media team and they have instructed me to contact the customer care team via mail.
This is the same team that have ignored my numerous emails for months. I see no use but I have now emailed them the entire proof that I requested the cancellation in 2014 and 2015 along with my forms.
I do not hold any high hopes of this team contacting me as they have not rep**** to my previous emails.
I did a deeper dive into my old South African bank account and it appears that I was not infact charged since my contract expired. The fees did stop.
But... in December of 2016 the charges started, out of nowhere.
I have had zero contact with MTN in this period and I did not open a new account or contract. Somehow they have started charging me for something I have not purchased or authorised. This is quite ******* from my understanding .
I have once again gotten no response from the customer service team as I suspected.
This issue needs to be resolved ASAP.
I did a deeper dive into my old South African bank account and it appears that I was not infact charged since my contract expired. The fees did stop.
But... in December of 2016 the charges started, out of nowhere.
I have had zero contact with MTN in this period and I did not open a new account or contract. Somehow they have started charging me for something I have not purchased or authorised. This is quite ******* from my understanding .
I have once again gotten no response from the customer service team as I suspected.
This issue needs to be resolved ASAP.