********** Activity on my MTN account

Does MTN realise how useless their employees are? Got a sms on Sunday that my details were updated as requested.(I had not requested any changes) I phone 808 only to be told that there was no activity on my account and it must be a late sms from my upgrade in MARCH? Really? I could not get anywhere trying to explain to her that I was scared of ***** being committed on my account. Utterly frustrating !

I went into my local MTN store in Summerstrand where the helpful lady checked on the system and A NEW NUMBER HAD BEEN ADDED AND THIS NEW CONTRACT HAD ALREADY BEEN ACTIVATED, thus the upgrade sms

So how could the call centre lady NOT see that an application was done on the Saturday and a new phone with a package had already been approved by the time I had called her.

Now, the store that issued this new upgrade in a different town and provice from where I reside must have done so without double checking or verifying the applicant's ID, or ANY other details!

It so happened that this applicant has a main account with MTN that is one digit different to my daughter's number, and they just proceeded without properly following the verification process

The store at fault had the number removed but it now seems like the contract of the ********** upgrade has been added to my account and might come off on my next debit order, as I was informed via sms this morning that I have reached the credit limit on my account and my services have been suspended.

This is not possible as ALL my contracts with MTN are on a top-up basis as to avoid running up a huge bill, so if my minutes and data have run out I have to load airtime thus I have no access to anything beyond my package and my bill remains constant each month.

So I call 808 this morning (Thursday, 7 September 2017) to find out about this limit I have reached and to query the amount that has apparently led to all of this. But the BILLING department can’t see my billing or any open/active/not yet finalised amount on my account. After lots of frustration and the consultant repeating the same "I have to call back tomorrow when the invoices have been finalised" ******* like a parrot, I gave up (again)!

Due to the total lack of service from consultants at the 808 call centre, I had to waste my time to go into my local MTN store (again) to get my account unblocked. Steps followed and the lady confirmed that I just needed to restart my device and all should be O.K. Well it was not! I called 808 (again) and the NOT VERY CUSTOMER CARE lady said for such technical queries I had to call another number and she can’t transfer me. How do I call another 083-number with a SUSPENDED phone??

She then had the audacity to say I must find someone with a phone so she expects me to use somebody else's airtime to fix MTN’s FAULT??

So MTN really seems to be living up to all the bad reviews in terms of customer care. Never thought I would say that after more than 15 problem-free years with my service provider.

Today, 11 September 2017, I receive my new bill, due at the end of the month.

The sales consultant at the MTN store at fault, appears to have cancelled the additional contract that was **********ly added to MY name by doing an EARLY TERMINATION because that is how it reflects on my statement. This mistake has led to a charge of R18 471.42 to MY bill. Summerstrand MTN confirmed with me that he should have done a NON-CALLING SIM which would not have resulted in any charges. He did forward Summerstrand the proof of requesting a "non-calling" sim today, but very cleverly deleted the original date and time of that message, so for all I know it might have only been done after we called him, informing him of the charges to my bill.

Furthermore, I believe that the ********** number was indeed activated, as I received the upgrade sms on Sunday 3 September although Stellenbosch denies this. It saddens me that the store manager at Stellenbosch did not check this before telephonically ensuring me on Thursday, 7 September that I would not be held liable for any charges due to their incompetence.