****med in broad daylight by MTN sales personnel

As it is with most internet & mobile service providers in South Africa, the human element is damn-near non-existent. MTN is a massive conglomerate corporation (as I'm sure is the case with Vodacom - but they didn't **** me when I had a contract with them). MTN offer insurance on your devices but the insurer is a 3rd party so if they fail or you have issues with insurance, MTN just passed the buck.

And - to the point - MTN does not actually manage or handle the upgrades process for its clients. They have out-sourced this to a company called REWARDSCO - "Founded in 1996, Rewardsco has evolved into a market-leading provider of outsourced sales, distribution and after-sales support services to local and international clients in the growing...etc" So it was that, while trying to find a suitable upgrade after putting it on hold for months, I came across a great deal that claimed a package for a Redmi Note 10 Pro Plus - INCLUDING a Redmi tablet for R460 per month for 36 months. Not only did I see this advert only, on the MTN app but I was also sent this ad via the MTN WhatsApp broadcaster. I clicked on the add and was asked to supply my MTN number for a call back. I was later called - by an MTN sales consultant - during the sales pitch and resultant upgrade confirmation, I re-iterated several times (thrice I think) that I was only hi l getting this upgrade because the phone would be packaged with the tablet. The salesperson assured me that this was in fact the deal and I would be getting this package. BUT, the salesperson then said that, due to stock issues, I would recommend the phone first and the tablet would come later... After a week of having the phone and no word on the tablet, I went into an MTN store to enquire. They were immediately concerned because packages "never" come separately. They then informed me that I would need to contact REWARDSCO - which shocked me because this was an MTN upgrade. The REWARDSCO consultant opened an "investigation" into the matter and assured me that the phonecall was recorded and my claims can be verified... But here's my major issue and overall concern: If another (3rd party - Rewardsco) company make an MTN upgrade or open an account on your behalf, and their main modus operandi is to make as many monthly sales as possible; what is to stop them from ****ming any and every MTN client into binding themselves into a *****ulent contract? And, with glacial speed of the justice system, you will be paying those increased contract fees for months before your case is cleared. In the meantime time - MTN can take the interest off the top of this **** operation as that month sits in their account for that time, month end to month end. They are then also not liable for any wrong doings as they have "out-sourced" responsibility over the whole sales event. Although this may sound dramatic - we really are at the mercy of gangster-like companies in how they swindle and gain from our lack of choices.