MTN Account / Upgrade Complaint - *****s!!!

At the end of May I received an sms from MTN to visit my nearest branch for an upgrade. I was ready to choose my new package, when an MTN employee informed me of a new clause that if I upgraded before my full term contract was up, I would end up paying in a lump sum for my old device. A kind of penalty for ending my contract early. Being with MTN for many, many years, this had never been the case before, and I was quite shocked by this new penalty that was being brought on us for being "loyal" MTN customers.

I thanked the staff member and left the store to wait out my full term contract.

A few weeks later, I was contacted by MTN and told that my current package is no longer offered by MTN, and they would have to move me to a different package with immediate effect. The phone call was recorded. I asked if I would be paying more, and was told that NO, the package would be less by almost R100 a month. I was also told that I would not be charged upgrade fees, as this wasn't an upgrade, it was a change on MTN's side.

I wasn't given a choice, and had to have the package changed, knowing that I would be upgrading soon anyway.

Now, for the last two months, instead of paying R173 for my previous package, I am now being charged R260 per month. So from a total package of R461 per month, I am now being charged R551.

This is unacceptable!!

I was hindered from upgrading early by MTN because of the device charge, but then they changed the package any way and I STILL ended up paying more. This is not the contract I signed 24 months ago.

I want my package reverted to the R173 per month that I signed up for, and the last two months extra fees refunded to me. Should I decide to stay with MTN, I will upgrade my contract when it is complete, as advised by MTN itself.

I await a response, or I will be taking this matter to the Ombudsman.