MTN AND CUSTOMER SERVICE ARE WORDS THAT DO NOT BELONG IN THE SAME SENTENCE.

On Wednesday 3 January I received an sms telling me that I have an overdue account balance of R125.86 which I must pay to avoid service suspension.

I immediately called Customer Service and spoke to Charity Mkhwa**** and told her that I paid more than the balance owing on my account (as per my habit every single month) on the 18th of December 2017 and that I should be in credit. She looked up my details and said that I had only paid R305 . I said I have never in my entire contract only paid R305 and that I had in fact paid R500. She said that I was mistaken and that I paid R500 the previous month and only R305 this month. I said that I was sitting with the bank statement in front of me proving that I had EFT'd R500 on the 18 Dec 2017. I asked where I can send proof and she gave me her e-mail address.

I resent proof of payment (POP) directly from Capitec bank to Charity's e-mail AND I mailed her a copy of my bank statement.... I also asked to be informed as to how it is possible for this to happen, because either Capitec or MTN is pulling a fast one.

I received no reply to my mail and considered the problem sorted in their usual inefficient way. Yesterday (8 Jan 2018) I received an sms telling me that my line would be suspended in TWO days if I did not pay R125.86 outstanding.

I called Customer Service again and spoke to a lady whose name I cannot hear clearly (sounds like Mobi /Movine) even on the call recording (all my calls are recorded too). She assured me that Charity had received my e-mail and forwarded it to "our Collections".

I asked why I had received a second sms warning..? She told me that they were automated. I said that I simply cannot afford to have my phone cut off as it would be severely detrimental my little one-man business . I asked her to give me her assurance that the phone will not be cut off. She said that it would not be cut off because the proof I sent to Charity was sent to Collections.

This morning 9 Jan 2018 (ONE day not TWO days later) my phone was cut off. I drove 22 km to an MTN store in Gardens (a round trip of 44km) and spoke to a nice young gentleman Waheed who I repeated my story to. Waheed called MTN on my behalf and was just as frustrated by the drivel he heard on the other side of the phone as I was with my two previous calls ... The MTN re-connections guy kept insisting I had only paid R305 on the 20th December 2017 and Waheed kept telling him that I had shown him my bank statement and re-e-mailed the transaction proof (POP) direct from Capitec Bank to him, so there can be no doubt that I had paid R500.

I kept asking when will my phone be reconnected I am losing income business etc etc... No definitive answer other than... "maybe 24 hours".

ENOUGH TO MAKE ME HAVE A HEART ATTACK (My teeth are all bitten off with the effort of trying to control my temper at this stage)

So I pay in advance via EFT, as I do every month (for the last 4 years at least), because I had endless problems with incorrect amounts being deducted when it was paid via Debit Order.

I pay more than was required on 18 December 2017 in order to have no account worries over Christmas/New Year.

I get threatened with my phone being cut off.

I take every possible step to ensure that this does not happen.

The geniuses at MTN still cut off my phone and I am the one who has lose time and money running around trying to sort out their total incompetence. I have no words for how absolutely pathetic MTN Customer Service is.

And what will their reply be..? The standard... "Sorry for the inconvenience".

Who will pay me for my time, my mileage, the lost business the inconvenience and the absolute frustration of dealing with *********** staff??? (and new teeth??)

PS. I have just now paid an additional R500 (The amount due end of January 2018 is supposed to be R470 something, but I always forget so I pay R500 to be sure) to ensure that my Cell is reconnected asap... I bet that this problem will still not have been sorted out on my next invoice. MTN not only ***** airtime and data... now it appears that they are able to take money direct from your bank account.