MTN are ********** and has *********** call centre staff

<p>I cancelled a contract with MTN that has a sim card that has not been used for almost the past year or so.</p> <p>As per their instruction, I called in to cancel the contract on 2 December 2016 and the call centre agent I spoke to Mapitso indicated that the number would take 30days to remove off the system as I was requestig a straight cancellation and not moving to pre-paid.</p> <p>I asked if there was anything outstanding from my side, and Mapitso said no. At no point in the conversation did Mapitso inform me that the account is in arreas and will incur additional charges in the 30 days while I wait for the number to be permamently removed from the system.</p> <p>Today I MTN is telling me that my contract (which is cancelled) is now in arrears. How it's possible to accrue further charges on a sim card that is not evn installed in a device and on a contract that is now been cancelled since 2 December 2016?! This is bewildering to me.</p> <p> </p> <p>I've spent an hour and 30 minutes just today trying to sort this out only to be told by a very rude call centre supervisor, Selaelo Raphadu, that I should just stop arguing and just pay the money. Who's money is this and did it somehow fall out of the sky? Because the last time I checked, my money is earned from me actually working and I'll be damned if I'm going to be bul**** by *********** call centre agents/supervisors into just paying them. It's my constitutional right to question any payments and get satisfactory reasoning as to why I must pay before I part with my hard earned money.</p> <p> </p> <p>As part of me trying to sort out this issue, I asked for the recording of the original conversation I had with Mapitso. The supervisor Selaelo Raphadu then proceeded to tell me that he could no longer deal with me on this matter and was transferring me to the Retentions Department. When asked if he would be providing the recording or not, he simply didn't answer and decided that he no longer wished to talk to me and just put me on hold until a different call centre agent picked up.</p> <p> </p> <p>I'm really confused, I thought the purpose of having all conversations between customers and agents recorded was to be able to deal with situations just like this one. But the minute I asked for the recording I was shut down. Makes one think who the recordings are there to serve, the customer or the company and if these recordings actually really exist?!</p> <p> </p> <p>My so called account may only be R260 in arreas, which would seem small to some. But the priniciple behind the matter is that even if it were R2, as a paying customer I should be :1) fully informed of all issues when I have asked, 2) given the right to question when I don't understand 3) dispute payments if they are not in line with what I have agreed to, 4) not passed on from one call centre agent to another because the staff is ill equipped to deal with disputes and 5) be treated and spoken to with respect and courteousy.</p> <p>With regards to the points mentioned above, unfortunately MTN has failed on 5 counts, and it is sad that they are reflection of the kind of service we can expect to receive from many service providers in this country, and asked to continue take it and pay our hard earned money to them with a smile.</p> <p> </p> <p>I have very little confidence that I will even recieve any response to my complaint, but it was my duty to bring this matter to light.</p> <p> </p> <p>Sincerely,</p> <p>An ex-MTN customer </p>