MTN Complaint and Consumer Warning

MTN Complaint and Consumer Warning

I cancelled my MTN contract on 9 July and was specifically advised that I would still be charged the full monthly contract amount at the end of July, and that a small pro-rata amount would be charged on my August statement. I accepted this because that is what I was contractually required to pay.

However, what happened thereafter is completely unacceptable.

At the end of July, MTN cancelled my contract and then proceeded to remove all the benefits associated with it. I received my monthly allocation of data on 25 July, but by 27 July that data had been taken away. When I queried this, I was informed by an MTN consultant that it was because I had cancelled the contract.

This makes absolutely no sense.

If MTN charged me the full monthly contract amount, then I paid for that data. How can a company take away something that has already been paid for? The same happened with my airtime and minutes. They were not converted or transferred. They simply disappeared.

What makes this even more frustrating is that I had specifically informed customer care that I wanted to keep my SIM active and asked that any remaining minutes be converted to airtime. Instead, the SIM was deactivated entirely.

I have been paying for this contract every month. Any benefits allocated for a period that I have paid for should, in my view, remain available for my use. Taking away data, minutes and services that have already been paid for feels fundamentally unfair.

To make matters worse, after cancelling the contract and removing the services, MTN then went on to debit the full contract amount again. How can a customer be charged in full while simultaneously being denied access to the very services they have paid for?

I feel completely let down by MTN's handling of this matter. I have spent time trying to obtain answers, yet I still cannot understand how charging a customer for a service and then removing access to that service can be justified.

My advice to anyone considering taking out an MTN contract is to make absolutely sure you understand what happens when you cancel. Ask detailed questions, get everything in writing, and carefully monitor your billing and services. My experience has been extremely disappointing, and I believe consumers should be aware of the potential issues that can arise when cancelling a contract.