MTN - Horrible Service

On 1 December 2025 I visited the MTN store at Trade Route Mall to complete a SIM swap and purchase a phone in cash. Unfortunately, the device I wanted was not available within my budget. The consultant his name is Jeetendra then recommended a contract option and showed me a Huawei special that included a smar****ch. Based on the information provided, I agreed to proceed with the contract. After leaving the store, I sat in my car and attempted to sign in with my Google account to retrieve my backup. I then discovered that the phone requires a Huawei ID and does not support Google services, something I was not informed about. I immediately returned to the store for assistance, but the team was unable to help as Huawei uses a different operating system. I informed the consultant that I wanted to return the phone and cancel the contract, as I cannot use a device that does not allow me to access my backup. He consulted with his manager and told me that once the phone is opened, it cannot be returned, and suggested I sell the phone to someone else. I requested to speak directly to the manager, who advised that if the purchase had been made online it would be different, but in-store processes do not allow cancellation. I later contacted the MTN call center, where I was informed that I am allowed to terminate the contract. I went back to the store yesterday, but the manager told me he still needs to speak to his area manager and will revert. On 3 December, I sent an email to the Complaints Department regarding my matter and was informed by Portia Viljoen that the Area Manager would contact me.

Since then, I have sent several follow-up emails to MTN. Unfortunately, my emails were responded to several days after each follow-up, which has caused unnecessary delays in resolving this issue.

The most recent response I received was on 10 January 2026. In this response, Portia Viljoen from the Complaints Department forwarded an email that the branch consultant had sent to his manager and advised me that this constituted the feedback on my complaint. To date, I have not been contacted directly by the Area Manager as initially indicated.