MTN Nightmare

On the 25th of March 2019, my phone had finally packed up and I had to get a new one. Since I already have an existing contract with MTN, I decided to try the online application for an additional line thinking this will be easy quick and painless, in fact it has been a nightmare!

I was advised on the 25th via SMS that I will be contacted by a agent between 2 -48 hrs of my application and that did not happen. With frustration I went to twitter and inboxed the team to ask if any one can contact me. The twitter team was on the ball and fast with a response that someone will contact me, still nobody did. Eventually on the 29th on friday, I was forced to just go to the nearest branch from my work place (Pavilion Mall Durban) during my lunch break. I waited patiently in the line and was assisted by Priyasha Naidoo. She made the application and advised that I needed an outstanding document which she kindly advised I can email her when I am back at work, which I did, and she rep**** I can come back after work and pick up the phone.

I arrived around 17:45 that same afternoon, waited patiently in the line again, she advised that phone was ready for me, and then suddenly she gasped, and whispered to her colleague who giggled and gasped back. Priya then walked away and the colleague told me the system is unfortunately offline and no further activation can be done. At this point i assumed Priya had made an error and was too embarrassed to tell me she had and opted to say this system was down. I gladly accepted and asked when can I come back, I was advised to return the following day in which I did. When I returned now the 30th Mar, I walked in and Priya did not recognize me, she was shocked when I told her who I was, and again walked away unannounced and called a gentleman who was also a colleague and he asked i take a seat and he explained that the system was still down and "Nothing" can be done to assist me, I need to come back on Monday. I was a bit upset this time as its costly for me to make these trips and I told him that I cannot be driving to the store to be disappointed again, why doesn't anyone phone or message me about the system if that was really the case? He then asked me to fill out my detailed and work address and he will personally deliver the phone on Monday the 1st of April to my work place. This again did not happen. Nobody contacted me, I emailed and made NUMEROUS calls to the store and nobody answered. Online store reviews were all horrific, that nobody answers the store phone. This is when I went to twitter and complained about my experience. I then after work again drove out to the Pavilion store, walked in, Patiently waited my turn and I introduced myself to the male consultant who had offered to "Personally deliver" the phone, he asked which phone I had app**** for and I responded "The p20 lite black. He shouted across the room for Nosipho (Another agent at the store) to come to his desk. She came and they spoke and he then said "Listen, the system is till down, and I will do you a favor and manually activate it for, this will take sometime so if you do not mind waiting." I agreed but I was very disappointing he didn't even acknowledge the fact he blatantly **** to me about delivering the phone, didn't even apologize for not contacting me if there was a system error or apologize for the fact that AGAIN I am inconvenienced.

I was in and out the sore to check if all was well, and eventually he asked another agent to fetch the phone from the store room, she unboxed it and its BLUE! On application I had specifically asked for a black one and not a blue one, on the contract I signed it stated Black in colour and not blue. I tell the lady that the phone was incorrect, the first thing I did was verify with the gentleman that its the black phone. She sarcastically lifted the phone and said "But look its pretty" and giggling away. At this point I was liveried! I had been **** to, inconvenienced, made to wait long periods in the store, laughed at and now forced to accept something i did not want. The male agent then gave me an ultimatum to take the phone or cancel the contract. I told him there is not much of a choice unless what I had said was a joke. I asked to cancel and was told it will be cancelled today by Midday 02 April (Which will not happen.) The agent that found this whole situation amusing whispered to the male agent "You know this is coming off the shop?" Which then I was begged and pleaded to take the phone, and I was even offered a power bank or a free month subscription. It was a little too late because of how I had been ill- treated before.

I still am in complete and utter shock at the level of service (lack there of) I have received from now MTN as a whole. This is highly unacceptable, that customers are treated like this and a blind eye is turned.