Poor MTN service and lack of response from management and complaints team

Good day Consumer Ombudsman & Willem Loots,

I trust this email finds you well.

I was wondering if you could help me with this issue I’m facing. My simcard has been blocked for the last 2 months on the number 082 043 05**I have been told quite rudely that this number does not belong to me. No one can reactivate or help me. I am sorry to reach out in this way but I have tried all avenues for assistance and I am being passed from pillar to post.

Please see a high level summary of events. I am happy to explain the below on a call as well. I am highly frustrated and never thought in a millions years I would be writing such an email to people who are meant to provide a service, which has not been the case.

In December 2022 I app**** for a contract with MTN and Mondo, it was approved and they could not deliver due to stock shortage. They delivered the incorrect device in February 2023.

I exercised my cooling off right and requested that they cancel the contract and I returned the device to MTN store Mall of Africa.

I was supp**** with a IRMS number and was advised that I needed to send this to Mondo cancellations as well as MTN. I did that. I called and engaged different consultants regarding the cancellation.

I was advised it would take 21 working days for cancellation and I would be charged and fees reversed if I wasn’t using the phone. Until June nothing had happened although I kept following up and kept getting passed from pillar to post. I was eventually advised that the cancellation was under way In July 2023. I waited another month and still was being billed. I stopped paying as I asked them to cancel and was not using the allocation.

I further to that requested intervention of management and submitted an official complaint of which I was promised they would look into it. My SIM card was not always working properly and I faced many challenges when recharging or people trying to reach me.

Since that time I have called over 100 times, visited MTN stores spoken to their management team to which I was rudely told that my SIM card which I was using for years was not mine but allocated to another network as it was Greylisted. I further complained again and again and nothing was done.

This entire incident has now cost me 5 work opportunities costing R4M each as people could not reach me. It’s rendered me blacklisted by a creditor as they were unable to reach me. It’s let’s me in a space where I am feeling harshly treated by Mondo and MTN who to date have not cancelled the contract almost a year later! My frustration is that when I follow up people ignore me and they are rude and make empty promises.

I would like to appeal to you to please intervene by assisting me with an official complaint. I would also like to lay claim to MTN and Mondo for damages caused and will seek guidance from my lawyer to submit summons for damages lost if this is not resolved.

I am frustrated and quite fed up and really am no longer interested in any apologies from MTN or mondo. I would like my number returned to pre-paid and for all my data and minutes which I purchased by returned to my account with immediate effect.

This experience has been distasteful to say the least and absolutely atrocious for a reputable entity such as MTN.

Please assist me with urgency. Happy to provide proof of any of the above.

I need my number working urgently and can be reached using the below number::

061 *********

I have attached some screenshots of some of the chats with people I spoke to:

Regards, Thokozani