Punished by their failures: Always a problem. If you are looking for good service that works go elsewhere.

I have been an MTN client for over six years. However, I continuously have issues with them disconnecting me and refusing to help me in any way for issues that are the fault of the network.

Recent issue:

1. My internet connection has not been working for the past three days. I can still make calls and send texts and when I am connected to wifi there is no problem. I further have a positive airtime and data balance. I call to find out what is going on and they refuse to help me because I am not the account holder. My father pays for the account but I am the user of it and further fund additional airtime and data myself. I am not attempting to change my account or the amount paid and this is irrelevant to why their system is not working.

This is not the first time...

2. Previously, while travelling, I lost my sim card and only realized this while landing at OR Tambo. As I had Ubered to the airport I had no transport. I tried to get a new sim card but was prevented again due to my account being in my father's name. Again I did not attempt to change amounts. I just needed a sim card. I was further unable to open up a pay as you go because I could not access the documents on my phone (no internet) that were required to do so. There was again no attempt to help me in any way i.e access to the internet, use their phone etc. As a result, I was stuck at the airport unable to get transport or phone someone to fetch me. Meaning I had to pay a fortune for a taxi/Gautrain.

3. Two times prior to that MTN cut off my services because they had set the credit limit lower than what my contract was worth. Again an issue on their behalf. Again I could not sort this out myself as I was not the account holder. At the time my father lived in Joburg and I was living in Stellenbosch. Going into a branch the reply was "phone your father and ask him to phone the call centre". To which I rep****, "with what because you've cut off my services". Again zero effort to help me in my situation and let me use their phone/internet etc to do this.

As I am still a student and dependent on my father he has to be the account holder even though I am the user of the contract. There has never been a way to list me as the user and entitled to make queries about signal problems or to do a sim swap. I understand that security processes exist to stop people from *****ing info, upgrading accounts without the payer's knowledge etc. But I have never tried to do any of these things. I simply want to know why the account is not working. Often my father is away, at work or just generally busy and does not have time to do these things. This results in me going without a phone for days at a time.

I enjoy a digital cleanse as much as the next person. However, what happens when again at the fault of MTN my network gets cut off. A couple of years ago I had a stroke and almost didn't make it. Having access to a cell phone is what saved my life considering I live alone. I was, therefore, able to make a life-saving call that led me to a hospital. Ironically, my network had been cut off again by MTN the week before because of their mistake on a credit limit. Had this happened a week later? I cannot say that I would be here to write this lovely review.

Advice:

I will not be the only person who is reliant on someone for their contract. Had I known this would be an issue I never would have gotten one (they fail to mention this issue when you're signing up). In such cases: you should store the user's info on file and allow them to query the network/why it's not working and to make sim swaps. While the account holder has power to the rest.

- Improve your service. Never once have any of the people I've dealt with shown any sympathy to the fact that I have to go through such trouble every time and tried to help me create solutions. While being stuck at the airport with no way home. They would not even let me use their internet, phone etc to try and make a plan. Happy to just leave me stuck.

- Stop making your problems your consumers problems. For the exception of the lost sim. Every issue has been because you have failed to deliver on your value proposition "everywhere you go". Perhaps, you should spend less money on marketing and more on investing in customer service and ensuring the network works if you want to attract and retain your consumers. "customer-centric strategy" is the phrase used I believe.

- Many of your employees in store have complained to me about how shocking your service is. I once spent six hours on hold to the call centre because the employee was not authorized to do something that was needed. Six hours of my time, his time and 10 new consumers that walked in. Out and into Vodacom across the way.

I do not know why I have continued to put up with this. I would rather suck ****s out of dead seagulls than stay on this network any longer. As soon as my contract has ended I will be closing my accounts with MTN. I will never recommend them to anyone. The cheaper price does not account for the fact that you cannot use your phone half the time. Especially for parents with children who want their kids to have access to them if there is ever a problem. They would have better luck sending you a carved rock message by carrier ***eon.