"So I'm paying more for less?" "Yes ma'am"

<p>I have been an MTN contract holder for several years. I recently decided to cancel my contract of R409.00 p/m and move to prepaid. My contract ended on the 13th Janaury 2017. So I decided to call 3 months before, because that's what I'd been told was the required time to cancel. I was told I could only cancel once the contract was up, the 13th January (my birthday) but nontheless I set a reminder on my phone and called on the 13th. I was then told that no, I can actually only cancel AFTER the contract has ended. And because the 13th was a Friday (just my luck), I should call back on the 16th. I made sure that my contract would not be automatically extended in this time and everything would be the same, and was assured it would.</p> <p> </p> <p>So I called back on the 16th. And finally switched to prepaid. Just my juck again, their Fri-yay sepcial was released four days later. I called to get myself the deal but was told that because I had cancelled my contract (four days earlier) I would have to wait 3 months to change my current number back to contract. For no particluar reason. By this time I was beginning to get very frustrated. But data prices being what they are, I couldn't pass up on the deal. So I took out a new contract for R349.00 p/m.</p> <p> </p> <p>Today, the 26th January, R524.00 was debited off my account. I called MTN to ask what the amount was for, as I had not received the new contract yet, and that in any case was only R349.00. I was transferred between 3 different departments, 5 times over. Someone asked me to hold, and then a different person answered the call. I eventually pleaded with the lady, to just tell me what the amount was for.</p> <p> </p> <p>After putting me on hold for 5 minutes; she told me because I had only paid (via autmantic debit order) after my contract was cancelled; that I was charged out-of-contract rates for that time. I then explained that when I moved to prepaid, none of my data was transferred. She rep**** saying, yes ma'am, when you cancel a contract you forfeit that. </p> <p>"So I'm paying more for less? That I didn't even get?"</p> <p>"Yes"</p> <p> </p> <p>I then said thank you and ended the call, lost for words.</p> <p> </p> <p>On my previous unlimited contract I was double-charged for data. This was never resolved.</p> <p>I persevered. Switching to top-up.</p> <p>The fact that even the call centre agents don't understand the logic of your billing says enough Mtn.</p> <p>I will be cancelling the new contract I took out. The benefits are not worth dealing with the complete lack of service.</p>