Thrash service from MTN

I’ve been with MTN since 2009 if my memory serves me well, when I took my first contract and I have been happy, my problems started when I lost my job April 2024 but I was still managing my account till October I couldn’t pay my instalment & I couldn’t call to make an arrangement because I didn’t have a job then they suspended my number beginning of November and I had just started a new job so I called them and made arrangement to start paying end of November

I was told to pay in store on the date I had given them and given the amount which I wrote down as R3176,77

I then went to the store 2 days before the agreed date and paid R3177

On the date I was supposed to pay I got a reminder to pay R3179,77 and immediately I realised that the amounts were not the same and just thought maybe I didn’t take it down well. I then decided to pay R23 via eft on this date thinking that I’m topping up the amount that I obviously underpaid.

The next day I woke up to an sms saying I did not honour my arrangement therefore it was cancelled. I immediately called and I was told I paid too early that is why it’s cancelled and let to believe that I was being punished for paying earlier than the agreed date which did not make sense.

On the same day I woke up to a debit order of R5200 then two days down the line another debit of R4999, 15. I was stunned because MTN had just taken more than R10000 from me after I called in explaining my situation to them and making an arrangement to pay my account that was in arrears

I called in again and I was told that they have overcharged me by R600+ so that was the amount that can be refunded back to me if I want. I explained to the agent that I’ve just started working and needed some money, she then advised me one of the debits then call back to make a new arrangement. All these calls I believe they are recorded as they always tell us that calls are recorded.

I went to the bank and managed to reverse R4999,15 then I called MTN again as advised then a I was told that I must wait until my number is suspended or when I recieve communication that says my account is in arrears 😳 so I couldn’t make the arrangement.

My number was suspended and I called in and made the arrangement and I was told to wait a few minutes and my number would be active again but my number wasn’t activated then I called back and I was told the matter is being escalated.

Unfortunately I was travelling out of the country the next day and I couldn’t follow up, Upon my coming back to the country I realised that my number was still locked. I called again and I was told the arrangements wasn’t in place, I could not believe the incompetenc. And this time I was told the arrangement amount can go through the debit and when I questioned this I was told that this option was always there from the first time I made an arrangement, the question is why was I told to pay in store from the first place. I was also told that the reason my first arrangement was cancelled was because I didn’t pay the exact amount that I was supposed to not because I paid early, fair enough I understood

January I noticed that no debit was attempted from MTN and I called to ask then I was told they can arrange for it to go off the same day but no answer as to why it didn’t go off, at first the agent told me that there was no money in my account only when I told her that wasn’t true coz there was no attempt of debit from MTN then the story change to I’m not sure why it didn’t go through. I asked many times that the following month won’t be a problem and I was assured that there won’t be a problem.

Come February no debit attempt from MTN again and before I knew it there was a threatening sms telling me that my number would be suspended.

I called in again and this time I was told that I did not accept a debicheck that was sent to me, and I again I did not know what they were talking about when my account has been debited before. A debit was arranged again for the same day or next day and it did go off. I even wrote an email telling them how tiring their service was but only to get told a confirmation of debit has been sent all should be well.

Two days down the line another debit went off for almost the same amount, I called in again and I was told that this amount was from me having an open spending limit which means I can make calls even when I run out of airtime and I told them it was impossible cause all my numbers are set on zero limit then I was told how this one number was not on zero hence the charges. I was even told to call in 17th of Feb to change my spending limit to zero because that is my billing date.

I asked to speak to a superior and I was told the supervisor is busy and he/she will call back and that never happened. This was on the 7th of Feb.

I went and looked at statements that MTN sends me and got none with charges all were at zero charges.

I called in today and the agent confirmed that my spending limit is set at zero but could not explain the extra debit on my account, he said he was escalating it and I will get feedback, I’m not expecting any with the thrash service I’ve been getting from MTN.

I’m really unhappy, someone to needs to sort whatever incompetence is going on at MTN, I’m told different stories every time I call, by people looking at the system with all my information.

Listen to the recordings of all the calls I made and fix your poor service.