********** treatment of a deceased estate and the grieving family

My mother passed away unexpectedly and suddenly in March 2023. Since then I have been trying to transfer her contract into my name. I have been to 3 different branches (Oakfields, The Square and Elridge) and each of them gave different information and every time I basically have to start the process over. When I first went in-store I took all the relevant documents, death certificate, letter of executorship etc. The branch did not even ask for these documents. One of the contracts had expired so I had it changed to a prepaid, no problem but the second contract only expires in October 2024. From the beginning there have been issues, whether it be systems being down, biometric reader not working, system updates, systems having issues with my Capitec bank statement etc. I would call and leave messages with no response, send emails with no response, absolutely ZERO feedback!!! One of the branches told me I should cancel the contract and just pay the balance of the contract. I told them I could not afford that and we want to keep the number. I asked if we could change it to a prepaid somehow to which they said no, I jokingly said well I can always stop paying the contract since MTN seems to have no interest in keeping the business to which they rep****, well then we will hand the account over and blacklist you, to which I rep****, "Blacklist who? A dead woman?" Of course no response. Another branch has "changed" the email address to mine on 3 different occasions for statements to be sent to me but the statements are still being sent to an inactive email address for reasons unknown. Because I was not receiving statements, I had no idea what was due, also the debit orders did not always go through on the specified date causing me to incur interest charges because there were no funds in my mothers bank account. The branch gave me the option to change the payment method from debit order to cash payment which I initially declined. After another month of returned debit orders and no statements, I went to the 3rd branch to check on the progress of the transfer and get them to change the payment method to cash. I was told that they could not change the payment method because the owner of the contract would have to give their biometrics, to which I rep**** "my mother is dead, how do you expect to get a fingerprint?" SILENCE!! And of course still no progress on the transfer. I did not accept that and immediately went back to the second branch and miracle of miracles, they changed the payment method within 2 minutes with no issues and no biometrics.

So to date, nearly 6 moths later, this contract still has not been transferred. I still have had ZERO communication from MTN

The treatment of a deceased estate as well of the grieving family is absolutely atrocious. Staff are insensitive and clueless and don't get me started on the customer service centre who are rude, insensitive and clueless and shunt a person from pillar to post. I am flabbergasted that a company as large as MTN does not have a dedicated deceased estates department with informed, caring staff who assist the families to resolve an insignificant yet massive task of sorting out a cellphone account.

Hopefully, I will get some kind of resolution to this matter.