Upgrade Billing upgrade was mistakenly loaded onto cell number

Summary of Query Issues (Hello Peter Report)

Root Cause: An upgrade was incorrectly loaded onto the wrong number *** instead of ***), resulting in incorrect billing.

Financial Impact:

Customer was billed R10,168.45 for a device tied to the wrong number. A further R6,082 outstanding balance appeared on the account. Account was blocked and later handed to collections, causing additional financial strain (including bank charges).

Service Failures:

Despite approval of corrective actions (credit note, billing refund, upgrade reversal on 26 Feb 2026), no resolution was implemented within SLA timelines. Lack of feedback and communication for nearly 3 months. Customer had to repeatedly follow up without progress.

Contradictory Internal Handling:

Billing team later refused to reverse/credit the early upgrade fee, stating the customer is liable. This contradicts earlier acknowledgment that the issue resulted from an MTN error.

Customer Impact:

Long-standing (10+ years) customer experienced:

Service disconnection Incorrect debt/collections listing Ongoing inconvenience and stress

Perception of unfair treatment and lack of customer-centric resolution.

Internal Process Concerns:

Poor coordination between departments (store, billing, support). Lack of clear escalation path or management intervention. Frontline staff (Blessing) not adequately supported to resolve the issue.

Current Status:

Issue remains unresolved, with disputed charges still reflected. Customer preparing to escalate to Ombudsman/legal channels if not urgently addressed.

Customer Expectation:

Full reversal of incorrect charges Account correction and removal from collections Reconnection without penalties Proper upgrade implementation as originally agreed