WARNING: Customers (seemingly) Cannot Cancel

Hotel California?

I signed up with Mweb in 2020 when they were reliable and competitively priced. However, repeated price increases left their service severely lacking in value, and I decided to cancel. What followed can only be described from my perspective as a deliberate, multi-layered defensive mechanism designed to prevent customers from leaving.

Website: There is zero mention of how to cancel. The only "cancellation" articles available are guides on how to cancel with other providers so you can switch to Mweb.

ChatBot & WhatsApp: Chatbot seems to be programmed to stop responding the moment "cancel" is mentioned. I spent 45 minutes waiting for a reply that never came, and sat in silence as soon as my OTP was entered on WhatsApp.

Email: I attempted to send a formal notice to ***, but the address bounced back as undeliverable.

The App: I eventually downloaded the app specifically to cancel. While the option exists in the menu, clicking it simply triggers a pop-up stating that cancellations cannot be done via the app and you must call.

The Call Centre Trap: I have been stuck on hold for (no joke) over 1hr, most of it spent as "caller number 3." (I took a screenshot of the time lapsed as a testament to my patience, should I ever forget) Whilst I must compliment the choice of waiting room music (I regard this as a gift considering a person needs to spend a sizeable chunk of their work day holding), in the age of digital-first subscriptions, forcing a customer into a seemingly non-functional telephonic queue feels like a blatant violation of the spirit of the Consumer Protection Act, which I believe requires that ending a contract shouldn't be an unreasonable burden. At the 1h15m mark I admitted defeated, and with cold fingers ended the call.

Mweb, please provide a working, non-telephonic avenue for cancellation immediately. Your current "retention strategy" isn't customer service. It feels a lot like a hostage situation with zen-like ambience. I began to expect a negotiator to hop on the line.

My advice to others: Research competitors thoroughly before signing up. Based on this experience, Mweb treats your subscription like a life sentence.