Bad Customer Service

I have had my Pep Money card since late 2018 and have never had a problem. Then last week, I tired to purchase data as I normally would. My cellphone banking seems to work but at the very end, the transactions would get rejected and an error saying “The account is invalid” comes up then the transaction fails. Obviously, one starts panicking because of the stories going around regarding ***** and cellphone and internet banking. I have called the Pep Money call centre about 6 times since last Thursday and each time I am told that all is in order on their side and not one seems to understand that I cannot do anything other than check the balance on my card.

I should not send money, withdraw, nor use the card to buy anything. But my cellphone PIN and everything would go through. Eventually, one of the agents told me to go to a Pep branch and when I asked her how they were going to help me if they are unable to, she said they would have to call them, the same call centre I had called. I am not sure how that was supposed to help, but I told myself, let me humour them and go. I spent over an hour with staff from PEP, Jabu, who was very patient shame and he also called 3 times and was also told the same thing that I was told. Eventually one of the agents he was speaking to told him to cancel the old card and issue me with a new one, which I had to pay R20 for. And still my issue was not resolved. We called the Call Centre again and only then was I told that I had exceeded the monthly limit of R25k and I would have to wait for the next month in order to use my card or cellphone banking.

After so much running around and calling, I asked for a Supervisor to complain because I had called again and again and only in the end was I told that I had exceeded the limit. Now I have to pay R20 for a new card, when there was no problem with the old one. All the Supervisor could tell me was the he would listen to the calls and get back to me. frankly, I do not see that happening, but I will wait and see.

I am shocked that no one picked this up in my first 5 calls to the Call Centre.