CUSTOMER WARNING: Showmax Subscription Upgrade Nightmare

I don't even think 1 star is warranted.

I am writing to express my profound dissatisfaction with Showmax's subscription upgrade and downgrade policy, which I believe is unfair and possibly in violation of consumer protection laws.

On 27th of October, at 18:32 I decided to upgrade my Showmax subscription from the R99 plan to the R225 plan, expecting a more extensive viewing experience. To my dismay, I soon discovered that this upgrade was limited to mobile devices only and was inaccessible on my television.

Recognizing my error, I downgraded back to the R99 package at about 20:03, under the impression that I could easily revert to my previous subscription plan. Regrettably, I was met with resistance and informed that the downgrade would only take effect on the 5th of December. This left me locked into a plan that I found unsuitable for my viewing needs.

Furthermore, it is essential to highlight that I had not even used the upgraded subscription to watch a single piece of content during this brief time. It was practically impossible to do so because the upgrade was limited to mobile devices, further compounding my frustration.

On the 28th of October in the morning, I engaged with Zanele Msimanga on Showmax's chat platform with the aim for getting black my viewing experience. She requested information regarding the last shows I watched on my original package in order to assist. Upon accessing my profile, she said she could not help as I had viewed at Liverpool match on the upgrade and this meant I can only change my subscription on the 5th of December 2023.

This was a shock to me as I did not watch a single piece of content because it was only limited to mobile devices. When I asked when I watched this match, she advised that her systems says I watched at 16:32. During this time I was engaged in my work and could not have possibly upgraded at this time. Upon confirming this with the debit for the upgrade on my bank account it was clear there was an error on their end.

I expressed this to Zanele and asked that she escalate this to someone who can assist, she did not. The issue still persists and the time lines were not even looked to. I had to accept that I watched a Liverpool match during a time I was at work, despite evidence shows that I had not even upgraded the account during the time they say I was watching the match.

This situation raises several concerns:

Inflexible Downgrade Policy: The insistence on enforcing the downgrade on a specific date, rather than accommodating a customer's reasonable request, is detrimental to the customer experience.

Unfair Billing: The failure to provide a pro-rata refund or credit for the unutilized portion of the upgraded subscription is unfair and unjust, especially when I couldn't even use the service.

I kindly request that Hellopeter and relevant authorities investigate this matter and encourage Showmax to:

Improve Transparency: Clearly communicate subscription plan limitations during the upgrade process to prevent future misunderstandings.

Implement Flexible Downgrade Policies: Allow customers to downgrade their subscription at any time and receive fair compensation for the unused portion.

Review Billing Practices: Refund or credit customers for unused subscription time following a downgrade request, especially in cases like mine where no usage occurred.

My hope is that my experience can lead to positive changes in Showmax's subscription policies and prevent other customers from facing similar issues.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to a swift resolution