An 81-Year-Old's Herculean Effort, Met with Telkom's Utter Contempt

I am writing this not just as a frustrated customer, but as the son of an 81-year-old man who has been utterly betrayed by the sheer, soul-crushing incompetence of Telkom.

My father, the account holder, needed to cancel his Telkom Fibre line. At 81, a simple trip to the mall isn't simple at all. It's an undertaking that requires planning, physical energy, and a strength of will that many of us take for granted. Nevertheless, determined to do things the "right way," he summoned his strength and made the journey to the Telkom shop in the Garden Route Mall.

He walked through the mall, stood in the queue, and patiently waited his turn. He meticulously filled in the official cancellation request form, his hand perhaps not as steady as it once was, but his purpose clear. He did everything Telkom asked of him. He left that store, tired but relieved, believing he had settled his affairs with this corporate giant. He believed his request would be honoured.

What a fool's hope that was.

Fast forward to the next debit order date, and what do we find? Telkom, without a shred of decency or a functioning administrative system, has once again charged his account.

Let me be absolutely clear: all that effort, all that precious energy my 81-year-old father expended to go into a physical store and follow their process, was for NOTHING. It was a complete and utter waste of his time and vitality. The journey, the paperwork, the sheer physical act of it all—flushed away by a system so broken, so profoundly inept, that it cannot even process a simple, in-person cancellation.

This isn't just about the money. It is about the absolute disrespect shown to a senior citizen. It is about a company that forces an elderly man to jump through hoops, only to ignore him completely. The level of incompetence is staggering, but the lack of care is what is truly unforgivable.

Shame on you, Telkom. You have not just failed in your service; you have shown utter contempt for the elderly, and for that, you deserve every bit of this public condemnation.