Bad service

On the 27 February I went to Telkom Sandton to take out a cellphone contract and was assisted by Lebo. She explained that the 1st debit order will be going off in April. She explained that the reason you get a month free is that now with Telkom if you miss a debit order they add R208.00 if not mistaken. She also confirmed with a colleague of hers who was walking pass that if I take if that day it will be April and she responded yes. On the 14 March I got a message that R578.00 that month, because I know my debit is only going in April I say it's an error message but should they debit I will go back to the shop to enquire. Then the 20th comes which is the date I had given for debit to go off and my account is not debited then I confirm it was a mistake. I got a shock on the 11th April when I got a message that my account is in arrears for R1067.00 and start receiving calls from Telkom. Immediately when I got that message I called Lebo on her personal phone at 10:23 I tell her I just got a message for arrears on my account, I ask her if I should call customer care or if she can assist since she said it's going off in April. She asks for my I'd number to check and I could hear she also doesn't understand why as she goes through my profile. She then says she will find out and call me back. At 11:49 I try to call her back to follow up no answer, again 12:05, 13:36, 15:16 and 16:38 no answer on all this. To date there is no response from Lebo. I was also trying the shop number which kept on taking me straight to voicemail. I then called a colleague of hers who once assisted me with my device no answer as well then I decided to send him a WhatsApp message. I asked him if the shop had a direct number and he asked how can he help. I explained that I spoke to Lebo and also shared the story with him. He said the store phone has issues and asked if Lebo had said will call back or I must come to the shop. I said she promised to call back. Then he said he will ask her it was at 16:26, 16:39 I follow up if there is no response from Lebo and he says not yet. I ask if she is working on it and he responds yes. On the 12 April I try to call Lebo again on this times 10:02, 11:26, 11:27, 12:16, and 15:31 still no answer. Then at 15:32 I try to call her colleague again no answer but he responds in WhatsApp with a message he said Lebo sent to him and it read

"Hey, she took her contract end of Feb. She says she received a message in March for her 1st installment but she ignored it and now it's 2 months.

Her free first month was Feb even though it was just 1 day" I got shocked and asked why is she not getting back to me. I asked the gentleman if I can call him and he agrees. When I asked him why is she not responding he also didn't know. We spoke about my story but to his knowledge he says the instalment was supposed to be March he didn't understand why I was given the information but unfortunately he couldn't help then I said I will go to the shop. On the 13th of April after my shift I went to the shop and was greeted by Mittah who confirmed Lebo was off. I shared my story with her. All she could say to me was it's my word against Leno's I am liable to pay my account the only thing they can do is to reverse the R208.00 penalty. I asked if then indeed the instalment was due why didn't Telkom debit. I had my bank statement with me showing no attempt from Telkom. Her response was sorry but you still liable. I refused that they only remove the penalty and I pay double the instalment. I told her I want to stick to what I know which is first instalment in April the other money must be written off as I don't know about it. I tell again it's also not my fault that they didn't debit. I asked for a manager his name is Pat I think it's Patrick in full. He tells me why didn't I come to pay in cash when they didn't debit. I said to him how was I going to come pay when I know it's said instalment is in April. He tells me there is no way his staff can tell me that as they are well trained. I tell him I work for a financial and I cannot purposely leave my account to affect my credit score. I'm trying so hard to build it. I spent money to go to the shop I cannot come from far just to accuse them. I also had a question for him as his staff is well trained and cannot do such, in a way I felt that I'm being called a ****. So before I took the phone on the 27th I was at the shop on the 26 of April she was upgrading and I wanted a new contract but the device I wanted was out of stock. So I had to come the 27th, so when my sister was upgrading from the things she was supposed to get freelace were not available and Lebo said I can bring them for her on the 27th, unfortunately on the 27th freelace was still not available and she said when they available I can still collect for her as she works farer and I am not that far. So when freelace came she called my sister and confirmed I can still collect. I went to the shop to collect when I got there Pat there manager was available and he refused with the freelaces and said the owner must collect it herself that's not procedure. Lebo was there and I asked her if she didn't know cause I wasted my time. Pat even gave me some freebie as part of an apology for wasting my time. The point I'm trying to make here is he is now telling me his staff is well trained and there is no way that they can do that but the very same Lebo was ready to go against process to release freelaces. He couldn't answer to it. They said they have to wait for Lebo to hear her part of the story. At no point I felt my concern was taken seriously all they said was I'm liable I signed for the contract. I told them at the at of the day Telkom has nothing to loose, firstly this thing is draining me emotionally, my credit score is affected and they will get their money. I get to pay for the mistake done by Telkom and they couldn't care less. After some time in the argument that's when Pat said he will submit a query in the morning regarding what I said that I can only pay the one month and the other money must be written off. I asked them which number can I used to call them so I remind them on the morning. Pat said they don't have a number. The following day the 14th of April I get a call from Mitta at 09:22 from *** she tells me the query was not submitted but her and Pat have come up with a solution to pay 1 month for me and I pay one as I said I cannot pay double instalment but the money they paid I will still be liable for. I refused to the offer I was so angry just shouting and she gave the phone to Pat who also suggest the same since I was refusing still he said he will proceed to log a query for me. Later that day at 16:32 I get a call from Pat telling me the issue was resolved the money will be written off and I will only pay for one month and going forward it will be my monthly installments. I asked him how much exactly is debited that month he says half of the amount they say I owe, which I believe it's R533.50 then we hang up. Immediately after that something comes to mind and say call the number back and ask for this in writing, called 3 times there was no answer. On the 15th of April I get another message that my account in in arrears for R1067 I still call the number with a hope of an answer but nothing. On the 20th of April I realise the debit order still didn't go after my shift I go to the shop I get Mittah again Lebo is off again. I asked why the debit order didn't go through her with Pat they say it will go during the night. I get another shock I am told the money that will go off is R625.00and something can't remember the exact. amount, I tell Pat he said half the amount and he denied and said he said plus minus. I ask him to send me the agreement we had on the phone via email so I can have back up in future if they change again. He refused and said it's on the system.Then Mittah shows me the breakdown which shocks me again. The breakdown shows I went over the package I was given it wasn't much but what shocked me is that when I was taking a contract with Lebo upfront I told her I want top up and I shared a story of when I took my first contract in life with a different provider and I paid over a thousand for the first month. So I ask Mittah to change it for me to top up, she tells me it's not possible. I was surprised because with the other provider they were able to change it. I don't know if it's because the times have changed or they work differently. She tells me again it's my word against Lebo's, and and she says it's different when you take a phone via a call centre and a store because with call centre the calls are recorded. Then I said to her let's record our conversation now, she refused and said it's not allowed, I tell her if we both agree there is no problem.So come the 21st of April they still don't debit my account. I also get a message that my account has been handed over to Nudebt. Today I receive a call from Nudebt calling on behalf of Telkom .Today I went again to the shop and spoke to Pat who said he is sorry it is a fault from another department as they submitted everything but will send them an email and copy me. He referred me to Checkers to pay the amount which I did. On the 20th when I went to query I asked Pat what Lebo had said when she came back. He said she it was just miscommunication. I still ask if Lebo knew very well what she had said to me when I was taking the phone, why didn't she say to me on the spot that my account was due March, before she could say I will call back she took time having a look. What was she going to have a look at. Why hasn't she gotten back to me. What is she running away from, why is she Gidding and he's colleague is able to get back to me. Even Pat failed me as a manager because it was clear from the onset that he was taking sides. This were the questions he was supposed to ask Lebo that why didn't she respond to a client. She walked away freely with her mistakes. I am emotionally drained, my credit score is affected and Telkom is losing nothing. Honestly speaking I no longer want a relationship with Telkom if possible they can take their device and I can pay for the months I had their phone, they cancel me and write off the entire agreement. I want Telkom to get a recording between me and Lebo when I called her to prove the conversation, secondly the recording between me and Pat when he said I will pay half the amount. Telkom must never list me on bureau for March and April for non payments or slow payer. The way the whole situation was handled was like I'm called a ****. I will be glad if I get assisted in this matter. I can be contacted if further information is required ***

Regards Lebogang Moeng