Break the National Budget before sort problem out?

IMPROPER CHARGES BY TELKOM MOBILE

Where have the days gone when you could sort a problem out within a reasonable time. You didn’t have to take a month’s leave off work and rack up phone expenses in excess of the National Budget just to try and resolve your problem…

My complaint regards the massive R202.70 that Telkom has charged me for “account subscriptions and once-off charges” (this amount is actually more than my subscription & usage, which for Jan 2019, is only R157.74). This R202.74 charge is captured on my Telkom 01 Jan 2019 statement.

The account number in question is (please see Ref #) . As it turns out the “account subscriptions and once-off charges” is for a rejected debit order.

This is what happened: 1. In Dec 2018 my bank account was closed. 2. I manually paid my Telkom Dec 2018 account “in full” (as invoiced) well before the due date. 3. The Dec statement was paid by me 24 Dec 2018. The debit order for same was scheduled for the end of the month (31 Dec). 4. Consequently Telkom was not financially prejudiced. 5. Well before the end of Dec 2018, I went into the Telkom shop and told the consultant what was going on i.e. that my bank account was closed, and the debit order will not work for December or for any periods going forward. 6. They, TELKOM, told me it was ok because my contract had ended, and that I could now make a manual payments, like how I used to pay my Telkom landline account. 7. I asked if they were sure, if that was all that was needed, and they, TELKOM, said YES. 8. CONSEQUENTLY TELKOM WAS INFORMED… 9. I then made the payment as advised by Telkom. 10. Incidentally, the Telkom statement does come complete with an EFT payment reference number so they must accept other forms of payment too.

Please don’t hold me responsible for your short comings. I informed Telkom about the situation. I did what Telkom advised me to do. I paid Telkom in full and in good time. Then Telkom come and say I must pay them this ridiculous sum of money R202.70, which is more than my monthly phone bill, after I have done everything by the book.

I can see the appeal of the ‘dark side’ – apparently it pays handsomely, with no comeback for the hapless consumer. This appears ********!

Please can someone at Telkom reverse this ridiculous charge and sort this mess out once and for all, and because the message does not seem to have been received the first time, in DEC, I don’t have that bank account – the debit order wont work. Telkom don't even give me a e-mail address so what can I do to inform you in writing. Walking in a shop doesn't help, phoning you doesn't help, paying you doesn't help - nothing seems to help. Ive emailed icasa too...

Regards Bernice Ho