Fibre Order - Nothing but bad service from day one!

I am sending this review because I've had enough of the bad service given by Telkom!

I won't even try to waste anymore of my time trying to speak to the Telkom consultants as they *********** and don't have a clue what they are doing!

I have had problems from day one with my Fibre order!

I went onto Telkom’s website www.telkom.co.za on 22 March 2019 to find a fibre package that suits me. I found a package deal that consisted of the following :

• R807-00 per month for 12 months • 10Mbps download speed/up to 5Mbps upload speed • Voice Access • Uncapped • 1 Email account • Free WiFi enabled modem and installation • If you order online, you get a free range extender

I was happy with the above deal so I completed the online order form (12 month contract) and submitted it.

I received my modem on 26 March 2019 and received a sms the same day stating that I will be billed from 27 March 2019.

I called Telkom (10210) at about 19h00 on 28 March 2019 to find out how they can start billing me when my fibre hasn’t even been activated yet? They assured me that I will only be charged once the fibre is installed and the wifi is active. I also asked them when I would receive my range extender as it was not delivered with the modem. They told me to please phone sales (10213) to find out about the range extender. The gentleman gave me my order reference number. Sales only operates during office hours, so I had to wait until the next day.

I called Telkom sales (10213) on 29 March 2019, after holding on for at least a half an hour and eventually when I got through to an agent, I asked them about the range extender. They then proceeded to tell me that they don’t deal with the range extender, that I should call 10210 to find out about it. At this point I was getting very agitated because no-one could give me answers.

I called 10210 once again and asking the same question, they told me that I would receive the range extender once the fibre had been installed. I asked them when they would be installing the fibre. They told me that it is not a Telkom fibre in my area, that it’s Vumatel and that I need to call Vumatel to find out when they will do the installation and they gave me Vumatel’s contact number.

As far as I am aware, the service provider (in this case being Telkom) should follow up regarding the process, not the customer. However, because I was getting no joy with Telkom, I called Vumatel.

Vumatel had no record of my order. They asked me for my physical address only to tell me that they have no POP (point of presence) as yet so they won’t be able to install until the distribution box is ready. I am now getting more and more angry because Telkom should’ve told me this from the start!!! I asked Vumatel how long it would take for the distribution box to be ready and they had no idea! They said they would contact my service provider when it’s fibre ready.

After not hearing from either Telkom or Vumatel by 9 April 2019 I called Vumatel to find out the progress of my order. They once again told me that my area was still not fibre ready. I insisted on speaking to a manager or supervisor to find out when the box would be complete. I was put through to Ekara (Vumatel Customer Services) and she told me that the distribution box was in fact ready and that they could now proceed with the installation. She asked me if Telkom was paying Vumatel for the installation and I said as far as the package, I wouldn’t have to pay for installation. She suggested I call Telkom to make sure and gave me a VT number and said that I should give them this VT number in order for them to proceed with the order. I called Telkom ONCE AGAIN and held on forever!!! I got through to an agent and told them that I got the VT number from Vumatel. She asked me for the number and I was at the third digit when she stopped me and said that this was not the correct number.

After all these hassels, I went onto the Telkom website to check that the installation was definitely free and that I am in fact entitled to get a free range extender and Alas! I couldn’t find the deal that I originally signed up for. The closest deal was at R806-00 per month and it made no mention of the range extender.

My patients were now wearing thin!!! I call Telkom again and after holding on for another half hour, I got through to an agent. I gave them my original order number but asked for my ID number. They said that it’s definitely R807-00 per month, 20mbps (not 10 as per Telkom’s package) because it’s Vumatel fibre, free installation, free modem, free email address, definitely 12 months (not 24 months) but that I’m not entitled to the free range extender because it’s a Vumatel package and Vumatel doesn’t give free range extenders. I stated that it stipulated on the package that if you book online, you will get a free range extender. She said that perhaps it was a promotion that the first 1000 customers received free range extenders. Whatever.....!!!!!!!

OH MY GOD!!!! I have now lost all my patients!!!! I told them that I signed up ONLINE on www.telkom.co.za and therefore I’m entitled to a free range extender. If it’s a Vumatel package, then why am I on the package of R807-00 per month that Telkom advertised and not the price of Vumatel’s package on their website!!???!!???

On 11 April 2019 I receive an email from Wendy Baloyi advising me to complete an attached application but it gives me no option of a 12 month contract and it does not stipulate the monthly cost.

I have already completed an order online (on 22 March 2019), which was APPROVED and now I have to complete another one?

I then receive my Telkom account on 12 April and they have charged me for the modem R999 but my package is supposed to be a free modem! I had Telkom accounts and they assured me that it was Telkom’s mistake and that the amount will be reversed.

Vumatel came and installed the fibre on Tuesday 16 April 2019. I called Telkom 10210 when the Vumatel technicians left as they said I am required to call Telkom with the VT number in order to activate. I spoke to a Telkom consultant, who took the VT number down but after a long time of holding on for her, she came back saying that she has put me in the system but it’s unable to confirm. She told me that a manager from Telkom will call me that evening between 6 and 7pm (which never happened).

I called Telkom AGAIN the next day and the lady told me that nothing was on the system. I gave her the VT number once again and she told me that I have to wait for 7 working days to be activated.

To date, I have not heard from Telkom and I am STILL NOT ACTIVATED!!!! It is now 11 working days since Vumatel installed fibre in my home.

If I knew I was going to be messed around like this, I would’ve gone to another service provider.

I REFUSE TO CALL TELKOM 10210 OR 10213 BECAUSE FIRSTLY, YOU HOLD ON FOREVER AND SECONDLY, NO-ONE KNOWS WHAT THE HELL THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT! I even called Telkom to find out more about the LIT Android TV Box as I don’t have a smart TV and none of their consultants knew anything about it.

I HAVE JUST SPOKEN TO AUBREY – TELKOM SALES 10213 AND MY ORDER IS ONCE AGAIN NOT EVEN ON THE SYSTEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had to give my VT number again and he assured me that it will be sent through as a dispute and they will get back to me.

This is utterly ridiculous! They won't get back to me because my order is not on their system! Even if they've put my order on the system now, they will not get back to me because they don't give a dam or they don't know what they're doing!!!!