FORMAL COMPLAINT: Gross Maladministration, ********* Conduct, and Statutory Violations by Telkom – Case of Unauthorised Debit Order Change and False Credit Reporting SA SOC Ltd. (For Public Review and Action)

I am lodging this formal and public complaint regarding Telkom’s severe lack of business excellence, professionalism, and ethical conduct, stemming from an unauthorised change to my debit order date by a Telkom employee. This administrative error led to the immediate and automatic blocking of my account and device access, followed by an unjust demand for the full outstanding amount. For the past approximately 8 months, Telkom has failed to resolve this issue, despite the employee responsible admitting their mistake.

This ongoing failure has resulted in financial loss, denial of paid-for service, and the damaging and unfair listing of false information on my credit report.

Details of the Matter

Unauthorised Action and Service Denial: A Telkom employee unilaterally and mistakenly changed my established debit order date. This immediate administrative action triggered an automated system block on my account and device, preventing me from accessing the service for which I am contracted to pay.

Admission of Error, Lack of Resolution: The Telkom employee who made the change has since admitted to this error. Despite this internal acknowledgement of fault, Telkom has refused to lift the block, reinstate my service, correct the billing, and has instead demanded full payment.

Lack of Service and Financial Loss: For approximately eight months, I have been unable to use the device or access the service. Telkom is demanding payment for a service they themselves have disabled, thereby causing me to incur financial losses (paying for a non-existent service) and denying me the benefit of my contract.

*Poor Business Standards* I have logged multiple formal requests [list reference numbers] over this 8-month period, yet the issue remains deliberately unresolved. This pattern of negligence, demanding payment for service not rendered, and an 'insane' cycle of repeating the same mistakes while expecting a different result, demonstrates an alarming lapse in basic business professionalism and customer service ethics at Telkom.

Violation of Consumer Rights (*National Credit Act and POPI Act*) Telkom’s conduct is in direct contravention of my statutory rights as a consumer:

1. National Credit Act (NCA)– Right to Dispute Inaccurate Information: The NCA, specifically Section 72, grants every consumer the right to challenge the accuracy of any information held by a credit provider or credit bureau concerning them. By failing to correct the financial records related to this block (which was caused by Telkom’s internal error) and allowing this false adverse information to be reported to credit bureaus, Telkom is actively undermining my fundamental right to a fair and accurate credit record as protected by the NCA.

2. Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI Act) – Right to Fairness and Accuracy: The POPI Act places an obligation on Responsible Parties (like Telkom) to ensure the quality of personal information they process. This includes taking reasonably practicable steps to ensure that personal information is complete, accurate, not misleading, and updated where necessary (Condition 5: Information Quality). By maintaining, and likely submitting, credit information that reflects a 'default' or 'arrears' status based on an erroneous, unapproved debit order change – an error admitted by their own staff – Telkom is processing my personal information (my payment and credit history) in a manner that is unfair and inaccurate, violating the core principles of the POPI Act.

Demand for Resolution I demand the following immediate actions:

Immediate Resolution and Service Restoration: The account block must be lifted immediately, and the service restored.

Account Correction: All charges incurred during the 8-month period of non-service (from the date the block was initiated) must be reversed or credited.

Credit Report Correction : Telkom must immediately initiate the process to formally withdraw, delete, and correct all adverse listings on my credit report related to this disputed period, acknowledging that the arrears arose from their internal error, not my default.

Formal Written Response: A formal written response from an Executive Escalations team, providing a clear timeline for each step of the resolution, is required within 5 business days of this public posting.

Telkom must move beyond its current poor business standards and demonstrate a commitment to its customers, ethical conduct, and compliance with South African law. Failure to act decisively and correctly on an error that their own employee has admitted to will necessitate further escalation to the relevant regulatory bodies (e.g., the National Credit Regulator, the Information Regulator, and ICASA).