No Mobile Services since 20th September

Since 20th September I have had no mobile services on my cellphone. I cannot phone anyone, and nobody can phone me. Nor can I send an sms. I cannot receive any sms's. I phoned immediately to the helpdesk (180) on 20th September, and logged case number ********** 6 at 10:27am.

After trying network selectors, and reboot, then international roaming and reboot, then removing simcard, replacing and rebooting, and even going in to a telkom shop (Blue Route Mall, Tokai) and doing a sim swap, I still had no services.

I phoned to the helpdesk (180) every day using a cell c pre-paid sim, which made it quite costly as it takes a long time to be answered at the helpdesk (180). I also communicated with a page of telkom's through facebook messenger, and finally, through my profile on the telkom website, I sent a myriad of internal messages - all about this lack of service. In each communique, I provided my case number, and the cell c alternate number for communication purposes. I used each of these channels about 3 times a day for the first few days.

Initially, i was told that my case would be referred to the network department, and that they would respond to me within 72 working hours.

Since I run a business from my cellphone, I wanted to try everything I could to speed up the process. That is partly why I was so diligent about communicating with telkom each day. On some days, I would ask to speak to a manager on the helpdesk floor. Each manager would reassure me that they were going to escalate my case to the network department, and that I must have peace of mind because the network department "has" to respond to me. Further, each manager would reassure me that my case "would" be resolved within 72 working hours.

On Friday 29th September, I went in to the telkom branch at Adderley Street in Cape Town city center. The agent on duty there let me phone the helpdesk (180) from the landline there. I waited 25 minutes to be answered. I was told that the manager would call me back. A manager called Lungi Cele called me more than an hour later. She said that she was again going to escalate my case to the network department, and that as it was getting close to the 72 working hours period (in which every agent that I have spoken to at the helpdesk since 20th September had said my problem would be resolved), she saw no reason why the network department would not phone me. She said that they "had" to because the case is logged, and it is getting close to the turnaround time.

On the same day (Friday 29th), I thought to cancel my contract, since I cannot use it. I obtained the correct form from an agent at the helpdesk (180), filled it in, and emailed it back to the address given on the form. This is ********** I have not had a response from that, either.

Each time I have contacted the helpdesk (180), I have requested that they update my case with the fact that I called in again to hear if the network department had seen my case yet. I also asked that my case notes include the information about the initial problem solving techniques that we employed on 20th September. And each time I spoke with a manager, I asked that they too update the case notes to reflect that they had asked for an escalation.

On Monday 2nd October, I tried to be patient as I kept my cell c phone turned on, full of signal, and ready to be answered if the network department phoned. I did have a short conversation with the facebook messenger page at telkom again, and the record of this is available should anyone need it. At around 4pm I sent an email to Lungi to let her know that I had not heard from the network department, and to ask what I should do next. I have not had a response as yet.

Tuesday 3rd October at 10:27am will be the official 72 working hours that I was promised my cellphone would be fixed by. And yet, I have still not been contacted by the network department.

Nor have I been responded to by the cancellations department.

I would like to either have my phone correctly fixed and promptly, or have my contract cancelled without recourse, due to lack of service provision.

I cannot imagine the loss of income I have suffered because of this. I am paid up on my account, I have an expensive contract, and I have been with Telkom Mobile since its inception as 8ta. I am not sure why I am being treated like this.

In addition, my Mother passed away recently, and the arrangements have been challenging to make due to having to use a cell c pre-paid sim. Case number ********** 6