Pathetic Service and Blatant *******

<p>On the 27th of June I placed an order for a new telephone line in Rondebosch, Cape Town, along with an ADSL package at the Telkom Store in Pavilion in Westville, Durban. I previously held a prepaid line (which cost around R80 per month) and was satisfied with it, however required internet access as I am a student and thus I decided to switch to this ADSL package (which totalled around R399 per month). I was informed that I would be able to collect the modem before I returned to Cape Town for my studies, and that the order would take 7 to 21 working days to process and be in effect.</p> <p>It has now been 7 weeks since I placed the original order. Thus far, my telephone line has been activated, however my ADSL line has not yet been installed. I have phoned Telkom Sales (10213) numerous times to check on the progress, however have been continuously been told to just wait and keep phoning to check. As of my latest phone call on the 27thof July, I was informed that there are no available ports in my area to install the ADSL line, and thus I would have to wait an indefinite amount of time until one becomes available, and that I am on the waiting list (I was informed that this could be a long wait, and that I should consider Telkom Wireless services as an alternative option). This information however was not conveyed to me in a clear or understandable manner, and I had to make multiple calls to finally receive information which the average consunmer could understand. Furthermore, I was unable to collect the modem in Durban as I was told I had to wait for the order to be active, and thus am forced to collect it in Cape Town, despite my lack of a means of transport.</p> <p>As a student and a consumer, I am outraged with the way my order has been handled. Firstly, I have not been able to even collect the modem I was promised. Secondly, I am currently incurring the additional costs of a line rental (approximately R180, compared to the R80 I was paying for a prepaid line) which I am not even using, since the sole purpose of paying for line rental was for the ADSL line. Thirdly, the internet access which I was promised has not been delivered, which has disrupted both my personal and work life, and resulted in additional costs. Finally I have no information when or if this service will ever be delivered and usable to me, which is unfair to me as a consumer. Furthermore, the alternative options which were provided (Namely either Telkom Wireless or Telkom Mobile) are both much more costly than I can afford as a student. I also have been informed that I cannot downgrade to the previous prepaid line I had if the line I ordered cannot be installed as the previous option is no longer offered. I find this extremely unfair, as the only reason I decided to take out the new package was for ADSL.</p> <p>The problems I have experienced thus far are in direct violation of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, and in particular it has violated:</p> <p>§ Section 19, which governs the consumer’s rights to delivery of goods or supply of services;</p> <p>§ Section 22, which governs the consumer’s right to information in plain and understandable language;</p> <p>§ Section 40, which governs unconscionable conduct by the supplier; and</p> <p>§ Section 54, which governs the consumer’s right to demand quality service.</p> <p> </p> <p>Furthermore, I was contacted by Telkom Head Office on the 11th of August to confirm the details of my complant, which I had lodged with Telkom's COO Brian Armstrong. I was promised that I would be contacted by Friday the 12th of August with a resolution to this problem. I have thus far not been contacted (17 August 2016), while continuuing being charged for a service I cannot use and frankly which I cannot afford as a student (I work two part time jobs to pay for my telephone contract and other expenses). I cannot even consider other possible options with other service providers, as Telkom refuses to communicate with me, even at the call centres as they simply put me on hold for extraordinary amounts of time or hang up. The costs of this are building up for me, while Telkom blatantly refuses to deliver the service they promised or attempt to solve this problem. Even the Head Office appears to have no interest in customer service.</p>