Request for a Telkom FLLA Phone - What a Shambles

The building where I live lost its Telkom cable after a fire in the building garage and Telkom would not replace the cable with the move away from copper cables. Thus I lost my landline for voice and data (VDSL). At the time for data I moved to a Telkom LTE contract and did not apply for a FLLA phone to continue to use my landline number. A few years later after being advised at a Telkom shop at Eastgate Mall about the Pensioners Discount for a Wireless FLLA phone at R150/month (normally R225/month) called Telkom at 10213 and inquired about this. A lady answered and told me there was no such thing as a Pensioners Discount and that I had been wrongly advised at the Telkom Eastgate Store. This was something that had been in place years ago but was not now available.

After checking the Telkom Smartvoice Calling Plans a few days later called Telkom to enquire about their Lite version at R149/month. While on the phone again enquired about the Pensioners Discount and was told this is available by ordering a Basic Smartvoice Calling Plan (R225/month) and then to contact billing to claim a Pensioners Discount. Was assured this discount was available to me so ordered through this lady a new Landline phone number and FLLA phone on the Basic Plan. Was informed she will get back to me when they verify my home address (not changed in over twenty years with Telkom). This did occur and was advised my new phone and SIM would be delivered shortly.

Received FLLA phone and SIM Monday 21 October 2024 and added SIM and charged battery. Digital display read No SIM, No Service, Emergency Calls Only. Instructions indicated it would be 24 to 48 hours before phone would be working. Still not working five days later so on Friday 25 October took the new phone to the Telkom Shop at Killarney Mall. Was told after checking my phone and SIM that I needed to have a SIM swop and mentioned I should go to the Telkom Shop at Rosebank as they could not do it at Killarney. Asked them to check first with Rosebank before going there. Then told it’s not possible at Rosebank and I should go to the Telkom shop at Park Station where they would carry out the SIM swop. Was given the contact name at the Telkom Park Station shop. Went there and was initially told they could not do a SIM swop but as I had the name of the contact asked the assistant to see him (who was in a back room) He returned with the new SIM and replaced the original SIM and told me it would be 24 hours before it would be working. On Monday 28 October called Telkom as still not working and told the 24 hours was for week days and not weekend days. Still not working Wednesday 30 October so called Telkom and had great difficulty in getting through and to anyone useful. Tried 19 times to get through. Eventually talked to a male at Technical Services who said that my Voice Line had not been activated and I needed to get back to Sales about this. Did so and they requested my line to be activated. As of a week later on Wednesday 6 November my phone is still not working so called Telkom again. Was asked to read out the ICCID Nos for the original SIM and the replacement SIM and from this it appeared the system still had the original SIM registered and not the new SIM. As a check of the original SIM was asked to replace the swopped SIM with the original SIM but the result was the same NO SIM - NO SERVICE Etc. The lady said she would request the necessary changes for the replacement SIM to be activated and call me back by which time my phone should finally be working.

In summary now 32 attempted cell phone calls to try to reach Telkom using the 10213 number from an iPhone 14 Pro with a Vodacom sim to obtain a FLLA phone. Could not get through to the number 10213 on a number of occasions, on other occasions was cut off and had to dial again. Only on the 32nd phone call did someone say that things were taking far too long and they would call me back to confirm Telkom had set up the parameters for my phone correctly and my phone should now be working. This was to be later that day (Wednesday) or the next day - Thursday. However no call back came, or on the Friday. Called Telkom the following Wednesday 13 November 2024. Again the wording given my order is not yet closed and the person I spoke to will contact technical services to find out why things are taking so long. This call was 23 minutes long making a total of 147 minutes (close to 2.5 hours) so far of cellphone calls to Telkom in relation to obtaining a FLLA phone!

At most of my calls to Telkom I asked whether the service for my FLLA phone was available in my area and was repeatedly assured this is the case. The reason for my asking about this was I took out a 5G data contract with Telkom after completing a two year LTE contract but there is no 5G service where I live (but shown on the Telkom map that 5G was available). This contract eventually had to be cancelled after Telkom sent out a Technician whose report showed no 5G in my area!

Now Monday 25 November and no one from Telkom has called me back. In response to a Telkom Email today from their Customer Service just completed an online report back form on Telkom service giving them a low score. Their response was someone will call me back.

Received a call back from Telkom on Wednesday 27 November 2024 that things would be sorted out.

Now 2 December 2024 and still no service but received an sms that I would be billed R225 on the 5 December 2024. So called Telkom to have my first bill cancelled due to no service provided. Was told I had to contact Technical Services to obtain the various fault logs to prove no service. Called Technical Services and they gave me three logged numbers for 31 October, 1 November and 7 November 2024. Rang back to Billing to provide this information and was told that the three logged 7 digit numbers provided were not related to me and the Technical Services had given me the wrong information. I got back to Technical Services and they told me there were no Ref. Nos logged with me from Technical Services as the fault was related to Sales. Called back to Billing to inform them and they stated that they would open a case number for me!

Also asked if I could cancel my contract with Telkom for the FLLA Phone due to over six weeks from ordering the FLLA phone and still no service. Was told I could not cancel with the Order Still Pending.

Now contacted Telkom about the Pensioner Discount and this was sorted very quickly and was informed would be billed at R149/month not R225/month.

Telkom Technical Services and also Telkom Sales said for the first time on the 2 December 2024 that I had to go back to the Telkom Shop where the SIM Swop was made. Went back to the Telkom Shop at Park Station where they stated that the information they logged by computer was correct on the 25 October 2024 but there was a ‘Stuck Order’ due to a ‘Server Problem’. After adding information to his computer the contact at Park Station stated all should now be OK within 24 hours but if service still not provided by Wednesday 4 December 2024 to call back and was provided with his contact cell number.

The length of the Cell Phone calls to Telkom on Monday 2 December 2024 (10210/10213) were 28 minutes, 58 minutes and 45 minutes giving a total 131 minutes. Adding this to the previous 147 minutes gives a total of 278 minutes or 4.6 hours trying to sort things out with Telkom. The average time to get through to someone at Telkom was 20 or so minutes.

Telkom need to sort out their extremely poor customer service where one is sent from pillar to post and yet no service is provided. They need an outside agency to conduct a very comprehensive audit of their customer service and most important they need single contacts at Telkom who can sort out the complete problem not being sent to different people all the time in different departments.

NOTES: Have had good reliable service from Telkom for over two decades, but now in 2024 still trying to have a refund for paying for 5G 100Mbps for two months when I had only low data speeds through LTE and now this FLLA phone problem.

Staff at the Telkom stores visited Eastgate, Killarney and Park Station were all very helpful, but the problem is with the Telkom telephone help service.

When I complained to Vodacom about their poor service they sorted out the problem within a few hours. Why has Telkom not sorted out my none service problem which was reported over a month ago?

Request for a TELKOM FLLA Phone - The TELKOM Shambles is Continuing.