Telkom - Billing *****

Dear Investigative Editor, I am writing to request that The Citizen investigate what appears to be an ongoing and systemic failure between Telkom's internal billing processes and its appointed debt collection agency, NuDebt, which is causing unnecessary distress and potential reputational harm to paying customers.

For more than a year, I have repeatedly received threatening communications alleging non-payment of my account, warnings that my account has been handed over for debt collection, and most concerning of all, notifications that failure to settle the alleged outstanding amount could negatively impact my credit record.

The troubling reality is that my account is paid via debit order, and the required deductions have consistently been processed from my bank account.

This is not an isolated incident. Following previous collection notices and account suspensions, I personally visited a Telkom branch in an effort to resolve the matter. During these engagements, representatives were able to confirm that: The debit order payments had indeed been received; My account was not genuinely in default; There appeared to be a system or reconciliation issue between Telkom and NuDebt; and Other customers were reportedly experiencing the same problem. I was specifically advised to ignore future collection notices because the issue was known internally.

Unfortunately, despite these assurances, the threatening communications have continued.

Most recently, I again received correspondence indicating that I was in breach of my payment obligations and that my credit profile could be negatively affected. Concerned about protecting a credit record that I have worked diligently to maintain, I was forced to verify my bank statements, confirm that the debit order had already been deducted, contact NuDebt directly, and arrange payment regardless of the fact that payment had already been processed.

To my astonishment, my account was subsequently suspended once again.

As a responsible consumer, I find this situation completely unacceptable.

Consumers are repeatedly warned about the importance of maintaining a clean credit record, honouring their financial obligations, and avoiding adverse listings. Yet in this instance, a paying customer appears to be subjected to ongoing collection activity, suspension of services, and threats relating to their creditworthiness due to an issue that Telkom itself has allegedly acknowledged.

The questions that arise are straightforward:

If Telkom is aware of a systems integration or reconciliation issue with NuDebt, why has it not been resolved? For how long has this issue been affecting customers? How many consumers have received debt collection notices despite being up to date with their payments? What controls are in place to prevent incorrect collection action from being initiated? How many consumers have unnecessarily made duplicate payments out of fear of legal action or damage to their credit records? What measures exist to ensure that inaccurate information is not reported to credit bureaus? What accountability exists when consumers suffer stress, inconvenience, reputational concerns, or financial prejudice as a result of known administrative failures? The greatest concern is not merely the inconvenience involved. It is the panic and uncer*****y created when consumers are repeatedly told that they are in default despite having honoured their obligations.

A person's credit reputation is a critical financial asset. Threatening customers with legal action, debt collection processes, and potential credit consequences when payment has already been received is deeply concerning, particularly where the organisation appears to be aware that the underlying cause is a known systems issue.

My account this week was suspended twice, this after numerous phone calls to their billing dept and support services, stating they can see the pmt made, op top of the std monthly debit order. In a call again on 28 Aug, they confirmed the suspension will be lifted as they have allocated the additional pmt to my account, and then 10mins after this call, I received another message from NuDebt stating I have not pmt.

What began as a personal frustration now appears to be a broader consumer-protection concern deserving of public scrutiny. If multiple customers have been affected, then this is no longer an isolated billing dispute but rather a matter of public interest.

I am willing to provide supporting evidence, including debit order confirmations, collection notices, and account suspension communications.

I trust that The Citizen's investigative team will give this matter the attention it deserves and determine whether other consumers may be experiencing the same difficulties.