Telkom landline 'type' phones are downgraded to junk status....

I recently discovered that my Telkom 'landline' wasn't working-apparently for a week or more. My son reported it for me and after 3 days followed up with Telkom as we had not had a response. That was Friday last week. Today a Telkom lady phoned me on my cellphone and said it must be either the Sim card or the device and I should try the Sim in another device. If that didn't work it would be the device which is only guaranteed for a year - they don't tell you that when they give out these devices and take the copper lines away. Later another Telkom lady phoned me and said the Sim card would likely not fit another device and the first lady should not have suggested it as it wouldn't fit. When my son opened the phone and took the Sim card out this evening, he says these big old Sim cards are obsolete. This phone stands on a table and has never been dropped-it is permanently plugged into the wall plug. She said take it to a Telkom shop -you will likely have to buy another one. I said I pay R200 rental every month for this phone-has been out of service for a week or more and until I buy another one I will have to keep paying rental. It is ridiculous that a phone that to all intents and purposes looks like a normal landline lasts one year-I have NEVER had to have a landline phone replaced in my life before this. Telkom no longer services lines or phones-they absolve themselves of maintenance when they hand you this piece of junk, and they continue to receive rental whether or not it works. I have heard from someone today that Telkom is often referred to as Helkom and now I can see why-it is appalling and on principal I think I will manage with a cellphone only, as most people do these days.