Telkom managed to completely surprise me with how inefficient they handled my order.

I app**** for a home ADSL line on the 31st of December with all of my documents and was informed it would take 7 - 14 working days to install my line. The previous tenants already had a telkom line installed, however they were unwilling to do a transfer of ownership and as a result I required Telkom to connect up the line again. This point is important because all of the infrastructure is already there. Here is my experience so far:

1. Immediately received a text with my telkom username / password. Promising!

2. After 10 working days, I called the call centre. I was placed on hold and the call cut twice during that time for a total of about 75 minutes on the phone waiting. The third time I got through to someone who assured me all was in order and I would be contacted shortly.

3. I receive a text informing me my installation date of December 22nd. That day comes and goes and I receive no contact.

4. After 22 days, I went into the Telkom store who told me there was a note on my account that a technician was unable to contact me. I haven't received a single text, phone call, email or any communication from anybody. A note was made on my account to contact me again.

5. After 30 days, I received a text from Telkom with completely new account details. I attempted to use the "Telkom online chat" to query this point because the call center kept hanging up on me. Although it gave me the option for Sales, Product Inquiry, Technical Inquiry, the person on the chat has informed me there is no such thing except technical inquiry and I needed to phone the center.

5. I'm on day 40 right now. I run a business and work from home and I have traveled every day down to durban or to a family's house to work. I have spent a small fortune on data, and to this point I have not received a single call or message from anyone. I have been informed at every stage of my attempts to reach out that a technician will contact me, but I cannot be informed when or how. I am unable to contact this technician myself.

I'm basically looking to undo my application and cancel and will more then likely be taking those steps today. I have heard other people talk about Telkom being a nightmare, but I had always thought it over exaggerated and more of a perception of them rather then a reality. I can say with full assurance now it is not an exaggeration and I would use any means possible to avoid this company however and whenever you can.

Probably the single most frustrating point is that the people you are forced to interact with - Telkom store staff, Call Centre, Live Chat, Twitter account, are all unable to do more then escalate or make a note on your account. They cannot provide you with clear feedback and they cannot provide you with any details, so you are left incredibly frustrated.