Telkom Mobile MUST SHUT THE HELL DOWN!

I joined telkom mobile December 2015, I took what I thought was a good deal at the time, a media touch pad and a samsung galaxy core mobile phone for just 199 per month, with data, minutes and sms's. I was impressed with the deal and despite having bad connection or minimal signal EVERYWHERE I WENT. I did not complain because I gave the underdog a chance, i am usually all about the underdog.

Having accepted this deal telephonically, I only started paying a month later (after having received the couriered devices). I made payment on time, I never faulted, not even once, to the extent where I was offered yet another deal by Telkom... an LTE router with 5GB of data per month on the sim card for R99 per month. Being very outdoorsy, I thought this would best suit me should I go on holiday (I have wifi at home and at the office and wouldnt need to use this device any place else other than when on holiday-also, I never use up my data accumulated on my remaining 2 devices and therefore thought it would be a good thing to have when on holiday, and only on holiday).

I got married on the 6th May 2017 and had packed my router away months before in storage for after the wedding where I could truly sort my things i had in my parents home to bring in to my new home, on the 5th of May, (1 DAY BEFORE THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY OF MY LIFE) I was debited R2000.00 MORE than I usually am by Telkom Mobile. Alarmed, stressed, panicked and all unpleasant emotions and horror, I checked the invoice as received a day before (didnt care to check it until the rude amount was debited), to my absolute lack of knowledge I noticed that I had been billed for some subscription fee and a data bundle (both amounting to the additional R2000 or so).

I immediately called the call centre and they advised that the activity had been linked to the simcard in my stored router. I immediately checked for the router and had found an empty LTE router box, at this point, it was evident that the device had been ******, I shared this knowledge with Telkom immediately and had the number blocked. The agent at that time was amused and jokey about my very sickening experience and he did not even log it as a case at that time. He informed me that the additional R2000 was merely for March, that I had yet to see April's bill.

I immediately called my bank to reverse the funds in order to fix my wedding budget (TELKOM WAS NOT ON MY LIST OF THINGS TO PAY EXCESSIVELY 1 DAY BEFORE MY WEDDING)!!! i WENT ON HONEYMOON AND CAME BACK TO VISIT A TELKOM MOBILE STORE WHERE IT COULD BE PROPERLY DEALT WITH. Call centre agents are like robots, they lack empathy and compassion, they read you rules and don't address the actual problem... I HATE TELKOM'S CALL CENTRE WITH ALL I STAND FOR, USELESS!

They advised me at the store that they could only log the complaint and not actually solve the problem. They logged a case and was given ref. no.: ********** 9, they advised that it would take up to 9 business days for someone to get back to me. on the 9th day, i called in and found that the case was being investigated by someone named, Ayanda Dlamini. a few days after, i received an email stating case closed, that i should contact 081180 for the details.

At this point my outstanding balance inhabited an additonal R2000.00 for April and R1799.00 for May(yes, AFTER i had already blocked this sim card). I called the call centre immediately and they could not give me any feedback regarding the closed case! There were no notes, no comments, zero way forward, just closed like they could not care less!

I re-opened the case and was given a new case number: ********** 3 along with case number: ********** 5 for the usage of a BLOCKED SIM CARD. I did NOT HEAR BACK FROM THEM, EVEN THOUGH A MANAGER AT THIS VERY INEFFICIENT CALL CENTRE HAD PROMISED I WOULD HEAR BACK BY THURSDAY THE 8TH JUNE 2017... ! I CALLED IN AND THERE WAS ZERO PROGRESS ON THE NEW CASES!

Whenever I called in, i was required to verify who I am by providing my ID number, my name, how i receive my invoices and the email address linked to my account. Sometimes it was extended to the bank i bank with and what type of account I have with the bank. However, the person who STOLE MY DEVICE, was never ASKED A SINGLE SECURITY QUESTION AND WAS ABLE TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF RANDS ON MY ACCOUNT WITHOUT TELKOM EVEN HAVING THE COMMON COURTEOUSY TO INQUIRE WHETHER IT WAS ME DOING THESE THINGS... BECAUSE GOING FROM A R350.00 MONTHLY USER ACCOUNT FOR MORE THAN A YEAR, TO A SUDDEN R2382.56 ACCOUNT... SURELY! SHOULD HAVE SENT OFF SOME SIRENS. THEY DID NOT EVEN HAVE THE DECENCY TO NOTIFY ME VIA SMS TO MY PRIMARY NUMBER! NOTHING!

THEY DID NOT AT ANY POINT BRIEF ME ABOUT THEIR LACK OF SECURITY WHEN IT COMES TO USSD CODES AND PURCHASING INTERNET BUNDLES, ETC. AT NO POINT DID ANY CONSULTANT BRIEF ME ABOUT HOW I AM ABLE TO BUY AIRTIME AND DATA USING MY CONTRACT SIM CARD! FOR ANY USSD APPLICATION I KNOW ABOUT (MR PRICE, FIRST NATIONAL BANK, ETC), IN ORDER TO PROCEED, MY ID NUMBER IS ALWAYS REQUESTED BEFORE I CAN DO ANYTHING! HOW THE HELL DOES TELKOM, A RE-KNOWNED SERVICE PROVIDER NOT HAVE SECURITY MEASURES IN PLAY WHERE IT IS NEEDED MOST?!

MY ACCOUNT WAS COMPROMISED, ABUSED AND TELKOM LET THIS HAPPEN BECAUSE TELKOM HAS NO-ONES BACK BUT THEIR OWN! THE BIGGEST MISTAKE I EVER MADE WAS TAKING A CHANCE ON THIS NETWORK. I AM DISGUSTED IN EVERYTHING TELKOM STANDS FOR AND I HATE THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE I LIAISED WITH REFUSED TO HELP ME, AND KEEP DEBITING ME, AT THAT POINT: R6000.00 more than they should!!!

I visited more Telkom mobile stores (V&A Waterfront) in order to remedy the situation, as dealing with someone face-to-face makes me more comfortable that the matter will be addressed than calling in to the pathetic call centre. They logged complaints for me too, I was then advised to submit an affidavit stating that the device was ****** and the account run up by the *****, I did this and submitted, and waited... CASES WERE OPENED, THOSE SAME CASES WERE CLOSED WITH ZERO CONSULTATION OR WARNING, WITH NO REASONING, WITH NO WILL IN THE WORLD TO GIVE A DAMN, TELKOM CLOSED EVERY CASE AND NEVER CONTACTED ME ON MY ALTERNATIVE LINE AS I NUMEROUSLY REQUESTED! THEY WOULD SEND AN EMAIL SAYING THE CASE IS CLOSED, AND I WOULD BE DEBITED THE NEXT DAY, THEY DID THIS SO MANY TIMES, I LOST COUNT. THEY DID IT SO MANY TIMES THAT I EVEN HAD TO PAY BANK PENALTIES FOR NOT HAVING ENOUGH FUNDS IN MY ACCOUNT DUE TO THE AMOUNT HAVING ESCALATED SO DRASTICALLY!

Eventually, I tried 1 last time because I could not stand the back and forth of the matter any longer, it literally made and STILL MAKES ME FEEL ILL! I opened a fresh case, I made sure that the case report stated the VERY FACTS, and attached the affidavit for a SECOND time. I then received an sms to my DESIGNATED NUMBER FINALLY, stating that the case had been resolved, my account credited and all that was outstanding was R1665.78, WHICH I THEN MADE PEACE WITH-AS LONG AS IT WAS COMING TO AN END, FINALLY! 10 DAYS LATER, I WAS DEBITED R1200 (15th Aug 2017) AND THEN THE NEXT DAY DEBITED R465.78 (16th Aug 2017), these 2 amounts added yields the owed R1665.78, I was told that once payment reflected on Telkom's end that my lines would be unsuspended (usually taking up to 14 working days).

Today (06th September 2017) is the 15th WORKING DAY SINCE THE LAST PAYMENT AND I CALLED IN TO INQUIRE WHY MY ACCOUNT IS STILL SUSPENDED. TO MY ABSOLUTE DISGUST I WAS INFORMED THAT TELKOM COLLECTORS HAD CLOSED MY ACCOUNT! IMPLICATING MY CREDIT REFERENCE IN FUTURE, RUINING A MAJOR PART OF MY LIFE. I SENT HIM THE PROOF OF PAYMENT, I AM AWAITING FEEDBACK, BUT I AM DONE PLAYING NICE! TELKOM MUST BE TAKEN TO COURT AND SHOULD BE SUED! I WILL NO LONGER STAND FOR THIS BS!

I HAVE NO INTENTION TO EVER TAKE A CONTRACT OUT WITH TELKOM AGAIN! HOWEVER, I DO NOT ACCEPT THE FALSE INFORMATION PROVIDED TO ME IN PREVIOUS COMMUNICATION/S AND I DO NOT HAVE TO ACCEPT THE FACT OF THE MATTER AT HAND RIGHT NOW, CONTACT ME ON ********** 969 OR HEAR FROM MY LAWYER!

THEY NEVER CARE ENOUGH TO CONTACT ME! LETS SEE HOW MUCH OF A **** THEY GIVE NOW.