Telkom’s Bad Service

I have been on a Telkom contract since November 2016. Last month I requested an upgrade on my contract which is one step I regret. The sales lady who assisted me online did a terrible job from communication to delivery. I asked that the phone be delivered in Johannesburg as I am currently in Cape Town, she went on and changed my contact details on the system to my younger sister whom I gave proxy to for delivery only. My younger sister was now the main contact on Telkom meaning all my private messages regarding my account were going to her (invasion of privacy). I contacted Telkom about this but no one could help me. I was sent from number to number, department to department with no one willing to help. I contacted Telkom via social media but still.

Now on Monday the 28th of October 2019 my number was disconnected. I called them and they told me I have an active simcard in Johannesburg and I was advised to go in-store for a simswap, worse thing ever!

I go in-store V & A Waterfront Telkom and they do security check using biometrics which I failed as I had issues with home affairs and my fingerprints. I understand the process and give them a go ahead to investigate with Home Affairs since that is the procedure and I have nothing to hide. I am told the case will take 24 hours to be attended to and the investigation will take 72 hours. All this time I am without a number and I am patient. I call them on the 31st of October to hear if things have been sorted and I am told the case as been closed and a credit check was done instead of a *****/identity check. I ask the call centre agent if my number is activate and he tells me it was never blocked according to what is written on their system. He advises me to visit any Telkom store again. Today the 1st of November 2019 I go to Telkom Adderley Street in Cape Town where I am told the same story after going to Home Affairs for my fingerprints. The lady at Adderley advised me to go back to Waterfront so they activate the simcard as it is an order from their side. I go there as instructed they first tell me they will unblock it immediately as the case has been concluded and the consultant from Adderley sent an email with regards to my case. They do the biometrics again and still same story and I am told the person who took my case did not conduct a *****/identity investigation instead did a credit check. Now I ask how that can be sorted out as it’s their investigator who did not do their job properly. Can they call the person to find out and no they can’t “it’s a department, we can only send an email and can’t activate your number”. I am frustrated it’s month end I can’t verify payments, I can’t be reached and I am tired of being numberless. I am away from home and as a young woman living in South Africa I have to constantly share my location with my loved ones but now I can’t because I have no number and Telkom staff is not doing their job. No one can help and I have to wait over the weekend again and default on payments, go withdraw from banks with extra charges and do manual cash deposits. Telkom doesn’t care no solution nothing. I am so frustrated and I regret upgrading with this ridiculous device from Telkom. Telkom has no accountability nor do they care about their customers. The staff is not doing their jobs and as a customer you do not matter. I asked if I can cancel my contract and they tell me about ridiculous penalty amounts. My business is suffering, I can imagine the amount of clients I’ve lost. I had to contact some clients via WhatsApp and look like a clown to others who do not have WhatsApp.

I produce my Home Affairs