Telkom’s “Uncapped” WiFi—A Costly Lesson in Fine Print

Misleading Sales Practices & Unacceptable Service Experience with Telkom “Uncapped” WiFi

I would like to caution others considering Telkom’s so-called “Uncapped” WiFi offering. If you’re unfami**** with the fine print and technical limitations, as I was, you may find yourself locked into a contract that does not meet your household’s needs.

We switched to Telkom WiFi during a contract upgrade, having been loyal mobile customers for years. I personally explained our usage requirements to the sales consultant in detail: two children gaming online simultaneously via Xbox, multiple mobile devices connected, and streaming services like Netflix and Showmax running daily. Based on this, we were assured the recommended package would be sufficient.

However, just 10 days into the billing cycle, our internet speed dropped drastically. Upon contacting customer care, we were informed that our monthly data allocation had been “depleted” and we were now subject to a Fair Usage Policy—throttled to 2Mbps, which barely supports basic messaging apps.

This critical limitation was never disclosed during the sales process. When we attempted to cancel the contract due to this misrepresentation, we were told we’d need to pay nearly R2,000 for the modem (understandable), but also an early cancellation penalty—despite the fact that we were misled.

Attempts to escalate the matter in-store were met with unprofessional responses. The store manager was “unavailable,” and the assistant manager refused to engage directly, instead asking a sales consultant to relay our concerns. This lack of accountability and transparency is unacceptable.

Bottom line: read the fine print, ask tough questions, and don’t assume “uncapped” means unlimited. It cost us time, money, and trust.