Telkom’s Unfair Policies and Poor Customer Care

I’ve been a loyal Telkom customer for over 11 years, but recent experiences have left me deeply dissatisfied. Since 30 November 2024, I have made three payments to Telkom totalling over R6,000, yet this morning my line was suspended for being R287 over a limit I wasn’t even aware of until I couldn’t make an important business call.

The Issue:

Telkom cuts my line immediately when I exceed the R2,500 credit limit, even by a small amount, but it takes days to restore service after payment. The last time, I waited nearly a week. This morning, I was unable to make a critical business call because my line was cut without warning, despite my history of consistent payments.

I’ve asked Telkom to cap my account at R2,500 to avoid spending beyond the limit, but their only solution was to increase my credit limit after performing a credit check.

When my line is suspended, I’m left without the service I’ve already paid for. For example, if my bill is R2,000/month and my line is cut for 8 days, I believe I’m entitled to a credit of R533.33. Telkom is providing me no compensation for this downtime.

I’ve also had to spend an unnecessary amount of time on the phone with Telkom’s support team (time I value at R700/hour), and I’ve had to buy extra SIM cards, data, and airtime to stay connected during these suspensions—costing me over R1,000.

I'll say this again, since 30 November 2024, I’ve paid Telkom more than R6,000, and this morning my line was cut over a mere R287 (it’s happened 3 times in the last month). After over a decade as a loyal customer, having paid over R100,000 in service fees, I am beyond disappointed. I just can’t understand how a line can be cut over a couple of hundred rand—money I am more than willing to pay if I were even aware it was owed. Telkom’s lack of flexibility, poor customer service, and disregard for my time has left me feeling frustrated, undervalued, and ready to take my business elsewhere.