Uninformed, unmotivated staff

Is there ever anything to say that is positive about Telkom client services? Never! It is unfortunate you have a monopoly on certain services. As I am unable to get ADSL or fibre internet where I lived, I was forced to get a Telkom mobile LTE account. Initially, I was on a month-to-month at a fairly decent double data tariff plan, but ended up being much more expensive per GB than what I could get two years after initiating the service.

I went into a Telkom store to get advice as to what to do- I was told that I could NOT upgrade immediately, I had to cancel my current plan, and request a conversion to prepaid which meant I could retain the SIM cards I had. Thereafter I could buy whatever double deal bundles I wanted knowing that those offers could change at any time- which suited me as I was awaiting fibre to be installed in my area. On asking what would happen to my unused data I'd already paid for, I was told it would be refunded, or I would be informed by Telkom of the planned date for cancellation (which could take 14 working days) so that I could know when to use my data by.

Suffice to say, no one contacted me to inform me, and my plan at the time was terminated, and my unused paid-for data was lost. When going again into a Telkom store, I was told that they had no idea why I was advised what I was told previously (as if it were my fault), and I really had to cancel my product at the time, apply for a new 24 month contract, and be issued three brand-new SIM cards. I did not have the option of upgrading to a month-to-month tariff plan, without signing up for a device-only contract, even though I didn't want a device. Instead, I was told to either pay the same amount as the contract, get no device, get half the data and go month-to-month, or sign up for the 24 month contract and refuse a device, still pay the contract rate, but get the data plan that suits my needs. This is despite the fact that I was on a double data deal plan, that wasn't on a contract basis, excluded a device and locked at that price and data allocation month-to-month for what had almost been two years and which I could continue on indefinitely.

Now that fibre has gone live in my area, I went into a Telkom store and asked what could be done with the contract I was forced to take. The consultant was unwilling to tell me how much it would all cost, and told me to go on to the website and request a cancellation or downgrade. When I refused to leave without getting something more, I was then provided information which she then had to verify with someone else, who also looked unsure. Cancelling of course attracts a substantial fee (a device fee for the unused still sealed in the box device + a figure for each of the remaining months in the contract), and downgrading a once off fee of R400. When I asked how to downgrade, I was once again told to go onto the website, and select the "UPGRADE option" whereupon I'd be told what the downgrade fee would be (in case it wasn't R400). Logging onto your client zone, there is no easy way I can determine where the upgrade option is to select. Wasted hours, wasted money, a wasted device...Telkom is just a waste.