VOX - MTN extremely unhappy!

We have been a customer for several years and currently maintain a monthly account in excess of R10,000.

We recently app**** to have an additional MTN LTE service added to our account for a new branch premises. During the application process, we explicitly informed our account manager that we intended to supply our own LTE router and requested a list of MTN-supported routers to ensure compatibility.

We were provided with a list of approved devices and, based on this information, purchased one of the listed models, namely the Huawei B535-932a. Upon receipt of the new MTN SIM card, it was installed in the router, configured on site, and the service initially functioned as expected.

Approximately five hours later, we were contacted by the branch manager to report that the service was no longer operational. After on-site troubleshooting without success, we accessed our account via the Vox website and discovered that the SIM card had been locked, with a notification indicating that it had been inserted into a “non-approved device.”

We contacted Vox Technical Support regarding this issue under ticket and were advised that this situation occurs occasionally on the MTN network and that the SIM would be unlocked. Unfortunately, the same issue reoccurred on three additional occasions.

We then escalated the matter to our account manager in an attempt to find a permanent resolution. At that point, we were informed that the approved device list had changed and that the router we had purchased was no longer supported. We were subsequently provided with a revised list of approved devices and advised to select and purchase an alternative router.

This outcome is extremely unsatisfactory. We specifically requested an approved device list prior to purchase and re**** on the information provided. As a result, we now own a router that was purchased in good faith but can no longer be returned, as it has been used. It is unreasonable to expect us to incur additional costs due to incorrect or outdated information supp**** at the outset.

Furthermore, it is concerning that a device which was fully functional and approved one month can suddenly be deemed unsupported the next, with no prior notice or transitional solution offered.

We request a clear explanation as to how this situation occurred, along with a fair and practical resolution that does not require us to absorb the financial loss caused by this change in device approval.