TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE SERVICE FROM TELKOM - I WOULD URGE EVERYONE NOT TO DEAL WITH TELKOM. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET ASSISTANCE FROM TELKOM
TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE SERVICE FROM TELKOM - I WOULD URGE EVERYONE NOT TO DEAL WITH TELKOM. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET ASSISTANCE FROM TELKOM

I wish to advise that Telkom cancelled my landline and my email address both of which I had had for over twenty years, which was not what I requested. I asked for the existing contract to be cancelled with the intention of changing the contract to a different package, not for the number and the e-mail address to be cancelled. 

I sent numerous e-mails to Telkom where I asked:- “Please advise what options are open to me.” No one from Telkom contacted me to discuss the matter with me and just cancelled the number and the contract and subsequently my e-mail address!

We went into Telkom in Port Shepstone, in Oribi Plaza during March 2022, we told them that we wanted to downgrade our contract.

They advised that we first had to give a month’s notice to change the contract and then we could upgrade or downgrade
the contract. Therefore, we sent the below e-mail on the advice and instruction of Telkom Port Shepstone.

In April, we went into Port Shepstone Telkom and told them that we had done what they had advised us to do, we had given the one month’s notice and now we wanted to organise the downgrading of our contract.

They told us that Telkom, Port Shepstone, is just a satellite store and that they could not assist us and that we must go to Shelly Beach. This is a 32 kilometre drive for us.

As I was extremely busy, we went to Telkom in Shelly Beach on 5th May, the day that the contract was due to be down-graded. I was told by Telkom, Shelly Beach, that not only had the contract been cancelled, but that my phone number that I have had for twenty-one years had been cancelled! I was told that nothing could be done to re-instate my number; this on the very day that the contract came to an end. As you will note, I requested that Telkom contact me to advise what options were open to me. No-one did so! I did not give instructions for my number to be cancelled and I did not give instructions for my email address to be cancelled both of which I had had for approximately twenty-one years. I spent hours on the phone to Telkom on 5th May and day in and day out thereafter, and no-one was prepared to assist me. They categorically stated that the number that we had had for twenty-one years could not be reinstated! 

At no point did I asked for my number to be discontinued and at no time did I ask for my e-mail address to be discontinued! The totally unacceptable service by Telkom cost me tens of thousands of Rands in damages. 

I was under the impression that the two year contract that I had was the same as a Cell phone contract, that at the end of the contract you either upgraded or downgraded. I certainly did not expect to lose my number and email address. The Telkom Port Shepstone consultant told me in March 2022 that after giving the one month’s notice, I could upgrade or down-grade the contract.

On 5th May, I was told by a staff member at Telkom Shelly Beach, that the Telkom Port Shepstone branch is not a satellite store and anything that Shelly Beach could do, Port Shepstone could have done. They should have assisted us when we went to see them in April. I went back to Telkom in Port Shepstone to advise them that Shelly Beach Telkom said that they could and should have assisted me. However, I received no assistance from Telkom Port Shepstone or Telkom Shelly Beach.

As I advised above, I spent hours and hours on the phone to Telkom staff members on 5th May and for days thereafter, advising that I did not want my number ********** to be cancelled and that I was merely wanting to down-grade my contract. I was told that it definitely could not be reinstated. I considered this unacceptable.

When I initially entered into the contract in May 2020, I chose the 20 GBcontract. At a certain time, I needed to upgrade for a short time to unlimited. I have asked Telkom repeatedly to listen to my calls in this regard but in seven months Telkom has not responded to me other than one phone call in August where the consultant contacted my wife. My wife told her that she had to contact me but the Telkom staff member did not contact me. When I increased my contract, I was assured by Telkom that I would be able to go back to the 20 GBwhen I needed to do so. However, when I wanted to go back to the 20 GB, they told me that it was not possible and we had to pay a penalty, which is not what we were told when we advised that we wanted to upgrade only for a short period of time. Again, I asked Telkom, please listen to our calls and to see that this is what we were advised but we have never had a response from Telkom.

In my e-mail of the 1 April 2022, I asked, “Please advise what options are open to me”. No one came back to me and my contract was cancelled without discussion with me.

In +- August a Telkom staff member phoned my wife to advise that they were reinstating my number and my contract. My wife told her that she had to phone and discuss the matter with me as after months of receiving no assistance from Telkom, we had another cell contract and we had another email address. The staff member did not contact me and on the 1st September 2022, I was illegally debited with R540 and I have been debited each month since September despite the fact that I have phoned Telkom countless times and sent Telkom numerous emails to which I have never received a reply and I have been into Telkom Stores who have advised that they cannot assist me. 

When one phones Telkom you are sent from one department to another and no one assists you. The one Telkom staff member says that you must go through to Billings, Billings tells you to speak to Sales, Sales tell you to speak to Orders, Orders says that they cannot assist you and a Telkom staff member tells you that Telkom does not reply to emails so it is pointless sending emails and every staff member says that they cannot assist when you phone them. I have taken the time and the trouble to drive over thirty kilometres to go into Telkom stores and they advise that they cannot assist you. THEREFORE, THERE IS NO WAY THAT ONE CAN GET ANY ASSISTANCE FROM TELKOM. TWO TELKOM STAFF MEMBERS TOLD ME YESTERDAY THAT THIS IS FRAUD – TELKOM DEBITING ME WITHOUT MY APPROVAL AND WHEN I ASKED TO GO THROUGH TO THE FRAUD DEPARTMENT, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NO FRAUD DEPARTMENT!!!!
I have gone through SEVEN MONTHS of trying to get this matter resolved by Telkom and in SEVEN MONTHS not received ONE response to my countless e-mails to Telkom. I would urge everyone NOT to deal with Telkom - you will ge3t no assistance from them. I am being illegally debited by Telkom - THIS IS FRAUD BY TELKOM.