RICA blocked...Stupid MTN

I woke up this morning and tried to use my phone only to hear "You have been RICA blocked...".
I am on MTN and it is a relatively new contract which means that I was required to do the RICA stuff when signing up.
WTF MTN :-/

Anyone know their support number?

808 / 083 1 808

Wow, what a bunch of 'tards.
I have "exceeded my network"...
Although she could not explain what that actually meant.
I am not over my airtime, and am on debit order so theres no way I am over anything...well except their "network".

Give the new company rep a try:

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/member.php/147214-NQC

It happened with me as well after I got a new MTN contract.

They allocate a credit limit to you. Now as you are normally paying in advance, but not the first motnh, it may happen that during the first period, your accounts may be more than the credit limit. I was so pi55ed off, as
I was blocked even though I had airtime... go figure.

One of the many reasons why I am not a MTN cusomer anymore. Good luck. Just 22 more months!

zamicro said:

It happened with me as well after I got a new MTN contract.

They allocate a credit limit to you. Now as you are normally paying in advance, but not the first motnh, it may happen that during the first period, your accounts may be more than the credit limit. I was so pi55ed off, as
I was blocked even though I had airtime... go figure.

One of the many reasons why I am not a MTN cusomer anymore. Good luck. Just 22 more months!

Click to expand...

Yeah I had that at the beginning too (as have friends that are with them...), but now I am a few months in :-/

Out of interest does anyone know what the CPA friendly cancellation fee is now on a cell contract?

Same happened to me every December i was with MTN, because I tended to use my phone more while away on holiday. Apparently the credit limit doesn't depend on how much you earn or can afford to pay, but on how much you spend in a usual month :/
And they will flat refuse to increase the credit limit, you will have to go do a deposit into their account to get it unblocked before the debit orders come off!
Needless to say I am now no longer with MTN.

The CPA only states that the termination fees have to be "reasonable" and they should be calculated as the costs to the provider of terminating the remainder of the contract (i.e. value of the "free" phone you got etc) so it actually doesn't help much.
New contracts under the CPA have a free termination window however. Not sure how long it is (Below quote says 20 days) but if you are within that you can return the phone and cancel the contract with 0 additional costs.

"The new legislation requires that providers cancel contracts within 20 days of "writing or other recorded manner and form" of notice from consumers. They will also no longer be able to force payment for handsets provided, and will instead be required to take back mobile devices where payment is outstanding."
http://www.fin24.com/Opinion/Columnists/Simon-Dingle/Cellular-meet-the-CPA-20110315

A second, updated, article on CPA with regard to cellular contracts
http://www.fin24.com/Opinion/Columnists/Simon-Dingle/Redressing-cellular-and-the-CPA-20110503