MTN unauthorised subscriptions → disputed account sent to collections and trace alert

[Simphiwe Philemon Mlangen]

I need advice and also want to put this matter on record because MTN has not resolved a billing dispute that started in December 2025.


I had an MTN home internet router contract costing approximately R295 per month.


In December 2025 my account suddenly increased to about R2,600 because of alleged content/subscription services that I did not knowingly subscribe to, authorise or use.


I formally complained to MTN on 10 December 2025. MTN acknowledged the complaint and gave me a complaint reference.


MTN later told me that subscriptions/content had been purchased using the SIM number associated with my router. I immediately replied that I had never authorised those subscriptions and would not accept liability for them.


Instead of providing proof showing that I personally opted into these services, MTN advised me that the account had already been handed to collections.


The disputed balance has now grown to approximately R6,863.47 and MTN's collection agent, NuDebt, has issued letters of demand.


NuDebt also sent me a TRACE ALERT notice stating that they had instructions to place a trace alert on my credit profile.


This is particularly concerning because I have never disappeared or avoided MTN. I have been communicating with them in writing since December 2025.


There is another important part of the dispute.


Approximately three months ago, I physically returned the MTN router to the MTN shop at Matlosana Mall. The router was received by a staff member named Gloria.


I received no proper written confirmation of the router return, no cancellation confirmation and no final resolution of the account.


MTN has continued pursuing the account despite:

• my written dispute dating back to December 2025;
• my denial that I authorised the content subscriptions;
• my request for the account to be closed;
• the physical return of the router;
• and my continued availability to communicate with MTN.

On 7 August 2026, I again formally disputed the R6,863.47 with both MTN and NuDebt.


I have demanded:

• identification of every content provider involved;
• dates and amounts of every alleged subscription;
• proof of the opt-in process;
• OTP/double-opt-in records where applicable;
• proof that I personally authorised the services;
• a full reconciliation explaining how the balance reached R6,863.47;
• confirmation of MTN's record of the returned router;
• the effective cancellation date;
• and details of anything reported to the credit bureaux.

My concern is that simply showing that charges originated from the router SIM does not necessarily prove that I knowingly authorised the subscriptions.


This is especially concerning because there are previously documented MTN cases where customers were subscribed to content without authorisation. MTN has previously acknowledged fraudulent subscriptions and, in some cases, refunded affected subscribers.


I have now also lodged a public complaint on Hellopeter and have informed MTN/NuDebt that I will escalate any inaccurate credit information to the National Credit Regulator.


I am currently dealing with vehicle finance, so the threatened trace alert / disputed arrears are potentially causing consequences completely disproportionate to the original R295 home-internet contract.


What I want from MTN:

1. Properly investigate the unauthorised subscriptions.
2. Produce proof that I consented to them or reverse them.
3. Confirm the router return at Matlosana Mall.
4. Reverse any inappropriate charges raised after the router was returned.
5. Provide a complete account reconciliation.
6. Correct any inaccurate credit-bureau information.
7. Withdraw the disputed matter from collections pending resolution.

Has anyone here experienced the same issue with MTN content/WASP subscriptions, especially where the account was later sent to collections?


If so, how did you eventually get MTN to resolve it?


I have the complete email trail and collection correspondence available, but I am deliberately not posting my ID number, full account number or phone/router number publicly.

 

[Charlesjjm]

Hi, lodge a complaint with CGSO. It's going to take some time, but that should help.

Home - CGSO

Resolving Consumer Goods Disputes Effectively And Independently.

www.cgso.org.za

 

[saor]

These corporates are far too concerned about earnings and articles about how much their CEOs get paid than actually helping people with issues. Vodacom is absolutely pathetic in this regard, I hope for your sake MTN is not as bad and you manage to resolve this.

 

[Simphiwe Philemon Mlangen]

Hi, lodge a complaint with CGSO. It's going to take some time, but that should help.

Home - CGSO

Resolving Consumer Goods Disputes Effectively And Independently.

www.cgso.org.za

thank you for sharing this info

 

[Hemi300c]

There is so much corruption in MTN and apart from their own corrupt attitudes.

Lay a charge of fraud.

I need advice and also want to put this matter on record because MTN has not resolved a billing dispute that started in December 2025.


I had an MTN home internet router contract costing approximately R295 per month.


In December 2025 my account suddenly increased to about R2,600 because of alleged content/subscription services that I did not knowingly subscribe to, authorise or use.


I formally complained to MTN on 10 December 2025. MTN acknowledged the complaint and gave me a complaint reference.


MTN later told me that subscriptions/content had been purchased using the SIM number associated with my router. I immediately replied that I had never authorised those subscriptions and would not accept liability for them.


Instead of providing proof showing that I personally opted into these services, MTN advised me that the account had already been handed to collections.


The disputed balance has now grown to approximately R6,863.47 and MTN's collection agent, NuDebt, has issued letters of demand.


NuDebt also sent me a TRACE ALERT notice stating that they had instructions to place a trace alert on my credit profile.


This is particularly concerning because I have never disappeared or avoided MTN. I have been communicating with them in writing since December 2025.


There is another important part of the dispute.


Approximately three months ago, I physically returned the MTN router to the MTN shop at Matlosana Mall. The router was received by a staff member named Gloria.


I received no proper written confirmation of the router return, no cancellation confirmation and no final resolution of the account.


MTN has continued pursuing the account despite:

• my written dispute dating back to December 2025;
• my denial that I authorised the content subscriptions;
• my request for the account to be closed;
• the physical return of the router;
• and my continued availability to communicate with MTN.

On 7 August 2026, I again formally disputed the R6,863.47 with both MTN and NuDebt.


I have demanded:

• identification of every content provider involved;
• dates and amounts of every alleged subscription;
• proof of the opt-in process;
• OTP/double-opt-in records where applicable;
• proof that I personally authorised the services;
• a full reconciliation explaining how the balance reached R6,863.47;
• confirmation of MTN's record of the returned router;
• the effective cancellation date;
• and details of anything reported to the credit bureaux.

My concern is that simply showing that charges originated from the router SIM does not necessarily prove that I knowingly authorised the subscriptions.


This is especially concerning because there are previously documented MTN cases where customers were subscribed to content without authorisation. MTN has previously acknowledged fraudulent subscriptions and, in some cases, refunded affected subscribers.


I have now also lodged a public complaint on Hellopeter and have informed MTN/NuDebt that I will escalate any inaccurate credit information to the National Credit Regulator.


I am currently dealing with vehicle finance, so the threatened trace alert / disputed arrears are potentially causing consequences completely disproportionate to the original R295 home-internet contract.


What I want from MTN:

1. Properly investigate the unauthorised subscriptions.
2. Produce proof that I consented to them or reverse them.
3. Confirm the router return at Matlosana Mall.
4. Reverse any inappropriate charges raised after the router was returned.
5. Provide a complete account reconciliation.
6. Correct any inaccurate credit-bureau information.
7. Withdraw the disputed matter from collections pending resolution.

Has anyone here experienced the same issue with MTN content/WASP subscriptions, especially where the account was later sent to collections?


If so, how did you eventually get MTN to resolve it?


I have the complete email trail and collection correspondence available, but I am deliberately not posting my ID number, full account number or phone/router number publicly.

If you are certain of your case just lash out wherever possible online, you'll get a number of calls from them with huge promises but hopefully there is one employee that is honest and will act.

 

[supersunbird]

I need advice and also want to put this matter on record because MTN has not resolved a billing dispute that started in December 2025.


I had an MTN home internet router contract costing approximately R295 per month.


In December 2025 my account suddenly increased to about R2,600 because of alleged content/subscription services that I did not knowingly subscribe to, authorise or use.


I formally complained to MTN on 10 December 2025. MTN acknowledged the complaint and gave me a complaint reference.


MTN later told me that subscriptions/content had been purchased using the SIM number associated with my router. I immediately replied that I had never authorised those subscriptions and would not accept liability for them.


Instead of providing proof showing that I personally opted into these services, MTN advised me that the account had already been handed to collections.


The disputed balance has now grown to approximately R6,863.47 and MTN's collection agent, NuDebt, has issued letters of demand.


NuDebt also sent me a TRACE ALERT notice stating that they had instructions to place a trace alert on my credit profile.


This is particularly concerning because I have never disappeared or avoided MTN. I have been communicating with them in writing since December 2025.


There is another important part of the dispute.


Approximately three months ago, I physically returned the MTN router to the MTN shop at Matlosana Mall. The router was received by a staff member named Gloria.


I received no proper written confirmation of the router return, no cancellation confirmation and no final resolution of the account.


MTN has continued pursuing the account despite:

• my written dispute dating back to December 2025;
• my denial that I authorised the content subscriptions;
• my request for the account to be closed;
• the physical return of the router;
• and my continued availability to communicate with MTN.

On 7 August 2026, I again formally disputed the R6,863.47 with both MTN and NuDebt.


I have demanded:

• identification of every content provider involved;
• dates and amounts of every alleged subscription;
• proof of the opt-in process;
• OTP/double-opt-in records where applicable;
• proof that I personally authorised the services;
• a full reconciliation explaining how the balance reached R6,863.47;
• confirmation of MTN's record of the returned router;
• the effective cancellation date;
• and details of anything reported to the credit bureaux.

My concern is that simply showing that charges originated from the router SIM does not necessarily prove that I knowingly authorised the subscriptions.


This is especially concerning because there are previously documented MTN cases where customers were subscribed to content without authorisation. MTN has previously acknowledged fraudulent subscriptions and, in some cases, refunded affected subscribers.


I have now also lodged a public complaint on Hellopeter and have informed MTN/NuDebt that I will escalate any inaccurate credit information to the National Credit Regulator.


I am currently dealing with vehicle finance, so the threatened trace alert / disputed arrears are potentially causing consequences completely disproportionate to the original R295 home-internet contract.


What I want from MTN:

1. Properly investigate the unauthorised subscriptions.
2. Produce proof that I consented to them or reverse them.
3. Confirm the router return at Matlosana Mall.
4. Reverse any inappropriate charges raised after the router was returned.
5. Provide a complete account reconciliation.
6. Correct any inaccurate credit-bureau information.
7. Withdraw the disputed matter from collections pending resolution.

Has anyone here experienced the same issue with MTN content/WASP subscriptions, especially where the account was later sent to collections?


If so, how did you eventually get MTN to resolve it?


I have the complete email trail and collection correspondence available, but I am deliberately not posting my ID number, full account number or phone/router number publicly.

So here is a thing, if you allowed other people to connect to your MTN router, they might have subscribed to things. I connected a cleaner at work to my tablet with lots of data as a hotspot, started getting lots and lots of alerts on the tablet for subscription attempts failing (I had locked account down to not do subscriptions), god knows what sites and apps or whatever she was using to cause that, but I changed the hotspot details so she could not connect anymore and issue stopped. So it might be someone else connecting to the router that is the source of the subscriptions.

Also a trace alert is just that NuDebt will receive updates of any contact details changes from the Credit Bureaus, if there are changes, it is not really anything extreme. They just use it (for SABC licenses too) because it sounds big and menacing .

 

[Simphiwe Philemon Mlangen]

So here is a thing, if you allowed other people to connect to your MTN router, they might have subscribed to things. I connected a cleaner at work to my tablet with lots of data as a hotspot, started getting lots and lots of alerts on the tablet for subscription attempts failing (I had locked account down to not do subscriptions), god knows what sites and apps or whatever she was using to cause that, but I changed the hotspot details so she could not connect anymore and issue stopped. So it might be someone else connecting to the router that is the source of the subscriptions.

Also a trace alert is just that NuDebt will receive updates of any contact details changes from the Credit Bureaus, if there are changes, it is not really anything extreme. They just use it (for SABC licenses too) because it sounds big and menacing .

Thanks, this is useful information. I agree that it is technically possible that another device connected to the router may have triggered something.


My concern, however, is whether MTN can prove that a valid subscription process was actually completed. I have therefore asked MTN to provide the subscription provider, date/time, opt-in method, confirmation/OTP or double-opt-in records and all supporting records showing how the subscriptions were authorised.


Simply showing that data activity came through the router SIM does not establish who knowingly authorised a paid recurring subscription.


Thanks also for clarifying the trace alert. My main concern now is establishing whether MTN/NuDebt has separately reported any arrears/default information to the credit bureaux, particularly because the underlying account has been disputed since December 2025.

 

[Crowley]

Thanks also for clarifying the trace alert. My main concern now is establishing whether MTN/NuDebt has separately reported any arrears/default information to the credit bureaux, particularly because the underlying account has been disputed since December 2025.

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