Cellular contract cancellation fees compared

[Jan]

How much it costs to cancel your cellphone contract in South Africa

Cellular contract cancellation fees in South Africa vary significantly per provider, with Cell C, MTN, Telkom, and Vodacom each taking a different approach to how much they charge customers.

Mobile contract cancellations have been a hot topic in recent months. In October 2023, the National Consumer Tribunal slapped Vodacom with a R1-million administrative fine for denying customers the right to cancel their fixed-term contracts.

 

[deweyzeph]

I remember when a cellphone contract was a status symbol, now it's just a way for people to finance a phone they can't really afford.

 

[FiestaST]

How much it costs to cancel your cellphone contract in South Africa

Answer:

 

[My_King]

I remember when a cellphone contract was a status symbol, now it's just a way for people to finance a phone they can't really afford.

I remember myself waiting for my mom to upgrade her cellphone contract.

1st time - Smaller cell
2nd time - Same size just better games
3rd time - Color screen
4th time - Not sure, something something GPRS
5th time - Not sure, something something EDGE

Thereafter or sometime it was WiFi, camera and more lekker tech stuff.

Now it is all about the amount of cameras.

Still on a S10 for me, but that battery not lasting a full day is getting at me.

 

[TofuMofu]

Haven't had a cell phone contract for over 5 years. It costs way more to have a contract than to just buy the phone outright. Also I don't call much so there's no need for voice minutes and 100's of gigs of data.

 

[Danie_V]

I've long since moved to pay as you go, and buying my own phone. It at least gives you the freedom to move around (thank goodness for number porting). Just this year I discovered Vodacom had moved to me a very expensive pre-paid plan (I did not realise they had three different pre-paid plans), so I could move the same afternoon to a different provider.

 

[McGuywer]

How do you cancel a Vodacom contract? Is the only way to call them?

 

[Danie_V]

How do you cancel a Vodacom contract? Is the only way to call them?

I stopped calling Vodacom after two mess-ups via the "upgrades" call centre (luckily I record all my own calls for quality and security purposes as they could not find their recording). I'd try inside their branch and get written proof of anything.

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

Just made my SIM pre-paid - no more strings tying me to Vodacom. In an attempt to "keep" me offered, me package around a 1/3 of what they been charging me for. Maybe if they had done that when contract ended, I would still be "tied" to them. Now a free agent.