How to get Telkom to stop harassing us

[Corvac]

So two years ago we finally had it and moved away from Telkom.

As you can imagine, that was a HUGE hassle. We finally managed to do it and get from Telkom a final statement. There was a mistake in it.

We paid what we owed. Telkom's debt department (in an e-mail) confirmed that the rest of the amount outstanding is a mistake and they need to fix it. And we didn't hear from them again for a year, finally, the struggle was over ... so we thought.

Then the debt collectors started phoning. We have now gone through 5 debt collectors and counting. They hang up and accuse us of hanging up. They refuse to send a mail so we can send them proof, and when we finally send them the info, they will stop hounding us, only for the next debt collector to start up a few weeks later.

Any advice? Do we take Telkom to court? Is there a contact at Telkom to contact?

Just a note, we have gone through the helpdesks and contact lines that Telkom lists, it is painful beyond belief and I am just not willing to give them any more time. I looked at the NCR, but I think I can only list the debt collectors there.

 

[DapperDanMan]

Burn down the first floor of their head office.

The rest of the floors will follow.

Please post viral video afterwards?

 

[Magnum]

Burn down the first floor of their head office.

The rest of the floors will follow.

Please post viral video afterwards?

Make $$$....

 

[Dups!]

It is not only Telkom, all of them do it. MTN, Vodacom and Rain will soil your credit record for their incompetence. Actually, it is not incompetence but deliberate and designed to make more profit at all costs.

I am just disappointed that there are no real laws governing their sheer abuse of their clients. They should be fined millions per abused client, that is when they will ensure that they cancel contracts properly.

Glad I stopped having a cellphone contract in 2008, never went back and extremely happy with prepaid.

 

[Corelli]

So two years ago we finally had it and moved away from Telkom.

As you can imagine, that was a HUGE hassle. We finally managed to do it and get from Telkom a final statement. There was a mistake in it.

We paid what we owed. Telkom's debt department (in an e-mail) confirmed that the rest of the amount outstanding is a mistake and they need to fix it. And we didn't hear from them again for a year, finally, the struggle was over ... so we thought.

Then the debt collectors started phoning. We have now gone through 5 debt collectors and counting. They hang up and accuse us of hanging up. They refuse to send a mail so we can send them proof, and when we finally send them the info, they will stop hounding us, only for the next debt collector to start up a few weeks later.

Any advice? Do we take Telkom to court? Is there a contact at Telkom to contact?

Just a note, we have gone through the helpdesks and contact lines that Telkom lists, it is painful beyond belief and I am just not willing to give them any more time. I looked at the NCR, but I think I can only list the debt collectors there.

This is why I went for Prepaid. I would go prepaid fibre too, if I could.

Honestly best deal with Telkom, go to visit a big branch of them and sort it out. I have always found that actually visiting them, it gets solved much better.

I can bet its some dumb clerk that just saw debt, and didnt read the comments, that sent it to the debt collectors. Always happens like that.

Visit them and sort it out.

But like others said. Vodacom, MTN, MWEB and Planet Fitness does the same.

Worst is, your join planet fitness, and then sign for monthly deductions, only to find out they debited your entire account for 3 years.

Then you close early, and they still slap you with a penalty. You get a letter your membership has been terminated.

5 years down the line, you discovered nope they reactivated your membership a year later (the person that did the reactivation has left), but please pay us 4 years of Subscription immediately.

But it gets better. Then anyone who shares your surname, they call you and make demands you must chat to your relative because they owe them money too (not that any was my relative). But yip

If you think Telkom is bad, Planet Fitness takes the wedding cake.

This is why cash is king. No irritating debit orders or debt.

 

[Corvac]

This is why I went for Prepaid. I would go prepaid fibre too, if I could.

Honestly best deal with Telkom, go to visit a big branch of them and sort it out. I have always found that actually visiting them, it gets solved much better.

I can bet its some dumb clerk that just saw debt, and didnt read the comments, that sent it to the debt collectors. Always happens like that.

Visit them and sort it out.

But like others said. Vodacom, MTN, MWEB and Planet Fitness does the same.

Worst is, your join planet fitness, and then sign for monthly deductions, only to find out they debited your entire account for 3 years.

Then you close early, and they still slap you with a penalty. You get a letter your membership has been terminated.

5 years down the line, you discovered nope they reactivated your membership a year later (the person that did the reactivation has left), but please pay us 4 years of Subscription immediately.

But it gets better. Then anyone who shares your surname, they call you and make demands you must chat to your relative because they owe them money too (not that any was my relative). But yip

If you think Telkom is bad, Planet Fitness takes the wedding cake.

This is why cash is king. No irritating debit orders or debt.

You would think going to a branch would help. Unfortunately, you underestimate the bureaucratic nightmare that is Telkom.

My last visit (when I was still an unhappy customer) was to move a number to a new line.

I was told that I was an idiot for having gone through the call centre (true, not nice, but true). And because it is a different part of the business they cannot see what was logged, or requested or action that in ANY way.

Now unfortunately accounts are also a "different part of the business" and on a 3rd and different system. So no the best the branch can do is try (and fail) to phone them. Sorry for you, please go away now.

... that is a very nice summation of the most frustrating 3 HOURS of my life

 

[rvZA]

We paid what we owed

Here is your problem. Seems you paid what you feel you owed them and ignored the mistake. Seems they do not agree with you.

Either you will need to sort this out with them and pay the full account or consult the services of an attorney. Just sit and determine which will be the cheapest way out of this.

BTW, we were in a similar position 5 years ago. We were overbilled by R2300.00 when we cancelled our LTE line. Telkom refused to investigate the bill and threatened with legal actions and credit bureau listings. We eventually paid it, because my attorney charges us R2500 for a consultation, and that is just to hear our complaint. Let alone working on it. or even taking it to court.