Mobile contract cancellation comparison - July 2023

[Jan]

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

You might want to cancel your smartphone contract for several reasons, such as being displeased with the provider's service or needing a new handset.

However, ending your contract early will land you a hefty cancellation fee. MyBroadband compared contract cancellation fees from Cell C, MTN, Vodacom, and Telkom.

 

[Sapphiron]

Way way way too much.

Best not to become a indentured servant in the first place.

 

[WanderingMind]

Cash phone with prepaid and there are none of this.

I stopped using contracts when I realised they can just up the fees whenever they feel like it.

 

[midasza]

I find this article incredibly disingenuous.
Vodacom charges you 75% of the contract length so to take MBB ridiculous example, where the phone fee is not included.
Vodacom contract is R800 a month (no handset) - To cancel ten months out that is R 800 x 10 @ 75 % = R 6000
MTN in theory lets assume we are talking about a SKY package @ R999 (no handset). is ten months out = R999

That's comparing apples to apples. Of course the cost of the handset has to be recovered, otherwise myself and everyone else would take out a contract for a S23 Ultra, cancel, sell phone, open contract for S23 Ultra.

This whole article seems to be justifying Vodacom's ridiculous 75% of the outstanding contract fee, by specifically not mention any device costs and then going for truly ridiculous device costs to make the figure seem similar in comparison. Please tell me who is taking a R 700 plus device on a R 149 contract, and then the R 149 part of the contract is the part they want to cancel early.

A more realistic comparison would exclude the device costs as OBVIOUSLY you have to pay for the handset you took.

Lets compare the costs on similar deals:

RED VIP 40GB Unlimited R 1 599 pm x 24 cancelling after 14 months = R 11992,50
MTN SKY Silver R 1099 pm x 24 cancelling after 14 months = R 1099 or maybe R 2198 depending on cellphone providers weird calculations of months.

And yes I know the deals aren't that similar as MTN is 10GB more data for R 500 less.

This is just bad journalism.

 

[blowdart18]

I recently did an early upgrade with Telkom and thought I would have to pay early cancellation on the previous contract - my thought pattern was based on previous experience with Cell C wanting me to pay up the contract before upgrade.

However Telkom will only charge you the device fees due on the old contract either as a month to month cost, or a once off cost based on your individual credit profile.

What I also found interesting and maybe @Jan could explore, The Telkom agent at the time told me that if I had a lump sump bonus from work, I could come into the store and pay off the device quicker thus reducing your monthly payments.

I thought this was genius considering if you trade in your Iphone you could just plug that money straight back into the device costs.

Not sure what MTN or Vodacom do with early upgrades - i.e 1 year into your current contract.

 

[Ron Hammer]

It would be good highlighting the schlepp customers have to go through with the " upgrade" carrot.When all you want to do is cancel.And why is the onus placed on the customer to "cancel" a fixed-term CONTRACT? VOODOOHOEKOM simply continued dipping into my bank account after contract end.Then billed me for services not delivered.These mobile phone companies are all in on these sneaky,unethical business practices.Tantamount to fraud.

 

[Pak Fa Fui]

So with Telkom it is cheaper to cancel than to pay it off normally, no wonder they are in the crap

 

[midasza]

It would be good highlighting the schlepp customers have to go through with the " upgrade" carrot.When all you want to do is cancel.And why is the onus placed on the customer to "cancel" a fixed-term CONTRACT? VOODOOHOEKOM simply continued dipping into my bank account after contract end.Then billed me for services not delivered.These mobile phone companies are all in on these sneaky,unethical business practices.Tantamount to fraud.

Maybe a even better example would be the "free" sim cards handed out when you renew, with "free" minutes. What they don't tell you is that these become pay for products at the end of the free period. Easy to miss unless you look at your statement.

 

[now05ster]

Way way way too much.

Best not to become a indentured servant in the first place.

Not to mention the frustration that one experiences in trying to cancel said contract.

/coughs MTN.

 

[BCR]

Only prepaid / month to month with 3rd party providers for me.

Simple to cancel any time, at at most cost is for an additional month's use (data for example).

 

[midasza]

Not to mention the frustration that one experiences in trying to cancel said contract.

/coughs MTN.

Or when staff are clueless. This is a true story from 3 weeks ago. Hi, I want to upgrade to a Samsung phone with an esim for travel reasons. Clueless MTN staffer "Sure sir the A54 has a esim.", me "Are u sure? It comes in 2 models, esim and dual sim, are u sure, sure u have the esim version". Clueless MTN staffer, plus manager and 3 other staffers "Oh definitely sir, all the A samsung phones have esims." Opens up phone, switches it on - me "Hi sorry, this is dual sim not esim". Clueless MTN staffer (rolls eyes) "You just need to activate the esim". Me hands them phone, ok show me. 15 minutes later - Clueless MTN staffer "Oh this doesn't have a esim, oops". Me - Cancel upgrade and take back phone please, its useless to me. 2 weeks later, finally cancelled. PS I resisted any attempt by the manager and franchisee to move the cancellation to be MY problem, no matter how much they asked me to call MTN directly to sort it out.

 

[Ron Hammer]

Not to mention the frustration that one experiences in trying to cancel said contract.

/coughs MTN.

The least smart ? part of owning a smartphone,is cancelling the contract.Anyone successful in one shot,is a lucky bugger.In my case: 4 attempts via mobile/landline plus final with walk-in service ? center.And BTW,those "free" extras ? Absolute gimmicks.For me,first and last mobile contract.I now also have a better understanding of why the mobile companies are rolling in billions,all legally made of course.However,one has to question their unethical behaviour.

 

[Swa]

I have no problem with device fees as you essentially took it on loan. What I do also feel is that this article is being disingenuous. I can't see the point of comparing fees with no time left on the contract and this puts Vodacom and Cell C in a good light where the picture would look vastly different with MTN and Telkom for a more realistic time frame of one year. Vodacom and Cell C are fsking thieves asking you to pay for practically the entire contract you won't be using.