MTN Dispicable, makes me sick! Worst customer service ever!

[azbob]

Technically, Is it even legal to be using a phone contract that is in someone else's name? Should the end user not have been specified to the SP initially?

 

[Looney]

I have read that the first time, thanks, but it doesn't change the fact that she is the owner of the contact. Do you not understand that?

I understand that just fine. Which is why I came here to see if there was any recourse for me to take in order to avoid this high penalty. What you have done, is come into my thread, where I have asked for help, and instead of helping, have nothing but insulted me. You have no reason to post in this thread if you have nothing of value to add.

 

[Slootvreter]

I understand that just fine. Which is why I came here to see if there was any recourse for me to take in order to avoid this high penalty. What you have done, is come into my thread, where I have asked for help, and instead of helping, have nothing but insulted me. You have no reason to post in this thread if you have nothing of value to add.

I did tell you that the contract is in your mother's name, so legally they are not obliged to cancel it for her. Others have told you this as well, yet you don't tell them they are not contributing something helpful to the thread? And seriously, you subject line is totally laughable. MTN did nothing wrong here. Sorry for the loss of your father, though.

 

[HapticSimian]

Calm down to a mild simmer, Looney; I don't see anyone mocking you. The long and short of it is that MTN is likely acting within its rights given the contract that was signed.

If there was no phone taken with the contract - you have to make sure of this - then their fee is excessive, but you have precious little possible recourse. The reality is that large corporates in general, and the big cellular providers in particular, seem to be a law unto themselves. That notwithstanding, the Consumer Protection Act does specify that a supplier has the right to charge a reasonable cancellation fee, but then does nothing to outline what is to be considered reasonable. Typically useless South African legislation...

Go read this, it'll give you some background. If you feel you have a case you'll probably want to start by lodging a complaint with the National Consumer Commission. Just drop the 'somebody died' bit from your thinking: all sympathies with your dad's passing, but it utterly irrelevant to the matter at hand. Also, realise that the NCC will likely take longer to attend to your complaint than the time remaining on the contract.

 

[AnibugZA]

Hi Looney,

Since it seems the cancellation fee is about as much as the contract is going to cost you over the next X months, I'd suggest not bothering to cancel it. Rather make use of it, or find someone who needs it and let them use it until it expires. Perhaps they can pay you back some of the monthly cost. I unfortunately do not see a way out of the contract, given that the contract holder is still alive and well.

This is why I don't do contracts. Prepaid all the way for me

Sorry to hear about your loss.

 

[sand_man]

Not avoiding the question at all, just had to rush to lockup my warehouse.

Was a phone included? I am not 100% sure. I know that we did receive a blackberry on the contract, but that phone was paid off after 2 years. We then extended the contract but we didn't get another phone because we already had a spare iPhone 4 to give my dad.

Mmmmm, basically you re-signed for another 2 years without taking a subsidized phone? I would have thought you would have been operating on a month to month basis after the contract expired. Usually the only motivation to re-sign for another 2 year contract is to get the new phone?

How many months left to run on the contract? R5500 does seem excessive if no handset was taken and if no handset was taken isn't it possible to downgrade the contract to an entry level or cheaper package?

 

[Dean]

Not-withstanding what everyone else has said re the account holder still being alive, and the cancellation fee being part of the contract which was agreed to; in cases such as this one (I went through a similar situation, although in that one it was a matter of swapping account holders and numbers with various contracts after the holder died), it's always best to deal ONLY with MTN's designated LEGAL department, rather than their front-line call centre staff.

 

[Looney]

Mmmmm, basically you re-signed for another 2 years without taking a subsidized phone? I would have thought you would have been operating on a month to month basis after the contract expired. Usually the only motivation to re-sign for another 2 year contract is to get the new phone?

How many months left to run on the contract? R5500 does seem excessive if no handset was taken and if no handset was taken isn't it possible to downgrade the contract to an entry level or cheaper package?

I am not sure what my mother did when she renewed the contract. We didn't need to get a new phone because I already had a spare iPhone 4. Pretty stupid on my moms part tho.

I need to check exactly when the contract is due for an upgrade, I think its around August this year.

Mmmmm, don't quote me on this, because I am not sure, but I dont think you can downgrade to a cheaper package unless your contract is already up for renewal, which in my case would be pointless if Im looking to cancel. I think however, you can upgrade your existing package to a more expensive one.

 

[Looney]

Thanks for all the help guys, appreciate it. Looks like im fscked either way. Either pay the R5 500 and cancel or wait till it expires :/

 

[azbob]

Thanks for all the help guys, appreciate it. Looks like im fscked either way. Either pay the R5 500 and cancel or wait till it expires :/

Paying and canceling will be wasteful, no?

 

[Lord Farquart]

How many months left to run on the contract? R5500 does seem excessive if no handset was taken and if no handset was taken isn't it possible to downgrade the contract to an entry level or cheaper package?

Not really excessive. It depends on the type of contract. An Anytime500 would easily cost you R300/month over 18 months. The OP does not know if a handset was taken, if it was subsidized and has not specified what contract.

I have 7 contracts on my name for 5 different people, including myself. The SPs involved did not ask me for the details of the person using the number, only for my banking details and signature. If anyone of them dies, I am liable for the contract, as simple as that.

The OP can only beg for generosity from MTN. Badmouthing MTN is low and uncalled for and not helping his cause.

 

[Looney]

Not really excessive. It depends on the type of contract. An Anytime500 would easily cost you R300/month over 18 months. The OP does not know if a handset was taken, if it was subsidized and has not specified what contract.

I have 7 contracts on my name for 5 different people, including myself. The SPs involved did not ask me for the details of the person using the number, only for my banking details and signature. If anyone of them dies, I am liable for the contract, as simple as that.

The OP can only beg for generosity from MTN. Badmouthing MTN is low and uncalled for and not helping his cause.

I will NEVER beg for generosity. Not to MTN and not to anyone else for that matter. If you think that calling MTN dispicable and that they have the worst customer service is badmouthing, then you don't know the difference between badmouthing and a complaint.

 

[sand_man]

Not really excessive. It depends on the type of contract. An Anytime500 would easily cost you R300/month over 18 months. The OP does not know if a handset was taken, if it was subsidized and has not specified what contract.

Agree, there a number of variables which need to be considered. We would need more details.

OP states, to the best of his knowledge no handset was taken. To the best of his knowledge the contract expires in August 2013.

A R5.5k cancellation fee would amount to a total monthly cost of R785.71. So if it isn't a high end contract I stick to my assumption that the early cancellation fees are excessive.

Wasn't there legislation recently introduced to curb over charging on cancellation fees??

 

[Looney]

The contract is either Anytime 250 or 350

 

[phoneJunky]

The contract is either Anytime 250 or 350

That just doesn't make sense if it is August. I think they can charge a % of the outstanding amount + a cancelation fee.

So lets say 350 at a 100% plus R1500 for cancellation = R5000. Something still doesn't add up here.

 

[Rickster]

To be honest. I LOVE MTN's customer service.

Very polite and well spoke, never had an issue.

Maybe you got a girl and it was that time of the month....or you were aggressive and you were rude first.

 

[jd.vdm]

I wanted to cancel a contract the other day and they told me that they ONLY recover the handset fee divided by the remaining months. They do not charge for the monthly subscription. In the end did not cancel due to the high handset cost. Maybe let MTN retensions department give you a breakdown of the cost to cancel?

 

[sand_man]

That just doesn't make sense if it is August. I think they can charge a % of the outstanding amount + a cancelation fee.

So lets say 350 at a 100% plus R1500 for cancellation = R5000. Something still doesn't add up here.

= R3950!!!

 

[phoneJunky]

= R3950!!!

It is actually R4650, I just counted January as well as you normally pay a month afterwards. I think according to the billing cycle she will still need to pay 10 payments of R350 + R1500 which equals R5000.

I don't know the percentage of the outstanding amount or the cancellation so that calculation was just to see what the maximum will be about and it is still lower than the amount she quoted

 

[sand_man]

It is actually R4650, I just counted January as well as you normally pay a month afterwards. I think according to the billing cycle she will still need to pay 10 payments of R350 + R1500 which equals R5000.

I don't know the percentage of the outstanding amount or the cancellation so that calculation was just to see what the maximum will be about and it is still lower than the amount she quoted

I'd assume January would have been debited 1st Feb. I'm also assuming OP inquired about cancelling the contract this month. So fees from Feb-Aug, Aug being the last month. 7 months @ R350 = R2450-00 + cancellation fee.

I'd be very interested in how the service provider justifies the cancellation fee, especially in this case, assuming the info given by the OP is correct.

No subsidized handset, 7 months to run on a R350 per month package and a cancellation fee of R5500!! Doesn't compute...