MTN 'trade in' - Device gone missing / no deduction

Update:
After waiting a week for customer care & social media channels to try do something I eventually went to the store again today.

I was ready to strip my moer but as the person I was dealing with was new to me I decided to first play it cool and I explained the situation and dissatisfaction with the back and forth. This is the s(h)ituation:
  • I am not the only one, their store has +/- a dozen of these cases where the trade-in is visible on the system but MIA on the bill
  • It is not all trade-ins, just some
  • She showed me an internal email where they talk about the issue and provide a step-by-step process for future trade ins. It seems like the (old) process isn't water tight and there is room for my issue to creep in
  • The store manager has a list and is actively trying to resolve it
  • She emailed (in front of me) the consultant who signed my trade-in and the manager and asked them to call me on Monday.
  • She gave me her personal cell number in case they do not call me back on Monday
  • She assured me it will be resolved but couldn't give me an ETA
It's been nearly three months but at least now I know they know there is an issue, it is not just me and someone at the store has opened up a communications channel. Still an absolute clown show for an organization of this scale working in telecoms/ICT.
 
Brawler said:
Update:
After waiting a week for customer care & social media channels to try do something I eventually went to the store again today.

I was ready to strip my moer but as the person I was dealing with was new to me I decided to first play it cool and I explained the situation and dissatisfaction with the back and forth. This is the s(h)ituation:
  • I am not the only one, their store has +/- a dozen of these cases where the trade-in is visible on the system but MIA on the bill
  • It is not all trade-ins, just some
  • She showed me an internal email where they talk about the issue and provide a step-by-step process for future trade ins. It seems like the (old) process isn't water tight and there is room for my issue to creep in
  • The store manager has a list and is actively trying to resolve it
  • She emailed (in front of me) the consultant who signed my trade-in and the manager and asked them to call me on Monday.
  • She gave me her personal cell number in case they do not call me back on Monday
  • She assured me it will be resolved but couldn't give me an ETA
It's been nearly three months but at least now I know they know there is an issue, it is not just me and someone at the store has opened up a communications channel. Still an absolute clown show for an organization of this scale working in telecoms/ICT.
Click to expand...
I hope you're no longer being polite. It appears as that's seen as weakness and that you don't have the resolve to push this to resolution. Fck these guys.
 
Nobody Important said:
+1 although even this isn't a guarantee.

Little did I know, when you phone the official MTN phone number and ask to sign up a new contract, they can and do transfer you externally to a 3rd party company and this is not made clear to you. You believe you are dealing with MTN and an MTN employee.

When things went pear shaped and I returned the devices to a physical MTN direct store, between the store and the 3rd party they lost track of the phones. It took 2 months to resolve whilst I was still billed and became a hot potato in a game between those two.

By the way it took making threats for them to reveal to me that I was transferred to a 3rd party.

So fully agree with:
Click to expand...
Telkom Mobile uses Selldirect.

They are an utter bunch of scammers. They 100% pretend to be Telkom, and when I asked, the guy say Selldirect on behalf of Telkom.

He almost shipped me a new contact SIM with 10gb per month more data than my current SIM, after explicitly agreeing that this is only an upgrade on my existing SIM.

****en scum.
 
Brawler said:
Update:
After waiting a week for customer care & social media channels to try do something I eventually went to the store again today.

I was ready to strip my moer but as the person I was dealing with was new to me I decided to first play it cool and I explained the situation and dissatisfaction with the back and forth. This is the s(h)ituation:
  • I am not the only one, their store has +/- a dozen of these cases where the trade-in is visible on the system but MIA on the bill
  • It is not all trade-ins, just some
  • She showed me an internal email where they talk about the issue and provide a step-by-step process for future trade ins. It seems like the (old) process isn't water tight and there is room for my issue to creep in
  • The store manager has a list and is actively trying to resolve it
  • She emailed (in front of me) the consultant who signed my trade-in and the manager and asked them to call me on Monday.
  • She gave me her personal cell number in case they do not call me back on Monday
  • She assured me it will be resolved but couldn't give me an ETA
It's been nearly three months but at least now I know they know there is an issue, it is not just me and someone at the store has opened up a communications channel. Still an absolute clown show for an organization of this scale working in telecoms/ICT.
Click to expand...
At least they had the sense to take ownership of the matter and yes, they are hamstrung by internal processes too.

However, the fact that you escalate to social media level and they still tune "angazi" boggles the mind properly.
 
now05ster said:
At least they had the sense to take ownership of the matter and yes, they are hamstrung by internal processes too.

However, the fact that you escalate to social media level and they still tune "angazi" boggles the mind properly.
Click to expand...
This took 3 months, which is pathetic. Screw their internal processes. They don't give a schit about your own arrangements when taking money they should not.

It's ****ed up that people have to resort to social media.
 
now05ster said:
At least they had the sense to take ownership of the matter and yes, they are hamstrung by internal processes too.

However, the fact that you escalate to social media level and they still tune "angazi" boggles the mind properly.
Click to expand...
"hamstrung by internal processes" is not your problem. This is simply a copout. Companies have all removed competence from their support channels, in order to lower wage cost. The only solution left is to blast at 100%, not accept these excuses and go nuclear from the first call.
 
Bewlen said:
"hamstrung by internal processes" is not your problem. This is simply a copout. Companies have all removed competence from their support channels, in order to lower wage cost. The only solution left is to blast at 100%, not accept these excuses and go nuclear from the first call.
Click to expand...
I was strictly referring to the service or "service" provided by the agent at the walk in store.

You are preaching to the choir.
 
Bliksis said:
This took 3 months, which is pathetic. Screw their internal processes. They don't give a schit about your own arrangements when taking money they should not.

It's ****ed up that people have to resort to social media.
Click to expand...
As above. I agree with you.
 
now05ster said:
So, I've just confirmed that my aforementioned "hickup" is due to a delay with rewardsco, part of the same company you mentioned. Oh, and the device is still not shipped.

So much for outsourcing.
Click to expand...

now05ster said:
If the sale was through rewardsco/ignition group (operating as MTN in this instance) then they should have a recording of the conversation.

This was confirmed based on feedback I received when I had to email mtn complaints escalation channel for my particular query.
Click to expand...

now05ster said:
After all the hassles I've had with MTN and its contractor Rewardsco in trying to get my new device I would only ever get a contract phone at a sales office where the person's neck is in arm's reach.
Click to expand...
Quoted from multiple threads. Still salty. lol.
 
Bliksis said:
I am 100% convinced these pricks are out to make it as difficult as possible to get back your money, and count on a few frustrated customers to just give up.
Click to expand...
I wish I had recording of my call to "Vodacom's" cancellation dept two months ago (outsourced, not sure to whom).

The level of willful obfuscation and gas lighting employed by the agent was something that I've only heard about as used by companies in the USA. I had to state, no less than 10 times, that I wanted to CANCEL.

Had I not listened carefully near the end of the conversation I would have been downgraded to a R30 odd contract and still not had a cancelled contract.
 
Brawler said:
Update:
After waiting a week for customer care & social media channels to try do something I eventually went to the store again today.

I was ready to strip my moer but as the person I was dealing with was new to me I decided to first play it cool and I explained the situation and dissatisfaction with the back and forth. This is the s(h)ituation:
  • I am not the only one, their store has +/- a dozen of these cases where the trade-in is visible on the system but MIA on the bill
  • It is not all trade-ins, just some
  • She showed me an internal email where they talk about the issue and provide a step-by-step process for future trade ins. It seems like the (old) process isn't water tight and there is room for my issue to creep in
  • The store manager has a list and is actively trying to resolve it
  • She emailed (in front of me) the consultant who signed my trade-in and the manager and asked them to call me on Monday.
  • She gave me her personal cell number in case they do not call me back on Monday
  • She assured me it will be resolved but couldn't give me an ETA
It's been nearly three months but at least now I know they know there is an issue, it is not just me and someone at the store has opened up a communications channel. Still an absolute clown show for an organization of this scale working in telecoms/ICT.
Click to expand...
That's my exact experience as well, months of dicking around dealing with utterly useless support staff and then one switched on person solves it seemingly without breaking a sweat.
 
airborne said:
That's my exact experience as well, months of dicking around dealing with utterly useless support staff and then one switched on person solves it seemingly without breaking a sweat.
Click to expand...

Sounds racist.

But I know you are referring to a convergence of events that resulted in ...

An individual who has awakened from the primordial ooze.
 
Bliksis said:
I hope you're no longer being polite. It appears as that's seen as weakness and that you don't have the resolve to push this to resolution. Fck these guys.
Click to expand...

Bliksis said:
I am 100% convinced these pricks are out to make it as difficult as possible to get back your money, and count on a few frustrated customers to just give up.
Click to expand...

It's true. They have organized their business that it is almost impossible to speak to someone with any sort of power or authority to do something. Your options are:
  • Phone 135 and speak to a person who can log tickets that end up being closed with no resolution.
  • Go to the shop and shout at some cannon fodder who is not going to be there in 6 months who ultimately can't do anything themselves either.
  • Complain on social media and get the generic "We will inbox you message" which leads nowhere. Customer care email is exactly the same.
Everything is centralized and everyone you speak to is useless. As someone else said the only thing they can do is sell you something new. Everything else is an intentional friction point and as you say many people let the missing airtime, slight billing issue etc slide as it's not worth the time/stress/money to take them on. Thank goodness for Fibre internet and Wi-Fi as these days you don't really need anything more than prepaid to get you along so these companies must wake up or they will be gone.

This time around it's far more serious than missing airtime. It's nice that I now know what is going on but on the official paperwork I have from MTN the situation is that MTN has agreed to pay me R14400 for my device and have not. It is theft and the Police will see it that way.

This thread has 2000+ views and is on the 1st page of google search results for "MTN Trade in". Hopefully a bit of bad press will make them fix their ****.
 
Brawler said:
It's true. They have organized their business that it is almost impossible to speak to someone with any sort of power or authority to do something. Your options are:
  • Phone 135 and speak to a person who can log tickets that end up being closed with no resolution.
  • Go to the shop and shout at some cannon fodder who is not going to be there in 6 months who ultimately can't do anything themselves either.
  • Complain on social media and get the generic "We will inbox you message" which leads nowhere. Customer care email is exactly the same.
Everything is centralized and everyone you speak to is useless. As someone else said the only thing they can do is sell you something new. Everything else is an intentional friction point and as you say many people let the missing airtime, slight billing issue etc slide as it's not worth the time/stress/money to take them on. Thank goodness for Fibre internet and Wi-Fi as these days you don't really need anything more than prepaid to get you along so these companies must wake up or they will be gone.

This time around it's far more serious than missing airtime. It's nice that I now know what is going on but on the official paperwork I have from MTN the situation is that MTN has agreed to pay me R14400 for my device and have not. It is theft and the Police will see it that way.

This thread has 2000+ views and is on the 1st page of google search results for "MTN Trade in". Hopefully a bit of bad press will make them fix their ****.
Click to expand...
The consumer is not in a position of power. People will not leave MTN because of your experience, they have to experience it first. Perhaps it might get some prospective customers to think twice, but what are your options really?

I have come to the point where I will be polite only the very first time I explain the problem. After that, I am very insistent and demanding, and I will not shy away from using crude language. Laugh all you want, I'm even laughing at this paragraph myself but it's how it is.

Politeness only works up to a point.
 
Brawler said:
Update:
After waiting a week for customer care & social media channels to try do something I eventually went to the store again today.

I was ready to strip my moer but as the person I was dealing with was new to me I decided to first play it cool and I explained the situation and dissatisfaction with the back and forth. This is the s(h)ituation:
  • I am not the only one, their store has +/- a dozen of these cases where the trade-in is visible on the system but MIA on the bill
  • It is not all trade-ins, just some
  • She showed me an internal email where they talk about the issue and provide a step-by-step process for future trade ins. It seems like the (old) process isn't water tight and there is room for my issue to creep in
  • The store manager has a list and is actively trying to resolve it
  • She emailed (in front of me) the consultant who signed my trade-in and the manager and asked them to call me on Monday.
  • She gave me her personal cell number in case they do not call me back on Monday
  • She assured me it will be resolved but couldn't give me an ETA
It's been nearly three months but at least now I know they know there is an issue, it is not just me and someone at the store has opened up a communications channel. Still an absolute clown show for an organization of this scale working in telecoms/ICT.
Click to expand...
9 days later and fokkol.
Messaged the woman and lets see.
 
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