Porting Frustration

[Jongi]

Firstly this might not be the most appropriate forum. But in any case I need to vent a bit. This is a story about South African service and its lacking nature.

30 Jan 07 - Late in the day (maybe around 15h30) I send forms to MTN to port from Vodacom.

1 Feb 07 - 15:47:10 Receive SMS from Vodacom telling me my porting request had been approved.

2 Feb 07 - 08:34:xx Receive call from Vodacom asking why I am porting. Told to cancel my contract by 15th of the month.

At this point I am of the belief that my Vodacom services are intact until I tell them to cancel.

So I wake today (3 Feb 07), and see SMS on my phone telling me that I have a new Vodacom Premium E-mail number and password. Rings a warning sign but I ignore it. Later in the evening I try send an SMS and get an error message. I think uh oh. Make calls between Vodacom and MTN.

So it seems that my number has been succesfully transferred from Vodacom to MTN. Shows as locked on Vodacom and open on MTN. However I do not have an MTN SIM card.

I will be interested to find out on when exactly this change was made. You would think that (both) providers would think let's not inconvenience our old/new customers by switching them over the weekend especially seeing as we have not given them a SIM card. But this I suppose is a typical South African story.

 

[Syndyre]

So now you basically can't get any calls? Wonderful, who's fault was it?

 

[Jongi]

Can't get calls. Can't make calls. No SMS. I blame them each equally. MTN as my new SP should have made sure they told Vodacom to transfer the number on a date they could be sure I had an MTN SIM Card. It's likely that on Monday I'll have an MTN SIM card, but this situation should have never occurred. I'll certainly have some strong words with both. Most likely the ombudsman as well. Clearly I will have to make sure that neither provider charges me since Friday (when Vodacom transferred the number) to when MTN provide me with my SIM card.