Slightly unusual getting connected to Telkom question

[Julian2]

I'm planning ahead a bit but with Telkom that's probably not a bad idea...

I have an apartment in Cape Town CBD that is currently rented out. The apartment does have a Telkom phone line installed but I have no idea whether my current tenants have activated it. My tenants move out on 31st October this year and I plan to move in a week or two later and will be using the apartment for 6 months. I want to get ADSL (or VDSL if my local exchange is equipped for that) connected as soon as is practical, ideally before I move in or within a few days after I have moved in. The slightly unusual bit is that I am in the UK at the moment so any connection arrangements would need to be done either remotely or via a third party (I do have a cousin living in the Southern Suburbs who could help).

Has anyone managed to get existing Telkom wiring activated by doing it entirely over email and/or web access or is that not possible?

Failing the above, has anyone managed to do it via a third party or are personally signed forms and presentation of originals of personal ID and proof of address required before Telkom will do anything?

If the line is currently activated (I'll need to check with my rental agent) then is it possible to transfer it over from the tenant into my name from 1st November and can all that be done remotely without my needing to go into a Telkom shop to sign anything?

As far as the technical practicalities are concerned I'm assuming there aren't any issues since, with a line to the apartment already that I know has been used for ADSL in the past, I assume the only engineering visit involved, if there is one at all, is to do something in the exchange and that no access to my apartment will be necessary.

I'm really taking this one step at a time so it's the R180-ish per month basic phone service that I'm most concerned about getting connected since I haven't decided whether to get the ADSL bit via my data provider or Telkom and also I understand that so long as there is an suitable (i.e. not prepaid) active phone line then getting ADSL and data on it is only a matter of a few days rather than the weeks or months horror stories that I hear regarding some phone installations.

Any comments, experiences or advice relating to getting a connection activated while in another country would be appreciated.

- Julian

 

[HavocXphere]

Does the copper wire currently have a phone number attached to it?

If yes then you can just transfer the account. If no then a techie will have to come to your place to figure out which wire it is so to speak.

Chances of you doing either remotely are slim to none though. They'll want signatures from you.

 

[Julian2]

Many, many thanks for the reply. Much appreciated.

Does the copper wire currently have a phone number attached to it?

If yes then you can just transfer the account. If no then a techie will have to come to your place to figure out which wire it is so to speak.

I'm asking my rental agent to check the status of the line right now to see if the tenant did activate it in which case I'll be able to provide Telkom with a number.

Chances of you doing either remotely are slim to none though. They'll want signatures from you.

Yes. That's what I feared.

If I don't fall at the first hurdle and there is a phone number currently attached to the installed jack then does Telkom require that the person taking over a line has any real relationship with the property? If I'm not there in late September or October to sign the papers to transfer an active line to me on 1st November (which I won't be) I'm wondering whether I could do it in two stages - get my cousin to take over the line from 1st November and then I take it over from her once I'm in the country and able to file the paperwork.

I suspect that my cousin would probably need to be able to demonstrate that the apartment is her address via either a rental agreement or a deed of sale but maybe all Telkom cares about is that the billing details are valid in which case her official home address for ID and banking purposes is what they would care about. I suppose that I could get round the issue by signing a really simple rental agreement with her for a 1 month rental at R1 a month and as long as it's signed by both of us then I can't see why Telkom wouldn't accept it.

I was hoping not to have to jump through too many hoops but from past experience late last year and early this year of waiting about 5 months to get a line installed in another property maybe it is worth jumping through a few of those hoops to transfer an existing line (if there is one) rather than putting myself in the situation of needing Telkom to do a reconnect.

- Julian

 

[32 battalion]

Many, many thanks for the reply. Much appreciated.



I'm asking my rental agent to check the status of the line right now to see if the tenant did activate it in which case I'll be able to provide Telkom with a number.



Yes. That's what I feared.

If I don't fall at the first hurdle and there is a phone number currently attached to the installed jack then does Telkom require that the person taking over a line has any real relationship with the property? If I'm not there in late September or October to sign the papers to transfer an active line to me on 1st November (which I won't be) I'm wondering whether I could do it in two stages - get my cousin to take over the line from 1st November and then I take it over from her once I'm in the country and able to file the paperwork.

I suspect that my cousin would probably need to be able to demonstrate that the apartment is her address via either a rental agreement or a deed of sale but maybe all Telkom cares about is that the billing details are valid in which case her official home address for ID and banking purposes is what they would care about. I suppose that I could get round the issue by signing a really simple rental agreement with her for a 1 month rental at R1 a month and as long as it's signed by both of us then I can't see why Telkom wouldn't accept it.

I was hoping not to have to jump through too many hoops but from past experience late last year and early this year of waiting about 5 months to get a line installed in another property maybe it is worth jumping through a few of those hoops to transfer an existing line (if there is one) rather than putting myself in the situation of needing Telkom to do a reconnect.

- Julian

Good day

I would try over the phone if I where you...

I had my first line installed and internet up and running by simply calling Telkom, they asked me some questions over the phone and gave me account details to pay into and I was good to go

Moved and cancelled the line as new complex was new and needed infrastructure installed first, which took time. when that was done I simply called again and had a new line installed and got adsl up and running, once again. no paperwork, no shops, no nothing... maybe sent them my ID scanned

give it a shot, you never know

 

[Julian2]

Good day

I would try over the phone if I where you...

I had my first line installed and internet up and running by simply calling Telkom, they asked me some questions over the phone and gave me account details to pay into and I was good to go

Moved and cancelled the line as new complex was new and needed infrastructure installed first, which took time. when that was done I simply called again and had a new line installed and got adsl up and running, once again. no paperwork, no shops, no nothing... maybe sent them my ID scanned

give it a shot, you never know

Fabulous. Thanks for the feedback; that's somewhat encouraging.

I'm just waiting to hear from my rental agent about whether my tenant has activated the line and then I'll give them a call as you suggest. If the line is currently active I want to be very careful that I don't mess up my tenant's connection before they move out so I need to take things a step at a time and potentially coordinate with the tenant on whatever I do.

- Julian

 

[The_Ogre]

Just call them. Everybody that I've helped get ADSL just gives them a call and places an order. No signatures, nothing.