Oh I can tell you stories about porting from Italk to MTNSP.
In December last year , after sending off a port request to MTN to have them load up my dad's contract with MTNSP from Italk , he gets a phone call 1 hour AFTER his number is active on MTNSP from Italk telling him that his porting fee is R4000 ( package was a MyCall 100 with a cheapy Samsung phone , ahh that wonderfull clawback fee ) and at that stage he told the consultant to cancel the port.
Unfortunately the port went thru , I went to the MTN dealer who initiated the port and he said he'll sort it out the next week Monday.Next week arrives and I get a phone call to fetch a new phone and simcard from the dealer for my old man.I tell the dealer of our dilemma which he was informed of the day it happened , he reckons no problem , he will sort it out but I must take the new phone and sim.
Against my common sense I take it , anyhow we use about 15 minutes of this new contract on MTNSP when I decide to enquire about the clawback fee of Italk ( at this stage it was 3 months to expiry and we were prepared to call it a day at a fee of R1000 which Italk did'nt want to hear of )
After many many many many many attempts at MTN Walk-In Century City and many emails to account managers and posts on this forum to MTN employees did I manage to get the port reversed at no cost to my old man.
That is until MTN despite numerous attempts at letting them see the light that since they cancelled my old man's contract and reverse ported the number back to Italk ( they continue to bill him the ProCall 120 service fee , of which at the time of this post is in month 3 already ) and yet they admit that the number isnt active and that the bill is null and void.
Trying to confirm this in writing is like trying to get Mbeki to agree on HIV/AIDS and the state of crime here in ZA.
Anyhow so now the old man's contract is finally expired , Italk was given notice and I flew to Durban to rant at someone to please look at the history of my old man's account and the discrepancies in their billing of it , believe you me we stopped a lot of debit orders from both Italk and MTN with regards to this issue.
Present day , last week my old man gets yet another bill from MTNSP , and again I enquire about it rather patiently over the phone and again I hear the same answer that I know all to well , to ignore the bill since its a billing system error , yet no-one wants to remove his records from the system as no-one seems to have the power to do so.
In light of all this when the port and reverse port was being processed , I was billed for R2000 worth of calls to 0831237667 (MNP support desk @ MTN) and believe you me holding on for 45 mins per call before they answer the phone is not fun.I queried this with MTN billing who rather nonchalantly informed me that because I was the one who dialled the number from my own handset which was in my possession and I was in control of the call , that I am liable for the costs incurred in making it and also quick to add that I must pay that charges or be cut off and run into arrears.
Despite me going to MTN Walk-In in Century City and asking if the number is chargeable from a subscriber to MNP , all I got was blank stares and empty promises of we will call you with the correct info as that number is not chargeable to MTN dealers and subscribers are not supposed to call it yet when calling 808 and asking about MNP they are quick to refer one to call the number and act dumb when one asks if there are costs associated with it (no calls ever came to me , despite speaking to Nadeem - branch manager , although in his busy day he managed to answer 1 of my sms's )
Sadly since the contract is already expired with Italk now on 2nd April , I submitted a request on the 26th March to port his number back to MTNSP once again , last I spoke to Italk on Monday , they confirm that we owe them nothing besides last months call charges which we fine with and that the number has left the Italk network for the second time.
Called MTN Walk-In Century City switchboard today on 0215272000 and left my details with the person who answered to call me with status on when I can collect a new sim for my old man , not worried about contract phone as yet and once again they don't come back to me with the info that I require.
This despite being in MTN's client base from 1998 , sad that they post billions in profits but are worse than the City Council when it comes to answering client queries , they quick to demand payment and list one on credit bureaus but not quick enough to admit fault and sweeten the deal for clients , my monthly spend with them has done nothing but go up but all I get from them is more uphill just to do anything.
I payed my old man's "arrears" with MTN , then put his number on my contract so that they can port it in and then I'll transfer it to his name after the 3 month period.
Heres to hoping MTN does'nt stuff this up like they do their customers by creating hype and hot air and then act clueless and hide behind the law when it comes to protecting their business interests , its crap practice to do what they do and get away with it.
And last time I called 808 on 2nd May , I called told to call 0831237667 , I kindly informed the consultant that that number is chargeable to a subscriber and she abruptly put the phone down , and cut my call.
So much for service and yet they post R30 billion on profits , are we as the consumers the suckers or are the profits fictitious ?
And sadly one has to goto
www.hellopeter.com to complain since emailing MTN using their preferred means of contact via the website brings no results and the staff simply answer questions with a department name and no email address or contact number , no-one seems to want to take responsibility.
Correction!!!!! I suggest you speak to iTalk to get more info. I am on Nashua and contract expires on the 13th of May. I also wanted to port to MTNSP on the 14th of May, but the Nashua people insisted that I will have to give them 3 month notice (even though my contract is expiring
). I tried to argue this issue cause I did not see the point of this but it all in vain.
So, I will have to cancel my contract on the 14th of May with immediate effect and pay in the three months subscription to Nashua (plus of course my April-May subscription). Then write a letter to them stating that I would like to cancel the contract and provide the deposit slip - (3 mths subs) and request to port my number. Within 24hrs my contract will be canceled and my line will be available to port to MTNSP (but I shouldn't use the line during those 2-3 days up until MTNSP has ported it in!!!
What a procedure
So, I strongly suggest that you contact iTalk on this issue....
?
