2010/11/16
A MDANTSANE woman finally received her R4300 cash refund yesterday from communications giant Telkom after the company incorrectly billed her for almost five years.
Nombulelo Qushu said yesterday she was refunded the money after Telkom billed her pre-paid phone line for monthly Internet services she did not order or use.
She claimed the company had billed her for the service for five years without her permission. She lodged a query with the company in August 2008 after she noticed the airtime loaded on her pre-paid Telkom line was finished unusually quickly, Qushu said earlier this month when she approached Crusaders.
Telkom investigated and found Qushu had been incorrectly billed for Internet services she had not ordered – R79 was taken off her account every month for nearly five years. “All along I thought it was my kids abusing the phone,” she said, adding that eventually she was repaid R4500 in the form of more airtime in July this year.
But Qushu said she didn’t want extra airtime. She wanted a cash refund instead.
She also cancelled the Telkom line as a result of her continued frustration with the company.
Thanks to the Dispatch Crusaders, Qushu can sleep easy after Telkom paid the money into her bank account yesterday.
“Wow! I am very, very happy,” Qushu said yesterday, about the news of her refund.
She added that she planned to use the money for her 17-year-old son’s circumcision celebrations in December.
Telkom’s media liaison officer Paynee Chetty said he was happy the situation was resolved.
“It was a bit of a unique situation, considering the pre-paid nature of (Qushu’s) account … But Telkom works with consumers to come to a conclusion, so we are glad the matter is resolved,” he said.
Director of legal support and prosecutions at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Sipho Tleane said previously that refunds should be made to favour consumers.
He explained that if Telkom was indeed at fault for any wrongful deductions of Qushu’s airtime, she should be refunded in a manner she saw fit.
Qushu thanked the Crusaders for their assistance yesterday.
“Without (the Crusaders’) help I wouldn’t have gotten this money back,” Qushu said. —
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