Telkoms Latest Scam

caroper

caroper

Executive Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2003
Messages
9,226
Reaction score
2,690
Location
Hout Bay
I think that Telkom have found a new method to rip us off.

Last month my bill didn’t arrive so I paid R1000.00 as my normal bill is ~R900.00
This month I phoned for a balance enquiry and was informed that I owed R1299.00 payable on the 12th.

Today the 6th I got cut off for an amount of R199.00 outstanding.
My address has been the same for ~20 years but somehow it has changed on the Telkom system, so I don’t get a bill and have to pay 3x the outstanding amount to be reconnected.
Because of an error on Telkoms part and 6 days prior to due date.

This is beyond incompetence; it must be an engineered scam, so please watch out.
The supervisor refused to take my call and I was on my cell for over an hour so they even score for keeping me on hold. This should be illegal.

Is there an Ombudsman or do I need to complain to ICASA?

The upside is that they only disconnected voice, ADSL still works.

Update: I was reconected within 5 min but they refuse to drop the reconnection fee.
 
Last edited:
This is a scam

Hey this is a scam.

Friends of mine, ghad the same thing done to them aswell, just the other day, they are still fighting with telkomsa managers, to get reconnected.

Then eventually telkom apoligies and reliese they where wrong, and telkom in fact owen them money.

About you telkom voice line, forget it.
goto: www.voipbuster.com you can call 50 countries free and s.a cost 8.9cent a minute, which is cheaper than telkom, as they charge you 16cent calmore, and 36cent noncall more.

Non the less telkom still chrages you a minum charge of 60 cents percall and only there atfer 16 and 36 rates.

if you work it out 6.5 minutes is equal to 1 minute or less on telkom system.
on top of that you have to pay 79R a month, where 79R a month get you like 887minutes ode, to s.a on voipbuster.com.

PLus you have the add bonus of beeing able to call half the world free from now on. p.s US mobile is free

just keep a cellphone so friends can call you.

Cheers
 
caroper said:
This month I phoned for a balance enquiry and was informed that I owed R1299.00 payable on the 12th.

Today the 6th I got cut off for an amount of R199.00 outstanding.
Click to expand...

DITTO DITTO DITTO!!! I get my invoices about a week after I've been cut off. Been to the customer service center today (phoning them is useless), they denied it, I prooved it, they said they 'dont know what is wrong'.

Strangely enough, I seem to have over 10 different accounts listed under my ID number at Telkom though -shrugs-. I'll be attempting to get hold of some snr Telkom people (I happen to drink with two of them on a regular interval - they're alchies!!! -g-).

My record so far, was being cut off by the 28th of the month, when my bill was only due arround the 7th or 8th the following month. Let's not forget the R100 (odd) reconnection fee, or the problems waking up without a phone line causes you.
 
Hey i did not get my bill 2.
Received a sms saying i owe them though.
Yeah and while paying i cut it off aswell.
Gone switch 2 MTN EDGE.
 
The people are so desparate to meet their targets that they do things like this.

Remember the time a while back when CallAnswer was automagically added to peoples lines without them asking for it?
 
I also did not receive a bill last month but received an SMS and automated telephone call on the 3rd or 4th asking me to pay or else. (I did pay R1000 via the internet on the 2nd)
 
Remember the time a while back when CallAnswer was automagically added to peoples lines without them asking for it?
Click to expand...
CallAnswer is a free default (if you ask for it) - or order the full service - then you pay for it. Default limited messages, time stored, whatever - not the case with the paying service.

Really hope telkom not pulling some scam on billing... seems this is the best place to find out!
 
Does anybody know the total value of customer deposits with Telkom?

It must be a sizeable sum.

Actually not a bad way of getting interest free credit to finance the R5-bil expansion drive!

PS: I wonder how many municipalities would be solvent if they had to repay all consumer deposits.
 
kilo39 said:
CallAnswer is a free default (if you ask for it) - or order the full service - then you pay for it. Default limited messages, time stored, whatever - not the case with the paying service.

Really hope telkom not pulling some scam on billing... seems this is the best place to find out!
Click to expand...

Reason! THEFT! If you call someone and he does not answer the call answer comes on and you pay for a useless call. A high percentage of callers never leave a message! Same as Cell phones. The higest costs on a cell (check your account) is those less than 1 minute. Me think If you call a cell and there is no answer you terminate, but the call is still active in the so slow and overloaded network. So they connect when the answer service comes on then it realises you terminated and as such still charge You???)
 
kilo39 said:
CallAnswer is a free default (if you ask for it) - or order the full service - then you pay for it. Default limited messages, time stored, whatever - not the case with the paying service.
Click to expand...
Sorry was trying to read and post and take a sip at the same time, I meant basic voicemail.. free for the line owner indeed - but the person calling you and leaving a message pays 68c..
 
While we're on this... Just FYI.

You're late on your payment, you don't get a bill, or telkom simply decides, we're now suspending this line. You complain, pay your reconnection fee, and hopefully get the credit you deserve.

A couple of minutes later, your line is magically reconnected... Telkom, sees this as a new line installation.... Thus, disconnecting lines, are also a big factor in them meeting their targets as far as the number of installations they do go...

I have this on good authority, unfortunately, I do believe that Telkom will go to these tactics, and it doesn't surprise me at all. Makes me wonder why they can't simply charge 100 odd (reconnection fee) for a installation to begin with... heh
 
I meant basic voicemail.. free for the line owner indeed - but the person calling you and leaving a message pays 68c..
Click to expand...
You right. And I had forgotten...Mmmm. Caller pays for call if switches to answer instead of simply ringing and no answer.

... and ... telkom phone me every month - automated - to request I pay my bill... after 2 or 3 autocalls would get voice call... in fact last month didn't receive this around the time I was expecting to... 2 weeks after my bill due... so went and paid it... but did receive the autocall anyway a day or two later.

AFAIK telkom give 15 days past due date - then they call. I usually pay my bill about the 20th.
 
Last edited:
This is precisely why I signed up for the online billing - https://ebpp.telkom.co.za/ - they were always cutting me off for being a couple days late even if the bill never arrived. Same happened all the time with Mnet too.

Blaady money making scam IMO but it hasnt happened since I signed up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X