How does one go about having a contract with a service provider terminated, without paying the "cancellation fee" via CPA?
I have 3x contracts with MTN, not huge contracts - 2x iPhones on topup (200 i think) and 1x uncapped lite package.
About an hour ago, for probably the 6th time this year, my lines have been suspended because of the account being "unpaid" - take note of the inverted commas.
There are constantly excuses.
The most recent one, they tried to deduct in excess of roughly R2500 from my bank account (before due date - with other working days still available to deduct, before due date) - this bounced. I called them 12 hours later, just to find out that they deducted double the normal amount since the previous month was unpaid - I got all my statements together (bank and MTN) and went to the store, this was then resolved and I made a manual payment for the actual due ammount (R1250).
The months before were all a similar story and have been, strangely enough, since I changed my banking details with them. They usually deduct the money on time, but somewhere this does not get allocated. The result is of course a very pissed-off phone call to the call centre. Upon calling they reactivate the lines, and we have a few days to just get paperwork together again to take to an MTN SP store.
I have been with MTN for ages already and this has never been an issue before - my income is ample to cover all debit and manual payments, with enough to live off of as well. Generally speaking though, at the end of a month I do not have R3k for them to grab - if they had taken the usual amount, no problem - I plan for and anticipate that debit order.
It's no use explaining this to MTN - they constantly just say "the debit order bounced, it is your responsibility to ensure that you have money and if you cannot afford it, you shouldn't have taken out the contracts". I feel that this is extremely rude and a huge assumption to be made. Even if it were true, that is not how a customer should be treated - ever, no excuses.
Going into the store is usually best - the people there actually have a simple understanding of the english language and are willing to explain and work through the situation. But the fact remains, this should not be a problem at all, from the start.
Back to the primary issue though - I have had enough of this BS. I pay my bills and have done so religiously for at least 6 years - prior to that, the original contract was on my mother's name and even then, all payments were made (by me as she took it out for me as I was unable to take it out on my own name at the time) to MTN SP via EFT, BEFORE due date.
The time and effort it takes to go to MTN or call their call centre, every time this happens, one hell of a chunk of my time is wasted. Roughly 2hours of calling MTN, travelling to the store and time spent resolving the issue, every time they suspend the lines. That's already 12 hours of time wasted this year (or since March, rather).
I feel that this is a serious issue that should be taken seriously by MTN - yet they carry on merrily as if there is no problem at all.
I threatened to cancel and was reminded, by such a "helpful" call centre agent, that I will then be liable for ALL early cancellation fees. How can this be fair and/or legal? I am not in breach of the contract - I pay the bills, and still my service is suspended... So technically speaking, I pay for this problem twice.
I am not so worried about the uncapped package - someone is taking ownership of this by the end of next week anyway. The phones are my issue. If I have to, I will muscle this out till the contracts expire, early next year. But then I am taking control of the payments, EFT all the way. If I can get away from these ayoba-apes, then I will kiss the feet of and buy a beer for whoever can give me a way out of these contracts.
I have 3x contracts with MTN, not huge contracts - 2x iPhones on topup (200 i think) and 1x uncapped lite package.
About an hour ago, for probably the 6th time this year, my lines have been suspended because of the account being "unpaid" - take note of the inverted commas.
There are constantly excuses.
The most recent one, they tried to deduct in excess of roughly R2500 from my bank account (before due date - with other working days still available to deduct, before due date) - this bounced. I called them 12 hours later, just to find out that they deducted double the normal amount since the previous month was unpaid - I got all my statements together (bank and MTN) and went to the store, this was then resolved and I made a manual payment for the actual due ammount (R1250).
The months before were all a similar story and have been, strangely enough, since I changed my banking details with them. They usually deduct the money on time, but somewhere this does not get allocated. The result is of course a very pissed-off phone call to the call centre. Upon calling they reactivate the lines, and we have a few days to just get paperwork together again to take to an MTN SP store.
I have been with MTN for ages already and this has never been an issue before - my income is ample to cover all debit and manual payments, with enough to live off of as well. Generally speaking though, at the end of a month I do not have R3k for them to grab - if they had taken the usual amount, no problem - I plan for and anticipate that debit order.
It's no use explaining this to MTN - they constantly just say "the debit order bounced, it is your responsibility to ensure that you have money and if you cannot afford it, you shouldn't have taken out the contracts". I feel that this is extremely rude and a huge assumption to be made. Even if it were true, that is not how a customer should be treated - ever, no excuses.
Going into the store is usually best - the people there actually have a simple understanding of the english language and are willing to explain and work through the situation. But the fact remains, this should not be a problem at all, from the start.
Back to the primary issue though - I have had enough of this BS. I pay my bills and have done so religiously for at least 6 years - prior to that, the original contract was on my mother's name and even then, all payments were made (by me as she took it out for me as I was unable to take it out on my own name at the time) to MTN SP via EFT, BEFORE due date.
The time and effort it takes to go to MTN or call their call centre, every time this happens, one hell of a chunk of my time is wasted. Roughly 2hours of calling MTN, travelling to the store and time spent resolving the issue, every time they suspend the lines. That's already 12 hours of time wasted this year (or since March, rather).
I feel that this is a serious issue that should be taken seriously by MTN - yet they carry on merrily as if there is no problem at all.
I threatened to cancel and was reminded, by such a "helpful" call centre agent, that I will then be liable for ALL early cancellation fees. How can this be fair and/or legal? I am not in breach of the contract - I pay the bills, and still my service is suspended... So technically speaking, I pay for this problem twice.
I am not so worried about the uncapped package - someone is taking ownership of this by the end of next week anyway. The phones are my issue. If I have to, I will muscle this out till the contracts expire, early next year. But then I am taking control of the payments, EFT all the way. If I can get away from these ayoba-apes, then I will kiss the feet of and buy a beer for whoever can give me a way out of these contracts.