MTN - Mobile Telephone Networks South Africa Reviews 86

I would give 0 stars if I could!!! Customer service just appallingly shocking! As posted on HelloPeter in 2023:
I cancelled my contact in July, a debit order went off 1 August 2023, after which I called MTN to confirm that the contract was cancelled and I was advised that the 1 August 2023 would be the final debit order lodged against my bank account. Yet debit orders were lodged on 1 September and 1 October 2023. I reversed these debit orders from my bank, yet I incurred bank charges as a result thereof (I would rather incur bank charges than let MTN "get away with" bad customer service). Secondly, my son activated his SIM on the Afrihost AIR3 package, but it seems MTN overrode his SIM connection on Afrihost, and reactivated it on their direct network, resulting in him not being aware of this and using data (at the time). We will not be held responsible for the data used by him, as his SIM should not (and was not) activated on the MTN (direct) service. I will also not be held responsible for any further charges with regards to MTN (direct) for this account. I changed over to Afrihost in the first place as a result of absolutely shocking customer service with regards to doing an upgrade on my/my son's number...
Update: MTN have now indicated a default on my MTN account on my credit profile!! When are you going to get your act together MTN?!?! This is just beyond shocking!!

I have been with MTN for years...in 2018 I added two additional numbers to my account for my son and my domestic worker at R319 a month. Its now 2024...I have the same amount still going off even though I cancelled both numbers in 2020. Everytime I call they put me on hold and keep transferring me between consultants. IT IS THE WORSE SERVICE and they are stealing my money every month for numbers I dont use...i have been instore several times and they tell me out right that the only way the problem can be solved is via the phone....anyone else have this problem?

Consultant lied over the phone about my deal. He said my contract is expired (2022) and slyly offered a data deal on a month to month basis. Found out today it was another contract that they extented and now I can't stop it. On top of that I can't see anyone's caller id, nor can they see mine. Ridiculous what consultants do for commission. I've been struggling for 8 months just to see who's calling me and vice versa. Now I need to pay a cancellation fee to a company that only caused struggle, endless efforts and loada of frustration. I would NEVER make use of MTN again.

What an absolute trash company. I have a MTN @Home LTE Line as we cannot have Fiber in the area. I have been without internet since Christmas. I have spent more than 4hours on endless calls to fix my internet! Apparently I have some stupid BLOCK from their side on my WiFi and because I am moving my router! My router has not once been unplugged or moved since I got my internet! Every time it is fixed but give it about 5 hours and there you have it “CONNECTED WITHOUT INTERNET”

I have spoken to multiple lazy MTN technicians of which the first consultant was down right rude. As I was hesitant to trust that my internet will be up and running, I asked him to stay on the line until I tested. Oh and was this the worst thing anyone has ever asked this guy to do. He literally yelled at me for not trusting in him and that he knows how to do his job.

Well obviously not, because I have now spent more than double my monthly internet fees, to buy airtime and sit on endless useless calls, just to spend my airtime for no reason at all.

I wish I took this consultants name to report him to his HR! What a piece of garbage person.

And then coming back to the expensive WiFi I paid for but do not have!

I am stuck, unable to do my work as I dont have any connection😤

Just please never ever make the mistake of getting Internet from such a useless, incapable company.

Besides of not having internet for the last month, we have a 10mb line but we can barely stream YouTube on 480p.

What a waste of time and money!

MTN is a NO NO NO!

Bought a SIM card package from MTN on arrival at JNB for use during a 3-week trip to South Africa. MTN staff member too payment and claimed she'd registered the SIM in my name using my passport for ID. She installed the SIM and showed me the SA mobile number on the plastic tag the card came with (written in black marker pen). Left airport and the new SIM would not work - no credit. Later discovered I'd been given a SIM with a different number, meanwhile someone else (the MTN employee?) had a nice new SIM with my credit on it - nice scam. I complained in the next MTN store I got to - could not help. MTN customer services was totally useless, said they would contact me but never did. Finally reported to my credit card provider who issued a refund for fraudulent transaction.

Got the black friday data contract special. Apart from surprising me with huge hidden cost, I'm not even getting the data I'm paying for. The sales person gave me the deal that wasn't on special and when I went to get it rectified,they stalled me until the special was over so they could tell me that there's nothing they can do. Scam

Look how MTN deserves 280 000 000 Subscribers according to google only they and Google know. These guys switched off my internet apparently because of a late payment. Customer service said they switch it off if its not paid before 25th. my invoice gets mailed to me the 2nd and it indicates clearly due by 5th. otherwise it was up to date but yet they switched it off before. I originally thought it was VPN settings or something. takes 24 hours to receive answers from customer care. there's a reason they need those contracts. these guys claiming price increases to keep serving clients well (only according to them) and because of theft. but yet the cant do customer service at all. its not even that comfortable to sign up. if you get stuck with using them don't complain if your stuff isn't working or your not getting assisted. they lack real competition in SA, if they had they would be paying you to use them.

0 is the only option.... I contacted icasa.. 135 you can never get an agent. U must press the fraud prompt to. Get to a uneducated consultant...
Dsv courier also completely useless... I would rather use any other provider.. They have 3rd party agents who send you to mtn. I go to mtn, they say u need to go to 3rd party. What a horrific experience. I asked for an email of confirmation to confirm I can ell all contracts with mtn. I'm. Still waiting.. Just hope no debit orders will be deducted... What a pain. My no is 0622637852. I will expose them on all social media no matter the cost... Their consultants are the worst. You get transfered from 1dept to the next except to the correct one. You then get cut and have to start all over again.. Service is worse than poor.

I don’t understand why the statement differs with what I signed for, my contract that I took was R199.00 per month not R369.82 sometimes R422.99 per month, what in the world is going on, and I normally pay in advance. Please forward me the latest 3 months. And when is my contract ending because I want nothing to do with MTN anymore. There is no feedback, the services are a nightmare, when you call, you will hold for over an hour with no response, tried all numbers, its for ever please hold for the next available agent. Should this continue I will have to take a legal route because am a customer here not the other way around. Nxa ☹☹. I have been requesting assistance for the last 6 months. Unless there is something to hide to which I can feel it on my account. number 27832782030

If I could give MTN 0 stars at this point. I would!

About 4 months ago, I purchased what was possibly the most expensive phone on the market at the time - the Huawei Mate X3. After physically taking my phone from the MTN store, mtn couriered another one out to me the next day.
It took days to figure out where it came from as nobody was willing to account for this error. I don't know how MTN felt it fitting to send out a R45 000 phone with no request from us and no payment made for it.

Everyone we reached out to at MTN said the phone had nothing to do with them and refused to take it back.
Eventually, about a week later, the address that it came from accepted to take it back, But wanted to charge me R4500 return/cancelation fee for a phone I did not order.
I disputed this and MTN agreed not to charge me this fee, after which I agreed to return the phone. (returned the phone as received - sealed in the courier packaging)

Conveniently, thereafter, My account was wrongfully debited for over R10 000.
I began disputing this with the branch that was dealing with my account at the time - The Atrium MTN. I have honestly not experienced more pathetic service from ANY store of any kind in my life, in comparison to ATRIUM MTN in Durban Overport.

I got nowhere in a whole month, and was wrongfully debited a similar amount AGAIN.

I'm now almost 20k out of pocket, and STILL - 3 MONTHS LATER - NOBODY IS ATTENDING TO THIS.

I have been beyond patient - in pursuit of giving MTN the opportunity to right their wrongs. However mtn does not at all seem interested in me.

I have not been refunded the money stolen from my account.
I have barely been responded to.
I follow up every week and I don't even receive replies.

For the average full time worker like myself, I do not have the time to physically resolve this in store, so we depend on email and call centres to assist us. However I have gotten absolutely nowhere.

I've compiled all of my attempts to resolve this, most with no reply even, and I will be taking this real far real quickly.

For context : our account with MTN is probably 10+ years old, and I will definitely be reporting and boycotting them as soon as possible. Pathetic service provider if you ask me :)

Terrible service all round, nobody knows what they are doing and everybody just transfers you. There is no help.

Don't take out any business with this company.

My son Chris Barnard left South Africa on Saturday (5 days ago) to start his new career in the East - teaching English in China.

Since China does not have whattsapp -this mother phoned the Mtn call centre mid day Saturday from MY personal contract phone to activate "International sms roaming" on Chris's MTN (pay-as-you-go) simcard (also registered in my name).

The less efficient call centre lady asked if she must activate international sms roaming on the number that I am calling from?

(please note ALL CALLS ARE RECORDED)

My reply:

under NO circumstances!
This is MY personal contract tel number!
Then Read her the correct number that needs to be activated for International sms roaming = even asked her to repeat Chris's correct pay-as-you-go tel number.

She then , incorrectly ticked ALL the boxes of my business/personal contract number - thereby completely BLOCKING my personal number that I called from
(In stead of activating International sms roaming on Chris's pay-as-you-go tel no!)🤬

The result?

NO connectivity on my personal mobile phone for FIVE days since midday on Saturday!

FIVE days of NO SERVICE!!!

I am apparently travelling in China 🥺

Despite Hours of useless, but desperate call centre calls to MTN.... during these last 5 days
Plus
Personal visits to MTN store! .....

STILL not corrected and/or connected back on line!

Seriously losing

• money
•patience &
•confidence

with this appalling service levels from MTN in South Africa!

After 5 days of NO connectivity still has not replied to any of my complaint emails!!
George MTN store manager only persons trying her best to assist but the "system error" persists!!
Would appreciate ANY form if assistance to activate my tel number.
I sell property and NO client can reach me? My personal (blocked) tel number appears internationally on various websites.
When a customer calls me, it kindly says "subscriber not available "

I have tried to do my sim swap several time and still they can't help. The worst part is I went to the store 1st and it was not done, the call center agents has attitude and don't want to transfer you when you ask to escalate the matter, it's close to impossible to get the option of speaking to an agent

I signed up for a diamond package for R420 per month. Two months later I received a bill of R688, the reason being subscriptions that I didn't make. The sim was inside the router since I signed the contract, yet it came with subscriptions I wasn't told about. Called customer service and the lady (Boitumelo) was very helpful in canceling. Unfortunately, I still have to pay for these subscriptions.

If you don't want service then get mtn they are the absolute best at providing nothing. Get a Sim pay expensive data deals and don't get to use them.

Would give a zero if I could

A WARNING TO ALL OVERSEAS TRAVELLERS ….. avoid MTN especially at the airport where the ripped me off for prepaid services versus other branches …

In addition their service is pathetic with regular outrages and their customer service is for all intents and purposes non existent …. Avoid at all costs

If I could give a zero, I would gladly do so…

The service I have received from MTN in the past couple of days has been nothing but appalling, i am even ashamed to tell people my service provider is MTN, because what service are they really providing?

I wonder what happened to our champions who ensured our queries were dealt with, with nothin but respect reassurance. From terminating calls, being rude, to laughing at customer’s queries and the list goes on and on. I am left certain that all our queries are nothing but a joke.

This is the treatment we get for trusting MTN with our money and details, I am feeling unsafe knowing they know all my details including my ID number.

What a shame!! What a shame!! Ever spoken to someone so rude that you are defeated and out of words, then they terminate your call? That was me this morning.

This is not the ideal way to do this but it seems after few months of struggling I am left with no choice to do this publically with the hope that hopefully the correct person will see my message and will after 4 months resolve my concern once and for all.
1. On the 13th of May, my MTN line was suspended and I was telephonically advised that they have not received my payment and requested me to send the proof of payment for April 2022. As per the agents who was assisting me, I emailed the agent the proof of payment as the payment was already made on the 29th of April 2022 and he advised he will send through the POP and the relevant department will allocate the payment and the matter will be resolved.
2.On the 1st of June my line gets suspended again and once again I had to email the same POP to another MTN agent for April including for May once again getting the same result as the 13th of May.
3. On the 27th of June my line gets suspend AGAIN and once again I was asked to send the POP for April through to the collection email address with the same respond. As the 13th of May.
4. On the 29th of June and on the 1st of June I have send follow up emails to the collectionsadmin email address asking for feedback which I never received any response to.
5. 14 July line got suspended again and once again POP for April and was requested and sent to the MTN agent which confirmed that banking details I am using is correct. Same outcome as on the 13th of May. I have contacted my bank which confirmed the payment went through successfully and there are no concerns on my side.
6. 1st of August sent an email to the agent who assisted me on the 14th of July and got no response.
7. 2nd of August second email sent and still no response.
8. Email sent on the 9th of August and then received a response that the payment has been allocated with a reference number.
9. 24 August line suspended once again, POP for May sent and same outcome as 13th of May.
10. 25th of August received confirmation via email payment for May has been allocated.
11. 31st of August trying to upgrade after a few attempts earlier in the month and been told payment is still outstanding. Sent an email to customer again asking what is going on and no response received.
12. Sent a second email on the 2nd of September to customer care asking for feedback as no response was received.
13. On the 9th of August it was requested to forward the email to confirming that the payments has been allocated to a Customer Care Agent.
14. Sent a follow up email to Customer Care requesting feedback.
15. On the 8th of September I decided to try a different approach as and sent a message to MTN via Facebook messenger. As requested POP was sent for May via messenger and on the 12th of September I was informed via messenger that your department is still waiting for feedback.
16. On the 13th of September I received confirmation that the one payment was allocated for May for a second time and on the 14th I have received confirmation via Messenger that all payments have been allocated successfully my account issue has now been resolved.
17. Tried to upgrade on the 15th and told it would take a day for them to finalise all the allocations and the lady will contact me back.
18. Between the 19th of September & yesterday I phoned to find out about the upgrade and the lady who was assistance me disappeared and the gentlemen I spoke to told me there is still funds outstanding I need to speak to the billing department. Billing department puts me through to Customer Care and Customer Care puts me back to Billing Department when I ask how I can escalate this matter to get it resolved.
19 So in summary after sending countless time POP for April and May and been advised payments has been allocated, I still cannot upgrade and I am still being asked for POP as the funds are outstanding.
Is there anyone that can actually resolve this matter once and for all? Please note that I pay a second MTN account on the same days I pay the number I have an issue with into the same bank account which I have been using for years and yet you still cannot resolve my issue.
So my question is what must be done to get someone competent to get my matter resolved as I am not getting anywhere between your Customer Care & billing department via email & telephonically and your Facebook messenger team. As I keep on going back to square one every single time and all I hear is we do apologise for the inconvenience and it will take 3 – 5 working days to be resolved.
Posting something like the above is beneath me but this is my last resort to get the correct person’s attention to try to get this sorted once and for all.

Very disappointed. 6 months later and they have still not removed the illegal gaming services that are consuming my airtime on a daily basis. Can't wait for my contract to end!!

Great service but dirty to the core.
My contract was due for upgrade, they made an offer, I took it only to find that its 'home' based data, I asked to change it immediately and was charged a huge cancellation fee and a ridiculous early upgrade fee.
On top of that I was still not given the deal I wanted so now I have to pay another cancellation. Crooks!