There are three things we can count on in this world – death, taxes, and awful service from Telkom.

Seriously though, when you want an example of why state-owned monopolies are bad (in case Eskom and others didn’t hit the spot), Telkom is your guy.

If you posted on Facebook, I’m sure you would be inundated with tales of woe, but the folks at MyBroadband have you beat. They regularly receive stories of inept service from Telkom customers, and they’re gripes we are all too familiar with.

[Side note – as I write this, I am listening to Seth’s PA attempt to cancel some or other Telkom contract. She has been on the line for more than an hour, addressing an issue that has been going on for months, and I don’t hold high hopes for her chances of success.]

Let’s check in with some of MyBroadband’s complaints:

Many customers have waited longer than six months for their Telkom month-to-month products to be cancelled, despite trying a number of different methods…

The most recent complaints received by MyBroadband include customers who are having difficulties cancelling ADSL, fibre, and LTE packages, with some battling to cancel their products since the beginning of the year.

One LTE subscriber attempted to cancel his product in-store and via email to no avail, and was billed for the extended period which he said Telkom took to process his cancellation.

Another Telkom customer has attempted to cancel his ADSL line for almost a year now, with no success. He continues to receive invoices for his monthly line payments, despite filing for a cancellation in January 2018.

Just the 10 or so months of extra billing there. The chances of ever getting a refund on that front are about zero, so consider it money pissed up against the wall.

At this point, we would be remiss not to remind you of this incredible video from April. When Telkom actually causes you to lose the plot:

They broke her. We can relate.

More tales of woe:

One user complained that he was unable to get Telkom to release his fibre line so that he can move to a different ISP, while another said he has been charged every month for an ADSL line that was never installed to his premises and which he has unsuccessfully attempted to cancel.

In most of these cases, customers have exhausted every option to try and cancel their Telkom product, let alone recoup the costs they incurred since filing for cancellation.

Customers then contact MyBroadband, stating that they have no other avenue to attempt to cancel their product.

By now, you should know not to go near Telkom with a 10-foot pole, and thankfully that’s becoming easier. RSAWEB, South Africa’s premier hosting and connectivity provider, have their own LTE thing going on, and you can sidestep Telkom no problem:

No landline, no Telkom, no public meltdowns.

Many areas of the country have also had fibre installed, which means you can get on that, too. RSAWEB offer a range of pricing options to fit each individual need:

There’s even better news if you’re living in an area covered by Frogfoot’s network, as RSAWEB is giving all new customers in Frogfoot areas their first two months free.

All you need to do is place your order before October 31 to get your first two months free. This awesome deal is on top of all the other freebies and savings that RSAWEB offers – like one hour of free onsite support, a free premium router, 1GB of LTE data each month, free connection and installation and more.

Check out the table below for pricing, and then head over here to find out which areas care covered to claim your two months of fibre for free.

Basically, for the good of your mental wellbeing, stay the hell away from Telkom, and advise your loved ones to do the same. Your folks might think it’s easier to sign up because they still have a landline at home (*laughs in Millennial*), but you’ll be picking up the pieces when they’re faced with the inevitable woeful customer service.

RSAWEB – because you’re worth it.

[source:mybroadband]