# Social Category > The Whistleblower Forum >  Cellphone Ripoffs

## Blurock

Some time ago we had actions and petitions against cellphone companies for the way they were ripping off the public, their customers. In spite of many promises and the Regulator stepping in, I am afraid we are now paying even more than before. They have given an inch, but have taken a back three.

I am now due for an upgrade, but I am not convinced that I should continue with the same service provider. Unfortunately the the alternatives are not very promising as the service of one of the competitors really sucks and the other has been sued for fraud in a number of other countries.

The bullshit advertising with Smart Light, off peak (who uses a phone in the middle of the night?) Prepaid and other combinations is laughable and just confirms how gullible the public is. 

Maybe I should just can my cell phone and go back to the old trusted land line. I do not need to see e-mails on my cell phone, that can wait until I'm at the office and my e-mails can be retrieved via 3G on my laptop when I'm travelling. I don't respond to SMS's, so there. Please leave a message with my secretary when I'm out. I'll return your call when I'm back in the office. :Cool:

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## tec0

old trusted land line  :Slap:  

 :No:  Sorry but there is no such thing anymore. 

I normally buy a phone on my club account that way I can pay it off without having a contract and they have nice phones. So go prepaid dump the contract dump the network you are with. I really recommend it...

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## ians

Trusted land line, in this country, telkom has introduced a 3 G system, and they even throw in a 3 G attachement for their modems, to try keep their lines up and running. 

Unfortunatley companies have realised that here in SA, there is such a thing called the CPA, which works for certain aspects of customer protection, but not all.

When it comes water, electricity, cellphones, land line services, coca cola, etc to mention a few. These companies which deal with these products literally print thier own money and no one controls them.

I scrapped my contract with virgin mobile (thought i was getting such a great deal) and went back to Mtn pre paid for my bussiness, i buy R180 airtime ever month, just to make calls to important customers who i need to contact, i use wattsapp for most commmunication with customers and staff, send pics and text for a small fee, email invoices and other stuff when i am at the office.

With virgin mobile, i lost my number for 3 months while they tried to port my bussiness line, thats when i changed back to mtn pre paid. virgin mobile then didnt take the debt orde roff my account for 11 months, due to some glitch in their accounting system, then bam 1 january took the whole lot, o know you gona say you should have kept the money one side, but it was the 1 st of january and without warning, and after i had been in contact with the accounts department trying to make arrangement to pay them via eft, they took the money lucky their was enough funds. then at the end of the contract i didnt give them one months notice when the contract was completed, this was before the new law kicked in, one of the good things about the new CPA. I am still blacklisted for the R200 i refuse to pay, whenever i ask tham to take me to court so we can sort it out they dont bother getting back to me, they just leave me blacklisted. I have sent them a an invoice for time and lost revenue while my phone number was unoperational for the 3 months, plus lost renue due to customer not being able to contact me for a measly R1200, contacted wendy knowler and had the whole issued aired on east coast radio in a consumer watch program, but still to this day never recovered anything money and still blacklisted for R200. I didnt want to go on east coast radio, so wendy knowler used some else who had the same problem to speak on air, he got R500 free airtime from virgin or so they said.

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## Blurock

> old trusted land line  
> 
>  Sorry but there is no such thing anymore.


The land line at my office has worked perfectly for the last 20 years+ and I have never had any problems. I know exactly what the rate per second is and I get a detailed statement with all my calls every month.My calls after 7 pm are FREE and also on weekends starting Saturday afternoon. My ADSL line has worked uninterrupted for at least the last 12 years. I think the negative publicity that Telkom is getting is unfair in view of the $#!t service we are getting from cellphone companies.




> I scrapped my contract with virgin mobile (thought i was getting such a great deal) and went back to Mtn pre paid for my bussiness, i buy R180 airtime ever month, just to make calls to important customers who i need to contact, i use wattsapp for most commmunication with customers and staff, send pics and text for a small fee, email invoices and other stuff when i am at the office.


When buying prepaid you pay at least 30% more per minute than on a contract and you still deal with a cell phone company. 

I still want to explore the possibility of buying prepaid airtime from FNB as it appears that they are cheaper than the cell companies. AND they give you free data (*terms apply).

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## Blurock

Why do we as consumers accept to be ripped off like this?

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/cellul...-compared.html

Why does Cosatu allow this? They have been very vocal about toll fees etc. but have never made the faintest noise about excessive cell phone charges. Is it because they also benefit in some way? :Confused:

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## ians

Could it have something to do with the small fee/chareges paid to the goverment which allow them these rates.

I must agree with you about telkom, they are not the worse, in fact i found going to the sanlam centre customer service centre on a saturday afternoon is a pleasure, no que, quick service, they link up your adsl modern and run it if required, set everything up for you, the works, there is a white guy who works there, knows his stuff and very helpful. best service i have had from telkom. I wont bore you with the details of the crap service at the pavilion service centre.

I do realise i am still paying mtn, but at least with pre paid, i control my useage am not locked into a cotnract, when i had a contract, my account would run into the thousands, just too easy. 


In fact i want to change everything to pre paid, water, electricity, you name it. pay a little more but i dont get stuck with reconnect fees when i have tight months in the bussiness and pay a little late. I will also watch my useage and control it better, people just get carried away when you get bills sent each month. They should reduce the pre paid rates for many reasons, one being they get their money even before you get the service and they dont have to employ companies like the one mentioned about TV licenses to harrass people unlawfully, after 10 years.

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## Citizen X

> old trusted land line  
> 
>  Sorry but there is no such thing anymore. 
> 
> I normally buy a phone on my club account that way I can pay it off without having a contract and they have nice phones. So go prepaid dump the contract dump the network you are with. I really recommend it...


It a simple case of post purchase dissonance. Marketeing at it's best. You buy what is marketed as the best possible phone today. In 3 months time various adverts show you that your phone is no longer the best phone. You feel compelled to act on these adverts and buy a new phone. The phone itself seems to me to be made to last only 2 years to coincide with your new contract. I just need to make a call and send a sms. I prefer a desktop for internet and email. A big deal was made about posture and eyesight been affected with your typical desktop in the early 90's how much so is this with your cellphone. It's nice but not for me, thank you all you marketers out there.

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## Justloadit

> Trusted land line, in this country, telkom has introduced a 3 G system, and they even throw in a 3 G attachement for their modems, to try keep their lines up and running. 
> 
> Unfortunatley companies have realised that here in SA, there is such a thing called the CPA, which works for certain aspects of customer protection, but not all.
> 
> When it comes water, electricity, cellphones, land line services, coca cola, etc to mention a few. These companies which deal with these products literally print thier own money and no one controls them.
> 
> I scrapped my contract with virgin mobile (thought i was getting such a great deal) and went back to Mtn pre paid for my bussiness, i buy R180 airtime ever month, just to make calls to important customers who i need to contact, i use wattsapp for most commmunication with customers and staff, send pics and text for a small fee, email invoices and other stuff when i am at the office.
> 
> With virgin mobile, i lost my number for 3 months while they tried to port my bussiness line, thats when i changed back to mtn pre paid. virgin mobile then didnt take the debt orde roff my account for 11 months, due to some glitch in their accounting system, then bam 1 january took the whole lot, o know you gona say you should have kept the money one side, but it was the 1 st of january and without warning, and after i had been in contact with the accounts department trying to make arrangement to pay them via eft, they took the money lucky their was enough funds. then at the end of the contract i didnt give them one months notice when the contract was completed, this was before the new law kicked in, one of the good things about the new CPA. I am still blacklisted for the R200 i refuse to pay, whenever i ask tham to take me to court so we can sort it out they dont bother getting back to me, they just leave me blacklisted. I have sent them a an invoice for time and lost revenue while my phone number was unoperational for the 3 months, plus lost renue due to customer not being able to contact me for a measly R1200, contacted wendy knowler and had the whole issued aired on east coast radio in a consumer watch program, but still to this day never recovered anything money and still blacklisted for R200. I didnt want to go on east coast radio, so wendy knowler used some else who had the same problem to speak on air, he got R500 free airtime from virgin or so they said.


Hi Ian,

I am sure you can blacklist Virgin for non payment of your invoice?
Get an attorney to send a letter of demand, stating non payment will entitle you to black list them.


P.S. The supposedly R500 from Virgin, is a load of crap, you still have to have the Virgin number in order to use the voucher, like the initial experience from Virgin was not hell enough!

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