Cell C
Reviews and Complaints

Yesterday at 12:45pm I went to the CellC branch at Greenacres in Gqerberha to perform the swap. Upon completion of filling in my details, I was told by the consultant not only that the sim card would be activated after 3 hours but also that I needed to pay a charge of R20 which I paid and but received no slip which I found suspicious.

Where I reside, Grahamstown, has no CellC branch and is 2 hours away from Gqerberha I decided to wait until I returned home at 5pm to insert the sim card. I inserted the sim card however my phone was not detecting the sim card at all so I called customer service only to be told to wait a further 24hrs. The 24hr mark hit today and I called customer service again to be told that I was not supposed to insert the card at all until the 24hr mark.

Why was this information not explicitly stated to me at the branch? Apparently I have to wait 30 days to be able to perform the swap telephonically and I absolutely cannot afford to go down to Gqerberha again.

My request for a business upgrade was lodged on the 9/09/2022. I was informed that the request will be actioned within 24hours. Due to the urgency I called back on monday and still no action was taken in my request. The consultant then asked me to do another mail including a letterhead stipulating my request. Within this 1 week period I have yet to receive a call or an explanation as to why no one has called me. I have had promises made by consultants and team leaders but no success in getting the contract upgraded. The service is experience is horrific and no consideration is given to resolving the problem. Could someone please urgently attend the upgrade of cell no:[protected]. I do not have the time to name shame but am frustrated with the total experience. If the matter is not resolved I will be forced to cancel and take all my companies business to elsewhere.

Cell C Fibre is one of the worst companies to use for Fibre, we had opted for the 1000mbps/200mbps, we had to wait 2 months for them to configure my router since I had fibre installed at my premises already.

We were promised that they will come through to install and show us the correct speed, I must say, that is a very good sale tactic. Hook me in with answering my questions but fail to deliver when the time comes. Terrifically horrible service received from Cell C. Will never recommend them to anyone ever again.

We opted for the Cell C Fibre in the middle of July 2022, We were then told that on the 1st August 2022, they will configure the router and we will have internet access. The 1st of August came and went, we were then told that oh no, there is an issue with Vumatel so we can only get the fibre installed on 1 September 2022.

We had to make peace with the fact that we were going to be charged for 2 months fees but no fibre.

But that is when things went downhill. On the 1st of September, we had to call the whole day for them to configure my router. Once they had configured my router, I went home and did a speed test, to my shock, I was only getting 90mbps and I was paying for 1000mbps, I was furious. I phoned the next day and asked why is my speed so low, so no one was able to help, I eventually got a hold of their supervisor, Senzo, he told me that they were not able to send through a technician until we did a speedtest.

Now at home I dont have a computer so I had no way of conducting a speedtest from the fibre box itself.

When I explained that to them, they promised to call me once I was at home after 18:30 since the CellC fibre support is operational 24 hours a day.

No one phoned, no one sent an email or anything. So the next day I got on the phone again (mind you, I was wasting my work time to sort out Cell C fibre issue because I need to get this fibre sorted so my children can do their homework and so forth) and for the whole day I was busy on the phone with Cell C and their supervisor Senzo. I eventually had to get my own IT to the house for them to come through and have a look for the issues I was experiencing. My IT had run their tests and once they had run their tests, I was told that the router that Cell C had supplied to me because that was the online deal, was not even compatible with my 1000mbps line. I was furious, and the next day I phoned Senzo, the supervisor for the Cell C fibre dept, he then turned around and told me that if I want to reach my 1000mbps I will have to purchase a router on my own that is compatible with my speed because they only supply that specific router.

I was furious, how could they tell me that the next best thing for me to sort this issue was for me to just purchase my own router. I mean im paying for that speed and Cell C is robbing me but hey! they cant do anything about it. its just what they can supply.

When I then wanted to cancel my contract, the lady at the call centre said she would speak to her supervisor and they would get for me a new router and I should wait for a call from her Supervisor, Senzo.

So again I waited patiently for Senzo to call but to no avail, so I decided to waste my time again and call Cell C. I spoke to Senzo about the call I had with the lady in the beginning of the morning, I was then told that oh no thats impossible and that im a liar.

So I decided to leave it for a while because of my children needed the internet to finish their projects and assignments but the speed and service was so dismal that I had enough and decided to cancel.

So I cancelled the contract on 13 September 2022 at 11:04am, I spoke to Busisiwe, I was told that I have to be invoiced for the full month and they want to charge me installation fees because im cancelling before my 24 months but now I ask the question: WHAT INSTALLATION DID YOU DO? I had to go home and look up tutorials to set up my router and then wait for the password and configuration details from Cell C so what installation.

The lady could not answer me (im not surprised at this point though) so I was told that no I will have to wait a full calenders month to cancel but I will be contacted by the cancellation department within 24-48hours.

Its been 48hours and im still waiting. I will not let this go. Cell C better cancel my contract soon before the 25 of September or else I will take this to consumer council and get Cell C itself cancelled.

Cell C is synomonous with no service. I cancelled my contract 6 months ago. Every month they still take money out of my account. The retention / customer service is useless. Every time everyone apologies, acknowledges that they see that the cancellation amount was paid, but nothing gets done.

Promises after promises that team leaders will phone, but nothing happens. The most frustrating company I have ever had the disservice to work with.

Customer service emails are ignored. Call center personnel promise that it will be sorted out, but yet, no confirmation is forth coming. Every time I phone to follow up, no one knows what the delay with the "team in the back" is? Absolute incompetence!

My mom has had a contract with cell c for the last two years and those two years has been a complete nightmare! Every second month at since she has had that contract they phone her for missing payments and cut off her service even tho she has paid every month... Cell c has even gone so far as to saspend her contract only for her to have to pay out of her own pocket for a Sim swap for the mistake that they made! I am so disgusted with cell c I would not recommend them to any1... Every month it's the same story over and over again why can't they update there system instead of harassing pensioners for money that they do not owe them 2 years this has been going on I have logged a complaint on my mother's behalf my mother has complained but nothing has changed. My mother's contract has finally finished and she has canceled it in store and over the phone several times but still the phone calls continue! My mom has stage 4 cancer and they phoning her with threats of black listing! Who the hell am I sepose to contact for this to stop!

As long standing customer of Cell C all that we wanted to do was upgrade our phone, and that's were the nightmare started. we have been fighting this battle since the 23 August 2022. even took to Hello Peter with no resolution, so honestly I don't know why i am writing here cause from some of these replies, one can see that the same people reply on hello Peter, and a whole lot of good it did me.

All we wanted was a upgrade of our choosing, what we got was endless disappointment, lies, and Cell C staff that don't care.

All I wish is that no other loyal Cell C customer go through what i an going through.

I. Mrs A Oelofse, with cellphone nr [protected] wish to report 2 FRAUDULENT CONTRACTS ON MY NAME!

I CANCELLED the RETENTION QUOTATION that was sent to me 11 August 2022. My present router contract on number [protected] will be finished end of October 2022 and I DON'T WANT A RENEWAL. The area we live in has no G5 coverage and virtually no CellC signal. I use a Vodacom prepaid nr. [protected], when we are home and never requested another Cell C number either and Cell C opened another account for that nr.?

MRS A OELOFSE

[protected]

On the 6th of February 2022 I got a debit order from cellc after noticing I went to a cell c store were they checked and found out someone used my identity for opening 2 contracts after I submitted my bank statements ,avidavit and ID . I kept been debited till June and now they stopped. But I still get calls saying my outstanding balance is increasing . I only received case number from [protected]@cellc.co.za. But still nothing has been canceled.

Good day, I have a serious complain with your company(CellC), in April this year I called your customer care to cancel my contract after so many attempts of sending emails which were not responded to. Finally the consultant I spoke to over the phone told me that my contract was cancelled by her during that time on the phone. To my surprise I am now being called by MBD attorneys demanding that I pay CellC the money that I owe them, mind you from July till this day I hardly received any data (500Mb) from CellC yet I have to pay for something which I cancelled.

The contract number is [protected]. Fix your service and stop trying to milk me for nothing because even that network of your has serious issues where I stay hence I cancelled the [censored]en contract.

I was provided and billed for a service i did not ask for. This started in May this year (2022) just before my contract came to an end (in June). After several attempts sending Emails to the customer service and calling the call centre,

no one can confirm why this was given to me suddenly after 2 yrs having this contract. My contract repayments was plus minus R289 monthly. All of a sudden it rose to R1100 monthly for the remainder of the contract. I cannot afford these amounts. Needless to say, my phone service has been suspended and i cannot call the call centre.

I had agreed on data contract with cell-c for the amount of R169.00 a month. I later realised that they are over debiting my Account to the amount of R325.00 a month. I called their call center to correct and even wrote a email but it wasn't corrected. I later decided to reverse all the incorrect debit orders. They later handed my Account to the debt collectors instead of correcting the fault.

I am very unsatisfied with the assistance that I have been getting today, because there wasn't any assistance at all.

My account was handed over last year and I have been making payments, I phoned Cell C customer care but they said they cannot help me because my account has been handed over, I contacted the people to whom my account was handed over to but according to them my account isn't with them anymore.

I have tried to find out today why my outstanding balance is becoming more on the statements that I am receiving from Cell C themselves, but to no avail.

I have been wasting my time trying to contact them.

Cell C advertises a month-to-month deal which allows you to "cancel anytime" and "subscribe month to month with NO cancellation fees". It is referred to as "no lock in".

This was explained to me as such, and I agreed to the deal. I have another contract which is expiring within a few weeks, and I phoned them to hear if I can switch this contract/number to the same deal.

When accepting the contract, the consultant suddenly mentioned "commitment fees" - the advertisement EXPLICITLY states NO FEES. The consultant just said that the terms has changed and there is fees now. I refused to proceed, but I insisted that if they advertise something, they should stick to the advertisement or stop advertising. A week later, and its still being advertised incorrectly on the website.

In light of this I queried my existing contract - and was informed that, although I was never explained the new terms or agreed to their terms or was even informed of the Fees let alone agreed to it - I am responsible to pay R1900 commitment fees.

I have, over the last week, lodged several complaints to their customer service department. I had one call from a guy telling me that he cannot help me with the complaint, and that I should phone them and ask for a manager.

I've cancelled this service two years ago telephonically and via e-mail to the e-mail address they gave me. I got the proof of the cancellation notice. It were debited monthly by Cell C with a debit order that were cancelled from Cell C's side. Apparently I owe Cell C money and are now hand over. I contacted Cell C many times to resolve this and lodge a case with the legal department, but did not hear anything from anyone. When I called again, they told me the case is closed, but there is a company still calling me for the outstanding amount. This is getting ridiculous now and very bad service. If not resolved during the next two weeks I'm going to take further steps, because I can not go on like this.

Someone opened an account using my identity and I've been debited 3 times now.

I filed a fraud claim with Cell C on 1 August and provided all the required supporting documentation. I have been reversing the debits via my bank debit dispute channel.

The only feedback from cell c is a case number, nothing else, and I am still being debited. I called the fraud department (this is already a mission because you can only call the call center and it takes at lease 5 calls to get through to the right department. I tried to enquire if I cancel the account and Bongiwe Mede in Fraud department told I can - but when I phone Accounts department - they say since I won't be able to answer the security questions correctly - so I can't even try this route. I phone Retention department and they say no - can't cancel contract because it's still being investigated. In the mean time - I'm paying the charges of the unpaid debits and the reversal and my credit score is decreasing. The fraud department's manager Mthokozisi Ngobese was supposed to phone me back yesterday,... I'm still waiting

[08/20, 22:46] Pravesh: Dear Magdalena, I am quite disappointed  at the time it has taken to resolve my matter. I have came so many times to resolve the issue.  You said you are on it. Your staff can attest to it. I want this to be resolved as soon as possible.  Can you said me the paid up letter ? 

Regards, 

Mrs I. Singh

[08/21, 22:05] Pravesh: Dear Magdalene,

It will much appreciated if you can send me the paid up letter by the end of the day.

Regards,

Ishara Singh

Why is no one has got back to me.

The store manager , Magdelene Pillay, at your Gateway Store is very nonchalant and she cannot perform her responsibility. She called my husband and I liars and she failed on numerous occasions to resolved my matter at hand. We would like to hold a grievance hearing against her.

I had canceled my cell contract with your guys and we paid up the balance owed to Cell C. We have noticed I am getting numerous emails from CSS SOLUTIONS saying that I owe you a balance. Also they listed me on the credit bureau. I mentioned to Mrs Pillay the urgency of the matter that my family and I are financially emigrating and this is holding us bank.

This is ongoing for months this matter is not resolved. I cannot understand how cell c operates. How Cell c failed

I sent many emails to cell c:

I wrote to Helo Peter, yet no response from Cell C.

Liaising with Mrs Pillay at your Gateway Store is frustrating. She is incompetent.

There's no one in a senior position who I can get hold of to lodge a complaint.

Attempting to contacting your customer services is a waste of time.

It will be much appreciated if my matter can be resolved. The cell c contract number in question is [protected]. My ID [protected], email [protected]@gmail.com and contact no [protected].

Regards,

Mrs I. Singh

I have taken out a Cell C LTE on a month-to-month basis, because we were recently relocated from Gauteng to Durban and was still in the process of settling into a permanent residence on which we then will look at a permanent contract with fibre installation. I called customer care on the 24 August 2022 to cancel my LTE service only to find out that my month to month was now a 24-month contract. How can a contract be forced on a client without my written or verbal consent. Due to this, the lady told me she cannot cancel the contracted as I need to pay R4000.00 + before she can cancel the contract. How can I pay for a service that I did not request and will not use in the future. I do not even have a router from Cell C.

You can send your response to [protected]

I paid my contract in full on 11 December 2021 and switched to prepaid.

I migrated from cell c on 11 January 2022.

I am now being harassed daily by attorneys for an "outstanding amount" but there is no service that I used from cell c since I cancelled my contract on 11 December 2021. I only bought prepaid airtime and data.

This is my first formal complaint that I am lodging as part of the process of taking this to the ombudsman.

5 follow ups to you and still no feedback!

Once again the complete lack of service from CellC's call centre management is astonishing!

I called in yesterday around 4pm to query my Connecta contract and why I cannot make use of my anytime data. The 1st agent advised me that the sim needs to be used in a router and cannot be used in any other device.

I took this contract out months ago and at the time of the sale, the agent (Keegan) confirmed that the sim can be used on ANY device. I have been paying for months for data that I have been unable to use! This is the reason I want to cancel this package. I was then transferred to the cancellations department where the lady told me that she can cancel my contract but there was a fee to be paid. When I was sold this contract, it was sold as a month to month sim only package and Keegan confirmed more than once (as this was a huge concern for me) that I could cancel at anytime with NO PENALTY FEES. It is a sim card only afterall, there is no device attached. She went on to tell me that the T's and C's were changed in February and notification was sent to the affected clients. I RECEIVED NO SUCH NOTIFICATION. She was unable to send me the confirmation of the notification being sent to me and said a manager will do so.

I asked to speak to a manager on duty and was told NO, it is not possible to speak to a manager. PLEASE TELL ME HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO NOT HAVE A MANAGER/SUPERVISOR THAT TAKES CALLS IN A CALL CENTRE? This is not the first time I was refused being transferred to someone senior. After much debate, she advised a manager would call me before EOB the same day, which was confirm to be before 6pm, 17 August 2022. The manager by the name of Dineo Selebi was supposed to call me. I still have not received a phone call, email, sms, pigeon, snail mail, crow...0 ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT ME HAVE BEEN MADE!

This is not the first time I have been told a manager would call me and nothing happened!

1. I was promised that I would get an email from Keegan after we ended the call with all his details and the package...nothing was ever received. So I ultimately do not have the initial contract to view the T's & C's, what I accepted on the call is my binding contract.

2. I never received any notification of updated T's and C's to my contract.

I cannot begin to explain the frustration I am feeling as I am having to send this lengthy email just because I cannot speak to anyone who can help!

Surely this is not treating the customer fairly?

Per YOUR TCF Policy;

- Outcome 3: Customers are given clear information and are kept appropriately informed before, during and after the time of contracting. - Promotion and marketing: Products are marketed to specific target groups, through clear and fair communications that are not misleading and are appropriate to the target group.

- Outcome 5: Customers are provided with products that perform as providers have led them to expect, and the associated service is both of an acceptable standard and what they have been led to expect - Point-of-sale: To provide clear and fair information to enable customers to make informed decisions about transacting with Worldwide Advisory Services (Pty) Ltd, our products and services. Product risks, commitments, limitations and charges must be transparent.

- Outcome 6: Customers do not face unreasonable post-sale barriers to change products, switch providers, submit a claim or make a complaint. - Information after point-of-sale: To provide customers with ongoing relevant information to enable them to monitor whether the product or service continues to meet their needs and expectations, and provide acceptable levels of service for post-sale transactions or enquiries. Complaints and claims handling: To honour representations, assurances and promises that lead to legitimate customer expectations. Legitimate expectations must not be frustrated by unreasonable post-sale barriers. There is a requirement for fair and consistent handling of claims and a mechanism to deal with complaints in a timely and fair manner

I would like the following information;

1. Call recording of the sale on the connecta package.

2. Proof of the communication sent to me for the updates.

3. How are T's & C's updated and I am not given the opportunity to accept or refuse them after I already accepted a specific set of T's and C's. If I have to accept the initial T's and C's upon signing up (as the sale cannot be concluded without acceptance), how can it then be updated without my consent? I did not give consent to be locked into a 24 month contract when I explicitly did not want this and confirmed multiple times on the sale call.

Since end of july 2022 I tired to move one of my contracts to my wife's name (for business reasons), this was done at last on 09 august 2022 after I complained on hello peter.

Thabisile ngcobo (social media department) informed me that all is sorted.

Today my debit order went off still for both contracts, but I only have one contract under my name.

But my wife was not debited for her amount.

Yet again the issue was not sorted out.

Called cell c customer care and they just said they can not help me.

So I will reverse the payment and not pay my account until cell c have fixed this issue.

Why do you even have a customer care department?

I will not pay for poor service again.

Such poor service yet again.

Cell c you are loosing customers with this type of poor service.