MultiChoice Africa / DSTV
Reviews and Complaints

I was notified by Multichoice 6 months ago that I had a credit on my account of R487.63. I moved to the UK 5 years ago and closed this account in June 2009. I have been sending numerous e-mails regarding getting this refund paid into my local South African ABSA which has been active since 1986 & is still used for local insurance, rent deposits for my property in Cape Town etc. Every time I enquire about the refund I'm told by a different person every time that either ABSA is not a South African bank ? or my account is not a South African account. I think there is some sort of fiddle going on here and my money may have routed to someones back pocket.

My account number was [protected]

Hopefully you can assist in this matter.

Regards
Mervyn Ferguson

Even after payment my monthly subscription, my service has been suspended. I was told that I owe R171 for not notifying them that I will be activating my account. Multichoice keeps ripping me off all the time. There's always additional costs that no one can explain! making money out of us! Multichoice must have serious competition soon! YOU ARE THE WORST! AND YOU ARE A RIP OFF! I am a very unhappy customer. I am one of your loyal customers who always pays on time! and this is what i get! service suspended after payment my monthly subscription plus the R177 that no one can explain. Call centre is useless as they make you hold for longer than 20minutes only to waste your time again

My dstv account has been suspended four days after I made payment. Multichoice does not allow eft consumers the same coutersy as debit order cutomers the standard 48hrs for payment to reflect after a public holiday starting from the first working day after such a public holiday. The furthermore insue a R50 reconnection fee for suspending my subscribtion four days after its been paid. Have given them the refference no of the transaction that the account has been paid but my subscribtion is still suspended and the penalty fee is still being claimed by them. They treat customers who chooses doing eft payments in a discriminating fashion. Debit order customers are allowed to have two day starting from the first working day for payment to reflect on the system where eft customers is being suspended within twelve to twenty four hours. This is unfair bussiness practice and corrupt. When you contact them they put you on holr for prolonged period untill all airtime has ran out and refuse to call a customer back. All consumers should have their basic constitutional right to be treated fair and equal and it seems dstv has no care for their subscribers opting to pay via the internet

In April I went to Multi Choice in Pietermaritzburg to change the channels I was using fromR295 to R185.00. I did pay the penalties. I was told to R185.00 end of May 2014. I receive a message starting that I must pay R128.00 on the 31 May 2014. I did pay R150.00 on the 31 May 2014. On Monday the 2nd of June 2014 my dstv was suspended I sent the email with proof of payment at [protected]@multichoice.co.za and On Tuesday the 3rd June 2014 I phone Multichoice in Durban the consultant as k for the case no: 510170 and she active it. On wednesday the dstv was suspended and had an envelop for me to pay R172 .00 . That means I must R150.00 plus R172.00 that is R322.00 for what?. My dstv still suspended while my R150.00 has been paid in time. What if June finish I will pay the other amount which my R150.00 i never use.

Hi,

For the past year we have been trying to sort out our viewing on our DSTV...

Since the extra channels that were added last year most of our channels do not working, we have been complaining for a year now and nothing has been done...
DSTV charges us a prorate for connection of my DSTV again but you don’t pay me the prorate for a the year that i cannot view the channels i paid for...
DSTV advertised that when the extra channels, changing of channels etc that we (the consumer) does not have to do a thing They (Mutlichoice) will do all the work for us (FALSE ADVERTISING) since then we have been doing all the work taking our decoder in, phoning for installers, phoning DSTV for help...
Over the year we have wasted our time and money and now we have had it, we now are seeking legal advice...

Last week I was told about 3 times that a supervisor will contact us back and we still waiting, the service is pathetic, their staff are unmannered and unprofessional and not at all educated to work in a call centre...

I personally think with all the money they make the least you can do is send you staff for proper training...

I have made payment an electronic payment to Multichoice on the 20/10/13 of R274.66 and my services were scrambled on the reason that the payment is not reflecting, and they asked for proof of that transaction which I provided including a Bank statement reflecting that transaction.but they are still scrambling my service regardless of all numerous e-mails and calls I have made to them regarding this.can somebody somewhere please help us with this cause it seems this is done on purpose to string people along for so we can keep calling them and they're making money of those calls.

This is the second month that I have paid multichoise my subscription and they have suspended my viewing! Every time it is an issue to get this matter resolved. I call them to confirm the amount that I have to pay, I do the eft, and then I call to confirm payment was received. I was even told that I am currently in a credit balance this month, but yet, when I woke up this morning, my viewing was suspended, and when I called, I got a recording that informed me it is due to non-payment! These people are pathetic - I have only had problems with them on my account since december 2012 that has caused me to logg 5 hello peter complaints against them in about 14 months. And every month it is the same problem! I want a upper manager or director to get in touch with me to explain what the hell is going on their side, because their normal "customer care consultants" or what ever the hell they want to call them self's does not know what they are talking about!

I didnt authorise a debit order on my account from multichoice as we pay it cash at the pick and pay. Multichoice has now gone and deducted it from our account. .I dont understand how as it isnt legal to deduct someones account without their permission. I want the money deducted fully refunded into my acc and mutlichoice to stop this illegal debit order.

I had my walka stolen and after contacting the call centre was advised to call the DCC number, upon calling this number an automated system indicated the hours are Mon - Fri until 17h00, logged a query on the website and for 72 hours no response, logged another web query and received a call from Multichoice advising they will suspend the service to the stolen item, and DCC will contact me, to date nothing, sent another web query what I need to do and received an e-mail stating that I need to obtain a case number and take this to the walk in centre, did all of this only to be told it has to be done within 7 days, I then advised that it was reported to DSTV within said period and I only received an e-mail advising what I needed to do, this to no avail, I then asked Thuli where on the reply mail does it stated that I needed to obtain the number within 7 days and I was told well the person dealing with this in JHB is not available and that the service to the unit was never suspended as per the mail and asked if my e-mail is still the same yet I have changed it thrice, clearly shows what DSTV really think of their clients if their systems doesn't even update certain info or web queries.

Good day

I am a very angry client, I called your contact centre on the 23rd June to change my banking details on my debit order and the lady(Lufono) I spoke to advised that it was too late for the debit to go through on Tuesday but what she can do is do a double debit on the 25th July for July and August. I even asked her if she was sure and she said yes and since your calls are recorded you can listen to the call. To my surprise I woke and my account was suspended I immediately called your contact centre on [protected] and spoke this other lady who said the was no way that they could double debit on the 25th and that I had to do a manual transaction and I told but I spoke to someone from your side who said it was possible and that my account wouldn't be suspended. After been put on hold and speaking to this lady for 40mins I asked to speak her supervisor and her was Lebo and also said that I had to pay the was no way they would reconnect me and double debit on the 25th but she would only reconnect me for 3days but I had to make a payment. But what makes me more angry is the fact that I'm suffering because you hired incompetent people who give clients false information. If Lufuno had explained to me on the 23rd to make a manual payment I would have but because I got mislead I was now suffering with a suspended account was talking to people who felt like were doing me a favour forgetting that I'm a customer who was wronged who was using his own money to contact them . The line got disconnected while I was speaking to Lebo. I called again and spoke to a supervisor by the name of Lerato who this time it was not even possible for them to reconnect me for the 3days without a payment like Lebo had said. Why do you have people who mislead clients and keep on changing stories cause I don't know what to believe. I then make a payment and the is no HD channels, I can't rewind and I can't view my recorded shows.

I will not rest until something is done, during this time no one even bothered to apologise.

I'm so frustrated by your poor service. You treat clients like rubbish. I am so angry. I spent hours on the phone with your people and nothing was resolved. I still have to pay R50 reconnecting fees and my cellphone bill. This is unacceptable.

I want all those people to be dealt with.

Please contact me on [protected]/[protected]

I will be awaiting your response and call.

Regards
Delson Ngobeni

I am disgusted by the service received from Multichoice. Despite paying all my premiums each month, I have been told that I owe them R690 because some other customer paid into my account, which was reversed. However, for that month I paid.
I have also paid all reconnection fees as well. If this was really a mistake on my part, I accept that. However, in this case it is not.

Having been a Customer Relations Manager and experienced in providing satisfactory customer service, let me enlighten you.

Treating Customers Fairly entails that:
1) Consumers can be confident that they are dealing with firms where the fair treatment of customers is central to the Corporate culture
2) Consumers are provided with clear information and kept appropriately informed before during and after the point of sale
3) Consumers are provided with products that perform as firms have led them to expect, and associated service is of an acceptable standard and as they have been led to expect
4) Consumers do not face unreasonable post-sale barriers imposed by firms to change product, switch provider, submit a claim or make a complaint.

Has Multichoice and the representatives of Multichoice kept to this?

So let me do the ground work for you on Root Cause Analysis. Error vs Apology vs Resolution
Error: is that of Multichoice
Apology: Have I receive one? Certainly not
Resolution: How are you going to fix this ?

And a Multichoice representative has the audacity to call us and tell us we are going to get blacklisted... You have another thing coming. This has caused me Material Distress, Material Inconvenience, Potential Financial Loss. How do you think the press and ombudsman will deal with this case knowing that Multichoice is breach of their contract?

I want this sorted out NOW and my account to be reconnected with no fee payable on my end. I want a formal apology and want this to be escalated to the Complaints Department/CEO/Head of Servicing

An email, posted between me and a consultant at multi-choice:
Phumlani

That still does not give the right to rudely hang up as you did, or is our municipality not a valuable client. When you realised I was busy, you could have had the courtesy to say can I call back... Your dis-ability to speak well with clients demonstrates the lack of training multi choice has provided in dealing with customers. I further wish to be assisted by someone else from your institutions as I have no desire to ever work with you...

Regards
Kedibone sentle
Communications officer

— original message —
From: phumlani radebe [mailto:phumlani. [protected]@multichoice.co. Za]
Sent: 09 may 2013 03:48 pm
To: kedibone s
Subject: re: emailing: maluti-[protected]

Hi kedibone,

I find it extremely rude when one calls you put them on hold for long let alone their had the courtesy to call you.

The least thing that you could have done was to tell me you call me back while you carry on with what with you were doing.

I have other customers to attend, time it is very important in any business. We can only liaise with clients who are willing to be assisted.

Kind regards,

Phumlani radebe
Specialist collections
Finance

T+[protected]

— original message —
From: kedibone s [mailto:[protected]@map. Fs.gov. Za]
Sent: thursday, may 09, 2013 3:53 pm
To: phumlani radebe
Subject: re: emailing: maluti-[protected]

Hi phumlani

You hung up before we could talk and the next thing you disconnect our dstv, I really don't appreciate it. And as per our last telephonic conversation, I requested for you to send the invoice, the invoice has been submitted to our supply chain for payments but the manner in which you just cut me off like that before we even speak because I asked you to hold and next thing you hung up on me. I really as a client did not appreciate how you dealt with me.

Kedibone sentle

— original message —
From: phumlani radebe [mailto:phumlani. [protected]@multichoice.co. Za]
Sent: 24 april 2013 02:59 pm
To: [protected]@map. Fs.gov. Za
Subject: emailing: maluti-[protected]

Your message is ready to be sent with the following file or link
Attachments:

Maluti-[protected]

Note: to protect against computer viruses, e-mail programs may prevent sending or receiving certain types of file attachments. Check your e-mail security settings to determine how attachments are handled.

This electronic communication and the attached file (S) are subject to a disclaimer which can be viewed at http://www.multichoice.co.za/multichoice/view/multichoice/en/page21855.
If you are unable to view the disclaimer, please email [protected]@multichoice.co. Za for a copy.

This electronic communication and the attached file (S) are subject to a disclaimer which can be viewed at http://www.multichoice.co.za/multichoice/view/multichoice/en/page21855.
If you are unable to view the disclaimer, please email [protected]@multichoice.co. Za for a copy.

Dear Tossers
On Tuesday (4/12) night around 22:00 I noticed that my DSTV service was scrambled and I had an error 107-4. I then wasted more than an hour of my time trying to get through to your call centre. Silly me, I should have known better as all I achieved was to spend an hour on hold wasting my time and airtime until the centre eventually closed. The next morning, I tried again and eventually got through to an actual human, after again getting cut off a few times.
The operator eventually discovered that on Tuesday at 14:30 my HD PVR 4 tuner decoder had been marked as faulty and swapped for a reconditioned unit. This unit was now linked to my smart card. However, my decoder was still in my lounge, with my smart card in it. The operator informed me that she could not fix it, but someone would call me to fix the problem. They did indeed call yesterday, assured me that it was sorted out, however when I got home it was still the same. So, back to the call centre, where we found that the card was still linked to the wrong decoder, and again the operator was unable to fix it.
It is now 48 hours later, nothing has been done by Multichoice and I am still without service. I have wasted hours on hold and getting cut off by the call centre. I have had enough of this lot. I demand:
1) That Multichoice fix my account ASAP.
2) I want them to recompense me for my COSTS: airtime, my time and loss of service.
Enough!

Dear DSTV

One of your accredited installers came to install our dstv connection but it seems there was a huge misunderstanding on their part. The fellows who work for Chris (owner) returned to correct their mistake after the initial installation, but were very unprofessional and said we were liars and stormed off ranting and raving.
We a bit stuck as we have emailed/called and have gone to their "offices" without much luck, Chris refuses to assist us in anyway and I feel we've been treated like second rate citizens.They still have not come to rectify their mistake not to mention his employed thieves who tried to steal our cable connectors.
We were willing to pay for the added extras but at this point I feel ACTIVE TV & AERIAL should come and correct their mistake without a single charge.

ACTIVE TV &AERIAL
Phone: [protected]
Cell: [protected]
Physical Address:
Aster Rd, Cyrildene, Sandton, 2198

I doubt DSTV wants to be affiliated with thieves or unprofessionalism.
Please help.

I've been a Multichoice customer for 3 years, and for a company who's been around for 25+ years to make such customer service blunders is beyond me.
My monthly service fee was due on Sunday the 28th of October. On Monday the 29th of October I made my full service fee payment using 1 of the payment methods noted on their website. I enjoyed my full premium subscription with extra view and HD (a whopping R655 pm) for the whole of Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday morning I'm informed via their call centre that my account has been suspended and I need to pay a R50 reconnection fee! They've suspended my account 2 days after it had been settled in full? On questioning this, I'm instructed that it is because I didn't make payment by Sunday.
Even if I ignore the fact that they don't accept debit orders from my bank, even if I ignore my personal beliefs that one shall not to do any work or financial transactions on the day of the Lord, even if I ignore the fact that I've been a loyal customer for 3years, even if I ignore the Consumer protection act that protects consumers of unjust charges, their actions still scream a lack of social responsibility, this from a provider "who cares"

To whom it may concern. 31/7/2012
It was with shock and dismay the I was informed that Multichoise has been debiting Mr L Janse van Vuuren bank account for my ( Mrs A.M.E.Smit) DSTV Smartcard nr [protected] account.. He has been in Sidney, Australia for the last 4 years. He did not think it necessary to access his account in the Cape as he knew that his accounts were in order.
Although he had given my the DSTV decoder, which I have not been using as it has not been connected to a dish. I only registered it on my name until further notice. I on the other hand never received any accounts and did not expect any because I had not yet activated my account with Multichoise.
Please be so kind to rectify this problem as soon as possible, by refunding Mr L j v Vuuren his money .

I wasnot home for a few days and I forgot to send someone to absa to pay my dstv fees for july. Yesterday I phoned them and asked them to give me an extention until monday for banks to open. They told me the can't help me because I owe such a huge! Amount. I owe only the fees for july 2012. They are really not interested to help anyone with a problem. They probably won't even comment on my problem because they are unhelpful. But they show programs over and over and over and we must just keep quiet or they suspend you account

My elderly parents decided to install a XtraView decoder.Bought the box and installation done. Then called the USELESS call centre to setup, on hold for 40 min (no luck). Then decided to rather drive to Multichoice, only to find out the closest office is 35km away. Arrives at the office with a que lined up outside and issued a #324. After standing in this que for more than an hour they had to give up as they could not stand anymore (SHAME ON YOU MULTICHOICE). I then go to their home and call the call centre, 54 min on hold, finally get an answer, a further hour on my cell to setup the XtraView. Great now it works and my dad gets call from Mutichoice the next day asking if all is fine, great. Now 2 weeks later they receive a statement for 2 premium subscriptions, call the call centre and told they don't have a record of a XtraView setup (USELESS). Now we have to start the process again. Totally disgusted with the worthless and incompetence of Multichoice, can not wait for a decent alternative to this useless bunch of heartless exploiters. Sure I will receive a e-mail excuse as usual, anyway if Multichoice want to call with their story my # is [protected]

I paid my account at Shoprite but still got disconnected, that is very inconvenient. Why then say we can pay there if their system does not update on Multichoice' s side. Now I cannot watch. Why do I have to call in and waste money. Yesterday I proactively tried to let the call centre know that I paid to avoid this. I was given an estimated time of 32 minutes and 40 minutes later I was still holding. Now this is poor customer services. If I am a valued customer then I should be given an option to leave details so that I can be called back. Now I wasted time on the line. At the same time I am inconvenienced. Multichoice sought yourself out.

In Dec 2011 I bought a Walka at a DSTV regional office as it was advertised that as a premium subscriber my mobile subsciption would be for free, I enqired that should I want a second Walka would this also be covered by my subscription and they answered yes. I bought a second Walka and innitially it was for free bur in Aprill I was billed for a Modile Subscription and on Enquirery at DSTV it was said to me all about T's & C's and the fact that I had it for free for 4 months was a technical error (4 Months? ) I've been a subscriber scince 1996 and am seriously considdering going to another provider (DSTV currently runs a Monopoly and think they can do as they please) can someone help me