MultiChoice Africa / DSTV
reviews and complaints

I am a DSTV Premium subscriber for many years. By the 1st week in Nov 2017 we could not view some of our channels. Error code E48-32 was displayed. By the 2nd week we realised it cannot still be a weather problem. We phoned the call centre help line on 18 Nov 2017. After several attempts they advised us to have our HD decoder tested. We had it tested by RF Technologies and no fault was found with the decoder. We contacted Apro Audio who replaced one of wires leading into the house. Still no working channels. Had the decoder tested again. It is in fine working order. In desperation I then bought an Explora and had it installed by RF Technologies. Still no restoration of the following 21 channels: 103, 104; 105; 106; 110; 115; 144; 147; 161; 194; 200; 201;203; 204; 205; 206; 207; 208; 211; 900; 901. The frequency of these channels are: 1155 4000V & 1154 000H respectively. Johannes (cell no. [protected]) of your so called field team could not assist. All his promises was of no avail. According to him the problem should be sorted out by Icasa. We are not Clients of Icasa! 9 phone calls and 8 emails later our problem is still not resolved. We have given Johannes until 20 Dec to fix the problem and again gave extension to 20 Jan. He does not give ANY feedback and the same with the Helpdesk. On 4 Jan Johannes informed us that Multichoice is willing to refund us our premiums for mid Nov and Dec. Only time will tell whether this was another empty promise. I have also sent an email to Icasa on 14 Dec, but have not received a response yet. Must we lodge a complaint and go on TV with Carte Blanche before you will pay attention? It would appear that as long as I pay my premiums you are happy to receive and under no obligation to deliver service. It also appeared that the help desk attendands read their replies from a text and they cannot assist if the problem is outside of the scope of their text. A Moolman

Good day

Our entire experience with DSTV has been terrible.
We were month to month DSTV premium subscribers with no issues.
We applied for the DSTV pricelock option in October 2017. It then then took almost a month to conclude the application and for the items to be couriered to us. This was due to what they say is a backlog and the consultants taking down our address and telephone numbers incorrectly. Once we received the items we then got an accredited dstv installer to put up the dish and do the installation in the middle of november. Our DSTV has not worked since the installation. We have tried to get the installer, company name SETTRONICS, to come back and and fix the problem but he says he has to charge us now, which is absolutely absurd. We have complained to DSTV call centre and no action has been taken as yet... so in conclusion we are paying for a service for 3 months for nothing.

There are a lot more details which I have not includes in this message as to why this experience is so unpleasant. We feel like we are upholding our end of the arrangement by paying for the monthly pricelock subscription.

If this is not resolved urgently I will take this up with whatever board needs to hear my case.

I await an urgent response and resolution.

Regards

Zain Marais
[protected]

Good day

Further to telecon, please find report below by the company I had to get in to fix the mess and pay separately, i.e. Terrence cannon from hi end audio visual.

Complaint against :
Installer : craig elhers
Company: stargazer installations (copy of invoice attached as proof)
Cell: [protected]
Areas: east london, kei mouth, komga, morgan bay and haga haga.

- lying to me and guests that damage was caused by lightening (had no lightening) - this is how I discovered that it was all bs, chatted to guests and they told me he had used a meter to check electricity and had shown that it was working while telling me it was at 0%
- discovered that he did not follow up on insurance, wanted to charge me (and as per below for a cheaper version) - this happens when you are a woman alone and do not have technical knowledge - really disgusting business practice.
- always stating that he will be back, and not coming back to finish job.
- cell on silent and too busy to respond.
- lied to guests in my holiday cottage - on three different occasions (have whatsapp messaging as proof)
- wanted to get a local guy that works from home to come into my house and fix his mess and then pay him himself, not happy to get just anyone into my home.

I have given craig two opportunities to rectify the situation, an apology for lying and charging for items he did not fit. Have had no response. He dropped off the hd pvr for terrence to install and ran out like a scalded cat - obviously realising that that he had been caught out in a lie.

I feel that this needs to go on some kind of record and that seeing he is representing dstv that this be addressed - in the long run dstv gets a bad name for having representatives misrepresenting them in the marketplace.

Really bad experience and service!

Kind regards
Heidi curtayne
38 donax drive, kei mouth
[protected]

From: terrence cannon
Sent: tuesday, 9 january, 10:16
Subject: report
To: heidi curtayne

Good day heidi
I hope that you are well.
My report from brendan.
To whom it may concern.
Re, mrs h curtayne
The client was charged for a multi switch and a amplifier which was not installed when we went to repair the extra view.
A single view decoder was installed without a working lnb feed and with no diaplexea.
The clients hd pvr was insured with multichoice so it just needed to be taken in and exchanged at multichoice, but instead was replaced with a single view decoder which made the client lose the recording function.
I hope this helps you understand what he did at your house.

Kind regards
Terrence cannon
Cell, [protected]
Tel, [protected]
Hi end audio visual
Where the experience begins
Shop no 3
New colonnade building
Devereux avenue
Vincent
East london
5247

I have the premium compact package for R459.00 p.m in my holiday cottage and the premium package for +- R950.00 p.m at my home.

There ae mainly advertisments for majority of the shows.
Furthermore, there are so many repeats on shows.
Recently the shows with Suzelle is really annoying me as i cannot understand how her shows god to make it on TV - i would rather read a book or spend time in the garden as i find that i am really not getting any value for money from DSTV.

uncapped data with Telkom is R700.00 per month - i would rather spend this money on uncapped data and watch what i want when i want.

we live in a time and place where value for money is everybodies main concern and priority.

Really really diappointed sustomer.

I would like to share my displeasure with DSTV programs especially the compact package.Are you guys tellings that the 365.00 rand we pay is worth nothing but the ridiculously repeated programs you continue to show us across all 3/4 of the channels.How can we watch what we were watching January 2017 in january 2018, e.g for my kids "goldie and bear, sofia the first and mickey mouse all repeats everyday, for adults e.g "Lethal Weapon" and other drab repeated programs i mean really guys, this is so unacceptable...if our money is chump change at least change e programs even if thier are old movies because this repeating of programs a 100 times is absurd.Please change the programs, they totally boring.

Disgruntled Customer

Archie Migeri
Milnerton
Cape Town

Hi

My name is Thulani Mthembu

Please note, my signal are not working, I call that Guy was doing my installation from December 14/12/2017, he said he will come but he- didn't, His Name is Sandile, his cell number is [protected], he keep promising me that is coming until Today, my Family are not watching nothing,

I will appreciate the quick respond.
Thulani Mthembu
My cont: [protected]

On 20 December 2017 I agreed on a promotion deal with a Linda to upgrade from Premium to Explora with Extra view and insurance. She promised to have the Explora and additional equipment for installion delivered to me from Johannesburg to Cape Town via Takealot although I offered to collect it at the Cape Town branch myself, saying its not allowed. She said delivery will take 5 working days.

Untill today no communication from any Dstv staff member as why I have not receive the delivery or when th process will commence. I have made numerous calls to [protected] speaking to agents including Abigaile, Thembi who claimed to be a supervisor but refused to give me her surname, Miriam Heyns who was a manager and Musa who is a supervisor. This is excluding some people did not record the names of.

Every time I was told they will escalate my concern to someone else via e-mail and I will be contacted. The lastbpeeson Musa Dlalisa told me he will get a senior manager to call me back in a few minutes. That was almost an hour ago.
I have been a paying customer for morethan 20 years and are discusted with this level of service delivery. Dstv can run promotions and glorify themselves every few minutes on air but can not deliver or appreciate their client base.
Its time we get another pay per channel provider in South Africa and stop this monopoly.

T Jenkins

i applied for pricelock, it was approved, they asked me to forward supporting documents, and i have done so, and since have not received any feedback regarding this issue, i have sent plenty emails asking for feedback and no response, this is very bad service it has been 3 weeks since application.
i would like someone to assist me regarding this, i cannot wait any longer for my decoder and installation.

Dear sir/madam

I recently purchased an explora and wanted extra view, and the installer gave a ridiculous price, because he did not want to install the extra view due to other customers waiting, that he could charge those ridiculous pricing to. The installer and the supervisor I spoke to could not help me. My questions is: Why is the multi choice call centre there if they can not help customers. I am so furious and disappointed with the service. This is horrible service from a big company. I am not leaving this issue here, if my compliant is not resolved in 48hrs. Companies can not treat customers in this manor.

Regards
Peter-John
[protected]

I spent almost 3 hours on the phone trying to resolve issue with extra view. I spoke to 4 different people. The first consultant eventually got it working . It only lasted for about 20 mins. The second consultant spent about an hour on the phone and eventually made the situation worst which ended with no picture at all and insisted it was a connectivity issue and transferred me to a consultant called Andre. Who firstly was no briefed on the issues I was having and I had to explain. Andre needs to be fired as he has no regard for customer service, no work ethics and zero listening skills. He was rude, unwillingness to listen to the issue and kept insisting I need to get an installer out. I pay R1890 a month for subscriptions for DSTV at my properties and the level of service and incompetence is shocking. The fourth consultant tried to delink and relink extra view but could not clear the issue and said she would need to escalate to the extra view consultants and that they will calll me in an hour. I am still waiting 2.30 hours later

I would like to lodge a complaint about an accredited installer called Kadi from Midrand. I bought a full Dstv installer set. Mr Kadi came to do the installation, as a recommended accredited installer... He found that a dish with an LNB was already installed on my roof. All he did was just to set up the decoder. After installing the decoder he gave me back my dish and fittings but took my LNB, promising he'll bring it back next day. 6months later he hasn't returned my LNB. Your accredited installer is a fraud and a conman. I hope someone from Multichoice will engage him. He is ruining your reputation as a brand. His number is [protected].

In the past Dstv Catch Up gave us a bigger and better variety of films to watch,
now if you miss something you need to connect to the Internet and download/ watch it from there. On the 30th of December 2017 we watch a movie we missed due to a holiday we took (sorry we did not record it as there is something like Catch Up) the data cost us R376.00 for the 1 movie we Catch Up-ed, some live shows does not even cost that much...

I am very disappointed with this whole price lock issue.
We currently on the compact r365.00 package. We smsd the whole 'upgrade' to the number that was provided and an agent called us back and we did an application of which we discussed and agreed that everything from the dish to decoder to the installer needs to be sorted out by multi choice and it was advised to call in as soon as the decoder was delivered to cancel the current option we are on in order not to pay twice. On calling yesterday and speaking to thuso, I asked her to advise me when the installer would come around, she then said I have to call them and make arrangements from there? I advised her that this was not the arrangement and the previous agent had advised they will do it... Now to my dismay I am sitting calling around for an installer who is now telling me that if my current decoder is to old I wont be able to get the extra view that is so being promoted.. So what exactley is the upgrade when I have to fork out at least another r375.00 for the installer to do the extra view and another r300.00 for a newer decoder if my old one cannot be linked and then possibly another r350.00 for cabling? I am fuming at this as nothing of this was advised and someone now is still calling me from the cancellations department in order to give me some sort of useable advise.. The agent I spoke to advised that some of the installers don't want to assist consumers that are taking up the 'pricelock' package and that management is aware of it. Yet nothing is being done to assist the consumer. This is absolute false advertising when you don't advise upfront about these conditions! I am absolutely appalled and disgusted with the way this is being handled. Please have a manager contact me

DStv I'm completely devastated as write. Around mid December 2017 ( between 14th and 20th) I walked to an authorised multichoice agent called RADIO WORKS located in Lira, Uganda and paid Uganda Shillings 115, 000. For DStv Compact subscription, and an acknowledgement receipt was given to me but I misplaced it! Just a few days after I noticed channel 208 was not showing probably, it assumed the behaviour of a soiled DVD struggling to play with scratches! I became concerned and contacted what's App help line. I pretty much explained exact problem but I noticed no change at all, my account was reset but no yields, in fact everything got worse and even other channels kept on disappearing and concurrently I started receiving reminder messages on my screen and mobile phone that my subscription was soon expiring BUT I ignored knowing I had just made my payment for Compact and so the reminder was irrelevant!
Wait, on 30th December 2017 I woke up to a horrible surprise, my account was suspended! I couldn't sit and bare all that pain, so I called multichoice help line immediately and describe the problem! As if I was some kind of a horrible customer, all the call assistants I talked to tried as much as possible to shift the burden on me! They never denied I had made payment, in fact they kept on convincing me that I was mistakenly put on access subscription automatically by the system initially and later on changed to family and guess what, all the excuses one can supply to a fool!
They even frankly told me I could only be put on my compact subscription if I added more money! This didn't last one never went well with me as I immediately took it as I was dealing with a bunch of thieves using DStv name to defraud me!
But I can't sit back and see my money just taken that easily for scrap!
Please respond!

why are you guys recommending cellphone banking as one of your pay ment methods when you can't even update your stuff.on the second of Dec I have paid for the Dec 2017 and Jan 2018 service but you kept on disconnecting me.As if that was not enough, now you charged me double for Nov 2017 simply because you are seeing the double payment that I made intending to pay two months upfront. kindly invest more time training your employees than letting them giving us a horrible service

On the 20th Dec 2017 I bought Dstv explora from HiFi corporation on special for R1699 from R1999. On the box of the decoder there's a yellow and white sticker that serves as a voucher that mentions that the purchase includes free installation that comes with a dish and a smart LNB, and this applies to within 25km radius. Since 21st Dec 2017 I have been trying to get dstv installers to come and install the deal I bought but have been failing. The response i get from some is they no longer do installatios which come with free installation, I've had a response that says I should take the decoder back to where I bought it and buy a cheaper deal. The last disappointing response from dstv agency in alberton-new market shopping center- was they don't do installation on equipment bought from HiFi corporation. On the 28th Dec 2017 called dstv call centre to relay my situation and get help. The consultant took all my details and promised that she's sending my address to the installation department and someone will come and install on the 29th Dec 2017. Since then no one came or called to inform me about when will they come to do the installation. Today on the 2nd of Jan 2018 I called dstv call centre again, by luck the consultant who answered is the one who attended to my call in the past since I started to have a problem with installation. I told her I feel neglected because after my calls no one makes sure that I'm helped or not. She suggested she'll give me the numbers to their installation department, unfortunately not having a pen with me and driving, i asked her to send me all the details via email address to my email address which dstv has and I confirmed to the lady. She said she will send the contact details. I also asked her to take this matter to her superiors to have a solution to this matter since I'm a paying customer who activated his account on the 21st Dec 2017 and already a deduction was made in my bank account for dstv account but don't have the benefits of seeing what I paid for.

To this moment, more than 2 hours latter I have not received an email with contact details to installation department.

I'm going to attach few pictures of the whole period from 20th Dec to 2nd Jan

Good day,
I am very frustrated with account management, and debit order instructions.
From the 14th of August 2017, when I upgrated to the price lock plan, I struggle with this account. I spoke with several people in the accounts department, but still my account is not correctly calculated. I am so disgusted with with accounts department, I cant believe, that price lock is so difficult to caculate.

1 December 2017
JMN Bester ID [protected]
Installer was instructed to remove existing terrestrial MNet and replace with new decoder and dish. My son has his own DSTV installation at my premises, installer decided to remove his dish, install new one with dual LNB and connected new decoder to main TV only via HDMI cable. I am therefore unable to watch MNet in the other 4 points installed, on leaving installer requested R100 for installation. When asked about the other rooms he said it will be at an extra charge as a splitter needs to be installed. Please see request from my son on 2 December 2017 below:

Good morning Kurt can you please go and put everything back it was at my parents place in Dville you were just supposed to replace the mnet decoder and not touch my installation they now asking me to make it work in all the rooms the way it was which you changed pls contact them sort it out and test it before you leave thanks Stuart
To date we have not had any response from Installer Kurt +[protected]

As is common knowledge by now, Tumi Morake has again made insensitive remarks on air. This time it was on the Roasting episode on DSTV where she made extremely heartless and reckless statements regarding people who suffer with Downs Syndrome. I am a proud parent of a 16yr old daughter with DS, and let me tell you, it is not easy. As much as we love our daughter, we have daily challenges and concerns about what the future holds for her. Fot this lady to make these absolutely shocking statements which clearly is discriminatory in nature is unacceptable. This is not the first time she makes inappropriate statements in the public space, and a simple apology no longer cuts it for me. What is DSTV's immediate action against this sadistic woman- we do not need someone of her personality let loose on the public. I await your response with anticipation.

Hi, I am sending a complaint again, I do this almost every three days.
My name is Letta Moganedi (Account no: [protected]), my daughter paid for my DSTV connection on the 3rd of December 2017 with the amount of R285. The payment had an extra R50 for re-connection as a late payment. The account was activated after we phoned to notify them of payment. Unfortunately the amount went to a wrong account, that is why there was a delay. We have been calling every three days after consultants on the phone has informed us that they see it, they just need to transfer it into our account. They reconnect the account but every three days our connection its cut off. We have sent proof of payment to the main email ([protected]@dstv.com) and also to five personal emails of the consultants. This morning we phoned again. On the 23rd I made three calls, two hung up on me as I tried to explain our dilemma. At 18:00 we spoke to one who sounded like they would help us but till now we are still waiting for an email response or are-connection. transfer
We cannot go all the way to their offices. We would like to be reconnected.

Please assist us in this matter.

Thank you

[protected]