MultiChoice Africa / DSTV
reviews and complaints

So I'm a new customer of dstv and I bought my first single view decoder at game but then realised that I need one for my kids room, a consultant then advise that we need to buy a mother decoder and call the installer for a quote which we did. I paid the fee so we can have that decoder up and running. However since I have it it don't play. We contacted the call centre and was told everything is fine by them and can even see that we paid the acc and extra view we were then told to ask the installer to come check there work which we did and they said everything good to go I call the call centre again and they kept on saying everything is right on there end even went through the settings with my husband via the phone. The consultant then send signal then it pay for a few second and go away again. Then it say no signal from the primary decoder. I need to understand what I am paying for as until today no one have the solution I paid for nothing. I need this fixed I have no idea what I should do I spend so much money to enjoy dstv

I have sent approximately 20 emails, phoned atleast 15 times.

I made a payment arrangement on my account, which was accepted.
My DSTV keeps getting disconnected for a day then I have to call in and explain my story to 11 different agents before something gets done.

Please see below communication.

I would like the DSTV re-connected as soon as possible

ENQUIRY REFERENCE NUMBER : 1063725
Dear Dstv Customer

I trust this email finds you well. Please note that as you had requested, a 2-month payment arrangement was loaded on your account to settle the overdue amount of R1717.21 over 2 months.

However, the overdue amount does not include the pro-rata amount of R588.00 billed when you were reconnected on the 18th June 2019 to allow you viewing on the Explora until the 1st July 2019. This means that you may either pay the R588.00 immediately, or it will be debited on the 2nd July 2019 along with your monthly subscription as well as the R858.61 (Your 1st payment arrangement installment).

Kind regards,
Price Lock Team
On Thu, 13 Jun at 10:10 AM, Lindi Jayne-Matfiled wrote:
I cannot believe how incompetent and ridiculous this has become, it is now a joke.

Please can you advise as to WHY, YET AGAIN OUR DSTV IS OFF!

I have done everything is was told to do.

I have made arrangements with price lock.
And you keep reconnecting and disconnecting. The DSTV is on for 1 day and then it is disconnected.

I want this sorted out NOW,

This is now beyond ridiculous!

FJ MATFIELD
[protected]

From: Dstvhelp [mailto:help@dstv.com]
Sent: 12 June 2019 01:07 PM
To: Lindi Jayne-Matfield
Subject: Re: [EXTERNAL] [protected]

ENQUIRY REFERENCE NUMBER : 1063725
Dear FJ Matfield,

Thank you for your email.

It is a pleasure for me to assist you.

As per our conversation dated the 12.06.2019. Please accept our apology for the inconvenience caused.

I have reconnected the services on our System.

Please contact the 011 293 3000 or email pmtarrangement@multichoice.co.za.

Thank you for your valued and continued support.

Kind regards,
Nomthandazo Khumalo
On Wed, 12 Jun at 8:11 AM, Lindi Jayne-Matfiled wrote:
Good Morning

Yet again, another disappointment from DSTV, I have already laid a complaint via Hello Peter.

I contacted you on Monday regarding our DSTV account

Our Dstv was disconnected, I called on Friday to make payment arrangements and was advised that if I pay R1000 we could be reconnected.
On Sunday I spoke to 7 different agents who all had something different to say, I was even advised to email the proof of payment directly to an agent (nadipha.mbandlwa@multichoice.co.za)

I was promised by 2 agents that they would call me back and I am still waiting for that call.

After many emails, over R150 airtime on Monday our DSTV was reconnected.

Last night when I got home, the DSTV was disconnected, again I contacted the call centre and was promised that they would call me back and I am still waiting.

The service is absolutely DISGUSTING! That I have to speak to 9 agents in total and nobody knows what they are doing.

Irregardless of what my account looks like and cannot believe the lack of service, knowledge and respect that your agents give to your customers.

I paid R1000 as confirmed by YOUR AGENT, I have made a verbal PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT as per our conversation. I want the DSTV reconnected.

Regards

FJ Matfield
[protected]

I called dstv enquiring about a box office movie I was entitled to. I was told to call in when I wanted the movie.
The call center agents advised their manager s were not available and dropped the call on me twice. How does DSTV DROP A CALL ON PAYING CLIENT WITH EXOLORA AND HD DECODER!
Imahine somebody dropping the call in you and you pay them so much money. Dstv is a joke.

So I have been calling dstv with queries for about 6 months now. My service would be cut and I had no idea why? I was told on numerous occasions they would escalate my query. Eventually someone told me my payment date is on the 13th of the month therefore my services were cut. I asked please move it to the 25th as I dont know anyone who gets paid on the 13th and I would not be able to pay anytime before the 25th. Low and behold they cut it again after the 13th, after many calls and being promised this would be fixed. I called again, and was told I would have to pay the reconnection fee even after I made sure to change the date!? I have sent emails, no response, no follow up phone call? Nothing?! I am appalled by the lack of customer service and quite frankly believe you people just sit in your office taking money and is incapable of doing your jobs. I spend more time talking on the phone to you people than I do to my own family.

Customer number: [protected]. I took out pricelock plan in May 2017. It was supposed to conclude in May 2019. I called on 20th May and received an explanation and then subsequently was sent an e-mail - "As per our telephone conversation, you still have 11 installment remaining excluding one to go off on the 02-06-2019, as from when contract started in May 2017 you have only been billed for the services and not the device. We only started billing for the device May 2018. I've attached settlement letter to pay off remaining installment of the decoder" .
I paid the settlement amount on the 25th May and sent proof of payment on the 27th May to the e-mail Creditdocuments@multichoice.co.za with ‘Settlement of Decoder Payment Plan' and your customer number or ID number in the subject line. I have since been charged the pricelock plan amount of R959 and it still shows amount outstanding of R104.10! There should be no outstanding amount and I should be on the normal premium package of R899. I have called twice and they say they are escalating the query and someone will call me back. I'm still waiting and the problem isn't being resolved. Not sure how to proceed. Regards Belinda Smit

I have been trying to reconnect my DStv holiday view since 31st May 2019 without success. I have used the internet self service every day up to now with the same messages which read : Oops! We have a problem. I have used the DStv cellphone App with the same message which reads : Oops! Something went wrong. I went to the local call centre : they too were also unable to solve the problem and reconnect. Please!

I contacted multichoice regarding changing of deduction date via, that was last month and I specifically told them to deduct on the 15th of May which they decided to go into my account and and deduct R119 (not what it is for) and not the the amount for the subscription. Now the service was suspended due to non payment and I was called on Monday (03/06/19) night to make a or have them deduct from my account at that time which I find absurd because the arrangement was 15 may period. Now I have to ran around as I was at fault here, I feel that I have been treated unfairly in this regard. I wrote an email yesterday(04/06/19) to dstv help that my hands are tired, they might as well deduct next week Friday the 14th, which I doubt they will since they failed the first time, I'm really not happy how the issue has been handled. I now want to get out of the pricelock contract it's beginning to work on my nerves and I have alot on plate to be thinking of unpaid subscriptions where there is a payment plan in place.

My DSTV was disconnected after a debit order went through. When I call in they tell me there is amount due of R145 I ask the lady for what she has no answers and says she is a trainee and will get someone to attend to me. The other person who comes to the phone tells me that I owe R117 and there is nothing they can do I must wait for 48 hours. I asked to speak to a supervisor then the agent I was speaking to Keshia Prinsloo made me hold for more than 15 minutes. And she hanged up on me. I called in again and spoke to Bongani who then called a supervisor by the name of Nombulelo or Bulelwa if I recall the name correctly. She tells me about a debit order that was reversed in February which is totally not true.
I feel totally abused by DSTV for disconnecting my subscription for no valid reason. There is no way DSTV will continue without disconnecting a subscription from February and only disconnect in May after debit orders have been going off successfully. I will go to the bank tomorrow i will send through my statements from February to date. DSTV will pay for those as well as the airtime I used to speak to you for more than 45min with no resolution. This is total incompetence.. 😠😠😠😡😡😡

I have submitted my complaint to National Consumer Commission since your agent and team leader could not help me. l wanted my services downgraded from premium to compact as of 01/06/2019 as l cannot afford the premium package, they tell me l cant do that, they can only downgrade next month, so l ask, who will pay for this month since l cant afford, then she tells me l will be in arrears. Here is a thought, that is why l am phoning to down grade since l cant afford premium. Your internal processes cannot be my problem.
ID [protected], Virginia Crowder.

Why does DSTV repeat the same advert (Price Lock for DSTV) twice at every break of a show on Comedy Central? The same advert gets aired at every single break and twice during that short ad break. This makes no sense besides frustrating the viewers. Its extremely frustrating and clearly shows that DSTV is just interested in selling rather that giving customers good quality service.

I ordered DStv price lock on the 17 April 2019. It is now 30 May 2019. I have not even received my decoder yet and have followed up on numerous occasions. DStv has contacted me twice to ask me on the progress of my order to which they respond that they will escalate the issue.

I am trying to be a new DStv customer but it seems they are not interested. With poor service like this in the beginning it makes me hesitant to proceed into a contract with DStv.

Good day

I have been calling since the 26 April to get my promotion loaded on my account. My services has been disconnected more then 5 times this month. I have various reference numbers on my account everybody promise they will escalate it and it will take 48 hours. I have send emails

Can someone please explain to me why DSTV is not delivering on their promises?

Regards
Marelise Swart
[protected]@gmail.com

Good day my name is Dumsani Nicholas Nhlapo ID number is [protected], this is been happening several time now DSTV closed my service i even went to office and they fixed it but still now is 3 day after my service is closed now i owe 141 i dont know is for what and customer service is not assisting me, this hiritaing me now can this been fix, by today atlist i dont want to take this to media ombasdma now cause you guys u seems u tax us a lot now we must pay even someone thing we dont even know.

I have have called on tuesday, the 14th to find out how much is owed to pay for my mom's, I was helped and made payments using the bank app, only to find out yesterday late, around 7pm when I have been calling dstv call center all day, to find out if they have received the proof of payment.

Someone had told me when paying using the app, I need to add [protected] acc number and then user the 113744... Number as my reference, only to find out that I was suppose to use the 113744... Number as my account number. After I added details with one of your consultants via telephone. And I asked him 3 or 4 times to verify if all the information is correction and they confidently said "yes, you can proceed".

Now I find myself having to send this and that, go to the bank, make this and that, then to be told by more than 6 consultants that they cannot help me at the moment as "these things take time" since yesterday.

Today at 13:34pm I made a call and spoke to thembekile, of whom told me the very same thing as I was explaining further about the matter, she disappeared on the phone, then I hear backgrounds, what sounds like she ignoring me as I speak to her in need of help.

What I want to find out is, how does it take to help a client and is this the kind of assistance I get when I am in need of help?

I paid for my sister's dstv account using my fnb bank account, they had sent her the link on whatsapp. Now multichoice has been attempting to take money with different amounts from my bank account. I tried calling multichoice but they have been unable to assist. I am very upset as this means someone has my account details and they are attempting to use it.

Hi there,

I have been trying to get assistance with this matter for a week now.

I initially paid R519 on my DSTV account and forgot I had set up a recurring payment from my Capitec App.

The R519 was paid on the 26th of April and you guys say you can see that.

The problem is the R894 that went off on the 30th of April that is not reflecting on your side

I made another payment of R357 just to have my account opened

I would like to have a refund of the R894 please

I have spent over R300 on airtime and calling you. All I get is the same story of the R894 not being visible.

Why the heck am I sending you proof of payment then if I get the same [censored]en answer

I will be contacting the relevant ombusdman about this.

My reference number for my case is reference number is 654840 if you are even interested

Hi

I recieved such bad telephonic service from Manolia! She is by far one of the worst consultants, normally one would deal with a certain amount of incompetancy but she is blatantly rude as well with no regard to speak to customers in a friendly and helpful manner, I am shocked and horrified! Dstv needs to improve this and rather should have decent people working for them! No wonder everyone is turning to Netflix, I'm sure they will be out of business soon.

They had a promotion where you pay for 3 months and get the 4th month for free. When it got to my 4th month I enquired about it and 2 agents on different occasion assured me my 4th month is this month and that it would be free. I received a sms saying my account was over due and contacted a agent again via Facebook messanger. This agent kept me waiting the whole weekend on feedback and just kept saying they appreciate my patience. This morning my services was put off this is very bad service after they promised a free month they don't adhere to it and agents are useless at helping

On the 16/04/2019, I paid my mom's account using the Nedbank money app to an ABSA account number provided by an agent after encountering network problems in my location. When I got home that weekend, services were discontinued and I called them to ask why. I was told to email the proof of payment, which I did. They only reconnected her on the 25/04/2019 and on the 30/04/2019 sent her an SMS to say she hasn't paid and her subscription has been cancelled.
When I got home today, some of the channels are not yet blocked while others have. I contacted Multichoice again and was told to email the proof of payment again which I did. No reference number has been sent to acknowledge receipt of the payment.
Calling them is a struggle and their billing rates are not the same as other networks so having to call them for an entire 3 weeks is costly. I'm utterly disgusted by their incompetence and why provide an option to pay to a bank account when it's such a hustle? All their agents can say is "sorry" as if that makes everything alright. Even if you run out of airtime, they don't bother calling back. Why are we paying so much if they can't come through for us? This is total bull

On 20/3/2019 I received a sms as follows : "your dstv price lock contract ends today. Your new payment of r0.00 will be deducted on 2019-04-20. Thanks for taking your dstv expora on dstv price lock. If you'd like to take out insurance on your dstv explora, reply yes and we'll call you back." on 20/4/2019 an amount of r1 038.00 was deducted via debit order from my account. I phoned your call centre on 29/4/2019 and spoke to vonnie who tried to explain how this amount is arrived at without me understanding a word. She was defenitely not trained to handle such a call.
I sincerely request that my account be rectified and the refund of the amount of
R1 038.00 be paid back into my account.

I also request your acknowledgement of this complaint and future communication to be in writing.

Thank you

Mrs e jordaan