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Consumer help: telephones and mobile

How to report a fault, make an account inquiry, lodge a complaint or get other customer service from Telkom and cellphone service providers.

Telkom

Telkom's website offers customers facilities to report and track faults online as well as to query accounts and orders. You can also escalate a fault report or complaint via an online form.

• Contact centre: 10210
• Website: www.telkom.co.za
• Telkom's customer centre

If you've given Telkom time to resolve your complaint and you're still not satisfied, contact the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa.

Cellphone operators

Unfair contract agreements, pricing and billing disputes and poor customer care… South Africans love to complain about their cellphone providers. However, cellphone (or mobile phone) operators are bound in terms of the Consumer Protection Act. As such, if you cannot resolve your problem directly with the service provider, contact the National Consumer Commission.

• Major operators:
  • Cell C
  • MTN
  • Vodacom
• National Consumer Commission: www.nccsa.org.za

Wireless Application Service Providers' Association

The association has established industry regulations and codes of conduct for the wireless application service providers (known as "WASPs"). All companies providing WASP services in South Africa are required by the mobile network operators to belong to WASPA.

Almost all paid-for mobile content services and all commercial messaging, including application-to-person messaging, involve WASPs. Network operators also offer some of these services directly.

WASPA will investigate complaints related to spamming, misleading advertising for mobile services, as well as complaints about premium-rate SMS billings.

• Website: www.waspa.org.za

SAinfo reporter

Reviewed: 13 July 2012