Amid reports of some customers paying their Telkom accounts through unauthorised channels, Telkom has advised its customers to pay their accounts through recognised Telkom agents to avoid unnecessary suspensions.
Telkom said it had come to its attention that some of its customers were paying their accounts at places that were not authorised by Telkom.
Because its systems with unauthorised channels were not on "handshaking" terms, this often resulted in lengthy delays in transferring funds owed to Telkom.
The time lag in transferring monies owed to Telkom from unofficial channels in turn meant that customer`s accounts were reflected on Telkom`s systems as being in arrears, despite them having paid their accounts.
A range of payment options is available to customers. Paying by debit order helps customers manage their monthly telephone accounts by ensuring it is automatically paid on due date. Another advantage of the debit order facility is that customers can impose a ceiling on the amount withdrawn.
To activate payment by debit order, customers should call 10210 and have their bank details ready.
SmartPay terminals, found in almost every Telkom customer service branch, process transactions in less than 30 seconds. Customers select a transaction through user-friendly touch-screen technology. The machine reads the bar code on the account presented by the customer and then counts the money offered in payment, before issuing a receipt.
Customers may also insert cheques as payment in the envelopes available at the machines. In addition, the terminals are capable of accepting credit or debit cards, although such payment mechanisms will only be offered once negotiations with financial institutions have been finalised.
Other payment channels include Pick 'n Pay stores, Shoprite stores, the South African Post Office and the Internet.
Telkom said negotiations were currently taking place with a view to expanding customer`s payment choices even further. However, for the time being, it advised customers to follow existing authorised channels.
Should customers not receive their accounts, Telkom has recommended that customers obtain their outstanding balance by interactive voice response on the 10210 (Account Enquiries) number, or from their local Telkom customer service branch.
"If customers are unable to pursue these options, we recommend they pay an amount equal to the previous month`s instalment to avoid suspension of their service."
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