WATCH: Hounded for R318

DO you have a TV and a TV licence? My daughter’s TV licence is on my ID number and is outstanding from the end of February this year. Not because I don’t want to pay but because I just can’t seem to cancel her account as she is emigrating.

I began phoning 011 330 9555 from last year and after numerous unsuccessful calls, being put on hold and having to listen to a man’s voice coming on the line, “Your call is important to us and we will attend to you as soon as possible,” or “We apologise for the delay, we are experiencing a large number of calls,” I’ve quite frankly given up.

Apart from receiving SMSs over the past few weeks informing me I’m in arrears with the TV licence, I’ve been hounded by certain individuals who have kept calling me, telling me to pay for the licence or else I will be blacklisted.

After another call from a gentleman on May 24 who works for MBD telling me I’ve failed to pay the sum of R318 to date, I asked him what I had to do to cancel the TV licence.

“Go to a Pick n Pay and pay the amount of money owing, then go to a police station and make an affidavit saying you have cancelled your TV licence. I advise you then to take the TV licence payment receipt with your affidavit to SABC queries in Auckland Park where you should receive a receipt for the cancellation.”

Really? I went to Pick n Pay to pay and was told by a cashier assistant, “You can’t pay it here, you don’t have an Easy Pay number, you must pay at the Post Office.”

On my way to the Post Office, I received another SMS from MBD, stating – You have failed to pay your TV licence account. Call MBD on 011 560 4633 to set up a debit order and save on costs, with a reference number. At Alberton Post Office I was thankfully assisted by a very helpful Nondumiso Mkhwanzi, who took my money and gave me a receipt, explaining she has many customers who complain about being hounded to pay their TV licence.

While I was saying what a nightmare it is to actually cancel a TV licence another customer overheard me and said she too has been harassed to pay her TV licence but had not received a reference number until May 24.

I ask you with tears in my eyes, what sort of business is this? All I want to do is cancel the TV licence. I’m not a criminal. Crime is rife in Johannesburg and surrounding areas more than ever before, service stations are being held up by armed robbers, cash-in-transit heists are occurring every week and all this apart from ‘normal’ everyday crime, including house robberies, car hijackings, smash and grabs, etc. I’m made to feel like a criminal because I’m late paying my TV licence, which I want to cancel anyway.

It’s time to jack up your service SABC and answer the telephone when customers call you to ask for advice. Today I called 011 330 9555 yet again and heard the familiar voice, “Your call is important to us and we will attend to you as soon as possible,” and “We apologise for the delay, we are experiencing a large number of calls.”

I waited on the line for 17 minutes and in the end, I had to put down without speaking to anyone. I don’t know what else to do to cancel my TV licence and now I guess I’ll have to go the long route as advised by the man from MBD. If you have an easy solution please enlighten me, I’ll be eternally grateful.

I have tried to contact SABC on 011 714 9111 but got the same message as when I called 011 330 9555. I have also emailed the article for comment to contactcentre@sabc.co.za and I’m awaiting a reply.

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