Cell C
Account Cancelled in 2010 handed to debt collecto

I moved to Vodacom in June 2009 and called Cell C to cancel my contract. The number was not in operation since June 2009, but as my contract was 24 months I was paying the contract fee until February 2010. As advised by CellC i sent an e-mail to custserv@cellc to cancel my contract in January 2010 via e-mail. I contacted the call centre to confirm my account was cancelled. I received my last bill in February 2010 for -R451 and was called a month later as the debit didnt go off. I advised CellC of my new bank details for the debit to be processed.

I had no further communication from CellC, until receiving an sms in May 2013 from a pholosa for debt collection"MS XXX NOTICE: HANDOVER of ACC FOR DEBT COLLECTION TO Pholosa. Call 011 317 4308." I contacted the call centre to learn that I owed CellC -R4500. I explained the above to them and they logged a query and confirmed this with an SMS. I have since not heard from the call centre.
How is it possible that I have had no communication from Cell C in 3 1/2 years and just get a sms from a collection agency saying I owe -R4500, when my last bill was received in February 2010 and my contract confirmed as cancelled in January 2010???

Company: Cell C
Country: South Africa
City: Cape Town

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