Beware — Our experience with Connex One / ConnexAI: voided contract, withheld recordings, R1m billed, CXM suspended

I’m posting this as a factual account of an ongoing commercial dispute between Striving Mind Trading 1193 (Pty) Ltd t/a Legacy Contact Centre and Connex One Ltd / ConnexAI so other businesses can make informed decisions.

Background: We signed a valid 12-month CXM agreement (Connex One EULA v22.6) on 7 August 2024 for a 40-agent CXM solution. That core CXM service has been paid for and should have remained operational under the terms of that agreement.

What followed: the AI “pilot” and broken promises In June–July 2025 Connex sales and onboarding staff (named personnel include Alex, Lisa and Lorraine) presented an AI Pilot described repeatedly in recorded onboarding calls as a “3-month trial” with specific “special conditions” to be respected. We accepted and proceeded on that specific basis.

Critical contract evidence: voided DocuSign When we asked for the executed AI agreement, DocuSign records show the envelope was voided / expired on 19 July 2025 — i.e., the AI contract was never validly executed. Connex’s own onboarding emails explicitly state that onboarding “begins with a signed agreement,” confirming that a separate signed contract was required.

What went wrong (our experience) • Despite the DocuSign envelope being voided, Connex continued to invoice and debit our account for AI services, totalling approximately ZAR 1,000,000 over roughly four months. • The AI was never delivered to production in any meaningful way; promised functionality remained incomplete. • When we sought the recorded calls and meeting notes that prove the 3-month pilot and special conditions, Connex refused to provide them, despite earlier internal confirmation that “all calls are recorded.” • After we issued a written cancellation one month into the trial, Connex revoked access to documents, suspended or degraded our CXM service, and continued billing — causing operational disruption and financial loss.

Actions we have taken (so far) • We have served formal written notice to Connex and demanded production of recordings, audit logs, and full billing reconciliation. • We issued a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) under POPIA (South Africa) and UK GDPR (UK) for all recordings and related personal data. • We have prepared regulator complaints and are ready to file them with the South African Information Regulator (POPIA), UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), National Consumer Commission (SA) and Competition & Markets Authority (UK) if Connex does not comply. • We are documenting all evidence (DocuSign void notice, onboarding emails, screenshots of revoked links, bank statements showing debits, and our cancellation notices) for regulators and legal counsel.

Why this matters to other businesses • Do not assume onboarding or a welcome email equates to a contract — insist on completed signatures and keep proof. • If an add-on is presented as a “pilot”, get that confirmed in writing with explicit start/end dates and terms for billing and rollback. • If a supplier withholds recordings or revokes access to documents after you have signed or paid, escalate immediately and preserve all evidence.

What we want now We want transparency, return of funds for undelivered AI services or an agreed commercial remedy, immediate restoration of our CXM service, and the release of the recordings that show the representations made to us. We remain open to a commercial resolution but will pursue regulatory and legal remedies if necessary.

If you are a current or prospective customer of Connex One / ConnexAI, ask them for the DocuSign completion proof, request copies of all onboarding recordings upfront, and require clarifying written confirmation of any trial/pilot terms before proceeding.

For anyone who needs evidence or to discuss their own experience, contact me: Sudeer Joseph — Director, Legacy Contact Centre