Much like a relationship that’s on the rocks, Cell C yesterday used an SMS to notify its subscribers that their marriage to its MyTools service is over. The online feature, a service all Cell C subscribers had access to, will be shut down on the 11th of December 2013. Customers are also urged to set up a new voicemail message, by dialling 114.

A company spokesperson told htxt.africa that the plug is being pulled on the service because only a small percentage of the subscriber base was taking advantage of it. With that in mind, the majority might wonder what they’ve been missing out on – and now they have about five days left to find out.

MyTools gave subscribers a powerful set of tools to customise voicemail, keep records of messages and calls, receive voicemail messages via email, and more. It formed part of two online account management tools the network offers its subscribers. It was the only feature set of its kind offered by any network in South Africa. The voicemail customisation allowed users to upload custom, prerecorded MP3 files to use as voicemail greetings. The record management would keep track of both phone calls made and received, as well as text messages and their content – a great tool for those who religiously empty their SMS inboxes and then need to find an old message.

Other features included being able to receive all voicemail messages as MP3 email attachments, saving you the trouble of phoning the voicemail number to check messages. It was also possible to configure call filtering, allowing users to block unwanted numbers from making contact.

Cell C says that some of the tools will make a comeback as a standalone mechanisms. The voicemail to email service is one confirmed feature, and it’s advertised on the MyTools page as something that will still be operational after the shutdown date.