ADSL Regulation complaint logged against Telkom

R

Recoil

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Hi Everyone

I thought I should write to tell you my story, for anyone that is interested.

In a nutshell: I applied for ADSL (in my ADSL enabled area) in august last year. Haven't received it yet after numerous complaints to their call center. Logged a formal complaint with Icasa, and am now awaiting a result.

It starts a long long time ago, in a place not so very far: On the 29 August 2006 I logged an application for a new ADSL installation in my newly built house (completed in April 2006) in Craigavon/Fourways in Johannesburg. I was originally told (by Telkom) that the national provisioning department was undertaking a project to install lines into the complex as there where none available. so fair enough i would call the national provisioning help desk on a weekly basis to track their progress. However, I started realising something was amiss about 4 weeks in when I started getting different messages regarding completion dates and all sorts. Now that I look back I realise that the help desk staff probably just used their imagination to make up dates and progress in order to get me off the line. anyway i was told that March was really the deadline for the project to be completed. In February i was amazed to see telkom technicians running cable to each house in the complex (from the box outside) Frequent follow up calls and i was told April then june and now finally I am told July 8th. This pretty much used up the last bit of patience i had left in me. so i called Icasa on a telephone number I found on their website. They gave me an incorrect email address for someone in their ADSL regulations complaints office. luckily I CC'd some ITWeb reporters that had written some articles recently about Telkom and the Regulations. and they forwarded my email on to the Telkom Regulations team as well as the Icasa complaints board. I recieved a response within an hour from the Telkom Regulations people, who were very apologetic about the poor treatment i had recieved and they stated they would look into it. (no further action). finally a week later Icasa's complaints people called to inform me that they were looking into the whole thing. (no further action). and now i shall wait and see.

Below are the emails i have recieved so far
 
Icasa's Response

-----Original Message-----
From: Obakeng Tlhabi [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 02 May 2007 11:37 AM
To: Grant
Cc: Sekgoela Sekgoela
Subject: YOUR COMPLAINT AGAINST TELKOM

Dear Grant

This serves to inform you that we have received your complaint and that it is receiving the deserved attention.

A file has been opened for this complaint under the following Reference Number: [KEPT IN ORIGINAL].

You are urged to quote this Ref No in all instances when you make enquiry about progress on this matter.

Correspondence will be sent to Telkom within 48 hours from receipt hereof, demanding that they respond to the allegations contained in your complaint.

You complaint will be handled by Ms Magdeline Mogashoa, who will be liasoning with Telkom and yourself. Ms Mogashao can be contacted at the following adress and numbers:
Tel: (011) 321 - 8288
Fax: (011) 448 - 1870
E-mail address: [email protected]

The standard practice is that ICT licensees are given 14 days within which to respond to complaints forwarded to them, but it is also not uncommon to have a response earlier than what is agreed upon in the MoU that we have signed with them.



Obakeng Tlhabi (Mr)
Manager: Policy & Strategy
Consumer Protection Department
ICASA
Tel: (011) 321 - 8277/80
Fax: (011) 448 - 1870
E-mail: [email protected]
Chinese Proverb: "The best tacticians are never impulsive, the best leaders are never arrogant"
 
Telkoms Response

From: Sharon Horton (S) [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 23 April 2007 04:56 PM
To: Grant
Cc: [email protected]; paul; Royden Dall (RF); [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Written Complaint from Grant

Dear Mr. [LAST NAME REMOVED],

Our telephonic discussion refers. To confirm that we are in receipt of your complaint below.

Firstly, I would like to apologise for the inconvenience which you are experiencing in connection with your application for DSL services, order number [KEPT IN ORIGINAL], in particular for the delay in service provisioning as well as the conflicting information you have received.

As a valued customer, please know that this matter will receive our immediate attention. We will be in touch with your shortly n this regard.

Again, my apologies for the delays from our side.

With thanks and regards,

Dr. Sharon Horton
Senior Specialist
Regulatory and Public Policy
Telkom SA Limited
152 Proes Street, Pretoria, 0001
Private Bag X780, Pretoria, 0001
Tel: +27 12 311 5963
Fax: +27 12 311 7144
e-mail: [email protected]
WEB site: www.telkom.co.za
 
My Original Complaint

From: Grant
Sent: 23 April 2007 02:12 PM
To: '[email protected]'
Cc: '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'
Subject: Telkom Voice and Data New service complaint

To Whom it May concern

I would like to lodge a formal complaint against Telkom. I live in a Craigavon Fourways in the northern Johannesburg. I placed an order for a DSL connection on the 29 August 2006 (order number [KEPT IN ORIGINAL]). I have frequently called the DSL services and national provisioning helpdesk at Telkom regularly to get updates of the progress of this installation. Of which I am frequently told contrasting stories, the last of which (in middle march) I was told that the reason the service was not in was that there were not enough DSLAM ports available at the exchange. Thus I logged an application for a voice line ([KEPT IN ORIGINAL]) so that at a minimum I could have voice communication and when the ports became available I would be able to have the line DSL enabled. However, today, I am told again that no infrastructure is in place even though Telkom technicians have been on site numerous time to lay cable.(middle Feb 2007). I have also been told that my order has been cancelled (DSL order [KEPT IN ORIGINAL]) because it was outstanding too and that it is normal for telkom to cancel orders that will be outstanding for a long time. I am frequently given dates of when the “infrastructure” is planned to be completed (originally March 2007, then end of April now I am told 8th of July). I was under the impression that based on the ADSL regulations which went into effect in August 2006. 1. “Network operators shall install the ADSL service within fourteen days of receipt of an application if the applicant resides within a ADSL enabled area.” I am in fact in an ADSL enabled area (Craigavon/Fourways). 2. In November 2006 Damaria Senne (ITWeb Senior Journalist) reported that “Telkom expects to become fully compliant with the ADSL regulations, which went into effect in August, by March 2007” (http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/telecoms/2006/0611201035.asp?A=BRO&S=Broadband&O=FPIN). Are the ADSL regulations enforceable?

I realise that Telkom has quite a large backlog, but this particular issue has been outstanding for a very long time and in the event that I would like to run a business from home I would be crippled by the lack of facilities available to me from Telkom.
 
You go boy! Hope you get some action from the ICASA siesta squad
 
i know this is an old thread, complex in question isn't perhaps Ambiance ? I was told just recently that I'll have to wait till September for a line, before this I was told end of April (that was February)...
 
Recoil said:
Hi Everyone

In a nutshell: I applied for ADSL (in my ADSL enabled area) in august last year.
Frequent follow up calls and i was told April then june and now finally I am told July 8th.
Click to expand...

:eek:Sheesh...:eek: Almost a year. Is someone going to call the guinness book of records?;)
 
Ye the funny thing is that telkom, and icasa have done absolutely squat since my complaint to them in April. and no i still don't have a phone line or an internet connection at home. <sigh>

I should write a book about the ups and downs of the human mind whilst trying to organise services from organisations that just dont care. Some days i get really really angry about it, other days incredibly frustrated, sometimes utterly depressed, and occasionally completely lethargic.

In all honesty though it has probably made me a better man by teaching me patience and humility. of course i could've learnt these two "skills" by renting a stubborn donkey that wont go where i want it to, and doesn't respond to carrots on a stick.

AxisK - I seriously feel for you man. having gone through the life changing emotional roller coaster that you experience everytime you call telkom, hear of telkom, or see something relating to telkom, I wish you the best of luck in keeping a stable mind.

Signing off
Recoil.
 
Calling the guiness book of records would be a waste of time - that's nowhere near a record. My line took that long to be installed, and one of my friends finally got his line beginning of this month (he applied in February last year). In both our cases, the physical lines were already there and didn't have to be laid...
And on top of it all, I've been waiting now for 3 months for my line speed upgrade. :eek: "Sorry, sir, your exchange has never been tested past 384k. Conformance testing has to happen before we can upgrade your line. If you're lucky, it might happen in your lifetime still." :sick:
So ya... Let's hope some of this stuff actually starts making a difference.
 
Recoil said:
Hi Everyone

I thought I should write to tell you my story, for anyone that is interested.

In a nutshell: I applied for ADSL (in my ADSL enabled area) in august last year. Haven't received it yet after numerous complaints to their call center. Logged a formal complaint with Icasa, and am now awaiting a result.

It starts a long long time ago, in a place not so very far: On the 29 August 2006 I logged an application for a new ADSL installation in my newly built house (completed in April 2006) in Craigavon/Fourways in Johannesburg. I was originally told (by Telkom) that the national provisioning department was undertaking a project to install lines into the complex as there where none available. so fair enough i would call the national provisioning help desk on a weekly basis to track their progress. However, I started realising something was amiss about 4 weeks in when I started getting different messages regarding completion dates and all sorts. Now that I look back I realise that the help desk staff probably just used their imagination to make up dates and progress in order to get me off the line. anyway i was told that March was really the deadline for the project to be completed. In February i was amazed to see telkom technicians running cable to each house in the complex (from the box outside) Frequent follow up calls and i was told April then june and now finally I am told July 8th. This pretty much used up the last bit of patience i had left in me. so i called Icasa on a telephone number I found on their website. They gave me an incorrect email address for someone in their ADSL regulations complaints office. luckily I CC'd some ITWeb reporters that had written some articles recently about Telkom and the Regulations. and they forwarded my email on to the Telkom Regulations team as well as the Icasa complaints board. I recieved a response within an hour from the Telkom Regulations people, who were very apologetic about the poor treatment i had recieved and they stated they would look into it. (no further action). finally a week later Icasa's complaints people called to inform me that they were looking into the whole thing. (no further action). and now i shall wait and see.

Below are the emails i have recieved so far
Click to expand...

Contact www.powernetcoms.co.za They can install very quickly and relief your headaches and stress
 
I hear what you are saying RSnow. but i stay in fourways about a block away from where i was renting a couple years ago. At the place i was renting i had a 512k ADSL line. I also know numerous other people in the area that have a 1meg. so its not like they have an excuse. the regulation states that if you live in an adsl enabled area telkom must install within 14 days, i qoute "Network operators shall install the ADSL service within fourteen days of receipt of an application if the applicant resides within a ADSL enabled area."
 
I hear ya, Recoil, and I agree totally (both my friend and I stay in areas that have been ADSL enabled since before either of us ordered it). I feel your pain. I've lived your pain. And I'm still feeling pain. I live less than 2km from the exchange, and my SNR and Attenuation numbers are such that I should be able to get a 4mbit line with no problems whatsoever, but Telkom couldn't be bothered to actually get around to doing it for me. And I can't even complain about installation times (in this case anyway), because my line is in and working.
The problem remains though, since when has Telkom ever bothered itself with regulations? All they seem to do when confronted with regulations is throw more lawyers at them. :mad:
Anyway, things are slowly starting to open up now, and hopefully, before long, Telkom won't be able to get away with this sort of shoddy treatment of paying customers.
 
Took me 9 months as well (back abiut 4 years ago).
The people we bought the house from had ADSL. They cancelled, I applied, and was told that "my area did not have ADSL".
Took 8 months to convince them otherwise.
 
Thanks ICT

powernetcoms unfortunatly arent really serviceing standalone individuals it seems. However if you can get several houses around you to join in they will be able to provide a service.
 
I do hope you are right RSNow. this whole poor service thing from telkom (and others for that matter, telkom just seem to be in the forefront of bad serviceship) is doing any good for this country in becoming the country of choice for skilled labourers, investors and its own people :/

Its really sad because im sure not everyone at telkom is apathetic as the people i've dealt with, im sure there are some good people who are trying to express themselves and break free from the current situation and just get dragged down by the bureaucratic, apathetic attitude that rest bring. To those few i give respect. to the rest. well i hope you find that once you leave telkom you are wanted no where else.
 
try hellopeter.com..

Otherwise go down to telkom shops.. That always works for me.. Cause a scene in the shop and they will help you.. :P
 
i didnt have to cause a scene.. but a nice lady got on the phone and spoke to some1 for me.. Then once should put down the phone she emailed a couple people and within a few days i was sorted..:P
 
I just want to confirm something. I applied for my ADSL (including a normal rental line) 5 months ago. I was told then (and Telkom's site also shows) that my area is ADSL enabled to 4mb. However, every time I contacted them since then I was told the same story, that the fibres are not ready yet and they will upgrade it, but they can never give me a date when its going to happen.

So my first question is: If i dont have a phone line already, what fibres are they talking about? If its the whole area they are revering to, why tell me that the exchange is enabled and ready?

Second question: If apparently the area is ADSL enabled, although the wiring in my specific block is NOT ready or something like that, do I have the right to lodge a complaint against Telkom for not holding to the "14 day installation"?

I hope this makes sense! :confused:
I don't have too much knowledge in this area.
 
Empie said:
Second question: If apparently the area is ADSL enabled, although the wiring in my specific block is NOT ready or something like that, do I have the right to lodge a complaint against Telkom for not holding to the "14 day installation"?
Click to expand...

I found this is the ICASA regualtions (Government Gazette 29141):

3.6 Telkom or SNO shall install the ADSL service within thirty (30) working days of receipt of an application if the applicant qualifies and resides within an ADSL-enabled exchange area.
Click to expand...

So it looks like 30 days :)
 
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