Activation Fee !

[ic]

There's a reason I only have 1 friend that's an accountant. I have 0 lawyer friends.

 

[Raithlin]

Not too sure which is more boring - listening to a bean counter talk shop, or a developer [from a lay-person's POV, anyway. Development is right up my alley.]

 

[Edinetz]

iBurst actaully want to charge you R465 so that they can add you to their system. This really is shocking.

The apparent reason for adding this is because everyone else is doing it.
ie. ADSL, sentech have a activation fee so they thought they should introduce one as well to keep to the SA standards.

At least Telkom pays for the call to 10219 - you on average spend an hour on the phone with "sorry Sir our system is very slow today" continually repeated.

With all this extra money from activation fee revenue hopefully they can implement an 0860 sharecall helpdesk for their valued coastal customers.

 

[guest2013-1]

No, 0800, sharecall sucks ass

 

[limnos]

Purchased iBurst today.. Signal is between 5%-30%. YES!!

Activation Fee is R114 not R456, R456 is the monthly expense until April.

 

[ic]

WTF!!!

www.iBurst.co.za which redirects to https://secure.wbs.co.za/ says:

1. "R 454 per month for the duration of the soft launch (until end March 2005)";
2. "R456 Once Off Activation.";
3. "All Prices include VAT."

Hmm... Called in today and Activation went up to R499!

...Activation Fee is R114 not R456, R456 is the monthly expense until April.

WBS what is going on?

Yes, I do want to know!

 

[AOpen]

According to iBurst, the activation fee is R456 incl. VAT on a 24-month contract and R114 incl. VAT on a month-to-month contract. (Originally told it was R99 then told that that was excluding VAT - but R99 plus VAT is R112.86 - go figure!)

I wonder - is there more work involved in activating a 24-month contract?

This activation fee does seem to be just a way to make a quick buck.

Apparently, the following also applies regarding the activation fee (unless they change their mind again):

1) Anyone that has taken a month-to-month contract and have paid the R456 activation fee will be credited with the difference.

2) Anyone that was quoted last year at "no activation fee" - this will be honored until 16 January 2005.

3) The activation fee will be collected with the first debit order run.

Hope this helps to clarify things a bit.

 

[Edinetz]

I wonder - is there more work involved in activating a 24-month contract?

I assume a credit enquiry will be perfomed at a small cost but that does not explain the ~R340 additional cost. Currently excluding the present value of money, the contract is cheaper by ~R400. Looks like WBS is now recouping this with an increased activation free.

 

[bb_matt]

Ahh, such clarity !

Now where have I read all this before ?

Looks like iBurst has scored an own-goal with this Activation fee BS.

 

[ic]

Thanks AOpen for the info.

Now to WBS I say, get your website sorted out, post the policy up here on MyBroadband.co.za, do it today bcos tomorrow is an ideal day for complaints to be lodged with www.asasa.org.za.

 

[Clipse]

lol not in SA, the price they ask is the price you pay :/

 

[alchamy]

It looks like they have a higher activation fee on the 24-month contract to make up for the cheaper modem over 24-months,

If you take the 24-month contract it works out to R2400 for the modem.
30-day Notice R2800.

Activation fee difference between the 2, R340.

Their already making massive profits on the modems, but its just a thought.

 

[Edinetz]

Looks like Fusion Reactor is offering iBurst with no activation fee according to their website - go figure.

 

[sihen]

FusionReactor as well as every other reseller has the same activation fee's. there site has not been updated

 

[guest2013-1]

sihen, this is suppose to be the internet... businesses should update their sites more often than they change their underwear, because there could be (like now) alot of confusion.

 

[Edinetz]

FusionReactor as well as every other reseller has the same activation fee's. there site has not been updated

Does this mean that I will also have to pay the activation fee having signed up at the end of Dec 2004. The WBS site and the helpdesk said no activation fee but I guess WBS is now going to say the site wasn't updated and the helpdesk agent didn't have the new price list in front of them - I think not.

 

[guest2013-1]

Edinetz, I'd like them to TRY and get an activation fee out of me... if they do I'll sue... end of story

 

[ic]

FusionReactor as well as every other reseller has the same activation fee's. there site has not been updated

Dylan, thanks for this, but could someone at WBS please dispel the spiralling Activation Fee confusion abounding between
what is stated on the site, namely "R456 Once Off Activation.",
and what potential customers are being told when they call WBS.

Specifically, a reply on this thread with all the Activation Fee details, as well as the Terms & Conditions that apply.

 

[Edinetz]

With regard to websites being out of date an advert (i.e website) is only an offer to business so most probabily could not force them to refund the activation fee BUT you entered into contract under the impression there was no activation fee so you would be entitled to cancel get all your money back and if everybody does it WBS is sitting with 0 customers and a whole lot of modems and no money

 

[torgo]

Jusy spoke with accounts now. Those that signed up in December, will have only R450 billed in January and no activation fee! Also, no cap until march was what the lady in accounts said.