ADSL contract drawbacks

A

AlT

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Yo Dudes,, any drawbacks on signing contract for ADSL (line only) as opposed to month to month,,Contract includes free instalation and modem which is tempting, and they assure me price will change as market changes
Im not sure how i feel about being in bed with no escape for 2 years with such a dog
 
A decent modem will cost less than R600, well worth it it terms of flexibility. Don't sign a contract with the devil!
 
If the modem stops working, do they replace it for the duration of the contract for free ?
Do they put this in writing ?
i.e. Where are the contract terms and conditions ?

I refuse to signup for an invisible contract. Teklom are notorious for changing the rules as they feel fit. They also cannot be held accountable for anything at all ever.

Just from the "What exactly does the contract say" point of view, I would not "sign" it.
 
I'm sorry to say this AlT, but signing a contract now would be stupid. Yes, you may be saving on installation costs and get a "free" modem, but think about the consequences if you need to cancel. Depending on when you cancel, the costs of cancelling will probably work out to be more than the cost of the modem.

Within the next 2 years there will probably be other "broadband" options, so why would you want to be tied into a contract? I strongly suggest you don't sign a contract if at all possible. Installation will cost you R404, ask Telkom if you can pay this off over 3 months. And as stated above, ADSL modems are cheap. Thank your lucky stars you didn't sign up 2 years ago when Telkom charged around R2500 for an ADSL modem.

But, its up to you.
 
Point taken,,,I was scepticle as it is
 
Hi AlT

I signed that exact bundle deal 2 months ago and I am very much considering to cancel it. If you read the contract carefully, it does not include the Telkom ISP account that you have to pay monthly. In other words, you get the modem and line usage (depending on the speed 192/394/512) in the contract but still have to pay your ISP account for that speed. By just paying the contract amount you just cover your modem and line, but still have to pay your ISP account every month. So what I am going to do now is cancel my Telkom ISP amount (not part of contract) and move to another ISP like Axxess. They have better capping deals.

Althoug I dont feel comfortable with signing any contract with the devil Telkom, I dont see why this is a bad deal, unless you want to discontinue using ADSL completely. Work out for yourself: If you want to buy a modem and use a 192kbps home ADSL with
2G cap, you wil pay R329,90 + 89 per month and buy a modem for R1000 from telkom. Compare that to what you have to pay for the contract over 24months.
 
dont make the same mistake i did by signing contract
 
Promojo, nobody buys a R1000 modem from telkom if they know better. You have to compair it with say a R600 router/modem. That gives a R1000 once-off (with the R404 installation).
It is about R42 per month that you pay more for not going with the contract.
 
Yes, that is the thing with any contract. At the end you pay more than you would if you bought everything once-off, but it may be a better option for people who don't have the money readily available to pay once off. The Telkom contract is a no-no, because still you get the things at the highest price, but at least you can still get out of it and it is not the end of the world. They catch a lot of people with the bundle, because it looks inviting for people who don't know better. I also fell for it, but now, after I have been to this forum I know I made a mistake. At least you guys convinced me to make the ISP change.
 
It's not a "free" modem, you're just paying it off by being locked into a contract.

It has some benefits I guess - apparently it gives lightning coverage etc, but i don't know of thats worth it since it will probably take them a long long time to get you a replacement.

Also, I don't know of many people who have had their routers taken out by lightning.
 
lately telkom have been offering 50% off the installation of the adsl service. They also givin a few other free thing and free minutes if u get a normall line also.
 
even if the prices drop agen after the 1st August "Price drop" (which i doubt) and u are on a contract u wont qualify for the new prices! am i right or rng? ive just been told tht so not sure!
 
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If you signed, for the contract...its not as bad as it seems...

At the end of the day you save +- 1000, believe me unless something superduper happens in this country and we know how long it has taken to get to this point...

The SNO, will not compete for about that long,

They get there license at the end of August then, even though they have cables and fibre layed with the help of Transtel/Eskom I cant imagine they will be fully operational with out anything what telkom like to call teething problems...

As for the new pricing, if you signed at the higher price you go down to the lower pricing,

As for ADSL package vs ADSL + normal telelphone line rental, you may as well go for the Package it works out +-the same and you get 120 free minutes 10% of 5 selected numbers,


The question that I have is since 2002 telkom has been working on ADSL in the 3 years they have learned....one can hope, with the SNO,

I am sure they are going to go through a similiar learning curve so atleast for now you are safe signing a contract,
 
Telkom's Marconi supplied modems are fairly infamous for their crappy quality.
On top of that is the pain and suffering of having to deal with Telkom if you have modem trouble - take how long you usually spend on hold (20 minutes? more) waiting on 10219, and multiply that by 10 calls to get to the right department to service a faulty modem...

But hey its your blood pressure...:)

On top of that, most ppl bitch about having to pay Telkom so much all the time. Using a private modem supplier and a private ISP is not much of a stand, but if we all made it, its a few bucks in the pockets of more honest and patriotic souls than Telkom's.
 
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