Hidden Charge in Telkom ADSL

S

Shadowfax

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Kempton Park
Call me a sucker, but when I saw the standalone 4 mbit DSL offering from Hellkom at http://www.telkom.co.za/products_services/dsl/dslaccesonly.html, I thought I could take them at their word.

They installed, I entered into an agreement with a (non-Hellkom) ISP, and at the end of the month the Telkom bill arrived.

Danged if they didn't chuck an additional R 114.91 + VAT onto the total for "Your Telephone Line".

This is notwithstanding my careful research at the URL above, and me making it very clear on my application that a phone line was not, repeat not, required as I already have ISDN with multiple subscriber numbers and significant investment in an ISDN PABX at my residence for which I pay a separate account.

I'm now told by bemused Hellkom helpdesk minions that they are surprised I didn't know R 413 actually means R 544 in Telkom-speak.

Has anyone else been along this route before and managed to resolve it? I'm really pissed and thinking of approaching the ASA - this is misleading advertising at its best.
 
From the Telkom website
How is DSL billed?

The DSL related prices are incremental (over and above) to your existing telephone monthly line rental, installation charge and telephone/fax calls.

The following line entries will appear on your bill once you subscribe:

Telephone Services

DSL installation (once-off) DSL modem (once-off) Your DSL access (monthly) Residential or Business service - Exchange connection (monthly) Residential or Business service - Exchange connection installation (once-off)
Click to expand...

It states quite directly that the exchange connection will be included. :(
 
Most people wouldn't notice because they are upgrading from POTS to DSL and the line charges would remain the same. I would have done it too if it weren't for my ISDN PABX. What really ticks me off is that I raised the issue repeatedly at the Hellkom 'Service' centre when I applied and based my decision on the puffery in their banner advertising. Tacet, I really had to go and look for 'How is DSL billed', and I thought I had done comprehensive due diligence before stupidly throwing myself to the wolf.

They shouldn't be able to advertise their Fast DSL service everywhere at a bold, highlighted, emphasised R 413/m without the (expected in ZA) 'Terms and Conditions Apply' disclaimer and I'm going to raise it with the Advertising Standards Authority. If I had the time, I would consider suing them. Maybe we could get a class action going : I'm certain there are enough people pissed enough to contribute.

I really thought I was savvy enough not to fall into an elementary scam like this, but clearly not. $%^& :whistle:
 
http://www.telkom.co.za/products_services/dsl/cost_dsl_cost.html
http://www.telkom.co.za/products_services/dsl/ordering.html

You don't need to be tech savvy or 'carefully research' to see the indicators pointing out that line rental is a prerequisite to being able to use ADSL with Telkom. It's been like this ever since ADSL launched in this country.

If I'm not mistaken, even the residential order form for ADSL includes a section that points out that you need an existing phone line for the ADSL service to be 'attached to'.


That you have an existing ISDN PABX system in place is of no concern to Telkom as it doesn't constitute, to my knowledge, the basic telephone line rental that they require for the ADSL service to work with, it counts as a different business oriented service.

Lesson learned. You have nothing to sue on as you didn't carefully read all the readily available information on the Telkom site prior to ordering your service. At the very best in your situation you can ask them to cancel the service and to pay you back the portions of the cost that you didn't agree to and were not informed about with the sales representative or tech support 'minion'. This would be the R114 you mentioned, not the full cost, as you will have no doubt utilized the ADSL service as a whole by now.
 
Quite right. However, one would have thought that the boldly-proclaimed price of 413/m included the line - if you did not need a voice service at the same time. And - silly me - I thought all of the information linked to their banner ad was all there was to know.

It's annoying to be ripped off by as useless an entity as Hellkom.

Quite simply : the price for Fastest DSL 4 mbit is R544/month, not the 413 they trumpet - and they shouldn't be allowed to continue advertising it at that price. It's like a car manufacturer offering a vehicle and adding on the cost of the engine after you've bought it.

I take the point that I only have myself to blame. I freely admit that I can be a big schmuck sometimes, but does this make Hellkom's policy fair?
 
If Hellkom, reselling the Telkom service, made no claim on their order forms that you would be required to pay basic line rental in addition to the ADSL rental, then they are to blame, yes. Keep in mind here that when you say Hellkom, there's the www.hellkom.co.za site, which has information on a wide variety of ISPs and I think sells and resells their own ISP services. As such it's best you be clear about which of the two you're referring to, because to my knowledge the residential application form for ADSL from Telkom does state specifically that you will be charged for basic line rental in addition to the ADSL charge. Whether Hellkom, if they resell the line rental service, states the same in their application forms or not, I wouldn't know.
 
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