Internet Service Providers & Why we should demand customer protection laws.

[47Ronin]

Hi Everyone,

It is no secret that providers are taking on thousands of new clients every day. With the month to month phenomena and the many fibre uncap products that are available it is safe to say that more people then ever before wants/needs access to the internet.

However many of us has experienced that the service isn't stable. Especially for those of us that is dependent on LTE and simply can't afford contracts.

The suggestion here is to ask for a consumer protection act that will force ISPs to only take on customers IF they can supply them with functional, usable internet. This means good speeds all hours of the day.

The prepaid customer has over-paid for much less data for a very very long time now. It is safe to say that prepaid is the only customer protection customers have, because they can leave at any time.

This is strongly frowned upon hence why we see a massive intensive to force contracts.

Many of us that is currently in a contract knows how powerless we are. It is almost impossible to get out of that contract. However now with a volatile job market, people cannot assume that they will have long term employment anymore. With job scarcity it also means that people don't want to get stuck owing on a contract that WILL effect their lives when it comes to other loans later-on in life.

It is within reason to assume that each provider knows how much their infrastructure can handle thus it is only fair to expect stable service from them especially for contract and month to month. As stated before prepaid allows customers to change ISPs and this is a very good thing. Sadly it cost a lot more to be on prepaid but I digress.

so what do you think?

enjoy and as always be safe.

 

[Cactus]

 

[Apogee]

Why should ISPs be singled out for this?

Good customer service is the exception in SA these days across the board.

 

[Alexander the Straight]

Why should ISPs be singled out for this?

Good customer service is the exception in SA these days across the board.

Why Not?... They are legally allowed to sell you internet access with all sorts of jargon attached that basically means "good luck to you" wink wink, once you've signed up. Try canceling and you have to auction your wife's underwear to get out of the contract and locked router etc

Best efforts and maximum speeds.... Would you marry a woman that promised her best effort and a maximum amount of *ucks..... Only to receive a pathetic effort and 2 *ucks a month?.... Hang on, that's exactly what I fell for!

 

[paul5186]

If the ISP manufactured your router, ONT, Fibre patch lead, ethernet, cable, owned the ground where the ducts are located, the Fibre backbone, the data center, the undersea cables, every peering point, every server, all dns servers, Google, Microsoft, Amazon etc. Then ok.

Otherwise no.

However, I do think that the actual Fibre providers have more of a responsibility now than before. Also datacentres for encouraging more content locally.

 

[47Ronin]

Why should ISPs be singled out for this?

Good customer service is the exception in SA these days across the board.

We single them out because their customer service is none existent and until this will remain true until the law tells them otherwise. This is about asking the people to start to demand that laws be created to force ISPs to actually support their product, give the customer what they paid for and have the ability to make a meaningful complaint.

Right now ISPs cannot care less. We need them they know it. They don't give a rat's behind if we can actually access the service we pay for OR get customer service. By creating a law means they are now liable. That changes things considerably and If we are lucky and the law makers makes it CRIMINAL when they don't give the customer what they pay for, because then the government becomes the enforcer and customers don't have to burn time and money at the Civil Court. When it is criminal then the criminal court system must enforce the rule of law.

That is why it is important to get customer protection that WILL and by legal authority must act against ISPs that doesn't provide good service. Because misrepresenting a product, its capability and enforcing payment when the product clearly doesn't work should be by all accounts criminal.

 

[Friday13th]

Oh man. I know the thread is kinda old but I was thinking of something similar when I searched these terms. I've been with WebAfrica for several months and never managed to use any byte of data. I had an existing fibre connection and it worked fine, decided to go for a cheaper ISP and they never got me online all this time. Technician after technician, emails and Twitter support. All failed. Now I have to pay R2300 to get out of a contract I never got anything out of.