ISP Existing Fibre Installation Fees

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Dextrosia

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Hi All.

I am just trying to garnish a little clarity.

I recently moved into a new house in which the previous owner had Openserve installed Openserve Fibre Line with ONT and D-link DWR 965m Router/Modem, which was left in place as part of the house sale agreement.
I am not sure which ISP he was with prior to moving out, but I assume he has cancelled/migrated his contract with him since moving out as the line is not active anymore.

I have been shopping around for cheapish 25mbs/25mbs packages and Telkom has one at R449.00pm (24months)
and MWEB has one at R499.00pm (12 months)

Ideally I am looking for a package on a month to month basis, as it would provide more flexibility in case I should either need to cancel the fibre, or opt for another ISP should I not be happy with whoever I am with, for whatever reason.

and this is where my confusion starts...

With both ISP's (who also run off of Openserve lines in my area) I mentioned that I ALREADY had a perfectly fine working fibre modem/router and existing Openserve Fibre Line and ONT already installed in the house, so I would not be needing either fibre installation, nor a new router as part of my package.
Obviously I would need to get connected, so I have no problems paying for a connection fee.

So bearing this in mind I would assume it would be as simple as paying a connection fee and simply signing up for a package on a month to month basis... right?

But No.

With both ISP's they tell me that regardless of whether I have a working Fibre line already installed not, if I have to go onto a month to month package with them I would STILL have to pay the upfront installation fee... again???
Alternatively, if I sign up for the 12moth or 24month packages, the installation fee would be waivered,
BUT
Should I cancel before that stipulated times have past, I will still be liable to pay a pro-rata amount of whatever the upfront installation fee would have been. (regardless of me already having an installed fibre line prior to signing up with them)

None of this makes ANY sense to me what-so-ever...
How come, no matter where I seem to go, I still have to pay an Installation fee, even though I ALREADY have a working installed fibre line, ont and router???

Am I Missing something over here,
or
Is it simply a clever (read d*ck) move by ISP's into subtly "forcing" one into taking out either a 12 or 24month contract with them?

And also, what happens in the cases where once existing fibre users contracts are up with a certain ISP, they decide to migrateover to a different one running off of the same infrastructure in the area...
are they also forced into paying "installation fees" all over again, when signing up with a new ISP?
(despite the fact that they already have an existing working fibre line, ont and router with that same fibre infrastructure?)

Maybe I am missing something over here,
But how come one has to keep paying an "installation fee" every time one moves over to a different ISP on the same existing fibre network,
or
If one ALREADY has a working existing fibre line and tries to sign up for a "real" month to month package with ISP's running on the same infrastructure on which you ALREADY have an existing installation in your house?

Hoping someone could shed some light on this and clarify?
I would really like to sign up with an ISP WITHOUT having to repay for a working installation which I already have...
What am i missing over here?

With Thanks
Fibre Newbie
 
Mweb, and Telkom are like the only kak ISP's who try force you into 12 or 24 month contracts rather spend a few more rands and go with a decent ISP, no decent ISP will charge you an installation fee when you have fibre installed already.

All the ISP will need to do is take the fibre line from the holding pool and provide you with PPPOE details, you dial them into the router and poof you up and running.
 
Is it not the FNOs who charge the ISP this? I think the "better" ISPs are just absorbing the cost possibly.
 
Ferog said:
Is it not the FNOs who charge the ISP this? I think the "better" ISPs are just absorbing the cost possibly.
Click to expand...
There are two chargers an connection charge and an installation cost, OP is talking about a installation cost they want to charge to quote them "so I have no problems paying for a connection fee."
 
Yip, I have no problems in paying a connection fee, as as far as I can tell most FNO's do charge the ISP's a connection fee.

But it is having to repay for an installation fee that I have a problem with.

Do all ISP's require this when migrating over/signing up with them?
Or is it just the more shady ones
(ie Telkom and Mweb)?
 
Last edited:
Dextrosia said:
Yip, I have no problems in paying a connection fee, as as far as I can tell most FNO's do charge the ISP's a connection fee.

But it is having to repay an installation fee that I have a problem with.

Do all ISP's require this when migrating over/signing up with them?
Or is it just the more shady ones
(ie Telkom and Mweb)?
Click to expand...
Just the shady ones, AfriHost has a migrate in option if you have a line installed already
 
Thanks, will have a look at Afrihost as well.

Incidently, I am starting to realize why ISP's like telkom and MWEB can cone in with such insanely cheap prices....
Seems they make up the difference by subtly slipping in the mandatory "installation fees whether one already has a existing working line or not", nonsense in there offerings/packages as well.

This might explain why the can come in at (seemingly) cheaper prices than most others, because what they lose on one side, they make up on the other again.

Sneaky, if not rather questionable ethics.... (IMO at least)
 
Dextrosia said:
Thanks, will have a look at Afrihost as well.

Incidently, I am starting to realize why ISP's like telkom and MWEB can cone in with such insanely cheap prices....
Seems they make up the difference by subtly slipping in the mandatory "installation fees whether one already has a existing working line or not", nonsense in there offerings/packages as well.

This might explain why the can come in at (seemingly) cheaper prices than most others, because what they lose on one side, they make up on the other again.

Sneaky, if not rather questionable ethics.... (IMO at least)
Click to expand...
They also choose to make a loss on a product for now and then in the near future bump up the price, so try gain market share by making a marginal loss now and when you hike your prices slightly to turn it into a profit most people will be like "meh everything is working fine i will pay the extra few rands instead of changing and having issues"
 
Dextrosia said:
Thanks, will have a look at Afrihost as well.
Click to expand...

Let me know if you need any assistance.

Since you do not know the B number you can signup for a "new install" which is basically a provide order to assign a new B number to the existing installation.
 
That's the part I don't get...
I have a B number, and as far as I can tell the line is in the holding pool, so how come Telkom and MWEB want to charge me an installation fee again?
 
Dextrosia said:
That's the part I don't get...
I have a B number, and as far as I can tell the line is in the holding pool, so how come Telkom and MWEB want to charge me an installation fee again?
Click to expand...
Because they want you to take a contract. So they make it sound difficult so you just agree.
 
Yup, that's what I thought...

When I spoke to the Telkom Sales person (for the umpteenth time) and insisted on her explaining why I need to pay an installation fee again of everything had been installed and was ready to go, she said that they had to resend a technician out to test the line to see if it's working and that would cost money.

I said BS, if it wasn't working after connection, then by all means send a technician out to fix it and I will pay.

Still didn't want to budge and insisted that the packages are "month to month" over a period of either 12 or 24months and if I were to cancel before then, then the bogus "installation fee" would have to be repaid...

Ha, what a scam!
 
Dextrosia said:
Yup, that's what I thought...

When I spoke to the Telkom Sales person (for the umpteenth time) and insisted on her explaining why I need to pay an installation fee again of everything had been installed and was ready to go, she said that they had to resend a technician out to test the line to see if it's working and that would cost money.

I said BS, if it wasn't working after connection, then by all means send a technician out to fix it and I will pay.

Still didn't want to budge and insisted that the packages are "month to month" over a period of either 12 or 24months and if I were to cancel before then, then the bogus "installation fee" would have to be repaid...

Ha, what a scam!
Click to expand...
The joys of choice neh....

@AfriNatic has already answered that with a B number migration is simple... waste no more time with Telkom
 
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