New packages and auto migration

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braindedd

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I do not wish to stir, only to find someone to hear my gripes since the email hotline is apparently so overworked. I figure better here than hellopeter direct.

Bottom line is that I do not appreciate being automatically moved to a higher costing package without my consent no matter the new 'cap.' The kicker is that not only does it cost me more for the baseline, but now the one thing that I have come to rely on with iBurst - being the fact that I can still use it after hitting my cap - is also now considered a value added service I am expected to pay even more for? I'm sorry iBurst but you are very close to losing a customer that has been with you from the start. The worst kick of all for me though is that now I'm automatically on a package that gives me more bandwidth, I will now have to pay in another fee to 'downgrade' back to the lower package. This whole thing just seems like greed to me ... greed packaged as charity ... and I will not stand for it.

Thanks for your time reading this. I hope my opinion strikes a chord somewhere and someone listens before I end up having to deal with the hell that is our official state telecommunications operator.
 
braindedd said:
I do not wish to stir, only to find someone to hear my gripes since the email hotline is apparently so overworked. I figure better here than hellopeter direct.

Bottom line is that I do not appreciate being automatically moved to a higher costing package without my consent no matter the new 'cap.' The kicker is that not only does it cost me more for the baseline, but now the one thing that I have come to rely on with iBurst - being the fact that I can still use it after hitting my cap - is also now considered a value added service I am expected to pay even more for? I'm sorry iBurst but you are very close to losing a customer that has been with you from the start. The worst kick of all for me though is that now I'm automatically on a package that gives me more bandwidth, I will now have to pay in another fee to 'downgrade' back to the lower package. This whole thing just seems like greed to me ... greed packaged as charity ... and I will not stand for it.

Thanks for your time reading this. I hope my opinion strikes a chord somewhere and someone listens before I end up having to deal with the hell that is our official state telecommunications operator.
Click to expand...

You get migrated to a higher cap package but the throttle stays ON for the next 3 months. Thereafter they contact you to see if you want to stay on the new or return to the old. So you don't lose out anything.
 
I don't need to wait 3months.

I already know my usage monthly.

and as a GIGA user (1gig full speed, then 64K throttled). The new packages will definitely not benefit me in any way possible ever. As my average is ruffly 5-8 gigs (I don't mind that it's little slower) for a Total of R239 per month all inclusive.

With the new "Migration" I'll get 2gigs of data at Full speed. But will have to pay an extra 4-6gigs at R70 per gig....

Like Carlos Mencia would say *Dee dee dee*
 
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Napalm said:
I don't need to wait 3months.

I already know my usage monthly.

and as a GIGA user (1gig full speed, then 64K throttled). The new packages will definitely not benefit me in any way possible ever. As my average is ruffly 5-8 gigs (I don't mind that it's little slower) for a Total of R239 per month all inclusive.

With the new "Migration" I'll get 2gigs of data at Full speed. But will have to pay an extra 4-6gigs at R70 per gig....

Like Carlos Mencia would say *Dee dee dee*
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What about going on the 5GB or 8GB package then. You pay R239 but for R353 extra you could get 8GB full speed - and the question is whether the equipment wear and tear of your laptop/PC being connected almost 24/7 and wasted electricity is not more than R353 pm.

I know it's possible to be on 1GB now and then download 24/7 after gobbling up the 1st GB in less than half a day and achieve over 20GB but that does affect your electricity bill and you have to leave your stuff on the whole night and when you go out.
 
PeterCH said:
What about going on the 5GB or 8GB package then. You pay R239 but for R353 extra you could get 8GB full speed - and the question is whether the equipment wear and tear of your laptop/PC being connected almost 24/7 and wasted electricity is not more than R353 pm.

I know it's possible to be on 1GB now and then download 24/7 after gobbling up the 1st GB in less than half a day and achieve over 20GB but that does affect your electricity bill and you have to leave your stuff on the whole night and when you go out.
Click to expand...

I have a great idea! How about iBurst lowering their per gig cap prices to become competitive with other ISPs?

How about a capless/throttled/soft-cap service that gives you fast internet for a bit and uncapped, throttled internet thereafter?

Oh, wait. That's what iBurst had and that was the only selling point iBurst had.

What was wrong with that?
 
ZombiePriest said:
I have a great idea! How about iBurst lowering their per gig cap prices to become competitive with other ISPs?

How about a capless/throttled/soft-cap service that gives you fast internet for a bit and uncapped, throttled internet thereafter?

Oh, wait. That's what iBurst had and that was the only selling point iBurst had.

What was wrong with that?
Click to expand...

It seems not to be profitable for them. It seems iBurst is not using SEACOM.
 
PeterCH said:
It seems not to be profitable for them. It seems iBurst is not using SEACOM.
Click to expand...
It's not profitable for them because they can't convince enough people that paying +- R250 for 1 GB on a shoddy wireless connection is worthwhile.

You can get 1 GB for +- R250 (including Hellkom line rentals) on a stable line and then pay +- R50 per GB top up.

With iBurst's new terms, you'd have to pay the R250 plus an additional subscription to get what you already got for R250. But now you get an additional 1 GB that goes as fast as their 3 GB anyway. Doesn't seem like I'm gaining anything here.

How is charging more for essentially the same service going to make iBurst more profitable when they already have a hard time convincing us suckers to stay with them at their current rates?

I'm not big on business, but it seems to me that there are three ways you can become more profitable: beat your competitors's price, beat your competitors by adding value to your product/service or a combination of these two.

iBurst came into being by focusing on number one, with the added bonus that they were the only uncapped ISP. Now they are essentially capped and reducing their quality of service while charging more. I don't think this is going to make them more profitable.

On the plus side, if you're already stuck with iBurst, the migration in the coming months might mean that you'd actually have your helpdesk calls answered.
 
ZombiePriest said:
It's not profitable for them because they can't convince enough people that paying +- R250 for 1 GB on a shoddy wireless connection is worthwhile.

You can get 1 GB for +- R250 (including Hellkom line rentals) on a stable line and then pay +- R50 per GB top up.

With iBurst's new terms, you'd have to pay the R250 plus an additional subscription to get what you already got for R250. But now you get an additional 1 GB that goes as fast as their 3 GB anyway. Doesn't seem like I'm gaining anything here.

How is charging more for essentially the same service going to make iBurst more profitable when they already have a hard time convincing us suckers to stay with them at their current rates?

I'm not big on business, but it seems to me that there are three ways you can become more profitable: beat your competitors's price, beat your competitors by adding value to your product/service or a combination of these two.

iBurst came into being by focusing on number one, with the added bonus that they were the only uncapped ISP. Now they are essentially capped and reducing their quality of service while charging more. I don't think this is going to make them more profitable.

On the plus side, if you're already stuck with iBurst, the migration in the coming months might mean that you'd actually have your helpdesk calls answered.
Click to expand...

Not true, unless you are not counting the line rental, which is R154 or something.

BTW, I don't think Iburst should be compared to adsl as it is a wireless service. It should be compared to 3G (where 1G is R389) and I find the Iburst to be more reliable than 3G.

At the end of the day, it's your choice. Stop complaining about the pricing and get another ISP. If, like me, you don't have other choices, then all you can do is wish for them to lower prices...
 
SharkBait said:
Not true, unless you are not counting the line rental, which is R154 or something.

BTW, I don't think Iburst should be compared to adsl as it is a wireless service. It should be compared to 3G (where 1G is R389) and I find the Iburst to be more reliable than 3G.

At the end of the day, it's your choice. Stop complaining about the pricing and get another ISP. If, like me, you don't have other choices, then all you can do is wish for them to lower prices...
Click to expand...

+1
 
SharkBait said:
Not true, unless you are not counting the line rental, which is R154 or something.
Click to expand...

I did include line rental.

SharkBait said:
BTW, I don't think Iburst should be compared to adsl as it is a wireless service. It should be compared to 3G (where 1G is R389) and I find the Iburst to be more reliable than 3G.
Click to expand...

That's a valid point, though I'm working on what I can get for my money. If an ADSL line costs me about the same as a shoddy wireless/3G connection, I don't see the benefits of a wireless connection that doesn't monitor its bandwidth accurately, doesn't respond to customer complaints, changes its tune (in breach of contract) every couple of months and has connection downtime every couple of days.

Have a look on this forum how iBurst deals with customer complaints. This is not the attitude of a company who is serious about doing business.

SharkBait said:
At the end of the day, it's your choice. Stop complaining about the pricing and get another ISP. If, like me, you don't have other choices, then all you can do is wish for them to lower prices...
Click to expand...

It is not my intention to whine. As is noted here on this forum and by the public in general, iBurst has atrocious customer service. My purpose is to serve as a warning to others. I would not in good faith recommend iBurst to anybody. If I can save one person from the crap I've had to put up with, why not?

This is why I've told iBurst users how to block iBurst's website from their hosts file and why I wrote a script that prevents iBurst from hijacking your browser - and gave it away for free. I'm interested in problem solving.

And I am in fact changing ISPs.
 
ZombiePriest said:
It is not my intention to whine. As is noted here on this forum and by the public in general, iBurst has atrocious customer service. My purpose is to serve as a warning to others. I would not in good faith recommend iBurst to anybody. If I can save one person from the crap I've had to put up with, why not?

This is why I've told iBurst users how to block iBurst's website from their hosts file and why I wrote a script that prevents iBurst from hijacking your browser - and gave it away for free. I'm interested in problem solving.
Click to expand...

+1
 
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