Open letter to iBurst

iBurst said:
Hi Lonegunman

This amount outstanding is for 2005.

This amount is valid.

This unfortunately I cannot assist with. The bill is clear. I will mail the account to you for your perusal.

Thanks
Click to expand...

How is it that a bill of 2005 is only being handled now?

If it was handled within 6 months from when the problem started, there would have been no ill feelings right now.

Memories would have been fresh, documentation would have been available.

After all these years, memories are faded, and paperwork is no longer available.
 
Gekco said:
How is it that iBurst is able to levy a debit order against a bank account with NOTHING(seriously...) in writing?
Click to expand...

This is why I dodge debit orders wherever I can, and rather do an EFT each month.

From experience I've learnt that the only way to resolve DO problems without wasting hours of time is to be hyper aggressive: Fax to CEO of company who did the false DO, as well as my Bank Manager - demanding the issue be fixed within 7 days after which an act of deliberate bad faith will be assumed.

After 7 days, handing a copy of the letter to the SAPS and laying a charge of theft and fraud against the said CEO and Bank Manager.

It takes a single visit of an SAPS inspector to the CEO or bank manager clear a mess within hours. All of a sudden a bank can recover money taken from an account by DO without any charges against the account holder...
 
All you require to run a debit order is the account number and bank name. Nothing much. However, you can dispute the debit order with the bank and request documentation as all providers that do debit orders are required to have a paper, signed by you, saying it's okay to take the money off of your account.

No such documentation = reversal and ban from being able to do a debit order on your account.
 
AcidRaZor said:
No such documentation = reversal and ban from being able to do a debit order on your account.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that info.. Could it in any way be expanded to ban them from being able to debit orders against ALL customers should the practice prove to be widespread?
 
kaspaas said:
After 7 days, handing a copy of the letter to the SAPS and laying a charge of theft and fraud against the said CEO and Bank Manager.

It takes a single visit of an SAPS inspector to the CEO or bank manager clear a mess within hours. All of a sudden a bank can recover money taken from an account by DO without any charges against the account holder...
Click to expand...

K - Thanks - Filing that one as well..
 
Hi Shaun

Thanks for that.

a) As I recall, IBurst was incredibly fast to cut off services. So where's this (ahem) huge amount of R1029.71 come from - (unless IBurst has decided that its actually - as printed - 'R1029.7104' (a hundred and twenty-nine thousand? Other?)

Or was this amount some final 'pay for an extra month when canceling IBurst punishment charge?

b) I remember buying the occasional gig in person (as I was freelancing at the SABC at the time) - something I don't know if the provided spreadsheet shows.

*shrug*

c) I'm on the other side of the world, literally - with no way of paying any apparent debts in SA. I was very sure to pay any and all debts I incurred, before I left. I'm not that sort of guy. You met me, I'm a weirdo, but not that kind of weirdo :)

d) I've never used credit facilities and have no need of them - which means that I'm not concerned if the company trying to collect money for non-existent debts tells anyone I'm a really bad credit-risk or tries to threaten me. So what's left for them to do? Start deportation proceedings? Hire a hitman? For $129?

e) I only bothered to reply to the initial email from the company, purely as a courtesy, and out of idle curiosity.

f) Unlike the other poor folks on forum, who ARE based in SA, short of IBurst, or 'Select Online' contacting the FBI and Interpol and alerting them to the fact that there's an evil financial mastermind hiding in the forests of Connecticut, with a whole $129.29 of ill-gotten gains - there is absolutely nothing I can do to save this money-grabbing company, or IBurst, from financial ruin.

I'd love to give IBurst and the company its employed to rake up profits, some small change - but I have no way of doing it.

Yes I'm being ironic :P

Shaun, and Selectonline, and IBurst management - do you get my points? I'm other side of the world, (unsure if I'll ever come back), unable to pay for things inside SA, unwilling to bother fighting with some debt-collection company, and fairly sure that I'm innocent of the apparent debt, and overall, amused at the entire silly situation.

It does remind me, though, of the reality I used to be in, and which you folks in SA are struggling in. Things are radically different here.

Thanks again Shaun, for at least trying to help...

over and out

*click*
 
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@kaspaas
re 'How is it that a bill of 2005 is only being handled now?
If it was handled within 6 months from when the problem started, there would have been no ill feelings right now.
Memories would have been fresh, documentation would have been available.
After all these years, memories are faded, and paperwork is no longer available.

I have a feeling that this is exactly why its being done. Profiteering.

-One master list of former customers (however many hundred/thousand)

-One little imaginary charge for each of them.

What percentage of customers will just sigh and pay without any fuss? 20%? 30%? More?

That's a huge quick load of entirely 'free' money, created from nothing, the Selectonline people get their percentage off the top of the collected figures (unless they 'bought the debts' from IBurst for some cash deal already - in which case its selectonline who have to recoup their outlay to IBurst...)
 
IRG said:
Good luck Jannie with the "inherited" shortfalls. I must say that it is extremely rare to get a person in such a senior postion in a company to come forward and converse with clients so openly. I am very happy you are at the helm. I would have to say by all the posts and threads regarding iBurst, you (iBurst as a company) are definately striving to rectify and improve perfomance within your departments. Having Shaun around is probably the first best thing iBurst ever did (other than release us from Telkoms stranglehold!) - hint - promotion or increase in order !!!

Other than that, I have had iBurst the second it was available in Pinetown, and have been loving it! Yes it is somewhat expensive in todays terms, but sometimes the positives far out weigh the negatives. Personally, between myself and my family, we have 4 different accounts and have never had any problems in accounts handling! I think a big up is needed to our Re-seller ISP (Tradepage), they always answer their phone immediatly and help whenever we had any issues (well truthfully if they didn't we would put the pressure on - our holding company owns their premisis - he he !!)

So heres looking forward to good things and better times...
Click to expand...

Hilary at tradepage is a long-suffering, patient SWEETIE! :D
 
LoneGunman said:
Unlike the other poor folks on forum, who ARE based in SA, short of IBurst, or 'Select Online' contacting the FBI and Interpol and alerting them to the fact that there's an evil financial mastermind hiding in the forests of Connecticut, with a whole $129.29 of ill-gotten gains - there is absolutely nothing I can do to save this money-grabbing company, or IBurst, from financial ruin.
Click to expand...

+1
LMAO!
 
LoneGunman said:
@kaspaas
re 'How is it that a bill of 2005 is only being handled now?
If it was handled within 6 months from when the problem started, there would have been no ill feelings right now.
Memories would have been fresh, documentation would have been available.
After all these years, memories are faded, and paperwork is no longer available.

I have a feeling that this is exactly why its being done. Profiteering.

-One master list of former customers (however many hundred/thousand)

-One little imaginary charge for each of them.

What percentage of customers will just sigh and pay without any fuss? 20%? 30%? More?

That's a huge quick load of entirely 'free' money, created from nothing, the Selectonline people get their percentage off the top of the collected figures (unless they 'bought the debts' from IBurst for some cash deal already - in which case its selectonline who have to recoup their outlay to IBurst...)
Click to expand...


Umm ... we're in 2009 now. This claim has prescribed. In fact, it prescribed last year. Send them an email saying they have no claim to the money anymore as they did not notify you in time :)
 
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just for what its worth, Shaun sent me email saying it had all been sorted out and case was closed, and I also got an email from IBurst billing office saying it was all fixed-

However, right alongside these mails, came this, from the selectonline freaks:

=========
Hi Xxxxx

Please find attatched a copy of your usage plus account summary.
As per Iburst records you are infact owing them R3829.71. They did receive R2800.00 for modem but balance is still outstanding.

thank you
===============
*rolls eyes*
I have sent this through to the long-suffering Shaun Green, and hope that he can work his usual magic :)
 
Hi Lonegunman

This amount outstanding is for 2005.

This amount is valid.

This unfortunately I cannot assist with. The bill is clear. I will mail the account to you for your perusal.

Thanks

Confused Yet?
 
hmmm,
even though local state law doesn't allow for postage of semi-automatic weaponry, I'm still currently eying these kids:
http://www.proguns.com/usedguns/usedguns-forsale.asp

Keep in mind I can have any of these shipped to me within 2 days... but...getting them on the plane to SA, along with sufficient ammo, might be a problem...

Luckily for some :P

:)

(Yes, I'm kidding)
 
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