OpenWeb billed me even though I cancelled

[gabbadude]

I know this is long but please read:

Ok, So I decide that I am going to try out this new IS 2gb Fibre account to see just how good it is. I sign up through OpenWeb's portal and voila, within 5min, I have an account. Testing begins and all is great. Account is ok, imo not that much better than a normal account but anyway, I decide after a month and a half that I don't need the account as I have 2 other accounts from 2 other ISP's so I do the normal thing that any respective person would do, I log onto the portal and I cancel the account through the portal so I don't get billed again at the end of the month for the next month's usage. Of course, I get this notification on the site saying, your account has been canceled. Cool I think, all is well.

But no! At the end of the month I start getting these notifications in my email With the subject "OpenWeb Usage Stats" telling me that the account is still active. "Hmmmm" I think,...."this is fishy", so I go to my bank account and see, R129 debited from my account.

Shocked am I thinking, "Maybe it was a mistake". So I do the decent thing and log a support ticket saying the following:

Dear OpenWeb,

I'm experiencing a problem with my account:

I cancelled my 2GB Fibre account in the middle of July sometime and said that I want it cancelled at the end of July so as not to pay for it again. However, at the end of last month, I still got billed for the account that I cancelled AND I am still getting notifications telling me my bandwidth usage on the account. You will see that I have no accounts linked to my account because I cancelled it.

Account Name: #######

Please can a refund be given to me as I actually cancelled this account.

Thanks

And the response I got was next to mind blowing:

Hi

I appreciate your email.

I have scheduled the account for cancellation end August.

Have a great Weekend!

Kind Regards
Keoma Wright
Founder
OpenWeb.co.za

WHAT?? Nothing about the fact that I canceled the account for effect end of last month?? Nothing about the fact that I should get a refund for the incorrect debit?? nothing to say, sorry about the inconvenience. Heck man, instead I get, "I have scheduled the account for cancellation end August.". That's it!! So of course, in my disgust, I reply:

Hi,

No Keoma, I don’t think you understand, I cancelled this account last month already for end of last month.
But I was still billed for it for this month. I would like a refund please.

Thanks

To which he replies:

Hi

I appreciate your email.

Did you mail us to have the debit order cancelled? If so, kindly email me our confirmation so that I can submit a refund request to IS.

Kind Regards
Keoma Wright
Founder
OpenWeb.co.za

Email?? What email?? I thought that doing the cancellation through the portal would notify the billing department that I have canceled my account and they should not bill me as this is what the site told me. So again, I reply:

Hi,

I cancelled it through the portal. I would think that cancelling the account would prompt your billing department to cancel the account.

Be reasonable Keoma.

Regards

After an hour of waiting, I started wondering whether I did receive a cancellation confirmation and found that I did not. Nothing was sent to me when I cancelled. So after waiting, I received no response again after my last email so I contacted the support line to chat to a support guy. I find out from the support person that there is in actual fact no cancellation email that get's sent from the portal to say that your account has been canceled and there is no note anywhere saying that "if you have canceled an account and you have a debit order with us, please email our billing department to ask them not to bill you." Ok, so I think "hmmm...where did I go wrong???" and I realise that I actually did NOT go wrong anywhere because, here is the thing, Seeing as though I DID cancel the account through the portal, the actual deletion of the account from IS's side should have been successful because that is what the site said to me. Then why was I receiving Usage notifications?? This tells me that even though I DID cancel the account, it didn't actually get canceled!! So I send this email:

Hi Keoma,

I just contacted your support line and I the person I spoke to admitted to me that there is no notification email that gets sent through the portal if a user cancels his account because he was part of the site development apparently.
The support person also told me that there is no notification on the site itself saying that “If you have cancelled your account through the portal and you have a debit order with us, Please email our billing department to cancel your debit order as well.”

Keoma, I implore you to see reason here that any end user would not have known that if he cancel’s his account through his portal, he must also email the billing department. The user would assume that this is all done for him if he cancels the account through the portal service that you provide.

You will see that I have not used the IS account at all this month because I cancelled it last month with the intentions of not using it again. I used to believe that Openweb was an immaculate ISP company but I am starting to have my doubts.

Please let me know soonest.

Kind Regards

It's been 4hours now and still I have received no response. Maybe some better support would've been nice!! I have cancelled other accounts from other ISP's and I have NEVER had these issues! Keoma, I would simply like a refund please as yours/IS's system was obviously at fault but this is not my fault.

 

[MyWorld]

Have you phoned them?

 

[gabbadude]

Yes I have! They told me that I should talk to Keoma. This was AFTER I spoke to Keoma in the above emails. I also mentioned in the first post in the last email that I contacted support. That's also when the support guy told me that there was no notification that actually gets sent to the user after he/she cancels and that there is also no note informing users to contact the billing department to cancel the debit order.

 

[fishfly]

lmao... R129 with promise your account will be cancelled next month and you complaining.. you should read some of the posts in the iburst forum... R2900 and monthly debits running with promises of cancellation to no avail...

Kudos to Keoma tho for providing decent support!

I wonder if she's willing to go charge iburst an arm and leg to train their monkey stuff?

 

[gabbadude]

fishfly, I don't think the amount is relavent to the principle of this factual post. It's obvious that this was not my fault and honestly, how can you tell me that the above was "decent support"??? If it was decent support, why would MyWorld ask if I had phoned them?? If we all have that attitude, we will never get good service from ISP's. If you compare amounts, then you aren't seeing the bigger picture. btw, Keoma is a guy

 

[jmak]

Never had any issues with OpenWeb. From what I read it sounds to me that you might be over reacting. Have you gone through all the relevant documentation (which you accepted when you applied) and confirmed that they do not mention calendar month for cancelation or anything similar? Accounts cancelation is generally not done in 10 days, but with a months notice, or a calendar month with the more stingy places.

From Kaemo's rerply it seems that he is helpful, and is actually tying to help you. I also have to say, well-done.

 

[gabbadude]

OMW! ok, I am obviously missing something here. When someone logs a support ticket, should I not at least get some sort of response telling me "MAYBE" what could've happened and WHY it happened? I am actually surprised that people actually think THIS is the support we should be getting...

Sure, he was kind to me, but not helpful guys...come now!! I am not saying he was rude, I am simply saying, he was dismissing my statements.

http://www.openweb.co.za/termsofuse.php

8.1 1 calendar months notice (the 1st or 2nd of every month only) written notice for SAIX Shaped, SAIX Unshaped, SAOL Uncapped and SAOL Capped clients;

8.2 10 (ten) days written notice for Internet Solutions accounts.

and I did this close to the beginning of last month already. I just can't prove it because OpenWeb's portal is not built to notify people of their cancellations. So if you managed to get it right, you could cancel my account for me without me knowing. Even though it doesn't matter because it doesnt get cancelled anyway. LOL

 

[zamrg]

It always irritates having to filter through the fanboy posts in these ISP threads. It seems people are blind or reluctant to realise that not everyone gets great support and that mistakes will crop out every now and then.

I must agree that the amount debited is insignificant and they should refund you if what you have posted is correct. They surely can't expect the client to cancel the service in the portal and then also send through an e-mail requesting that the debit order be stopped. IMO, the purpose of a online portal is to converge the customer point of sale system, billing and support systems; and since they've made it convenient for clients to cancel services through the portal, this should be the only action needed to be made by the end user.

I have no doubt that Keoma or another OpenWeb representative will sort you out here since they always seem to be very helpful. I used to be a happy OpenWeb client but had to leave them as at the time, they weren't offering the services which I required.

 

[gabbadude]

My point exactly zamrg!! i am not implying keoma is a bad person or was even rude to me. I am simply saying that he is providing a service to the public and we as the public are here on MyADSL to keep the service we receive at good high level standards. I cancelled my account according to everything that I should have done. I still got billed and I simply am asking for a refund. That's all.

If OpenWeb can't see their mistake in this, and the community is telling me I was wrong to react to someone billing me for a service that I canceled, then I am concerned that we as the ADSL community are not doing our part to try and keep these ISP companies on the straight and narrow. The amount is small yes, but it is the principle. If the ISP gets away with this kind of behaviour everytime, then why are we here??

 

[silversurfer]

i have had the similar... "polite" yet not helpful support from open web. It seems once you have a debit order with him, he's VERY reluctant to cancel it, making you jump through a few hoops first in order to squeeze an free month out of your bank balance. I cancelled... and left... never to return.

beware of any ISP having a debit order on you. Webafrica dont mind me going 2months in credit... i pay up everytime, and try not to make a habit of it.

Polite response != support

 

[killadoob]

U know, Web africa would have refunded the money without so much as a problem had the account not been used!!!

Has the account been used? if so then openweb are within their right not to refund you.

I am really glad you tried to phone and emailed them, because then this post is a very good one and not some i refuse to phone or email them putting down isp thread.

 

[Alchemist]

How much notice did you give them? Usually its a 30 days/calender month notice.

 

[xrapidx]

Phone the bank and tell them to reverse the charge - its what I do

 

[gabbadude]

@Alchemist, As mentioned above, I posted the terms of use, I can't prove how much notice but I did it close to the beginning of the month and that is more than 10days.

Keoma has decided to refund me. Thank you Keoma! I truly appreciate it. I can honestly say now that Keoma has been very humble. Thank you!

See responses below after the previous posts:

Hi Brett

I appreciate your email.

The portal only deletes the account off your profile.

I'm afraid it does not cancell it physically.
Kindly furbish me your banking details for a refund.

Enjoy your day!

Kind Regards
Keoma Wright
Founder / CEO
OpenWeb / OpenTalkLive.com

Keoma, I suggest that you sort out that portal asap as you might start getting other people having these problems.

Thanks to the responses from you all and I still maintain that we are here for a reason. OpenWeb keeps a close eye on these forums and as someone said before, "Kudo's to Keoma". He deserves the good support seeing as though he responds and the general consensus here is that he provides good services. All I ask is that we do not dismiss those people who do experience bad service just because an ISP has a good reputation. We need to hear ALL complaints and cries. It's important for the ADSL community!

 

[zamrg]

I'm glad to hear they responded efficiently and decided to refund you.

I would however recommend to OpenWeb that they sort their system out as there seems to be a limitation of having to cancel the service and then also cancel the debit order. This should all be done on their side when the service is canceled by the user on the portal.

 

[Necuno]

gabbadude, on which date and time have you send through your cancelation ?

 

[Lycanthrope]

*cough*

<advertise> Have you tried Nexus.co.za? Best ISP I've ever had in my life!!!! </advertise>

*Walks off briskly*

 

[gabbadude]

@Lycanthrope LOL nice one

@Necuno please read the thread, I already stated twice that I dont know the exact date because I didn't receive a cancellation notification because OpenWeb's system is not designed to send you notifications of cancellations in any way. But I know I cancelled it close to the beginning of the month.

 

[Necuno]

@Necuno please read the thread I already stated twice that I dont know the exact date

well thats why my quick scan return as date results null

because I didn't receive a cancellation notification because OpenWeb's system is not designed to send you notifications of cancellations in any way. But I know I cancelled it close to the beginning of the month.

o well; note it next time, have a printed copy - it helps in matters such as these

normally, if the isp was in err they will refund you, well thats what most companys do anyways.

GL with sorting this out.

 

[gabbadude]

thanks for the advice necuno Keoma is being respectful and paying me my money back. I will see if he honors his word.