Please avoid Afrihost - False advertising and poor service in Seapoint

[jgbrits123]

No contract, ONE HUGE CATCH!! Please avoid them!!
I signed up for an Afrihost LTE package in middle December 2018 with the SIM ONLY option, since I have my own router. They advertise that it is a month to month contract and that you can cancel at any time. In their own words: No contract, no catch. HOWEVER when my sevice in Seapoint was absolutely POOR, I cancelled my contract in February 2019. Then I received an invoice from them, stating that I need to pay them R999 in cancellation fees. I immediately contacted them, and a consultant replied that it is because they have to recover the LTE router that they gave me. I did NOT take the router option as I have my own. I replied and then the consultant changed his story. Now suddenly it is because of the promotional data that I received in December. Funny thing, the month to month contract is for R219 a month. But they want to charge me R999 for one month’s promotional data. And I only signed up in middle December, not even using it for the whole month. Them they were quick to state that if you CANCEL WITHIN 6 MONTHS, you have to pay cancellation fees! This is absolutely FALSE ADVERTISING, since they advertised it for a month to month basis and a person can cancel at any time! PLEASE DON’T SiGN UP FOR THEIR POOR SERVICE AND FALSE ADVERTISING!!!​

I then asked the consultant to rather continue my contract, than charge me this hefty cancellation fee. I mean do to calculation. If I continue to pay for another 3 months and then cancel, avoiding the cancellation fee, I only pay another R657 and at least get some kind of **** service, instead of a R999 cancellation fee with no service at all!!
And the consultant went quiet.. I followed up asking him if I can do that... Still no reply after 2 days. And the debit order for the R999 goes off today. Mmmm...

 

[killerbyte]

Actually it states very clearly on their site:

"Should you cancel your Fixed Wireless package in less than 6 months from signup date, or your account falls into arrears, you will automatically be charged a cancellation fee of R999."

No mention of router in those terms. Yes it sucks, but if you don't like it then don't sign up.

 

[Geoff.D]

It is called RTFM! Always read the paperwork, never take anything a salesperson tells you for a fact. They are only interested in the sale, not the product they sell, the service, the paperwork or anything except their sales targets.

 

[Iamnotageek]

What's Afrihost?

 

[yebocan]

It is called RTFM! Always read the paperwork, never take anything a salesperson tells you for a fact. They are only interested in the sale, not the product they sell, the service, the paperwork or anything except their sales targets.

Have Vodacom Fibre consultant coming over tonight, to advise me of all their awesome packages...apparently I now have fibre in my area. Their + Vumatel website, shows no fibre in the area...I advised them of that...sales people being sales people, they are 1 billion % sure...I have fibre coverage in my area...Sales will do sales and bugger if there is no actual infrastructure...

 

[AfriNatic]

No contract, ONE HUGE CATCH!! Please avoid them!!​

I signed up for an Afrihost LTE package in middle December 2018 with the SIM ONLY option, since I have my own router. They advertise that it is a month to month contract and that you can cancel at any time. In their own words: No contract, no catch. HOWEVER when my sevice in Seapoint was absolutely POOR, I cancelled my contract in February 2019. Then I received an invoice from them, stating that I need to pay them R999 in cancellation fees. I immediately contacted them, and a consultant replied that it is because they have to recover the LTE router that they gave me. I did NOT take the router option as I have my own. I replied and then the consultant changed his story. Now suddenly it is because of the promotional data that I received in December. Funny thing, the month to month contract is for R219 a month. But they want to charge me R999 for one month’s promotional data. And I only signed up in middle December, not even using it for the whole month. Them they were quick to state that if you CANCEL WITHIN 6 MONTHS, you have to pay cancellation fees! This is absolutely FALSE ADVERTISING, since they advertised it for a month to month basis and a person can cancel at any time! PLEASE DON’T SiGN UP FOR THEIR POOR SERVICE AND FALSE ADVERTISING!!!​

I then asked the consultant to rather continue my contract, than charge me this hefty cancellation fee. I mean do to calculation. If I continue to pay for another 3 months and then cancel, avoiding the cancellation fee, I only pay another R657 and at least get some kind of **** service, instead of a R999 cancellation fee with no service at all!!
And the consultant went quiet.. I followed up asking him if I can do that... Still no reply after 2 days. And the debit order for the R999 goes off today. Mmmm...

I am so sorry that you feel like we have let you down here. Unfortunately, all of this information was displayed clearly when you signed up with us. These are the terms of the promotion that you did agree too.

I don't feel like it is fair to say that we promoting false advertising as all of the advertisements are vetted by lawyers to make sure that we follow all the guidelines that are set out by the various commissions.

I know that you are upset and I understand that you feel like we have wronged you here and I wish I could change that. Unfortunately, as mentioned all the information was clearly available when you signed and you did agree to our terms before you concluded the offer.

 

[neoprema]

I have a concern here too...

You need to mention that the "Save R4000" does not include Vumatel line installation despite it saying "Setup"
and that "This overall amount of up to R4000 can be used to offset installation and hardware costs if you're new to Fibre" is also excluding actual fibre line installation (I have no idea what installation there is unless you think its costs R4000 to put an ethernet cable in to a router...)

"Installation Included" is clearly just a lie given the invoice I just for from Vumatel claiming the fibre install is MY cost not Afrihosts when I asked them.

 

[Christo4]

Sorry OP..
Sometimes I wonder: is it Afrihost or Telkom that takes the cake¿
See the T sign for the deaf.

 

[AfriNatic]

I have a concern here too...

You need to mention that the "Save R4000" does not include Vumatel line installation despite it saying "Setup"
and that "This overall amount of up to R4000 can be used to offset installation and hardware costs if you're new to Fibre" is also excluding actual fibre line installation (I have no idea what installation there is unless you think its costs R4000 to put an ethernet cable in to a router...)

"Installation Included" is clearly just a lie given the invoice I just for from Vumatel claiming the fibre install is MY cost not Afrihosts when I asked them.

I can see how one can get confused here and I totally understand it. However, the ad says "Save up to R4000.00" . This means we are referring to any amount from R0.00 to R4000.00. You are still saving about R2000.00 when you sign up with Vumatel so it does fall into the spectrum of what we are promoting.

We also have all of our Terms and Conditions in the same viewing space as the "Order now" button. We will be adding this to more spots on the sign-up page to make it very clear.

 

[PsYTraNc3]

I am so sorry that you feel like we have let you down here. Unfortunately, all of this information was displayed clearly when you signed up with us. These are the terms of the promotion that you did agree too.

I don't feel like it is fair to say that we promoting false advertising as all of the advertisements are vetted by lawyers to make sure that we follow all the guidelines that are set out by the various commissions.

I know that you are upset and I understand that you feel like we have wronged you here and I wish I could change that. Unfortunately, as mentioned all the information was clearly available when you signed and you did agree to our terms before you concluded the offer.

I agree about reading terms and conditions but...

I then asked the consultant to rather continue my contract, than charge me this hefty cancellation fee. I mean do to calculation. If I continue to pay for another 3 months and then cancel, avoiding the cancellation fee, I only pay another R657 and at least get some kind of **** service, instead of a R999 cancellation fee with no service at all!!
And the consultant went quiet.. I followed up asking him if I can do that... Still no reply after 2 days. And the debit order for the R999 goes off today. Mmmm...

This is no good.

 

[AfriNatic]

I agree about reading terms and conditions but...



This is no good.

You got a point we should have responded sooner.

 

[theratman]

Guys clearly missing the don't cancel my contract and charge me part, which they cancelled...sounds like they terminated on their end without your permission. It's a customer service thing and I've found theirs to be pathetic on several occasions (barring the rep here)

 

[The Darkness]

I am so sorry that you feel like we have let you down here. Unfortunately, all of this information was displayed clearly when you signed up with us. These are the terms of the promotion that you did agree too.

I don't feel like it is fair to say that we promoting false advertising as all of the advertisements are vetted by lawyers to make sure that we follow all the guidelines that are set out by the various commissions.

I know that you are upset and I understand that you feel like we have wronged you here and I wish I could change that. Unfortunately, as mentioned all the information was clearly available when you signed and you did agree to our terms before you concluded the offer.

Typical Afrihost response. Make the customer feel like it's his fault, when clearly he's cancelling becuase he's unhappy with the service. This is a time when a company can do what's right, and not what some lawyer says. This, and many other reasons is why I left Afrihost many moons ago. I mean, the veiled passive aggression of this response from Afrihost is laughable! Even your use of english is flawed.

 

[Geoff.D]

I agree with you. There is always what the contract says and what is right in certain circumstances. But that does not excuse anyone for not reading the fine print and understanding what you are signing up for.
Unfortunately, the general knowledge out there about what connectivity is and what can be realistically expected is lacking.
A fixed wireline connection is always better than a mobile connection at a fixed location.
Next, a shared service is by definition inferior to a non shared service.
Then and only then, should one start understanding the nature of the shared services available.
And most importantly, you have to analyse your requirements for connectivity to find out what really matters for you.
Only then can you make a rational choice between services available.
And here is where the service providers fail dismally, the entrenched suppliers as we'll as the dozens of fly by nights around.

 

[neoprema]

I can see how one can get confused here and I totally understand it. However, the ad says "Save up to R4000.00" . This means we are referring to any amount from R0.00 to R4000.00. You are still saving about R2000.00 when you sign up with Vumatel so it does fall into the spectrum of what we are promoting.

We also have all of our Terms and Conditions in the same viewing space as the "Order now" button. We will be adding this to more spots on the sign-up page to make it very clear.

How did I save R2000 lol? I ordered a line, 3 months later Vumatel came and installed it. I plugged in a router I PAID FOR. I'm paying you for Internet.

Vumatel Invoiced me now for R1725 for installation of the fibre.

Can you explain where this magic R2000 (or up to R4000) saving was? Looks like its made up smoke, mirrors and unicorns. False advertising 101.

 

[Peon]

Can you explain where this magic R2000 (or up to R4000) saving was? Looks like its made up smoke, mirrors and unicorns. False advertising 101.

oooooh the pot is boiling nicely i see. Do not point out irregularities to afrihost. Its like the truth for the anc, an unwanted commodity.

 

[IamNoone]

I have a concern here too...

You need to mention that the "Save R4000" does not include Vumatel line installation despite it saying "Setup"
and that "This overall amount of up to R4000 can be used to offset installation and hardware costs if you're new to Fibre" is also excluding actual fibre line installation (I have no idea what installation there is unless you think its costs R4000 to put an ethernet cable in to a router...)

"Installation Included" is clearly just a lie given the invoice I just for from Vumatel claiming the fibre install is MY cost not Afrihosts when I asked them.

This is from the vumatel information page on the Afrihost website.



It is in clear basic language.

 

[neoprema]

View attachment 629578
This is from the vumatel information page on the Afrihost website.

View attachment 629580

It is in clear basic language.

That answers WHY i'm being charged for Vumatel, it still does not answer where I saved "up to R4000" other than on Afrihost's own imposed charges for random things that ISPs wouldn't charge for anyway?

 

[Geoff.D]

For me, it is about misleading advertising that is very hard to prove when need to prove that it misled you into signing up for something that in the end you realised is not what you wanted.
The up to is the dodge. It is the same Bullschit trick pulled with Bandwidth and Data Rates. It is vague enough to get them off the hook about what you actually score. If there is a real saving, for you it should be quantifiable for your very specific offer in exact values.

It always pays to, before you sign, ask this question:

"Tell me precisely what I am going to get and the exact price implications"u Upfront costs as well as on-going month-to-month costs". That always exposes the scams, warts and dodges.

1. The "sign up today" puts pressure on you because it tries to say the offer might not be available tomorrow.
2. The" up to R 4000" is just a vague misleading carrot.
3. The "setup, migration and hardware costs" tries to make out as if it based on legitimate expenses that you could be saving.
4. Then the punch line: "Terms and Conditions Apply", the trap. The T's & C's are full of legalese and jargon, very difficult to read especially when you are in a hurry with a salesman dangling the pen in front of you or tapping a desk on the other side of an online call.
5. The Next IS another crucial point, added almost as an irrelevant point at the end of a basically unrelated paragraph about timing.
6. "The overall amount of R4000 (no longer an "up to" amount, suddenly "fixed)" does NOT cover the Installation fee. The installation fee is directly payable to Vumatel".

The right thing to do is "send me the paperwork and I will read it through first" or "give me the paperwork and I will go home and sleep on it".

 

[AfriNatic]

Guys clearly missing the don't cancel my contract and charge me part, which they cancelled...sounds like they terminated on their end without your permission. It's a customer service thing and I've found theirs to be pathetic on several occasions (barring the rep here)

Unfortunately, this is isn't true. We aren't allowed to reactivate a service that a client has set to cancel as that would be really unethical behaviour from us. Even if there is written email ordering us to do this, we still aren't allowed to this. The client would have to do this on their side and if they didn't do this there is not much we can do from our end.

However, we were wrong in the sense that we left him hanging. This shouldn't have been done we could have advised him on what to do to prevent him from getting charged.