Taking action against screamers

[natnat]

After posting my comments yesterday I browsed through some of the existing discussions re creamers, its clear that I am not the only “victim” of what I begin to suspect is a scam. So the question is what can be done about it? Its clear that there are more then enough people to verify that we are dealing with falls advertising, and withholding of refunds… any idea who we should approach to stop those people?

 

[bboy]

Screamer business model.

Falsely advertise.
"We have uncapped adsl for you"
Reality, we have really expensive dsl connection to our own private network.

Customers come flying in blindly thinking they will get what excpected.

Screamer tech dept 6pm, ok fellas, lets roll the dice, ooh, a 4, that means we will disconnect the internet at least 8 times today and effectively only give them 5 hours of actual connection and doing so save us money.

Support department,"phone ring", ah, roll dice, ooh 3 rolled, check script," oh sorry sir, you need to reboot your modem", 1 rolled.."its a problem with our upstream provider" ,2,4,5,6 rolled dont even bother to answer.

Forum monkey, roll dice, ahh 6 " Its ok folks, tomorrow we will take NAT away and upgrade our links and we had a bunch of new subscribers, no worries just keep paying us and we'll keep doing the same **** every week". 4 Rolled, make fake Mybb account and give praise to self.

etc etc

 

[DeSLAM]

Coming to your court soon...before the end of the year. Will apply to the whole Information and Communication Technology industry, advertising, product sales and services.

Consumer Protection Act 2008, Act 68-2008

And yes you can initiate a class action suit, penalties of R1 million or 10% of turnover, whatever is the greatest.

 

[unwired]

Coming to your court soon...before the end of the year. Will apply to the whole Information and Communication Technology industry, advertising, product sales and services.

Consumer Protection Act 2008, Act 68-2008

And yes you can initiate a class action suit, penalties of R1 million or 10% of turnover, whatever is the greatest.

Would you really want to? Screamer (and Digichilli) are doing something never seen before in this country - provide affordable uncapped internet. For less than R 400 - eat all you want.

If something like that were to happen, it would certainly kill all innovation in the ISP industry - and we'd never see uncapped internet for less than R 1000 pm.

Give em some time - 6 months top

 

[rsifan]

Would you really want to? Screamer (and Digichilli) are doing something never seen before in this country - provide affordable uncapped internet. For less than R 400 - eat all you want.

If something like that were to happen, it would certainly kill all innovation in the ISP industry - and we'd never see uncapped internet for less than R 1000 pm.

Give em some time - 6 months top

Would you really wait 6 months for your ISP to sort out their network, seeing how unstable DC and Screamer network is?

I would love for DC and Screamer to succeed, BUT, I really understand why their customers are getting fed up!

I've read a lot of the threads in regard to DC and Screamer, and there are a lot of complaints regarding things like support calls/ emails not being answered, I think the least a company can do is to communicate effectively with their clients when there is a problem.

I appreciate the threads created on this forum from the respective ISP reps, but what about those customers that don't read this forum??

About not wanting to take legal action - I know that DC and Screamer have started something in SA that could lead to better things for us the users, BUT, if they were to fail, I'm sure that someone else would step in to take their place, and hopefully will learn from the mistakes DC and Screamer seem to have made in terms of bandwidth bought, support etc. The fact that they were the first companies offering uncapped should not be an excuse to accept sub-standard level of service or support.

 

[Spartaniz]

Would you really want to? Screamer (and Digichilli) are doing something never seen before in this country - provide affordable uncapped internet. For less than R 400 - eat all you want.

If something like that were to happen, it would certainly kill all innovation in the ISP industry - and we'd never see uncapped internet for less than R 1000 pm.

Give em some time - 6 months top

i totally agree with you

 

[unwired]

Would you really wait 6 months for your ISP to sort out their network, seeing how unstable DC and Screamer network is?

I would love for DC and Screamer to succeed, BUT, I really understand why their customers are getting fed up!

I've read a lot of the threads in regard to DC and Screamer, and there are a lot of complaints regarding things like support calls/ emails not being answered, I think the least a company can do is to communicate effectively with their clients when there is a problem.

I appreciate the threads created on this forum from the respective ISP reps, but what about those customers that don't read this forum??

About not wanting to take legal action - I know that DC and Screamer have started something in SA that could lead to better things for us the users, BUT, if they were to fail, I'm sure that someone else would step in to take their place, and hopefully will learn from the mistakes DC and Screamer seem to have made in terms of bandwidth bought, support etc. The fact that they were the first companies offering uncapped should not be an excuse to accept sub-standard level of service or support.

Rome wasnt built in a day
These companies have just started up. There is no way that they are going to set up and be up an running 100% on all fronts from Day 1.
This takes time.

Ideally they would have started with all their processes mapped out, documented and tested. But that will not always be the case - maybe for a Vodacom or MTN - yes.

This is a startup - with limited resources. They also would not be able to have a 6 month test phase - that would just bankrupt them - and they need cash flow to survive.

Perhaps Screamer could take a leaf out of the DigiChilli book, and offer a discount to all their users - except maybe increase the discount percentage to 40% - with no guarantees/service levels/uptime - for a 3 month period.

That would allow them some cash flow and allow users to test their network rigorously - kill 2 birds at the same time. Potentially happy users and constructive feedback from users. No whingeing/whining.

After 3/6 months - network is more stable - cancel discount. Business as usual.

 

[Left4Dead]

Lols I think Screamer should pay bboy for the new slogan.

 

[Thestealth]

It has NEVER been the industry standard to get consumers to pay YOU so that they can be your testers until you decide to lift your game and make sure your network is reliable. I can't believe that some of you folks are so blind and loyal to DC and screamer. Attitudes like that are the reason the SA consumer is still being shafted. If they want to bring "innovation", make sure its working before you market it. Bring on the consumer act so that the mickey mouse operations can stop stealing from us.

 

[Prof.]

Just get SAOL.

 

[heynnow]

Rome wasnt built in a day
These companies have just started up. There is no way that they are going to set up and be up an running 100% on all fronts from Day 1.
This takes time.

Ideally they would have started with all their processes mapped out, documented and tested. But that will not always be the case - maybe for a Vodacom or MTN - yes.

This is a startup - with limited resources. They also would not be able to have a 6 month test phase - that would just bankrupt them - and they need cash flow to survive.

Perhaps Screamer could take a leaf out of the DigiChilli book, and offer a discount to all their users - except maybe increase the discount percentage to 40% - with no guarantees/service levels/uptime - for a 3 month period.

That would allow them some cash flow and allow users to test their network rigorously - kill 2 birds at the same time. Potentially happy users and constructive feedback from users. No whingeing/whining.

After 3/6 months - network is more stable - cancel discount. Business as usual.

You pay, you get. You pay and you dont get, thank you and goodbye.

 

[rward]

Would you really want to? Screamer (and Digichilli) are doing something never seen before in this country - provide affordable uncapped internet. For less than R 400 - eat all you want.

If something like that were to happen, it would certainly kill all innovation in the ISP industry - and we'd never see uncapped internet for less than R 1000 pm.

Give em some time - 6 months top

They are trying to and unfortunately not succeeding.

It would be great if they did, but they're not.
Maybe they should shut their doors for the next 5 months, get some testers signed up and actually get their systems working 100%.
THEN open up to the public (again) and provide what is expected from day 1.

Right now, they're doing more damage than good - why do I say that?
In the beginning I was recommending digichlli to a lot of my firends and colleagues, then I signed up for an account (start of december) and had 2 weeks of "almost there". Now I warn people against them as they unfortunately cannot provide what they advertise.

I have also heard of people doing 51 gigs of downloads in the december period - myself, I think I managed 5, maybe..

Screamer - no personal experience, but reading what has been written on these forums, I also wouldn't recommend them to anyone.

My experience with SAOL has got myself and 2 friends signed up for their R499 uncapped. Anyone else I meet that is looking for uncapped - I'm sending their way.

Cry "Rome wasn't built in a day" and you should get a response that there were no advertisements of golf courses and shopping malls either..

 

[unwired]

They are trying to and unfortunately not succeeding.

It would be great if they did, but they're not.
Maybe they should shut their doors for the next 5 months, get some testers signed up and actually get their systems working 100%.
THEN open up to the public (again) and provide what is expected from day 1.

Right now, they're doing more damage than good - why do I say that?
In the beginning I was recommending digichlli to a lot of my firends and colleagues, then I signed up for an account (start of december) and had 2 weeks of "almost there". Now I warn people against them as they unfortunately cannot provide what they advertise.

I have also heard of people doing 51 gigs of downloads in the december period - myself, I think I managed 5, maybe..

Screamer - no personal experience, but reading what has been written on these forums, I also wouldn't recommend them to anyone.

My experience with SAOL has got myself and 2 friends signed up for their R499 uncapped. Anyone else I meet that is looking for uncapped - I'm sending their way.

Cry "Rome wasn't built in a day" and you should get a response that there were no advertisements of golf courses and shopping malls either..

Its too late to shut shop now and then reopen in 5 months time. May as well sound the death knell. What's done cant be undone.

Incidentally why did you recommend DC when you had no experience of their service?

 

[rward]

Its too late to shut shop now and then reopen in 5 months time. May as well sound the death knell. What's done cant be undone.

Incidentally why did you recommend DC when you had no experience of their service?

Because I liked what they were saying and wanted them to succeed. I took what they said at face value and I thought that what they said is what they would deliver.

Naive? damn right.

Proven wrong? damn right.

Unfortunate? yes.

Would SA be a better place if they had succeeded? Probably.

Same could be said for Screamer.. (from what I've heard)

 

[rward]

am I wrong to be naive - I don't think so.
Spur offers a Goodie burger, burger with cheese and mushroom sauce and a pineapple ring, with chips and garnish.
That's what I see on the menu, I order it and that's what I expect to get. If I don't get it, my order is rectified very promptly and I am satisfied.

Digichilli, unfortunately, left out the burger ..
then they did not have enough burgers.
then they ordered the burger making machine ( the DPI around christmas)
and then they spent the next couple of days trying to figure out how the burger making machine works ..

and still, people are waiting or their burgers.

For all you "ROME" people out there, substitute "burger" with "ROME".

goodnight.

 

[Keeper]

am I wrong to be naive - I don't think so.
Spur offers a Goodie rome, rome with cheese and mushroom sauce and a pineapple ring, with chips and garnish.
That's what I see on the menu, I order it and that's what I expect to get. If I don't get it, my order is rectified very promptly and I am satisfied.

Digichilli, unfortunately, left out the rome ..
then they did not have enough rome.
then they ordered the rome making machine ( the DPI around christmas)
and then they spent the next couple of days trying to figure out how the rome making machine works ..

and still, people are waiting on their rome.

For all you "ROME" people out there, substitute "burger" with "ROME".

goodnight.

 

[unwired]

am I wrong to be naive - I don't think so.
Spur offers a Goodie burger, burger with cheese and mushroom sauce and a pineapple ring, with chips and garnish.
That's what I see on the menu, I order it and that's what I expect to get. If I don't get it, my order is rectified very promptly and I am satisfied.

Digichilli, unfortunately, left out the burger ..
then they did not have enough burgers.
then they ordered the burger making machine ( the DPI around christmas)
and then they spent the next couple of days trying to figure out how the burger making machine works ..

and still, people are waiting or their burgers.

For all you "ROME" people out there, substitute "burger" with "ROME".

goodnight.

Listen, I get where you are coming from. 1st day I signed up with Screamer - no access. 2nd day - it kicked in. On the 5th and 6th days limited/slow access as well. Thankfully there has been no problem since.
Although no measure of an uncapped products's success - in the +- 5-6 days I have had access I have managed to download +- 13g of data.

I daresay that if the trend continues, I may well hit 30g - which is what I subscribed to the product for. If you trawl the screamer thread you will find others who have had similar successes.

I dont deny that there have been stresses in not having 100% continuous access - but from what I can see it is improving.

 

[rward]

??

well maybe not a direct "rome" to "burger" substitution, but you get the drift?

 

[rward]

Listen, I get where you are coming from. 1st day I signed up with Screamer - no access. 2nd day - it kicked in. On the 5th and 6th days limited/slow access as well. Thankfully there has been no problem since.
Although no measure of an uncapped products's success - in the +- 5-6 days I have had access I have managed to download +- 13g of data.

I daresay that if the trend continues, I may well hit 30g - which is what I subscribed to the product for. If you trawl the screamer thread you will find others who have had similar successes.

I dont deny that there have been stresses in not having 100% continuous access - but from what I can see it is improving.

Fair enought - I'm using this thread as a vent for digichill (someone before me forked the thread that way) and I have no experience with screamer.

I have also stated that while i got maybe 5 gigs downloaded (probably more 3) for the entire month of december, others have downloaded 51 gigs..

Sorry for semi-hijacking and ****ting up your screamer thread, but I place both ISP's in the same category..

Neither ISP are absolute crap, but I get the feeling that Screamer (from posts on this board) and Digichill (from personla experience) should have done a **** ton more testing instead of trying to be "first to market"

Taking the rest of my reply to a new reply incase someone is quoting this while I'm editing.

 

[rward]

If you play with fire you can expect to be burnt.

If you don't get burnt then double bonus.
I think both screamer and digichilli have been entering the "play with fire" realm in offering what they are when they have offered it.
If you look at the established ISP's in SA (axxess, SAOL, WA, IS, SAIX, Telkom), none of them have budged in their pricing.
The CEO of Web Africa himself has posted that they are gathering data during January 2010 to be able to see what the trends are and how they can best structure their packages for the future.
None of them are willing to get their fingers burnt and try 'pre-empt' each other and gain market share through rash actions.
Afrihost have done the best of the lot and I (personally) think (and hope) that they are gaining from their gamble. IS, the ones supplying them with the bandwidth are probably happy because they are gettign extra income, no matter if afrihost succeed or fail.

Screamer and Digichill appear to be, unfortunately, out in the cold.
They appear to have offered the best but now are struggling to deliver and are getting burnt.

That's the risk they knew they were taking by being early adopters and offering what they do offer. If they succeed then they are the golden banana!
If they fail, they're burnt.

Even though I'm now with SAOL, I still (and from when I first tried Digichilli) hope that both companies do succeed and that they both do damn DAMN well, earning the people that took the risks in investing in them a **** ton of money. I REALLY REALLY do hope that they get everything sorted out and succeed. Honestly I do.