Warning: Mweb will slow down heavy Internet users

[Sneeky]

I am not a high end user and have a 'sketchy' premium account, and 'if' my service improves because 1-3% of the heavier users got booted or slowed down a bit, I will be happy.

That said, some people with some reallly low numbers got letters insinuating abuse from Mweb and that is NOT COOL!

 

[Necuno]

I am not a high end user and have a 'sketchy' premium account, and 'if' my service improves because 1-3% of the heavier users got booted or slowed down a bit, I will be happy.

That said, some people with some reallly low numbers got letters insinuating abuse from Mweb and that is NOT COOL!

Until the line becomes 50gb p/m and then 25gb p/m... The Black box is back. lol.

 

[vinodh]

I'll be sending my cancellation to them soon. Just need to do some research on who will be my new ISP. Openweb is looking good so far.

 

[Sneeky]

Until the line becomes 50gb p/m and then 25gb p/m... The Black box is back. lol.

I hear you, and apologize openly for my comment last night to you, but the just of it it stands. It seems the pie is only so big and we need to share the lurv.

 

[markings]

Then stop ****ing using the 'uncapped' word when selling your products It's a scam. It's not uncapped.

Slowing down the connection is not capping it. We know that the low end users are subsidising the uncapped ones. Don't exepct that on top of it we should also put up with a degraded network connection because of the the way you use your uncapped one!

 

[markings]

Totally not at all surprised... I knew this was going to happen sooner or later.
Like I told you guys, Mweb is not an ethical company and they are not to be trusted.
I feel vindicated!

Do they not have an AUP which is available for scrutinity when one subscribes? If one subscribes to MWEB with the full knowledge what that implies and then exceeds it, or intends to exceeds it from teh very beginning, who shows the unethical behaviour here?

 

[supersunbird]

Slowing down the connection is not capping it. We know that the low end users are subsidising the uncapped ones. Don't exepct that on top of it we should also put up with a degraded network connection because of the the way you use your uncapped one!

Then shape the content used by uncapped people that is degrading the network experience.

 

[MickeyD]

Do they not have an AUP which is available for scrutinity when one subscribes? If one subscribes to MWEB with the full knowledge what that implies and then exceeds it, or intends to exceeds it from teh very beginning, who shows the unethical behaviour here?

In that case the ISP should indicate the acceptable usage limit. This will assist the user to make an informed decision.

 

[supersunbird]

Do they not have an AUP which is available for scrutinity when one subscribes? If one subscribes to MWEB with the full knowledge what that implies and then exceeds it, or intends to exceeds it from teh very beginning, who shows the unethical behaviour here?

Yes, and they clearly stated "in the olden day" that they will not throttle. Now they say they will throttle. They changed the rules, people will bitch about the rules changing, you get it when road speed limits change, recipes of popular products change, when prices go higher. So just leave the complainers alone, they can complain and move.

 

[Crowley]

Slowing down the connection is not capping it. We know that the low end users are subsidising the uncapped ones. Don't exepct that on top of it we should also put up with a degraded network connection because of the the way you use your uncapped one!

All good and well until they change the UAP again and you are in the top 3%, causing "congestion" and degrading the network for the people who only use 30Gb a month.

 

[marine1]

I would think they could open themselves to either legal action or cancellation without 30 days notice.
You can't just changed things when someone is in a contract and when you have been doing 400 gigs a month for 3 years and that was fine, mweb can't just change their minds and say it's now unacceptable

 

[MickeyD]

FREE THE WEB !!!

 

[Zenbaas]

I would think they could open themselves to either legal action or cancellation without 30 days notice.
You can't just changed things when someone is in a contract and when you have been doing 400 gigs a month for 3 years and that was fine, mweb can't just change their minds and say it's now unacceptable

Guess we'll see how it plays out.

 

[LazyLion]

Do they not have an AUP which is available for scrutinity when one subscribes? If one subscribes to MWEB with the full knowledge what that implies and then exceeds it, or intends to exceeds it from teh very beginning, who shows the unethical behaviour here?

Well, the AUP was problematic from day one. It did not match the definition of "uncapped", but be that as it may, they made certain statements which at that time re-assured users that they would not be limited. Since then they have moved the goal posts several times, hence my accusation of unfairness.

They actually did the same thing years ago in 2008 with the local uncapped product that they offered. They let users download as much as they want and then came back and gave them all warnings and threats when they did just that.

I suppose now though, with these e-mails they are at last finally giving a clear indication of the limit. 100 GB. So this once again is not an uncapped product (which we said from day one). Rather it is a 100 Gb capped product.

 

[marine1]

Guess we'll see how it plays out.

Yip.
This is a colossal screw up on mweb side

 

[Exaelea]

AFRIHOST for the win. Check out AFRIHOST super user and then you will see what AH users can download

Careful about praising/jumping to Afrish*t before doing research. I jumped to a 4mb uncapped account 4 months ago and was throttled once i hit 80Gb on a 4mb uncapped account. Went back to openweb prompty and had no issues, even after doing over 200gb. Even did a 120gb nonstop in less than 10days and still they didnt throttle.

 

[Necuno]

some interesting stories floating about

Sent cancellation (see my email to Mweb below) also. There are a couple of things you should be aware of (after I chatted to Mweb customer care):

The Premium Uncapped ADSL product is indeed not uncapped but metered. The recent correspondence from Mweb representatives makes this clear - when there is mention of "threshold", a product can not be uncapped if there is a cap or threshold (all Mweb advertising implies that there is no cap - see here for example http://www.mweb.co.za/helpcentre/UncappedADSL.aspx)

The Mweb email was sent out on the 8th August (in my opinion this date was picked on purpose - long weekend) which (based on Mweb opinion) allows you to only cancel 30th September (30 days notice, oops sorry - you missed the cancellation window for August). If you are on a bundle account (data + line) you will need to transfer your line first to Telkom before you can use it elsewhere (I am unsure if Mweb in case of a dispute is able to "suspend" the line or prevent the line from being utilised for another purpose)

This is my cancellation mail (attached cancellation form and screenshots of false advertising (Facebook)

Dear Mweb,

please find attached request for immediate cancellation of my Premium ADSL Uncapped account and immediate migration of my ADSL line (011 46# ####) back to Telkom.

Based on your email received on 8th August 2013 and various correspondence via your Mweb representatives (Allison - customer care and Mweb guy - MyBroadband) I was informed that you are changing the terms of agreement on my Premium Uncapped ADSL account based on my usage behaviour. My cancellation is based on your feedback that your terms of service will change due to my usage behaviour reaching an unacceptable threshold. Since I signed up for an uncapped account which you advertise as uncapped, unshaped and unthrottled (see copies of FB advertisement as well as various online advertisements), I can unfortunately not accept that you impose capped and throttled restrictions on my Premium Uncapped account from 1st September 2013.

I consider this change in terms of service a breach of contract and will not accept (as suggested by Allison from Mweb customer care) that I can only move my account after 30th September 2013 as I missed my cancellation period for August. I do believe that Mweb purposefully submitted the email notice "We may have to slow down your Internet speeds" on 8th August (before a public holiday and long weekend and in the middle of a month) to avoid an excessive amount of cancellations during the month of August.

Either way - please action the following with immediate effect (all to be done by no later than 31st August 2013)
(1) Confirm receipt of email and cancellation form attached
(2) Initiate migration of my ADSL line 011 46# #### to Telkom
(3) Cancel my Mweb Premium Uncapped ADSL account

I have instructed my bank not to process any debit orders from Mweb going forward and I will only be prepared to settle the outstanding amount of R899 for August (and no other amounts due).

It is unfortunate that after nearly 2 years I had to cancel my service with Mweb, but I do think your executive team should have properly evaluated and communicated your change of service. Based on your correspondence and the feedback provided by your Mweb representatives on various support channels, it has become evident that your Premium ADSL Uncapped product is indeed metered and capped although your marketing material indicates otherwise. I will additionally forward complaints to the various industry bodies (ASA, ISPA, CPA, ICASA) as it is my opinion that your current advertising of a Premium Uncapped product is misleading to customers as the product is indeed not uncapped.

 

[Petec]

All they have to state is what monthly subscription cash amount, get's you what type of internet access.
"For R400 all inclusive you get a 1 meg line, and when you hit 50gig download, you are throttled down to, say, 300k or 150k line speed."
Something like that. That way we can manage our downloads and plan ahead...

The reality is that this country has now got more than ever backbone landing at our shores. But, the "controllers" of said access are unethical and not committed to true upliftment. They propaganda and lie without recourse. They aim to take our money and then provide inconsistent service compared to what we are supposed to be paying for.
They are a business, whose main line is "profit first and profit above all else". Such thinking and action is unsustainable.
It would boon them to learn a bit about business ethics.

 

[fbman]

Calling Mweb support re above letter I was told that this mailer was sent to all uncapped subscribers exceeding 100GB usage per month and they do not know what the actual parameters applied will be. I am also trying to establish if the 1mb uncapped(premium) and 2mb uncapped products are now being treated the same.

I do over 100 gig every month I never got a letter

 

[medicnick83]

I reckon we just all cancel our uncapped packages and goto other places who don't screw us over like MWEB does, then when enough people cancel and MWEB start seeing it on their bank balances and have to let staff go because they can't afford to pay them anymore, they might realize that screwing us over was the worst thing they can do.

I had this same discussion with so many people and it seems they are all changing over to other ISP's.

There is abuse and there is ABUSE.

I've only done 30GB this month and they are already nailing me.

Screw them!

I'm just giving them time to realize and change their stupid setup, if not, I'll go spend my money elsewhere - the power of competition and CHANGE!