Web Africa billing question

[jan.debeer]

I joined this forum so I can get advice. I am being stonewalled by WebAfrica billing department presently

I subscribed during to their fibre offer - requesting to be activated from 1 September 2017

They proceeded to activate the line the next day (23 August) and sent me a bill for all of August. I opened a number of call relating to this stating I did not order immediate activation and I am not liable for paying for a service I did not order

After some time, they gave me credit for August (up till 23rd) but still expect payment from me for the remained of August saying (in separate call responses)
- I must pay because the line was available for use whether I used it or not
- They have no control over when Vuma activates the line and I am liable for payment

My calls simply get closed after that.

Here is my issue
- Their fulfillment process is flawed - They offer a service activation of the next month and should honour my request
- I did not even have a router delivered when the expect payment of service usage
- I made a point of not using the service until 1 September to not add any confusion the resolving this. I plugged in my router after midnight 21 August on the morning of 1 September

On a customer relationship level they are simply rude:
- The do not place calls is a resolved state after answering, allowing me to indicate if I am happy with their resolution. I am simply cut off and have to open new calls to continue the discussion
- My history of this have been deleted, I have the emails and call numbers but their system does not show the calls
- Any new calls relating to this are ignored and deleted

They are ignoring my request to show that I used the service and to (as point 1) acknowledge that I did not order the service for immediate activation, but rather for 1 September.

It is not a lot of money - about R260 or so that I was overbilled for, but if this is a general practice they are scoring big time by screwing people due to their flawed fulfilment process.

The issue is between them and Vuma for early activation and I cannot be held accountable for that cost

Any advice on how to proceed?

 

[Pienats]

Cancel and sign up with Cool Ideas. Much happiness will ensue.

 

[jan.debeer]

I considered that but they will likely expect payment for their router.

 

[Pienats]

Do you mean WebAfrica will expect payment for the router? In that case just tell them they can have it back.

Cool Idea's router is free.

 

[Pienats]

Just a headsup that WebAFrica will almost definitely charge you the R999 connection fee though.

 

[jan.debeer]

Just a headsup that WebAFrica will almost definitely charge you the R999 connection fee though.

Exactly

They screw me on siging up and will definitley screw me on the connection fee when leaving. The router is 'free' is you stay a year.

Thank for suggesting I bypass the problem an going somehere else. I would like to have it resoved as I believe others are being taken for this practice too.

 

[mister]

Exactly

They screw me on siging up and will definitley screw me on the connection fee when leaving. The router is 'free' is you stay a year.

Thank for suggesting I bypass the problem an going somehere else. I would like to have it resoved as I believe others are being taken for this practice too.

Sometimes it's worth taking the hit and just moving elsewhere... You've just had the demo version of what you can expect from them in the future.

 

[jan.debeer]

Sometimes it's worth taking the hit and just moving elsewhere... You've just had the demo version of what you can expect from them in the future.

R999,00 is a big knock. They score either way and it is wrong.

 

[Pienats]

Agreed. You might try threatening with the CPA, but sounds like you're outside of the 30 day period for that.

 

[jan.debeer]

Agreed. You might try threatening with the CPA, but sounds like you're outside of the 30 day period for that.

Not really, as I tried the internal route first and they did not resolve.