The Last Post
Okay - my last post:
a) For those who think that 'few posts on forum = minimal potential of being valid'. Bad logic. I'll prove it further in.)
b) I went to IBurst and they met with me knowing that I am a journalist.
c) I was sniffing around for the possibility of a freebie service, or some interestingly useful
'exchange of service for advertising' type of deal that is routine in Media.
d) All the comments they made at me, WERE made - although whether they stated the things they did, and behaved in the way they did because 'I'm a journalist', or because they truly believe them, is unknown.
e) I felt that the things they were saying needed to be communicated to the forum, regardless - and as there was no 'off the record' requests by them, they clearly felt content and secure with what they were saying.
f) Even though there was the chance of a deal potentially occurring with IBurst, the things they were saying didn't sit well with me - and I made a decision call to make the initial post, regardless of whether this screwed up the possible deal. (I tend to be compulsively honest, regarding this as more important and ethical than worrying about my own possible 'benefit' sometimes.)
g) Since the post, I got tired of waiting for my Editor to come back to me with firm info on some kind of useful arrangement - so I forked out cash for the modem and the '30 day notice' contract, becoming a regular customer of IBurst - altho I'm still with Sentech...
h) The one thing that irked me enough to decide to share the info with the forum, was when I was asked just what exactly did I download (that would make me so adamant that a 3 gig cap was utterly insufficient) - and when I replied 'movies and that sort of thing'. Thami Mtashali (chief operating officer) leaned forward with a big smile and said "We'll RENT you some movies rather."
Laughs all round from the assembled folks.
The overall approach which they were taking was precisely as I detailed in my first post on this thread. Again, I don't know if this was a manufactured general construct they chose to 'show' me because I am a journo - or because its what they truly believe. I was quite blatant about the disgusting service I've experienced from Sentech, with them - but they made no real responsive comment in this regard.
(Mention was made elsewhere in passing, about meetings having taken place with Sentech, but unfortunately I didn't pursue this interesting nugget of info)
They also professed to - as I said in my first post - not pay much attention to this forum, and used the words 'a minority' very specifically. Oddly enough, just like various Sentech PR people have, in the media, at various points.
I know there's an online presence of WBS personnel, mostly on IRC (and here as well) - but again, this appeared to be 'news' to the people when I mentioned it. (Although again, I don't know how much of their reaction was 'reality' and 'true' - versus their desire to present a standard corporate 'we're unaware of this and its not official' reaction to a journalist.
From having had a LOT of hands-on experience with Sentech and its 'service', I watched as what I interpreted as a fairly dismissive approach towards consumers needing far more than 3gigs as a norm, began being raised more and more, during the discussion.
I tried various tacks to see how flexible they were on this issue, but the general response was by turns unconcerned and almost shocked at the repeated statements by me to the effect that a mere 3 gigs usage was nowhere near sufficient or acceptable as a norm.
This is the point where chief technical officer Parvin airily dismissed the 'need' for more than 3 gigs by anyone as being basically unreasonable. I did notice that all heads turned to him, each time it was raised by me. He spoke, they quieted.
While treading the dodgy path of sniffing them out for a possible mutually useful arrangement - yet wanting to confront some of the things they seemed to think were fine, and which I did not accept at all. I knew that I was in a priviliged position, and should ask all the things that other forumites would ask, if they were in the same situation..
I tried pushing and asking, for instance 'If you're putting a 3 gig cap in place - what's the difference then between you and ADSL? You're not offering anything that doesnt already exist.' (The 'mobility' angle was floated in reply to this.)
As it stands now, I have the spare cash to enjoy a brief experiment. So I bought the modem unit, and paid for a couple of months in advance, and I'll enjoy the current apparently 'uncapped' service up until it starts to suck, thereafter, I'll cancel. No problem. To me, the money outlay is worth it to have even a month or two of vaguely decent speeds, after most of this year whining and bitching at Sentech.
So IBurst is my brief Xmas present to myself.
As for the 'buy back modem'policy - while signing papers, I asked, and watched as one of the staffers carefully took the contract and peered at the fine writing on the back, before eventually announcing that 'theres a seven day period in which you can return it'. So I don't hold out too much hope in getting a return on my outlay. I dont care really. I've waved goodbye to the money I've spent, and am now briefly a user of both Sentech AND IBurst.
Like I said, the instant that IBurst begin to suck, I'm gone - and will return to the fraudulently slow bad 24/7 slow-modem service of Sentech. Thereafter, I'm watching the market for the next better alternative to appear, and do the same testing approach, until I'm sure its decent, then I'll cancel Sentech finally.
Sentech have taught me that throwing good money after bad, and wasting energy and time in trying to 'make an incompetent and blatantly profiteering company see its errors and fix its bad service' - just doesn't work. Ever.
If IBurst turn into Sentech, then bye bye instantly..
So a few grand has gotten me some speeds for now, but I'm ready to cancel and deprive them of any further money. ("Loyalty" is for my friends and family, not for a company I'm paying for a service. Any attempts to suggest that 'loyalty' is important, is a con-job by the company that wants your money)
Sentech have also taught me that - even if there are decent, hardworking, genuinely friendly folks working down on the customer support and tech-levels - it means absolutely nothing, if the top management structure have their own agenda and policy.
So I know that Sentech (and IBurst) both have decent folks working for them, techies doing their best and help-centre folks fielding calls - but ultimately the only thing that counts, is what is decided 'is best for the Customer' in the boardrooms.
So any Iburst workers reading this, don't make the mistake of taking anything said here personally - and that its understood that there is a BIG difference between the individual worker trying to provide a good service, and doing a decent job - and the upper management who make the Policy of the company.
So you Iburst (and you Sentech people) reading the forum, there are those of us who know that you are in the middle, between a rock and a hard place. Its upper management who are at fault, not you. So rest easy
There do appear to be a couple of options looming on the horizon in the new year, and time will tell whether any of them are worth repeating this somewhat expensive but worth-it-to-me experiment.
I hope this clarifies some of the issues for the various folks looking to make their own decision call on which way to go, or how to proceed viz 24/7 net.
My choice was 'expend money and get Iburst now up until their cap/bandwidth management' phase kills their service, (or reputation) - and if it does - then cancel. Put modem in cupboard & return to stinky Sentech. Await new wireless companies.'
But that's just me, and not for everyone.
So IBurst will have got a few grand for the modem and a couple of months fees, nothing more. If enough people operate in a similar way, then IBurst will fail, or be forced to alter their policy.
(According to person X at Iburst, that I spoke with while doing the signup, this IS how the majority of their new customers are doing it. 30 day contracts. Very few have done the 'two year' thing.
Good.
We'll see how IBurst behaves with a possible mass withdrawal of their incoming monthly finances, the instant their service becomes capped and/or slows down.
Unlike Sentech, this might even force them to change their policy as their profits drop below projected targets.
There you have it.
THX1138 A.K.A LoneGunman
(Sentech's favourite customer, now also IBursts favourite customer.)
I won't be posting again, unless I run across something else of use for forumites, as in this case. So hold off on wasting energy on flames
)
Hope everyone's well..
*goes back into the mists of online activity*
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