Wireless internet dispute, need advice

[RaFi]

I am currently in dispute with my wireless internet service provider. I will explain the situation then would like comments on who is right in this scenario.

My community do not have access to any ADSL lines for internet and no major wireless provider. A private company is providing the service, but the owner lives some distance away.

The equipment on the roof is paid for by me, but the service provider is withholding the login details from me, using the argument if he allows people to change the settings he have to drive out in order to fix it.

For the past 3 weeks the internet is total crap, packet losses and huge ping spikes are in order. I phoned the provider and explained the situation to him. I use WinMTR where I can see what the condition of the line is and it was bad, I emailed the logs to him so he can see. Later that evening he phones me telling me that he is trying to update the firmware from his house but there is some problem and he can't update them. He also states that he can see my signal strength is weak. I ask him what I can do and replies that he will send someone out the next day. I agree to this.

The next day the guy shows up, update the firmware, we also change the direction of the grid. The signal strength is now better. He quickly leaves without testing the net. I am still having the same problems.

The next day I receive a invoice for the call out. And this is where I feel the service provider is in the wrong.

My argument is as follows:

The service provider have total control over my equipment, flat out refusing to give me the login details. Since he controls the equipment, I feel he is responsible for keeping it up to date and fixing the problems. I have no control whatsoever over the equipment, therefore cannot be held responsible for any maintenance on the equipment.
The problem was then in their area of responsibility and I should not pay for a call out. In the past 5 years I have never paid for any call out, because every time the problem was with the equipment.

He claims that I agreed to the call out and should pay for it. (Nowhere during the call was it stated that I would pay for the call out)

I don't mind paying for the call out, but really feel he is in the wrong here. Especially since he outright refuse to give me the login details so that I can see when the signal strength is down and do the updates myself.
Also considering that the net is still screwed.

Can I please get some unbiased input on this matter.

BTW, this is the WinmTR result, its the path from my house to my Battlefield 3 server, hosted by Mweb:
The % is the loss.

|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| WinMTR statistics |
| Host - % | Sent | Recv | Best | Avrg | Wrst | Last |
|------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|
| ***.***.*.* - 0 | 242 | 242 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| ***.**.*.** - 19 | 139 | 113 | 0 | 55 | 641 | 6 |
| ***.**.*.** - 16 | 148 | 125 | 2 | 69 | 1296 | 36 |
| ***.**.*.** - 19 | 140 | 114 | 3 | 34 | 480 | 7 |
| ***.**.*.* - 25 | 123 | 93 | 4 | 91 | 1193 | 31 |
| ***.**.*.* - 24 | 124 | 95 | 4 | 84 | 1097 | 30 |
| ***.**.*.* - 20 | 136 | 110 | 0 | 83 | 1196 | 46 |
| ***.**.*.** - 25 | 121 | 91 | 9 | 138 | 1100 | 57 |
| dsl-243-44-01.telkomadsl.co.za - 41 | 92 | 55 | 36 | 168 | 1319 | 66 |
| cdsl2-rba-vl2663.ip.isnet.net - 45 | 87 | 48 | 32 | 140 | 654 | 53 |
| cdsl2-rba-vl150.ip.isnet.net - 50 | 81 | 41 | 0 | 136 | 988 | 118 |
| 168.209.1.140 - 46 | 85 | 46 | 39 | 117 | 654 | 66 |
| 196.26.0.10 - 57 | 74 | 32 | 0 | 172 | 1198 | 99 |
| mweb-1.jinx.net.za - 59 | 72 | 30 | 0 | 116 | 612 | 47 |
| tengige0-2-0-0.vic-up-1.mweb.co.za - 38 | 96 | 60 | 39 | 169 | 1198 | 54 |
| 197-80-4-126.jhb.mweb.co.za - 45 | 88 | 49 | 34 | 124 | 612 | 107 |
| vl-11.vic-hscore-1.mweb.co.za - 46 | 85 | 46 | 38 | 145 | 1172 | 91 |
| 197-80-132-6.jhb.mweb.co.za - 52 | 79 | 38 | 0 | 151 | 1100 | 76 |
| 197.80.198.66 - 50 | 81 | 41 | 0 | 145 | 1197 | 67 |
| 196.28.69.40 - 45 | 87 | 48 | 0 | 96 | 535 | 52 |
|________________________________________________|______|______|______|______|______|______|
WinMTR v0.92 GPL V2 by Appnor MSP - Fully Managed Hosting & Cloud Provider

 

[Grant]

The arrangement seems a little bizarre!
You own the equipment, the equipment is located on your property, & the account is yours !
This is the first time I have heard of an ISP withholding login details from a client. I can get my head around an ISP being a little reluctant to give the details to all and sundry, but it would appear that you are the person who keeps an eye on the system "on -site". It would therefore make sense you have login details.
Usually when a company withholds these type of details it's an attempt to keep the client "crippled" & reliant on chargeable call-out fees, however, you have not been charged in the past 5 years, so that is clearly not the scenario here.

I agree with your argument.
They will probably argue that the grid had to be realigned (as a result of wind / a loose bracket / someone tampering / whatever...).
I would offer to pay the call-out charge but insist the login details are supplied.
From the ISP point it should not really be an issue, as if yourself or anyone else keeps mucking with configuration / settings, they could quite legitimately start charging every time they are called out to "undo any mess".
I get the clear impression that your ISP is in fact an ethical outfit save this particular instance.
Go in, pay the charge & have a face to face with the man who runs the show - far more effective than a telephone conversation.

 

[Rhino]

1. Did you purchase the equipment from the provider ?
2. Did you or the provider perform the equipment install ?

 

[RaFi]

After some trouble about two years ago I bought a new system from them, a bullet and grid if that means anything. They installed it.

The truth is, I am not trying to wiggle out of the payment for the call out. But I do feel since I am now after 5 years have to pay for the maintenance, I would like access to my own equipment, I can then see for myself when the signal strength drops, do updates and resets as needed. Because that is all they usually do during a call out.

I explained that in my initial response to the invoice, I nowhere said I am not going to pay. But this guy replied in the most arrogant tone that nobody do anything for free and if I didn't want to pay for a call out out I should not have contacted them. It doesn't make sense to me.

The reason I put the argument here was to determine whether I am being unreasonable or whether they are being overly difficult. I am not sure how other wireless operators do things.

The guy is not an easy guy to get along with, we have bumped heads before when I complained that my gaming speed are terrible, he argued that since my download speed was acceptable, the problem was on my side. I begged to differ, when he finally showed up I made him sit in front of my PC and loaded a game, so he could see how the ping behaves. Only then did he accept there was a problem on his side.
His attitude is one of the customer is an idiot, he is the only one who knows how things work. Now it seems he wants to start milk me for call out charges, or that is the impression I am getting. In 3 emails over the last week he refused to provide me with my access details. The trouble is he is not even from around here, but operating the network from his home some distance away. And the maintenance guy I see every now and then doesn't seem to have the authority to give me the details.

And lets not forget that the update of the firmware and the movement of the grid did not chance anything...

 

[RockOn]

Why not ask him to enable the bullets read-only account, that way you can login and monitor your signal and ccq without being able to break anything...

 

[Hummercellc]

I must agree the service you are getting is shocking, and yes i would agree that you have a right to the login details, but i also understand why they don't want to give it to you, as with any ubiquiti product you can see the wireless security key & network details which is what he would not want people to know so the network is not accessed by others should the details get out.....

So it's a 50\50, he should not charge you for a call out i agree, but if the internet is not working he should fix it, and if the problem is something you have done then i would agree with the call out charge, but in this case it is not your fault so therefore not your problem and should not be your expense.

 

[bushguru]

I agree with you and others - you shouldn't be charged for the callout.

Regarding the login details, that's probably different between ISPs - some would give the details out and some wouldn't. We don't generally, but that's because we don't have clued-up users like yourself who would use the information sensibly. However, if a user specifically requested the login details we would give them out, along with a reminder that they will be liable for all usage in line with our T&Cs, pointing out that the risk of someone accessing the login details is higher the more people know them. I would have thought something like that should resolve any issues the ISP is concerned about so perhaps suggest you sign something like that?