iBurst are NAILING their exiting subscribers with the new Prices!

Read this if you are a current subscriber (before the new prices came into effect) - YOU ARE GETTING NAILED badly.

Especially if you are on a 'Pro Classic 3 Gig' Package. (3.5 Gigs of data)
IBurst is Billing you at R599 per month and will continue to do so until you notice that the 'new' 'Pro 3 Gig' (3 Gigs of data) is priced at R449 per month.

iBurst did not migrate ANY of their existing subscribers onto the 'new' packages.
In fact they did their best (and are still doing so...) to hide it from existing subscribers.

After nearly 4 weeks of e-mails and phone calls to them the best offer I could get out of them was to 'waive' the migration fee of R99 (why this in the first place?) and to possibly switch my account to the new billing before the next billing month commenced.

Talk about UNETHICAL business practice and feeling NOTHING for your existing customers and deliberately keeping them uninformed.

I am posting all the e-mail correspondence between myself and iBurst so that all can see what they are actually up to.

I will NEVER recommend iBurst to another person again after this fiasco!

iBurst are NAILING their existing subscribers with the new Prices!

Read this if you are a current subscriber (before the new prices came into effect) - YOU ARE GETTING NAILED badly.

Especially if you are on a 'Pro Classic 3 Gig' Package. (3.5 Gigs of data)
IBurst is Billing you at R599 per month and will continue to do so until you notice that the 'new' 'Pro 3 Gig' (3 Gigs of data) is priced at R449 per month.

iBurst did not migrate ANY of their existing subscribers onto the 'new' packages.
In fact they did their best (and are still doing so...) to hide it from existing subscribers.

After nearly 4 weeks of e-mails and phone calls to them the best offer I could get out of them was to 'waive' the migration fee of R99 (why this in the first place?) and to possibly switch my account to the new billing before the next billing month commenced.

Talk about UNETHICAL business practice and feeling NOTHING for your existing customers and deliberately keeping them uninformed.

I am posting all the e-mail correspondence between myself and iBurst so that all can see what they are actually up to.

I will NEVER recommend iBurst to another person again after this fiasco!

Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Incorrect Billing!

From: [Edited by Author]
Sent: 14 May 2008 07:02 PM
To: '[email protected]'
Cc: 'Gerald Makhubedu'
Subject: RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Incorrect Billing!
Importance: High

Hi,

Looking at your Invoices we are being billed for the wrong Package.
We specifically requested a downgrade (migration) after your new Packages being announced, but had not come into effect yet.
We requested a downgrade to ‘Pro Classic 3 Gig’ as this was what the package was called at the time.
We assumed that this would be migrated to your ‘Pro 3 Gig’ package once the new packages and tariffs came into effect.
This was a reasonable assumption to make seeing as how we would still get 3 Gig’s worth of bandwidth (but at a reduced Price of R449 per month).
Also the words ‘Pro 3 Gig’ and ‘Pro Classic 3 Gig’ are so close to one another that is reasonable to equate the packages with one another.

Now on your latest invoice we are still being billed for a ‘Pro Classic 3 Gig’ at R599 per month.
Firstly the ‘Pro Classic 3 Gig’ package no longer exists according to your web site.
Secondly we should be billed for the ‘Pro 3 Gig’ at R449 per month.
Please also check the previous month’s subscription and make adjustments if necessary.

Could you please rectify this A.S.A.P and send us a revised statement and invoice.
Please acknowledge receipt of this e-mail.

Kind Regards,
[Edited by Author]

RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Incorrect Billing!

From: [Edited by Author]
Sent: 23 May 2008 09:25 AM
To: '[email protected]'
Cc: 'Gerald Makhubedu'
Subject: RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Incorrect Billing!
Importance: High

Hi,

I have still received NO response to the previous e-mail below after MORE than 1 week.
Could you please attend to it as a matter of urgency.

Please acknowledge receipt of this e-mail.

Kind Regards,
[Edited by Author]

3rd request - No Reply after 12 Days! - RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Incorrec

From: [Edited by Author]
Sent: 26 May 2008 04:26 PM
To: '[email protected]'
Cc: 'Gerald Makhubedu';
Subject: 3rd request - No Reply after 12 Days! - RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Incorrect Billing!
Importance: High

Hi,

Account : [Edited by Author]

I have still received NO REPLY WHATSOEVER after 12 days.
This includes my requests for confirmation that you received my previous e-mails. (None received).
I regard this as unacceptable.

Will you take the same attitude if I decide to delay payments to iBurst every month?
I am seriously considering NOT MAKING PAYMENT to you at the end of this month, until such time as I have received a satisfactory response to all my queries in the previous e-mails.
Please read my first e-mail carefully, and respond to ALL of it.

PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF THIS E-MAIL. (3rd request on this also…)

Regards,
[Edited by Author]

RE: 3rd request - No Reply after 12 Days! - RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Inco

From: Gerald Makhubedu [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 26 May 2008 04:54 PM
To: [Edited by Author]
Subject: RE: 3rd request - No Reply after 12 Days! - RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Incorrect Billing!

Dear [Edited by Author]

I have received your account query, but I remember replying on one your emails.
Please note that your account is been migrated to Pro – Addict to Pro- Classic which is now you pay 599 instead of 1099.

I don’t know if I given you the correct answer on your query, but I can still help if there is another thing that I did not bring on my reply.

Regards

Gerald Makhubedu
Credit Controller
iBurst ,
broadband, simplified
Tel
Cell : +27 11 676 6340
074 210-5353
Fax : 086 514 5227
Email : [email protected]

Add : 66 Park Lane, Sandton, 2196 PO Box 651921, Benmore, 2010

RE: 3rd request - No Reply after 12 Days! - RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Inco

From: [Edited by Author]
Sent: 26 May 2008 05:17 PM
To: 'Gerald Makhubedu'
Cc: [Edited by Author]
Subject: RE: 3rd request - No Reply after 12 Days! - RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Incorrect Billing!
Importance: High

Hi Gerald,

Yes thanks, you did reply to one of my e-mails, but it was not one related to one of these below (An earlier e-mail).

“Please note that your account is been migrated to Pro – Addict to Pro- Classic which is now you pay 599 instead of 1099.”

This is correct before your new pricing structure and packages came into effect:
Prices from your web site at current:

FreeFlo
10 mb KickStart
40 mb Playa
500 mb Giga
1 gig Pro
3 gig Xtreme
5 gig Addict
10 gig
month-2-month
excludes modem
No modem R0 R49 R149 R199 R449 R599 R999
24-month
incl. modem & antenna
USB/ laptop/ express modem n/a R69 R169 R219 R469 R619 R1019
Desktop modem n/a R89 R189 R239 R489 R639 R1039
Webfone (includes iCall) n/a R189 R289 R339 R589 R739 R1139


Do you see where I am going with this?

Then I just noticed TODAY at the bottom of the same page
“iBurst Wireless FAQ
Can I change to one of the new packages if I'm already an iBurst customer?
If you are an existing iBurst customer you will remain on your current package unless you request otherwise. Please contact us if you would like to change to a new package from 1 April 2008.”

This information was not present prior to your new packages came into effect to my knowledge… (although the new packages and Pricing had already been announced on various news and internet web sites)…
To add this after the fact is unacceptable.
We should have been migrated to a Pro 3 gig account automatically.
What person in their right mind would Pay R599 per month for a ‘Pro Classic’ account where you get 3GB of data, instead of a ‘Pro 3 gig’ account where you Pay R449 per month for the same amount of data?
We were also never sent an invitation of any kind to Migrate to the new Packages

This was part of the whole reason why we migrated to the ‘Pro Classic’ account before 1 April 2008. So that it would automatically be changed to a ‘Pro 3 gig’ account.

See my first e-mail for my reasons for these assumptions.

I think it is only fair that we be credited retrospectively to 1 April 2008 at the ‘Pro 3 gig’ rates

Lastly (as mentioned in my first e-mail) – the ‘Pro Classic’ account is not even offered as an option on your web site any longer.
How can we then be billed for this?

I hope we can come to a mutual agreement on this considering the facts.

Kind Regards,
[Edited by Author]

I've been going through the same thing in the last few days, I actually posted my issue on the thread, "Pricing Confusion". My story is very similar to yours, just that I discovered today that the package I'm on (Pro Intro) is NOT the same as the Pro package being advertised. They both cost R449, but on Pro Intro you get half the bandwidth than on the Pro 3gig as it's called (1.5gb vs 3gb).

In my eyes right now, these guys are so dodgy it's unbelievable! Surely this constitutes some sort of fraud?

RE: 3rd request - No Reply after 12 Days! - RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Inco

From: [Edited by Author]
Sent: 31 May 2008 10:50 AM
To: 'Gerald Makhubedu'
Cc: '[email protected]'; [Edited by Author]
Subject: RE: 3rd request - No Reply after 12 Days! - RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Incorrect Billing!
Importance: High

Hi Gerald,

I realize you must be busy but I really do require an answer from you on this…
Could you please respond as a matter of urgency.

Please acknowledge receipt of this e-mail.

Kind Regards,
[Edited by Author]

Query sill not resolved since 14 May 2008

From: [Edited by Author]
Sent: 01 June 2008 08:42 PM
To: 'Gerald Makhubedu'
Cc: '[email protected]'; [Edited by Author] ; 'Vinky Ntshabele'
Subject: Query sill not resolved since 14 May 2008 - [Edited by Author]
Importance: High

Hi Gerald,

Hope you have had a good week-end.

We can go one 2 ways on this issue…

A) Keep on billing us on the ‘non-existent’ package for which you are currently billing me.
1) Option A : Fix our Account retrospective to 1 April 2008 – And I seriously suggest you e-mail/ contact other subscribers on ALL old packages with an option to migrate immediately.
2) Option B : SA so called ‘broadband’ rates are already some of the highest in the world… Press would probably like to do another story on this… following iBurst’s ‘so-called’ reduction in tariffs…
3) Option C : Possible Class action lawsuit by all existing subscribers who were not migrated.
B) Bill us on the correct package
1) I will regard this as a fair and just response from iBurst as long as you ‘mail/ contact other subscribers on ALL old packages with an option to migrate immediately.

Kind Regards,
[Edited by Author]

Gekco, your e-mails are too long and complex for those guys ... short, one sentence e-mails might get a better response

E: 3rd request - No Reply after 12 Days! - RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Incor

From: Gerald Makhubedu [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 03 June 2008 09:20 AM
To: [Edited by Author]
Subject: RE: 3rd request - No Reply after 12 Days! - RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Incorrect Billing!

Dear [Edited by Author]

I understand your query below, but to qualify to our new pricing you need to complete a migration form.
Your account was not converted automatically, please let me know if you are willing complete our form.

Regards
Gerald

RE: Query sill not resolved since 14 May 2008

From: Gerald Makhubedu [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 03 June 2008 09:44 AM
To: [Edited by Author]
Subject: RE: Query sill not resolved since 14 May 2008 - [Edited by Author]

Dear [Edited by Author]

Please be clear to me, to my understanding you want us to bill you with the current pricing without you completing migration form?

Regards
Gerald

________________________________________
From: [Edited by Author]
Sent: Sunday, June 01, 2008 8:42 PM
To: Gerald Makhubedu
Cc: Accounts; [Edited by Author]; Vinky Ntshabele
Subject: Query sill not resolved since 14 May 2008 - [Edited by Author]
Importance: High

Hi Gerald,

Hope you have had a good week-end.

We can go one 2 ways on this issue…

A) Keep on billing us on the ‘non-existent’ package for which you are currently billing me.
1) Option A : Fix our Account retrospective to 1 April 2008 – And I seriously suggest you e-mail/ contact other subscribers on ALL old packages with an option to migrate immediately.
2) Option B : SA so called ‘broadband’ rates are already some of the highest in the world… Press would probably like to do another story on this… following iBurst’s ‘so-called’ reduction in tariffs…
3) Option C : Possible Class action lawsuit by all existing subscribers who were not migrated.
B) Bill us on the correct package
1) I will regard this as a fair and just response from iBurst as long as you ‘mail/ contact other subscribers on ALL old packages with an option to migrate immediately.

Kind Regards,
[Edited by Author]

This is the second very late thread about this today, it's all been discussed already when it actually happened.

RE: 3rd request - No Reply after 12 Days! - RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Inco

From: [Edited by Author]
Sent: 03 June 2008 11:32 AM
To: 'Gerald Makhubedu'
Cc: '[email protected]'; 'Vinky Ntshabele'; [Edited by Author]
Subject: RE: 3rd request - No Reply after 12 Days! - RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Incorrect Billing!
Importance: High

Hi Gerald,

We are willing to complete a Migration form, but the billing should be adjusted to effective 1 April 2008 to the new rates.
My wife will complete the form backdated to prior to 1 April this evening and I will e-mail it to you.
We should thus be credited for the difference.

You have nearly 3 weeks of correspondence re. this matter already.

We have been loyal customers with iBurst for +- 3 Years already.
I think it is highly unethical business practice for the account not to have been converted automatically.
In addition you should have notified existing customers of the option to be able to migrate, which you did not do.
The information for converting to the new rates is hidden away on your web site (you have to click on a link to open it).
This is a clear case of existing customers being deliberately kept uninformed of the change in rates so that iBurst can earn more revenue.
In addition, I still stand by my position that you CAN NOT be billing us for a package that is not even offered on your web site. (Pro Classic).
If I went to your web site today – Where can I purchase a ‘Pro Classic’ package – Nowhere.
You are billing us for a package that does not exist.
By the way we are on a month to month contract.

On the first occasion it took iBurst nearly 2 weeks to reply to my e-mail. (This only after sending additional e-mails urgently requesting a reply)
On the second occasion it again took nearly one week to get a reply.

Kind Regards,
[Edited by Author]

From: Gerald Makhubedu [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 03 June 2008 09:20 AM
To: [Edited by Author]
Subject: RE: 3rd request - No Reply after 12 Days! - RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Incorrect Billing!

Dear [Edited by Author]

I understand your query below, but to qualify to our new pricing you need to complete a migration form.
Your account was not converted automatically, please let me know if you are willing complete our form.

Regards
Gerald

RE: 3rd request - No Reply after 12 Days! - RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Inco

From: [Edited by Author]
Sent: 03 June 2008 06:16 PM
To: 'Gerald Makhubedu'; '[email protected]'
Cc: 'Vinky Ntshabele'; [Edited by Author]
Subject: RE: 3rd request - No Reply after 12 Days! - RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Incorrect Billing!

To ANYONE at iBurst Accounts,

Please forward me the contact details of either your National Credit Manager, Financial Director, or MD so that I may take this matter further.
This Issue has not been resolved for over 3 weeks now.

Please acknowledge receipt of this e-mail.

Kind Regards,
[Edited by Author]

RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Incorrect Billing!

From: [Edited by Author]
Sent: 03 June 2008 06:27 PM
To: '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'
Subject: RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Incorrect Billing!
Importance: High

To ANYONE at iBurst Accounts,

Please forward me the contact details of either your National Credit Manager, Financial Director, or MD so that I may take this matter further.
This Issue has not been resolved for over 3 weeks now.

In addition all new e-mails being sent to ‘Gerald Makhubedu’ are being rejected by your server.

Please acknowledge receipt of this e-mail.

Kind Regards,
[Edited by Author]


From: Karabo Molapo [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected]
Sent: 03 June 2008 12:30 PM
To: [Edited by Author]
Subject: RE: Monthly Invoice(s) from iBurst - Incorrect Billing!

Good Day

Thank you for contacting info at iBurst, my name is Karabo and I will be handling your request.

With regards your query please find the information requested below.

iBurst has introduced new packages and an entire new product range, which varies greatly from the previous range, this was published in the press and on the iBurst website. We have indeed not just reduced our current package prices. It is the customer’s choice to choose which package or product they would prefer to migrate to. We initiated a bulk upward migration of our customer base in 2007, without acquiring their consent, and did receive tremendous criticism for this. We have now given our customers the choice to opt for the package or product (Wireless, 3G/HSDPA, ADSL) they would prefer to migrate to. A standard migration fee has always been charged by iBurst for downward migrations (moving to a package with a lesser subscription value) This is true on both the old package range, and the new packages ranges, and also for a move from the old package range to the new product (3G HSDPA and ADSL) ranges. This used to be R171.00 in the past – but has been reduced to R99.00. The R99.00 is an administration fee for migrating your contract.

Please complete the form should you wish to be migrated to your preferred package.

Kind Regards

Karabo Molapo

Customer Relations Consultant

“Excellent service is my business.
With a smile I make the Magic happen!”

iBurst
broadband. simplified


Tel : +27 11 676 6004
Fax : +27 86 503 6596
Email : [email protected]

Web : www.iburst.co.za

Address : 66 Park Lane, Sandton, 2196
PO Box 651921, Benmore, 2010

RE: Query sill not resolved since 14 May 2008

From: Gerald Makhubedu [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 04 June 2008 08:55 AM
To: [Edited by Author]; Accounts
Cc: Vinky Ntshabele; [email protected]
Subject: RE: Query sill not resolved since 14 May 2008 - [Edited by Author]

Dear [Edited by Author]

Please complete the form above for the 449.00 package PRO (3gig). Your last request for migration was not for PRO package but PRO CLASSIC. We have migrated you to the pro-classic package.

This is the email we last receive from you;
From: [Edited by Author]
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 11:08 AM
To: Gerald Makhubedu; Accounts
Cc: Vinky Ntshabele; [Edited by Author];[Edited by Author]
Subject: Please Change Subscription - Account [Edited by Author] to Classic 3500 MB
Hi,

After discussion with my wife we have decided to downgrade our current subscription with immediate effect (1 April 2008).
Please downgrade Account [Edited by Author] to Pro Classic 3500 MB (From current Pro Addict 9500 MB).
Please note that this is a MONTH TO MONTH subscription and should remain as such.

Please acknowledge receipt of this e-mail and provide confirmation that the account will be downgraded as stipulated in this e-mail.
Please do not hesitate to contact either myself or my wife if you have any queries.

Kind Regards,
[Edited by Author]

In other words...

They do not care about ETHICAL business practice.
They do not care about their existing customers.
They do not care about hiding the 'new' lower prices away from their existing subscribers.
They are deliberately not making persons on the 'old' packages aware that they can migrate.
They made no attempt to notify their existing customers of even the 'option' to migrate.
They will keep on raking in the cash on their entire 'old' subscriber base for as long as it takes every individual subscriber to notice the billing difference in their account as compared to the new prices.

They simply DO NOT CARE!

weird - they just changed my pricing automatically without me having to speak to them or anything. I have been with iburst since beta stages and always on the 3Gb classic package.

in fact i recieved an email stating that they would do this or are you referring to an alternative package?