Iburst, still on a pro-novice? you are being ripped off !

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star3am

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hi all ..

i've been using iburst since 2005/6 .. so when i first signed up, it was on a pro-novice account, 2.5G bandwidth for R599 p.m

great, so about a year ago, i read that iburst is now going to charge R599 for 5G of bandwidth, as it says on their website, http://www.iburst.co.za/default.aspx?link=packages_wireless Xtreme 5G

before i carry on, i never check my iburst billing, this is done via EFT from my account every month.

so last night, my iburst bandwith are very slow, and i check my gmail for iburst bandwidth reports, and i see the following,

How much data did you receive?
Allocated 2,560.00 MB
Carried Over 0.00 MB
Purchased 0.00 MB

Total Data Received 2,560.00 MB

How much data have you used?

Uploaded 357.48 MB
Downloaded 2,537.78 MB

Total Data Used 2,895.26 MB

How much data do you have remaining?
Total Data Remaining 0.00 MB
Click to expand...

but wait :confused: didn't their website say if i pay R599 i get 5G :confused:

so i give ibusrt a ring .. and they tell me that i am on the pro novice package for R599 for 2.5G but ... that package doesn't exist anymore :mad:

so it seems like since, may last year, i have been paying way !! more than i should have, and their response ... i should migrate my account ?

now to me that doesn't make sense, i mean, the way i thought it works is, if say absa drops the bank charges, i don't need to go and "migrate" my account to see these saving, similarly with vodacom, and also with the petrol price? so why did iburst not upgrade my account, and even more :mad: is how many other people out there are paying R599 for 2.5G when they should be getting 5G ?

your thoughts?

ciao/Riaan
 
yep - now they can advertise their service for cheaper, but still have 20% or something paying the old price. (you'd be surprised)

the thing it boils down to me though, is not everyone is so technically inclined, visit mybb and the rest - you are supposed to get the new bundle size automatically!

and there should be no cost in upgrading either...

sorry you found out so late man...
 
Our ISP retailer for iBurst was very vigilant, and when the new fee structure came up, they contacted us immediatly and prepared our account before hand to handle the changeover. So we got the 5gig on R599 as soon as it was made available. BTW it used to be 3gig for us before, not 2.5??

PS we did not get any notifcation from iBurst themselves....
 
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@Keeper I know man ! What a shocker, this is just totally not fair.
/me rolls up his sleeves !

@IRG Which ISP are you with ?

Any suggestions from the forum moving forward ? has anyone here had a problem like this ? Obviously, I'd like them upgrade all of their accounts, it's just disgusting cheating people like this, and how many other thousands are there paying R599 for 2.5G :(
 
star3am said:
@IRG Which ISP are you with ?

Any suggestions from the forum moving forward ? has anyone here had a problem like this ? Obviously, I'd like them upgrade all of their accounts, it's just disgusting cheating people like this, and how many other thousands are there paying R599 for 2.5G :(
Click to expand...

We signed on iBurst through Tradepage (Pinetown)
 
Wow....and I thought R389 (2GB) was expensive for 3G......
 
Where is Shaun - the iBurst Rep ?? Get him to look into it. From what I remember was if you did not specify that you wanted to continue paying the R599, they left you on the new 3gig package at a lower monthly amount. We had to re-sign an agreement to continue on the R599 with 5 gig.
 
Er, while it's pretty hideous that they've continued charging you on a non-existent package, it was made pretty clear during the upgrade changeover that customers would have to apply for the increased bandwidth allowance.
 
Hi Riaan

Please do not forget to communicate all issues you have mentioned telephonically so that the C.R.M. people can assist you on a way forward.


Thanks

ps - These packages still exist on our systems and what we did communicate out was the range of new packages. This was done via the media, e-mail and our web site.

We went through the same new package introduction in 2007, and we did automatically migrate customers, and we had thousands of very unhappy people call us to say that we should not have migrated them without permission (regardless of the fact that there was in fact a saving).

When it came to our 2008 package release we left the migrations to such packages in the clients hands.

I remember something about a dead horse....
 
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Azimuth said:
Er, while it's pretty hideous that they've continued charging you on a non-existent package, it was made pretty clear during the upgrade changeover that customers would have to apply for the increased bandwidth allowance.
Click to expand...

Azimuth, why should you and me apply to see these savings? the amount that they charge me has not changed, still, it's R599

All the changes happened on Iburst side, so why should there be a need for any interaction from the client's part, apart from paying ?

ciao/Riaan
 
@ Shaun Green

Thank you for your time Shaun, I have emailed you the low-down, and am looking forward to a speedy resolve of this issue, not only for me, but for all your subscribers, still on the old packages, the average joe on the street, your valued clients.
 
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iBurst said:
Hi Riaan

Please do not forget to communicate all issues you have mentioned telephonically so that the C.R.M. people can assist you on a way forward.


Thanks

ps - These packages still exist on our systems and what we did communicate out was the range of new packages. This was done via the media, e-mail and our web site.

We went through the same new package introduction in 2007, and we did automatically migrate customers, and we had thousands of very unhappy people call us to say that we should not have migrated them without permission (regardless of the fact that there was in fact a saving).

When it came to our 2008 package release we left the migrations to such packages in the clients hands.

I remember something about a dead horse....
Click to expand...

With all due respect Shaun, I do not believe that this decision was ethical in the least and I believe it is a cop out. Not to 'flog a dead horse' as you alluded to you, but do you really think that a year after the new pricing structures were released, that a client who is on one of the older packages will be happy to see that they are paying the same price for half the bandwidth? or in theory paying double the cost of a comparative product?

I would have seriously thought that iBurst would have taken the trouble to by now have contacted each of those clients personally to advise them that the product they were on was no longer a viable option for them due to the newer, cheaper products.

Imagine the goodwill this would have generated, especially in today's economic climate!

Instead iBurst have quite happily continued to debit for products that in reality should be redundant as they are no longer marketed. How difficult would it have been to at least up the bandwidth accordingly?

No, your and iBursts argument does not cut the mustard. And as far as I am concerned, this horse now needs to be brought back to life. What iBurst is doing is shameful to say the least.
 
Hi Riaan


CRM should be in contact shortly.

Please let me know outcome.

Thanks
 
Would have been simple enough to just send an email out to all your customers informing them of the product changes and then offering them the option to change their package on the website.

I remember phoning in and being told that I had to fax an application form in order to get my product migrated.
Luckily my ADSL line was installed a week later so I just cancelled the iBurst account.
 
iBurst said:
ps - These packages still exist on our systems and what we did communicate out was the range of new packages. This was done via the media, e-mail and our web site.

We went through the same new package introduction in 2007, and we did automatically migrate customers, and we had thousands of very unhappy people call us to say that we should not have migrated them without permission (regardless of the fact that there was in fact a saving).

When it came to our 2008 package release we left the migrations to such packages in the clients hands.

I remember something about a dead horse....
Click to expand...

"I remember something about a dead horse".... ya... add a snide little comment at the end of your reply.

IBurst NEVER communicated these changes via email. Your CRM department NEVER existed then and your very own helldesk fained ignorance of such a move... only when PRESSED on the point did they "fess" up and then defend their silence on the issue by admonishing clients for "not watching the adverts on TV"........ in my case at least.

I chose to fight and managed to get my 3 months backdated extra bandwidth when I requested the "packages that still exist on your systems" be migrated the actual packages you offered on your website.

I also informed friends and family of the changes and shock and horror. No communication between yourselves and them as subscribers was received
either.

And then even 702 happened to mention the lack of communication between IBurst and its subscribers about this and urged all to check their packages.

Yes, so to flog the dead horse again... no amount of IBurst posturing can hide the fact that you DID NOT make these savings clearly evident to all those effected.

I would have expected a monthly reminder about these savings in my email each month until I chose to stay on the "packages that still exist on your systems" or migrate to the new offerings. I would have expected a reminder with my statements or even a pop-up box when I logged onto the website.

But no, I should have watched your adverts on TV... as with the subscriber here who posted his experience.

So... I poke at the carcass yet again, wave off the flies and thank my lucky gods that I am no longer an IBurst subscriber!
 
It seems as if iBurst sent a single e-mail to subscribers to inform them about the changes.

Were any followups done by telephone to those who did not respond to ensure that they did indeed received notification, and actually understood they could get more by paying less?
 
nope

:sick:

nope, no emails to communicate the fact, in any case, STOP.

why should I contact my "service provider" to "migrate" my existing account with them, to another account , also "with them", so that I too can have a better deal ?

i fail to understand this procedure ?

GRRRRrrr, i'm still livid @ paying these rates :mad:
 
updates

just an update:

got a call from a lady @ Iburst, apparently they have "communicated" the changes in their packages to their "clients" and they have done all that is required from the "regulator".

So, they are prepared to upgrade my account, but no refunds and there was no mention of doing anything more to keep a long standing client happy :mad:

I think they are barking up the wrong tree, next stop, ioltechnology ..
 
star3am said:
just an update:

got a call from a lady @ Iburst, apparently they have "communicated" the changes in their packages to their "clients" and they have done all that is required from the "regulator".

So, they are prepared to upgrade my account, but no refunds and there was no mention of doing anything more to keep a long standing client happy :mad:

I think they are barking up the wrong tree, next stop, ioltechnology ..
Click to expand...

It seems this sleeping dog is about to wake up.

More importantly it seems iBurst are not willing to learn from their mistakes and still view their clients as 'cashcows' to be milked. I guess the leopard really does not change its spots.

Shaun, I really think that the whole goodwill factor I spoke about earlier needs to be seriously considered.
 
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