Conflicting responses and NO assistance...
Attention CEO Gian Visser
I truly hope you staff are able to forward you this message...given their track record, I am not too sure…
Based on the below message these following question come to mind: Do you normally credit a client his data portion of the product if they cancel it mid-month? So, if I cancelled my Cell C based product as your accounts department claim, why did I receive two credit notes for the data portions? Yet was charged the Cancellation Fee both on my account and my bank account? Can your account department please forward me the email I sent to cancel this product? No, because I did not cancel it. YOUR staff cancelled it due to the end of the CellC/Telkom/MTN agreement. Alternatively, can they sent me a screen shot of my account/client zone which show when I logged in to cancel this product? No, they can’t since YOUR staff cancelled the product due to the end of CellC/Telkom/MTN agreement. Why is that your “Team” can offer the option to keep the router (as a good gesture from Afrihost) yet your account department charged the cancellation fee and demand the router back in order for us to receive a credit note? How is it that there is little to NO communication to the “Team” that was put together to deal with the CellC/Telkom/MTN issue with the rest of your departments such as Critical Care and your accounts department? ***
I signed-up for the Fixed Wireless router product which works with the Rain network in November 2017. Although there were some issues thereafter these were resolved after this was brought to your attention in my previous review. Given the manner in which it was resolved I opt to continue using your services up to date.
In fact, I even went so far as to get another similar package in November 2018, which works on the Cell C Network…. But sadly, that is where things started to go pear-shape to a point of utter ridiculousness based on the complete breakdown and lack of internal communication of your staff and their departments …
Firstly, the router was ordered and I was charged the pro-rata rate for the data of the remaining period of November (10 Days). Yet the delivery of the router was delayed by your assigned courier services. Thus, the router was only received and activated on our side on the 27th November. So, by the end of November there were more than 18GB still left and un-used. Yet on the beginning of December these un-used data just disappeared.
Another Question: Why are your clients penalized and charged for un-used data if the router’s delivery was delayed by almost a week – which has nothing to do with us? I brought up this issue with your staff and never received any reply…
But wait, the worst is yet to come…
On the 14th December the newly bought router suddenly stopped to work. In spite of having all the correct settings it just indicated “No Internet Connection”.
We made several attempts through your technical staff to get this issue resolved – without any luck. This lack of service delivery continued right through the long week yet your staff managed to changed the ticket as resolved!?! We even responded to your service level sms with a ZERO and was advised a staff member will be in contact with us in this regard… We are still waiting for that call !!!
On the 21st December I personally tried to get a response on your website’s Live Chat – No response! I send a message on your WhatsApp Messenger – Just a “Hello, how can we assist you?” Once I stated my issue… NO RESPONSE! I sent a personal email to your Critical Care Division, addressed to Pranav… NO REPLY! I sent a message on your Facebook Messenger and was bluntly told: “I understand Peter, the Teams will be in contact with you as soon as they can! ^Ingrid” My responses: “...and I have been patient since the 16th!!! - Sorry but I have received the same response now for the last few days and no action! - No response on Live chat.... No reply from Critical care... No response on WhatsApp... and no call as promised... - 7 days and counting...”
When we eventually did receive a call, I was told I need to explain the situation from the beginning since they have no access to the email, I sent to Critical Care… Yet 5 min into the conversation they could confirm the phone number stated in that email to call the person who has the physical router with him to do any necessary other test with the physical router…
So, your staff doesn’t read the email sent to them… They do not bother to reply to the email sent to them… Then the bluntly lie to your clients about the access they have and don’t have to emails in order to wiggle their way out of assisting your clients and thus pass the buck to the next person … as we will see in the evens that is about the unravel.
Once your staff members were able to speak to then person who had the physical router with him, they called me back to explain the situation and to help us resolve the issue. And both my friend and myself were told the same story and given the same options to get this issue resolved:
According to them at that stage was the agreement between Cell C and Telkom came to an end at the 14th December which meant the services on the Cell C network will no longer be available henceforth in the area that we use the Cell C router. That explained the sudden drop disconnection of the internet on the 14th forward.
So, we were told a team is put together to contact the clients like ourselves that are affected by this end of agreement. This Team will advise us that we will be refunded for the whole of December’s data portion which amount to R530. I even asked what about the data of Jan since the invoice was already generated and sent out. I was told this will also be credited accordingly. Furthermore, we were told we have a choice to either send the physical router back for the refund of R999.
Alternatively, we can choose to keep the physical router and we will NOT be charged the R999 cancellation fee which apply if you cancel within 6 months. Your staff member even stated that this is the best option since we paid only R999 for the router when we signed up and not the full price.
Later that same afternoon your Team called me on my landline number to also explain the situation and advise us what option we have. I advised the guy we opt to keep the router. He confirmed we will NOT be charged the cancellation fee as a sign of good gesture rom Afrihost due to the inconvenience. I specifically asked him if I need to go and do any changes within your Client Zone to cancel this second router on the Cell C network. He rep**** and said: No, He will make all the necessary changes on my account and the account department will send the Credit notes for the Data portion of the respective months.
I eventually received a response on the 24th Dec from a Donovan of the Critical care that I sent days before - TST- ********** 9:
Hi Peter
Hope all is well.
Donovan here on behalf of Pranav.
Not sure if your support team did contact you?
Unfortunately, this service had to be cancelled, because it falls off the network coverage area. Initially you would have picked up signal, however, CellC were roaming off the MTN network, a few days ago, this was done away with and users with no coverage were advised to have their packages cancelled because we cannot offer them coverage on the CellC network.
I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused.
Thanks
Have a great day and please let me know if I can help with anything else!
Warm regards
Donovan Afrihost - Pure Internet Joy!
We promptly received these credit notes on 2018/12/27 (CN398035) & 2019/01/02 (CN401566) for the respective months of December and January.
However, when I did a print-out of my account on the 2019/01/01 I noticed a “CellC Promotion Cancellation Charge” – IN ********** 8 to the value of R999…?
I contacted Donovan again in this regard and he responded:
Hi Peter
Let me look into this further.
I’ll handle this going forward.
Thanks
Have a great day and please let me know if I can help with anything else!
Warm regards
Donovan Afrihost - Pure Internet Joy!
Yet the next day when I checked my account the cancellation fee was still there so I contact Donovan again to hear when this will be reversed:
Hi Peter
Please note the invoice is just for reference.
The cancellation fee will be credited.
Thanks
Have a great day and please let me know if I can help with anything else!
Warm regards
Donovan Afrihost - Pure Internet Joy!
Yet, in spite of these assurance that I will receive a credit note I noticed over the weekend that my bank account was charged by Afrihost for the amount due for the router versus the credit of the data portion…
When I contacted Donovan about this, he simply rep****:
Hi Peter
I have asked our accounts to advise.
Thanks
Have a great day and please let me know if I can help with anything else!
Warm regards
Donovan Afrihost - Pure Internet Joy!
And there his response to any other email I sent goes un-answered since the 4th Jan up to date.
In the meantime, I receive these responses from any other attempt I make to get this issue resolved:
Good day Peter
I trust you are well. We do apologise for the inconvenience. When you cancel a fixed wireless package before the 6 month period, we do charge a cancellation fee of R999. The router we do not take back.
If you need further assistance, you can reply here or visit help.afrihost.com
Afrihost.com Pure Internet Joy!
Good day Peter
Trust all is well.
Please can you return your Fixed Wireless router so that we can refund the cancellation fee. >https://clientzone.afrihost.com >My Account >Active Orders
Have a great day and please let me know if I can help with anything else!
Warm regards
Wendy Noble Afrihost.com Pure Internet Joy!
I have several times requested that Donovan contact me directly or be transferred through to him without any success or call-back. Nor did I received any direct contact number for Donovan when I communicated with him for future assistance.
I continuously received reassuring messages that I will be assisted to get this issue resolved yet every promise is yet another empty promise.
For example, I was yet again promised to be contacted by your Critical Care team, Yet NO response to my email sent earlier today:
“Hi Peter, I am sorry that there is a conflict here. I will not be able to assist with this decision or the discussion you have had with Critical Care - I have asked them to please be in contact with you as soon as they can. I do apologize for the conflicting responses you have received here. ^Ingrid –
I do apologize for this Peter. I have asked them to please update you. ^Ingrid”
…YET NOW RESPONSE – NO CALL – NO EMAIL – NO CREDIT NOTE…