The South African customer needs to start requesting better terms and treatment

As a rule I do not like giving poor reviews for businesses that I make use of, nor do I go out of my to do so. But I have approached the company directly on 3 different occasions, and have been left unsatisfied and frustrated with their response and general approach. I was hoping to move my business away from them as a result, and in doing so not continue giving any more of my money to them, but through my research I have discovered they are unfortunately the only fibre provider currently available in my area.

I think their approach might be the same one followed by other providers as well. I am not 100% sure. But even if that is the case, just because it is an industry accepted norm, it does not make it ethically right.

I signed up a number of years ago for Fibre To The Home with Smart Village at the time (what Supersonic were called prior to rebranding), for a 20MB uncapped line paying R779 pm. At the beginning of this year, by chance, I went onto their website to check prices, because I felt like we were paying a lot for our fibre. The website confirmed that the going rate for a 20MB fibre at my address was R599 pm. I queried this with Supersonic, and asked if they could correct the monthly cost that was being debited to my account. This was on 29 January 2024. I also asked them to credit my account for however long it was that I was being overcharged. Their response was:

"We cannot credit the account as this is not considered to be an overcharge. The reason being we only change the packages/services as per the client's request. It is advised that you check our website regularly for any updates/promos"

This is my first issue. That price decreases on plans will be made by the provider, but that current customers will not be informed of decreases or automatically be opted in. How is this considered fair practice and an ethical way of doing business? Loyal, paying customers are left ******** and exploited.

After this I was debited the old rate of R779 on 31 January 2024 AS WELL AS 29 February 2024. When I queried this with Supersonic, and asked them to credit me for the over-deduction that was made against my account since I requested the correction ("price alignment"), I was told the following:

"Thank you for your response kindly be advised that the price change would not have been effective on the invoices side since we generate invoices from the 24th of each month. When you requested the change in January the invoice for February was already genereted."

I then took this up via a different channel, and told them whilst I understand that automated systems run on a set date, surely there are manual human interventions that are available and can be used to correct an imbalance. I had requested the change before the end of January, and after that I was still debited the higher amount twice. Surely a credit note for R179 could be issued against my account for the second debit? The response was very much the same as the one before that, and I was told that a month's notice is required for a "downgrade" (which is what the price alignment is considered to be), and seeing as my request came after the Invoices were generated on 24 January, that would mean the debit would only be adjusted from end of March Debit Order. The fact that 29 January is not considered a month's notice in order to have your Debit Order for end February be adjusted does not make sense to a rational mind. So in truth they are saying you need to request your change by the 23rd of the month (just over a month's notice), and that they will be unwilling to credit in a case where the timing was such as mine.

To be clear, my issue is not so much the R179 credit that I am fighting for. It is the fact that a company's approach to managing long-time, loyal paying customers is ethically questionable (in not informing us of price decreases) and rigid (in refusing to issue credit notes in situations where they are fairly warranted).

Supersonic, please do NOT respond to this or try to contact me because I know it will just be more of the same, and I am not interested in hearing it. As I have stated above, just because it is considered common business practice, does not make it right.

Just a fair warning to other customers. Be aware of this. Go check whether you are being overcharged. And know that a month's notice actually means a month plus 1 week's notice.