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Yesterday I waited for 15mins waiting to talk someone at 1626.
My objective was to terminate my home telephone subscription. After about 15 years of paying $45 per quarter for our home telephone subscription, we finally agree to end it. But the funny thing is, it is not that easy.
I was told today I cannot terminate the land line as I have an existing broadband contract valid till Sep 2009.
The technical part is that the broadband requires a land line and thus they cannot cancel.
My counter response was - I signed for 2 separate services. I should thus have the right to terminate either service. I am not aware that I have automatically signed for a 24-month contract for a land line when all I did was to sign for 24-month broadband contract.
I told by the polite and patient Singtel staff that this is certainly unacceptable.
I was offered a compromised outcome ie. partially waived my quarterly land line subscription charges from now till the expiry date of my broadband contract.
As for Singtel, I think you better start thinking of resolving this technical hitch!!!!
So friends, beware!
3 comments:
Ref: SN/08/11/CRD138148
Dear Mr Wong
We thank you for your website feedback form of 9 November 2008.
We share your concerns regarding your telephone line. Please allow me to clarify that SingNet Broadband service uses ADSL technology. Therefore, you will need a telephone line to support your broadband service.
However, you may choose to relocate your broadband service to an alternative telephone line. This telephone line has to be a standalone which is not linked to other services like a broadband service, PABX or alarm system. In addition, the subscriber of the telephone line and/or his/her landlord must be agreeable to let him/her use it to support your broadband service. There will be $42.80 (inclusive of GST) charges for relocating your Broadband service.
You may refer to http://www.singnet.com.sg/tou/tnc.asp for the terms and conditions for your SingNet service. You may find under point 2.1 (Service and Commencement) that a medium (for example, a telephone line) is needed to support your broadband service.
If you have further enquiries about your telephone line, you can call our hotline at 1609. The hotline is open from 8 am to 6 pm on Mondays to Saturdays. It is closed during Sundays and public holidays.
We seek your understanding on this matter.
Yours sincerely
Raymond Ang
Executive
Customer Relations
For and on behalf of:
SingNet Pte Ltd
Company registration number: 199802130W
Dear Mr Wong,
We refer to your email dated 9 November 2008.
Currently, for broadband services provided using the Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) technology (offered over telephone wires), an activated direct telephone line is required, as the ADSL broadband service needs to share the same copper phone wire. The phone wire is connected to an ADSL switch hosted at the telephone exchange, and the broadband service is made possible via this switch.
IDA understands from all the Internet Service Providers that this arrangement is necessary to provide broadband service using ADSL. Without the activated telephone line, the cost of ADSL broadband is likely to be higher, because the cost of the telephone line will be borne by broadband service provider. IDA has not intervened in this arrangement as ADSL is only one of several ways to provide broadband service. There are several broadband players today offering different broadband service packages, using different technologies. End users therefore have multiple choices in terms of the broadband access platforms, such as ADSL, cable, 3G and wifi. If ADSL is not suitable, end users should consider the other broadband options. IDA believes that as competition gets more intense, market forces will compel the broadband players to revise their strategies accordingly to continue to entice new subscribers.
We note that this requirement for an activated telephone line is made known in SingNet's terms and conditions (see attached pdf) which can be found on SingNet's website at http://www.singnet.com.sg/plans_and_services/broadband/snbb.asp?snbb=1Matl# -> SingNet Broadband Terms and Conditions. Should you need further clarification, we would suggest that you contact SingNet directly for assistance.
Best Regards,
Kimmi Goh
IDA Corporate Helpdesk
8 Temasek Boulevard, #14-00, Suntec Tower Three, Singapore 038988 :: Tel: +65 6211 0888 :: Fax: +65 6211 2222
I regard "freebies" from Singnet such as a laptop or wireless broadband modem as "Paidbies".
I have a contract with Singnet for a 10mbps broadband plan for 30 months. I am paying $108 per month and the price has dropped to $58 per month within a year.
I don't even own a fixed line telephone at home but I still have to pay Residential Fixed-line Telephone Rates at $29.43/quarter or $117.70/year.
The max speed I can achieve using the 10mbps plan is 4mbps. I complained twice, Singtel's technician came to my house twice and he concluded that the problem is not with their service, it lies with my laptop's reception. I think that is an acceptable reason... because the wonderful laptop came "free" from Singnet!
You may wish to check if you are getting the speed you are paying for by visiting http://www.speedtest.net/
So how much is the cost of my "free" Lenovo laptop?
[($108-$58^)x 30] + ($117.70 x 2.5years) = More than $1784.25
^$58 is the price of 10Mbps plan currently. This price will go down further once IDA announces that fibre optics are fully in place and every service provider can offer higher than 100Mbps speeds at low prices.
Will I renew my Singnet subscription plan when it ends in 2010? Of course lah! Free laptop mah!
True blue Singaporean Auntie... =P
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