ISP issue, could do with some advice

BeerWolf

The ISP in question is Ripplecom.

Wondering if anyone here had similar experiences and could advise me on a course of action.

Basically, this past weekend my connection was dire. Sent in a report about it, and the CS just proceeded to terminate my subscription with their services WITHOUT my consent nor the courtesy of suggesting it. I told him that I did not agree with said action and did not wish to be void of broadband and he still went with it.

After that I sent in a complaint of the handling of it, and the Head of Sales responded saying it was the right course of action - even though I have stated numerous times that I have very little options for broadband, and they are effectively voiding me of an online connection... which I NEED, being in the IT area of work!

I have yet to receive a response to my last email, on Monday, nor a reply after calling them yesterday.

Would this be considered a justified treatment of a customer, for two years with them ?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'll copy/paste the emails I've had with them for your own review:

Me wrote:

The connection for the last week was somewhat acceptable, not ideal, but this last weekend it was completely unusable. The connection was rife with drop outs with the connection stability, and I don't mean every so often - I'm talking about every 3-5 seconds, nonstop.

Doing a PingTest.net I was yielding the lowest grade of an F with a very high amount of jitter and packet loss.

I couldn't use Skype at all, Videos kept stopping, and I didn't even bother to play a game online knowing the connection was acting up like this.


Again, I am paying €45 a month for this kind of quality of service ? It is rare for me to use the PC with someone else on a laptop to browse or watch anything simultaneously, even at low 360p quality, without having such a big impact on the already limited quality of connection.

I could compare it to the days of dial up where someone couldn't use the phone [laptop] if I was online on the PC... at least then my connection was more stable.

Ripplecom CS wrote:

At this stage it is apparent that we are unable to supply you with a reliable and proper service that we strive to give to our customers. Unfortunately we cannot improve the connection due to the interference and the best course of action is to cancel your service with us with immediate effect and to credit you back the last 30 days in lieu of notice.

This is unfortunately the only direction we can take as it is an unacceptable service you are getting from the mast.

I will process the credits now, and will have an engineer out to remove all the Ripplecom equipment.
You service will cease at midnight tonight.

Me wrote:

I DID NOT request for a cancellation of service. My options in my current location are limited - it's either with you, or mobile 3G broadband... which is honestly not a viable option for me due to their very limited cap.

When I started out with your services 2 years ago, the connection was great - it only started degrading since last year AFTER the storms, and have numerous times queried if this could have damaged the device out on the roof yet had no answer to that and still don't.

Broadband is incredibly essential for me and it would not be an option for me to not have access to it - primarily due to my regular usage of it for work and conferencing on Skype.

Ripplecom CS wrote:

There is nothing at all wrong with the equipment, the signal is perfect. Unfortunately it's solely to do with interference in the air and we cannot fix this as you are on an Unlicensed Network , where anyone can broadcast.
Our senior network engineer has tested your connection and he confirms the equipment is working 100%.
The ONLY option in these cases , is the termination of service. This is the LAST resort on our side as we do not like to lose customers, but where we have no option , it is the right thing to do for both parties.

Me wrote:

Well then I would appreciate you to not cancel my subscription until such a time where I request myself to do so.

A connection is better than no connection at all...

Ripplecom CS wrote:

The company policy is that if we cannot provide an acceptable service and there is nothing we can do to rectify issues that a customer is having, then we cancel the service and offer the credit in Lieu of the 30 days notice.

I apologise once again , but we cannot stand over your connection and we are not in the business of supplying a poor service that we cannot fix to everyones satisfaction.

Please take this email as confirmation that your service will cease at midnight tonight.

=========================================================

Myself to Complaints wrote:

Dear RippleCom,

After my contact with Customer Support, namely a "Kevin Long", with regards to my connection issues this past weekend, he has taken it upon himself to cancel my subscription without my consent nor the courtesy to suggest it. Apparently his ideal solution is to leave me without broadband (in my area I'm severely limited to Ripple, or 3G Mobile)... and would effectively take effect come this midnight. I have asked him numerous times not to do so, and he still went ahead with it!

Broadband is absolutely necessary for my work, and I am incredibly annoyed for this to happen when I've got an upcoming event this Wednesday.

So with that being said, I would like to request for my connection to be reinstated.

Head of Sales wrote:

Thank you for your email,

I have reviewed your account and can see the multiple issues that you have flagged over many months.

Ripplecom has a business imperative to ensure that when we deliver a service, we deliver it well and to our customers satisfaction (which does not appear to be the case here).

We provide our services using wireless technology and sometimes we cannot provide services that meet our customers’ expectations, even though we attempt to do so using every means at our disposal. Obviously we cannot alter the topology of Ireland or the Laws of Physics.

In your particular case, it is obvious that we have not met the service levels that you demand on an ongoing basis.

This is unsatisfactory for both parties involved and there is no point in Ripplecom continuing to provide a service that you are unhappy with.

Kevin took the logical step of cancelling your service and giving you 30 days credit as this was the best possible course of action that he could take.

We cannot improve the current level of service despite our best efforts and the deployment of high-gain radio equipment on your roof. The service level that we can provide does not meet your needs and therefore the best course of action is to terminate the contract.

However, in light of your email and in order not to cause you any inconvenience this coming Wednesday, we will cease your service in 30 days time and this email serves as official notice of same.

As a gesture of goodwill, no further invoices will be issued on your account and you will not have to pay for the service from 22nd September onwards.

I regret that we did not meet the service levels that you desired and I wish you the very best

Me wrote:

Dear RippleCom,

While I appreciate the prompt reply, and good will gesture - I still do NOT want to be completely void of a broadband connection overall. In my current circumstance I do not have the luxury of acquiring broadband services elsewhere other than 3G mobile broadband via a dongle - and those would yield an even worst quality connection, nevermind their data caps are severely limiting... as occasionally I have reached the current 70GB cap numerous times.

While my connection has not been ideal, it is far better to be with a connection than without... and hereby request for you to reinstate my connection and continual service, as I do not want to be left without one.

Head of Sales wrote:

We have made every effort to supply a service which meets with your satisfaction to no avail, despite our best efforts

I am afraid that we cannot agree to supplying a service that you feel is substandard going forward, this would ultimately be detrimental to both parties.

Therefore we have issued a 30 day notice of our cancellation to you.

If we were able to amend the service so that it met with your satisfaction, we would do so.

As we cannot do so, we cannot continue to supply same.

Me wrote:

Dear Mr Regan,

Are you proposing that myself being left without broadband overall is the 'satisfactory' decision to go with ? I am left with little options other than RippleCom, or 3G Mobile - and I'd take yourself over 3G any day, since they got small data caps. I do not have the luxury to choose from a wide variety of options like DSL, Fiber, Cable, etc., if I could this wouldn't be that much of an issue.

But it is, since broadband is crucial for me. I need it for my work and studies. More so because I have an exam come mid October and I have a lot of study material online.

Granted, my connection is not the best - but, as I've said already, it is better than no connection at all. And it beats 3G. So with that in mind, I kindly request for your cancellation to not go ahead and have myself remain as a customer of your services.

No response to last email, above

danniemcq

moved from AH, please read charter here before posting

hopefully someone in here will either use the same provider or will have dealt with them before

cunnijo

Beerwolf.

http://irelandoffline.org/map/

Maybe you have come across this link before. If not enter your address and see what is available to you.

As for Ripplecom, their excuses for poor service does simply not wash. I am with Digiweb using their Metro wireless service and I have found them to be fairly good when it comes to service issues, the last one being interference from a local source affecting the base station. They informed me that they were involving Comreg on the matter and it was solved soon after (something it seems Ripplecom seems to be not willing to do).

Originally Posted by Ripplecom CS
There is nothing at all wrong with the equipment, the signal is perfect. Unfortunately it's solely to do with interference in the air and we cannot fix this as you are on an Unlicensed Network , where anyone can broadcast.
Our senior network engineer has tested your connection and he confirms the equipment is working 100%.
The ONLY option in these cases , is the termination of service. This is the LAST resort on our side as we do not like to lose customers, but where we have no option , it is the right thing to do for both parties.

In relation to this quote from the senior engineer it might be no harm to contact Comreg for their advice, as Ripplecom like all other wireless ISP's are allocated certain frequencies and cannot deviate from them.

who_me

I actually think it's a good thing that they 'offered' to cancel your contract when they couldn't provide adequate service - others would try to buy you off and keep you even with terrible service quality.

But I find it bizarre though that they are insistent upon it. Never heard of that happening in my life.. I've heard of companies ditching customers who are too troublesome & time-consuming; but you seem very reasonable and - by the sounds of it - willing to accept their service with its flaws. Weird.