Tailspin for Spin Internet
BROADBAND ISP Spin Internet (also trading under its other name ComCen) appears to be in some trouble following widespread user complaints on Broadband Forums.
Spin recently released a batch of ADSL2+ Plans including a total of 120GB of data for $69.95 a month, with peering data counted as off peak data. Customers however quickly reported massive congestion issues with some users only receiving 5kb/s from International sources.
Spin’s now withdrawn the plans. Customers appear to be given no real option in the emails sent out to them:
“With respect to your current plan. Unfortunately this plan has been discontinued.As you may be aware we have recently launched new ADSL2+ plans. We feel that these new plans combined with our new phone packs, offer great value. One of the highlights is the removal of the off peak quota customers can use their new data limit whenever they wish…
If we do not hear back from you by the start of your next billing cycle, you will be automatically switched back to your previous plan.”
It leaves open the question of what exactly will happen to customers who are still under contract with Spin or ComCen, and smells of the type of maneuver other ISP’s have pulled shortly before announcing their sale or appointment of administrators.
Rumour has it that their core routers are at such high load levels that they wont even generate bandwidth usage graphs. I’ve spoken to Network Engineers with Cisco qualifications that say through ping and trace routes performed on the Spin network, it’s obvious that the load level on their routers sit at 100% for most of the day.
The question is, are Spin and ComCen conducting a “pump and dump” where they accumulate as many users as possible through unsustainable plans only to sell the business a short time later, as happened with OzEmail which was aquired by iiNet.
Whatever the motive, the users are the ones suffering at the hands of poor management decisions and inadequate planning.
I want to email a PERSON at comcen regarding an issue that has bee on going since last year – although an email tells me ‘it has been resolved without sending a response to me”.
Does anyone have the name and email of someone with some authority in this faceless company??
!’m cursing the day for my very big blunder to listen to my frind for transfer to Spin on a contrac for 2 years plus our phone account. WHAT A MESS. & a stupid thing to do,
Service is TERIBLE, with a result of 2 whole days of NO internet connection, blaming that our modem is faulty & us buying a new modem for nothing. We have to get our grandson to fixed.
We are on ADSL2,BUT HAVE NEVER REACH MORE THAN 45 or 150,KB.sec.
We are old people 78 years & we don’t like to rock the boat, & just bear my stupidety.
We can not ask our grandson for help,he is in Melbourne, so for 6 months in fustration & 18 to go.
We will not ask Spin ever for service, in case we stuck again with more money to spend & days with no internet. What the Hell can we do with this biggest rip of, complain????To who, my frind that sugested to transfer, have dumped Spin Isp.My wife spend hours on the computer for the oppshop,
I only go to my banking & Ebay. I know my Englis is shocking. Addy
I too and now regretting having switched over to comcen/spin and stupidly, against my better judgement signed up for a 12mth contract. I find this company to be just as ‘robotic’ as most businesses today, with their customer service??? people mostly ignoring what I try to simply explain, and coming back with ‘generic’ replies. I have attempted to change – downgrade the plan I signed up for, but there is now contradictory information on their website about the FEE for doing so…..one line states there will be a fee of $20 to do this, yet another line further down states that for people on a nexus plan (which I foolishly chose) have to pay a $49.00 fee!???? and no matter how many times I point out that contradiction to them, they just repeat the same old same old.
I also have taken the time to point out to them the inefficiencies when logged into their site, with the hope that they will make improvements for ease of use for their customers….I shall not be holding my breath on that one.
I am only into my second monthly billing cycle with them, so of course there is a hefty fee to opt out.
I see that a lot of the problems that I have now encountered one would NOT know about, until one has actually signed up, and thereby using their website and checking on my account stats etc.
NOT a happy customer of comcen and I would NOT recommend them to anyone else.