[DaveD]

I moved to Sham Tseng in February and subscribed to Cable TV Internet (Broadband). So far, so good... but since a few weeks, the Internet is soooooo slowly, I can hardly work properly....

Sometimes it's a bit better for a while, but in general, the problem persists... the hotline can't help, because nobody speaks proper English there - or is it my bad English?

However, no hardware / software modifications in the last months / weeks.

Anybody experienced the same problem?

[hk.com]

knock at the doors if your neighbours and tell them to stop running bit torrent.

[discobay]

Thanks DaveD, that's reduced the number of choices by one.

[Grungerock]

I suggest when you call them, ask them if there is any english speaker. This usually helps.

[grandcider]

No, it's not you! i-Cable's customer service team has the poorest standard of English that I've encountered yet. I had a painful session with one of them yesterday about fixing a date to port my home line. It went something like this:

Me: Hello?
i-Cable: Hello is this the Mister XYZ?
Me: Yes, but I'm in a meeting now. Can you please call me back later?
i-Cable: I'm looking for Mister XYZ
Me: I am XYZ! But this is not a convenient time.
i-Cable: Hello Mr. XYZ, I am calling from i-Cable about
porting the home line number
Me: Ok, can we discuss this later? After an hour..
i-Cable: Yes, according to our record you requested the
home line service
Me: Yes, I'm busy now. BUSY!
i-Cable: Can you confirm your HKID card number?

I hung up and he kept calling back. Later I spoke with him again.

i-Cable: We will arrange to port the home line on June 3.
Me: Why does it have to be June 3rd? I requested this almost two months ago!
i-Cable: Because you have the contract with PCCW.
Me: Yes, I have to pay PCCW until the end of my contract, but the i-Cable line has already been installed. You might as well go ahead and port the number.
i-Cable: So it will be port on June 3.
Me: Ok, fine!
i-Cable: Oh, June 3 is a Sunday, so it will be port on June 14.
Me: Why June 14?!
i-Cable: Because June 3 is Sunday and we cannot port on the Sunday.
Me: Right... so can't you do it the next day? On Monday?
i-Cable: Then we will port on June 14.
Me: I don't understand. Why June 14? I'm supposed to go without my home number for 11 days?
i-Cable: The line will be ported on the next day.
Me: Isn't the next day June 4?
i-Cable: OK, we will port the line on June 4.
Me: That's great!

[discobay]

Hilarious! And they're not even outsourced!!!

[ballon]

Entertaining? Here's another recent conversation:

Me: Hi. I recently signed up for an i-Cable package and it was supposed to include 100 free minutes of 007 IDD a month. So why I have I received an IDD bill?
i-Cable: The package will include 100 free minutes of IDD, but you must pay for any calls after 100 minutes.
Me: Understood. But I've only ever made about 3 calls through 007 that lasted around 5 minutes each.
i-Cable: You can call the 007 IDD customer hotline to check about the service. The number is XXXXXXX
Me: I've already called them and they told me to call i-Cable. They said that I wasn't enrolled in any i-Cable promotion.
i-Cable: Maybe you have used another 007 account.
Me: But I've never signed up for anything with 007. So the only way I could have used this service was through my promotion with i-Cable.
i-Cable: If you signed up with i-Cable, then you will have the promotion of 100 free minutes.
Me: Obviously I'm not getting the free minutes! I don't even want this 007 service. I only used it a few times because your agent said it was included in my package.
i-Cable: Do you use 007 with your home number of mobile number?
Me: Well, I wrote both numbers on the form when I signed up.
i-Cable: maybe you can check with 007 if both numbers have the promotion.
Me: Maybe YOU can check. I've already called them and they asked me to i-Cable.
i-Cable: If your number is not registered by i-Cable then the 007 long distance should not work at all.
Me: Well it's a mystery then. I don't have the answer

[sarpesius]

Originally Posted by ballon

Entertaining? Here's another recent conversation:

Me: Hi. I recently signed up for an i-Cable package and it was supposed to include 100 free minutes of 007 IDD a month. So why I have I received an IDD bill?....

if you switch providers can you update this thread or pm me, since i don't want to get stuck with a turkey

[Miss P]

this is an old thread but just wanted to thank you for a good laugh- the conversation I had with autotoll yesterday had me yelling so wish I could have been as patient as you...I would love to be able to remember what was said verbatim it is hysterically funny a lot of the time here...albeit annoying as hell..

[tish]

In response to Dave D's ad, i live in Ting kau and use i-cable internet service. Trust me, they have one of the better speaking English staff around by HK standards. I know since i have used one or two other broadband providers. They always answer the phone and in English if you opt for the English language option, they explain techincal issues well enough and provide affordable quality service. I too have been experiencing slowdowns recently and i hope they fix it. Anyway, i would choose them anytime over the other providers and i intend to renew my contract. For a reasonable price with 24 hours unlimited broadband service with 24 hr support and reasonable english speaking staff, one cannot quibble.

I used HK Broadband previously and whenever i called for technical support, i was directed to voicemail, the usual message being all their operators are busy. However, if you wanted to subscribe, an operator was always available to answer the phone.

One usually requires instant support for techincal issues. Anyway, i would leave voice messages to return my call. To add insult to injury, they would not call back for weeks or at all.

If you were lucky enough to get an operator on the off chance, they'd tell you immediately that they'd ask an English speaking staff to call back and that would rarerly if ever happen.

Recently i sent a fax since i could not get through seeking a bill adjustment. They called me once when i was unavailable and left a message asking me to call thier hotline, when i had made it percisely clear that the reason for the fax was because no english speaker ever returned my calls viz the voicemail on the hotline. Finally, I had to go to their office in person to have the issue sorted out. I am done with them!


I am not sure if they have cleaned up their act even as we speak, but i very much doubt it but guess what that ain't my problem anymore.

Hope this helps.