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The Straits Times
www.straitstimes.com
Published on Sep 25, 2014
[h=1]Start-up left in the lurch by service providers[/h][h=2][/h]
MY START-UP recently moved into a new office and signed up for telecommunications services with StarHub on July 9.
OpenNet conducted its first site survey on July 15. After that, it postponed the installation date from July 27 to Sept 26. My firm had to keep chasing OpenNet and StarHub, and was repeatedly given excuses for the failure to deliver the required services.
The final straw came when I found out that OpenNet had postponed the installation again, this time to Oct 31 - 16 weeks after my firm had signed up for the services.
My firm tried to cancel the contract, but was told there would be a cancellation fee, even though the services had not commenced.
At one point, StarHub offered a workaround that required us to pay for more services as a temporary measure, which was unsatisfactory to us.
Each time I contacted either OpenNet or StarHub, I had to repeat my story to call centre staff who had neither the authority nor the ability to help us. They would promise that someone who had the authority to make decisions would call us, but this never happened.
We contacted the Infocomm Development Authority, which told us it would work with both firms and give us an update. That was on Sept 12 and we have not heard from anyone since.
Jillian Kee Wan Keng (Ms)
www.straitstimes.com
Published on Sep 25, 2014
[h=1]Start-up left in the lurch by service providers[/h][h=2][/h]
MY START-UP recently moved into a new office and signed up for telecommunications services with StarHub on July 9.
OpenNet conducted its first site survey on July 15. After that, it postponed the installation date from July 27 to Sept 26. My firm had to keep chasing OpenNet and StarHub, and was repeatedly given excuses for the failure to deliver the required services.
The final straw came when I found out that OpenNet had postponed the installation again, this time to Oct 31 - 16 weeks after my firm had signed up for the services.
My firm tried to cancel the contract, but was told there would be a cancellation fee, even though the services had not commenced.
At one point, StarHub offered a workaround that required us to pay for more services as a temporary measure, which was unsatisfactory to us.
Each time I contacted either OpenNet or StarHub, I had to repeat my story to call centre staff who had neither the authority nor the ability to help us. They would promise that someone who had the authority to make decisions would call us, but this never happened.
We contacted the Infocomm Development Authority, which told us it would work with both firms and give us an update. That was on Sept 12 and we have not heard from anyone since.
Jillian Kee Wan Keng (Ms)
