how long can I expect to wait to change plans

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › how long can I expect to wait to change plans

vargind

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#157629 7-Dec-2014 17:18

Ran out of internet on 150GB plan due to kid watching too much youtube. Reduced to dialup speed. Couldn't even load spark website to find this out. Switched to unlimited plan in the hopes that this will fix my problems.

Does anyone know how long it typically takes to switch? Or is my course of action going to fail?

Sideface

9357 posts

Uber Geek

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Lifetime subscriber

#1190176 7-Dec-2014 17:47

Some ISPs wait until the next billing period - others will upgrade you immediately - but I think that you really need to phone them to find out.

The unlimited upgrade is a good idea either way.

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nigelj

856 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1190178 7-Dec-2014 17:56

Spark/Telecom used to be real good about mid-billing period changes. To speed things up you may even be better off calling 123 and see if they can put it into the system there and then (might take an overnight for the limiting to come off though), online form if I recall correct is a 1-2 day thing for someone to process the form.

vargind

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1190179 7-Dec-2014 17:56

Actually found the answer on their site: usually within 24 hours; allow up to 2 working days. That's too long with no internet :(

plambrechtsen

1948 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1190206 7-Dec-2014 19:30

Normally it's overnight between 11pm and midnight. If you ask the support staff nicely depending on their role they can do it on the spot. But after 11pm worst case. However they have a 2 day SLA since things sometimes go wrong and wouldn't want to set an unrealistic expectation.

vargind

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1190207 7-Dec-2014 19:40

Yeah I tried calling but they said they couldn't do anything because "it was back office stuff" which I took to mean they worked in a Philippines call centre and had no power whatsoever to help me.

nigelj

856 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1190230 7-Dec-2014 21:18

vargind: Yeah I tried calling but they said they couldn't do anything because "it was back office stuff" which I took to mean they worked in a Philippines call centre and had no power whatsoever to help me.

Yeah, key is when you ring 123, make it all about the plan change, not getting the speed un-capped again, as Plam said, that is a process that runs in the middle of the night. (Although I do recall going from capped to Unlimited originally wasn't 123-able, so maybe I'm wrong).

plambrechtsen

1948 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1190239 7-Dec-2014 21:23

If you ring up the broadband helpdesk on 0800225598 they normally can tickle the line to make it uncapped. Or wait a few hours.

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Sideface

9357 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#1192024 9-Dec-2014 11:27

BUMP

Are you Unlimited yet?

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old3eyes

9120 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#1192113 9-Dec-2014 12:29

Last time I did this type of upgrade on line it was next day and that was over Xmas / New Year..

Regards,

Old3eyes

vargind

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1192140 9-Dec-2014 12:58

Yes. It did happen overnight. Actually pretty satisfied with how easy it was. They could stand to make their website more accessible by dialup speed though.

matisyahu

1623 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1192328 9-Dec-2014 17:44

vargind: Yes. It did happen overnight. Actually pretty satisfied with how easy it was. They could stand to make their website more accessible by dialup speed though.

To be honest dial up speed isn't even fast enough to load anything really - they really need to change is so that it slows down to 128K or 256K so it is at least possible to view websites and basic stuff.

"When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called 'the People's Stick'"

gjen

75 posts

Master Geek

#1195510 11-Dec-2014 11:44

Spark why can't you offer an option during your alert usage email for customers to add additional usage rather than having to upgrade or downgrade plans? would be much simpler.Even have the Auto top-up option and the customer uses a sliding scale to set how much they want to topped up... or is it and OSS/IT stack issue

plambrechtsen

1948 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1195613 11-Dec-2014 15:56

kawaii:
vargind: Yes. It did happen overnight. Actually pretty satisfied with how easy it was. They could stand to make their website more accessible by dialup speed though.

To be honest dial up speed isn't even fast enough to load anything really - they really need to change is so that it slows down to 128K or 256K so it is at least possible to view websites and basic stuff.

That's already happening, customers when they go over their cap. They get throttled to 128k up & down.