Unbelievable Sales Tactics?!

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msukiwi

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#240341 3-Sep-2018 12:09

Just received a call from an elderly friend.

He lives in Ilam, Christchurch.

He uses Spark for landline and mobile. (And is happy)

NO broadband or requirement for internet at all.

Was told by the Vodafone Rep that they are changing him to fibre as the copper lines are no longer maintained!

Be done in about 3 weeks.

He has not signed anything.

The Rep presented it as his only choice. NO option to stay as it was!

I advised him to contact Spark and advise them that he does not want any changes done!

Totally disgusting behaviour especially towards our less technical elders!

nakedmolerat

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#2083134 3-Sep-2018 12:13

oh no. that is bad!

report to comcom.

shaunm

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#2083135 3-Sep-2018 12:15

Hi, Murray

If you can, please pass through all details you can (via PM) and I will get this looked into.

If they have not signed anything and not given any account, connection or personal details the sales agent will not be able to proceed with the sale/change.

Shaun.

msukiwi

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#2083164 3-Sep-2018 12:36

PM Sent.

Thanks for the fast reply.

msukiwi

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#2083195 3-Sep-2018 13:03

Shaun has been in contact with the concerned party. (Very fast response)

He as also been in contact with me via PM.

A great response from Shaun, and thanks from both of us.

SpartanVXL

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#2083201 3-Sep-2018 13:13

Without raining on the parade too much, isn't copper eventually going out anyway? If this thread popped up in 2020-2022 I would expect the response to be more like "Yup, no more copper".

sbiddle

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#2083208 3-Sep-2018 13:30

Vodafone announced last year they were moving all customers who were on Spark wholesaled NEAX services to VoIP and started doing this earlier in the year.

Good to see VF have been in touch but all customers have been advised of this change months ago, but the reality is that is the way things are going. Spark are commencing the shutdown of their NEAX PSTN network in 2020 and moving everybody to VoIP.

Customers who are currently resold wholesale NEAX connections through another RSP will need to move to a VoIP solution from their own provider eventually.

Contacting Spark in this case wouldn't have a achieved anything as you are not a Spark customer - and Spark themselves are moving as many of their own copper customers to either UFB or fixed wireless so it's possible Spark may not have wanted to provision a NEAX voice service anyway if they had tried to move to them.

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RunningMan

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#2083215 3-Sep-2018 13:34

sbiddle:[snip]

Vodafone announced last year they were moving all customers who were on Spark wholesaled NEAX services to VoIP and started doing this earlier in the year.

But the OP's friend isn't a Vodafone customer - they're a Spark customer.

sbiddle

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#2083230 3-Sep-2018 14:08

RunningMan:

sbiddle:[snip]

Vodafone announced last year they were moving all customers who were on Spark wholesaled NEAX services to VoIP and started doing this earlier in the year.

But the OP's friend isn't a Vodafone customer - they're a Spark customer.

Why why would they post in the VF forum and mention VF contacting them?

I assumed by the post they're a Spark wholesaled customer.

What do VF have to do with this if they're on Spark?!

shaunm

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#2083233 3-Sep-2018 14:12

sbiddle:

RunningMan:

sbiddle:[snip]

Vodafone announced last year they were moving all customers who were on Spark wholesaled NEAX services to VoIP and started doing this earlier in the year.

But the OP's friend isn't a Vodafone customer - they're a Spark customer.

Why why would they post in the VF forum and mention VF contacting them?

I assumed by the post they're a Spark wholesaled customer.

What do VF have to do with this if they're on Spark?!

Vodafone door to door sales agent, the sales method is the main concern in my personal opinion and I will be bringing this to the attention of the correct sales regional team.

Shaun.

sbiddle

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#2083276 3-Sep-2018 14:57

Ahh that explains it.

OP obviously needs to be aware Spark will probably try and migrate the customer to fibre or FWA soon anyway.

msukiwi

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#2083283 3-Sep-2018 15:06

sbiddle:

Ahh that explains it.

OP obviously needs to be aware Spark will probably try and migrate the customer to fibre or FWA soon anyway.

The person concerned is already aware!

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hio77

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#2083327 3-Sep-2018 16:00

sbiddle:

Ahh that explains it.

OP obviously needs to be aware Spark will probably try and migrate the customer to fibre or FWA soon anyway.

Just remember, while FWA or Fibre is ideal (purely from a faults hitrate alone..) spark is still heavily invested in it's NEAX replacement BBIP based service.

Chorus too have done alot of work in this area which i expect to be pretty seamless once transitioned (our current customers on the service have no idea. to them it's just a copper landline service working how it should! )

i do expect many providers will roll their own VoIP solutions in order to not be paying wholesale rate, that's a bit of a downside but not alot you can do..

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