Any positive Slingshot stories?

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › Any positive Slingshot stories?

apocalypso

53 posts

Master Geek

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#199148 6-Aug-2016 13:55

I am wanting to migrate my parents away from a very expensive combination of Spark Landline with Caller ID, Call Minder and Fax-ability $70.70 p/m, Vodafone(previously Clear) Tolls and Mobile Calls averaging $40 p/m and Grandfathered Xnet WXC ADSL $60 p/m + 1.29 per GB! averaging $110 per month for around 55GB usage for a Total spend averaging $220 a month!

They are on a 10 Acre block in Semi-Rural Chch so Fibre will likely never be available and VDSL reports as being available via online checkers however I think it would be hardly worth it or probably not even possible with Line Attenuation of 17.0db. The current ADSL2+ performance is certainly satisfactory at ~10Mbit Download

Im with Bigpipe myself and very pleased with their service, but my parents want/need a POTS line for Alarm & outgoing Fax still, (no longer require incoming faxes on a dedicated number or caller ID) Not worth upgrading the alarm panel or teaching my Dad how to scan and use email at this stage to be able to move them to voip. Was planing on moving everything onto Slingshot with their very competitive $70 Unlimited Internet and phone line. but looking at posts on their Facebook page and on here there seem to be quite a few negative opinions for various reasons, https://www.facebook.com/SlingshotNZ/posts_to_page/

Bearing in mind that people only usually speak up when they have a problem so just wondering if anyone can provide some positive reports to alleviate my fears that this may be a bad move? Or recommend an alternative option for me?

Cheers

DarkShadow

1647 posts

Uber Geek

#1605480 6-Aug-2016 14:46

Are you happy with either of the 3 current providers? Why not just consolidate it to one company? You'll already save lots there.

apocalypso

53 posts

Master Geek

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#1605496 6-Aug-2016 15:17

Good point, WXC dont do POTS so they are out, Would be looking at about $105 per month with Spark or $95 with Vodafone for comparable plans, while that's still a huge saving over what they currently spend, its still a $30-$40 a month premium over Slingshot, but for the reliability & peace of mind perhaps it's worth it. Unless anyone can tell me otherwise

I did try to move everything over to Vodafone about a year ago but they were too busy to do it at the time and said they would call back, however no one ever did call back... and I hear so much negativity about Vodafone on the Geekzone forums it has put me off them a bit.

hmm decisions decisions

PANiCnz

990 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1605789 7-Aug-2016 12:18

apocalypso:

I did try to move everything over to Vodafone about a year ago but they were too busy to do it at the time and said they would call back, however no one ever did call back... and I hear so much negativity about Vodafone on the Geekzone forums it has put me off them a bit.

I would avoid Vodafone like the plague, the plague may even be preferable. No dramas with Spark, my parents are with them and they have no problems.

ben28

190 posts

Master Geek

#1605807 7-Aug-2016 13:10

No problem with slingshot, they have some of the lowest pricing.
Read of a few moans over the years but no more than any other ISPs.
As you can help them with any technical issues I'd say go for it.

yitz

2083 posts

Uber Geek

#1605889 7-Aug-2016 14:53

Seeing as you an existing landline customer it could be worth giving Spark a ring to ask if they are willing to offer a discount to go up to the homeline broadband package.

Fred99

13684 posts

Uber Geek

#1616183 23-Aug-2016 09:41

I have a big moan with SS, VDSL/landline.

Chorus (Downer) cut through our line on Friday while excavating to put in a new connection. They "fixed" the issue, but leaving us with a noisy phone line. Over the weekend our phone line went completely dead, a neighbours phone line went dead, both our DSL connections are still working - in a limited way.

SS online "help" are insisting that they've got to run 24 hour line testing, then get me to run isolation test (disconnect modem, phone blah blah) to confirm "it's not a fault with (my" equipment" before they even log this as a fault with Chorus. WTF?

I've asked them to call me - they haven't. They say they "understand my frustration" - but I don't think they care at all.

Is this standard policy insisted on by Chorus with all ISPs - before they action obvious line faults - or is this SS policy?

Lias

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#1616266 23-Aug-2016 12:41

Spark is the ISP I would generally recommend people put there parents/grandparents on.

Vodafone is pretty terribad, but I do recommend them under some circumstances (Cable is better than DSL in _most_ places still, and Sky is cheaper)

Bigpipe is best for naked by a LONG way.

I can't say I'd ever recommend Slingshot, Orcon, MyRepublic, or 2 degrees under any circumstances.

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Fred99

13684 posts

Uber Geek

#1616480 23-Aug-2016 18:53

Update on my post above.

Chorus/Downer dug up the cable they'd stuffed, and fixed the fault in my line.
I asked him if he'd fix the neighbours line if he came across it. They've logged a fault with their ISP/phone provider (2 deg), but it looks like they've got the same crazy policy, wait for 24 hours of line tests. So the job hadn't been passed on to Chorus, he didn't happen to come across a broken wire - so didn't fix it. Tomorrow or the next, I guess Chorus will be back to dig up the hole they just filled in to find the neighbours fault - no doubt it will be within inches of the fault they fixed today.

A thing I learned, you don't need twisted pair for VDSL, one intact cable can carry the signal, but not very well and no doubt not very far, but our VDSL worked (slowly and unreliably) with an complete open circuit on one of the twisted pair.

deadlyllama

1264 posts

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#1616524 23-Aug-2016 20:22

Lias:
Spark is the ISP I would generally recommend people put there parents/grandparents on.

Vodafone is pretty terribad, but I do recommend them under some circumstances (Cable is better than DSL in _most_ places still, and Sky is cheaper)

Bigpipe is best for naked by a LONG way.

I can't say I'd ever recommend Slingshot, Orcon, MyRepublic, or 2 degrees under any circumstances.

There are a few small, long established ISPs with excellent customer service. Inspire Net are great and I've heard good things about Actrix too.

SATTV

1649 posts

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#1616539 23-Aug-2016 21:11

My parents are with Slingshot.

Today they moved to UFB ( totally wasted on them as they use 5BG / Month max ) however free install and cheaper than DSL, also improved resale value makes it worth it.

Once UFB was installed they had to move the phones over and Mum said it did not go smoothly but the lovely young man and then lovely young woman we very good on the phone. All up about three hours (TBH it was probably my parents causing the problem as they are not tech savy at all )

My parents are happy with them and have had a few marathon calls to support.

I think Slingshot have upped their game a lot.

My record on hold was 6 man hours but that was 4 or 5 years ago.

John

I know enough to be dangerous

michaelmurfy

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#1616568 23-Aug-2016 23:25

Move everything to a Spark account - consolidated billing, pretty good service and also discounts on Broadband for doing so. I have not had any (recent) experience with SS but I do know they just resell Spark Mobile anyway (they're a MVNO) so really pretty much of a muchness but from what I've read, heard (from others) and also experienced I would not personally be moving anything to them.

Michael Murphy | https://murfy.nz
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