Wananchi Group through Zuku are Out To Con their Customers with Dubious Reconnection Fee

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Here we go..Zuku is PLEASED to announce  10% price increase on their  Zuku Triple-Play Services (TV, Internet, Phone) packages.  And that is not all they have introduced  a levy of 499 as a reconnection charges on the prepaid subscriptions per month for late payments. So if you use Zuku internet and you feel like you don’t need it for two days for one reason or another, you will be charged 499 for not using their  services…smh..This is a daylight on your face con

Let start with reconnection fee.. So it is like when you have Safaricom or Orange line and you are using prepaid option, then you are charged for not having credit on your line for a few hours or a few days.   Seriously this more than stupid. Who on earth gave them that outrageous idea?  They now sound like Kenya Power, but even Kenya Power’s actions are understandable when comes to reconnection fee because it applicable to postpaid billing. Kenya Power disconnect users who have used the power without paying in time. After paying the pending bill, they charge for the reconnection. As for Zuku, the payment is meant to last for a period of time (one month) after which the users get disconnected automatically.. I think Prepaid option is meant to offer  customers choice to opt in and out of the system.. It is also give the customers time and space to use the service according to their needs. If a customer does not want to use the service in a given month he should have the freedom to sit out and pay for the period that he/she needs the service.

For Zuku I have no idea what they are thinking! Here is the part of the email from the MD Kamande Muiruri about the reconnection fee.

Furthermore, we are pleased to announce introduction of more convenient and easier to understand Anniversary Billing. As the name implies your billing effective your next subscription renewal shall be on a monthly cycle from the date of sign up and or/payment. All subscription fees will be due in advance of the monthly service cycle. Your invoice will be emailed upon prepayment for the next monthly period of Services. We will henceforth levy a reconnection charge of Kshs 499/- per month for late payments for monthly subscription charges paid after the anniversary billing date.

It simple, Zuku should  rethink this before they lose out completely. By the way someone indicated that they have realized that they are a monopoly and they can do as they want…….Hello Kenya Power, you now have a mate.

As for the pricing I feel cheated by the ISPs… They once upon a time all promised Kenyans that the prices will go down once we have the fiber cables in the country, and many years down the line, they are  increasing the prices instead of reducing.. At the time they talked of just waiting a bit to recoup their investments on the fiber and then life would be much easier for the consumers. Well, 4 years down the line, they are in the mood of increasing instead of decreasing. Yes, Zuku termed the increase in prices AMAZING on the email

You are currently on Internet  only – 4 Mbps at a monthly subscription of Kshs 1,999/=. With a ten per cent (10%) increase you will pay Kshs 2,199/=. For Kshs 2,000/- more, you could change your subscription to Premium / R8 at only Kshs 3,999/= and enjoy double Internet speeds, 87 TV channels and phone with free Zuku to Zuku calls with affordable local and international calling rates. Zuku Amazing!

There you go, you esteemed customers should be proud to do business with PLEASED  Zuku  for the AMAZING  increase in prices and a new reconnection fee.

 

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Comments

  • This is a way of locking their customers to their service, as you said… this is a prepaid service why would one think of charging a customer a reconnection fee. Or are they out of money hence the idea….or is it something to do with Star times launching their stuff….pure BS.

    E for Ndinya August 1, 2012 18:04
  • Out of money is like it..or desperate

    kachwanya August 1, 2012 18:10
  • Once again, knee-jerk reaction from a corporate…

    iddsalim August 1, 2012 18:10
  • They are basically out to con people..more than knee-jerk reaction

    kachwanya August 1, 2012 18:27
  • Day-light robbery…..

    Dinhovic August 1, 2012 18:30
  • My major issue is not even the prices, it is this re-connection fee. Who in his own right mind, an MD for that matter, would use words PLEASED and AMAZING such a move? Mr. Kachwanya, do a blog review of the available options in the market. I think I need to move out. StartTimes??

    Fredrick Ombako August 1, 2012 19:18
  • Reconnection fee is plain theft. What does it take to reconnect a client? It’s not like Zuku technicians will physically come to your premises to reconnect.
    There was more on the email that was just outrageous1. For Basic / R1 package (1Mbps), you no longer get a wireless router, so NO WIFI2. They have totally discontinued 4Mbps package3. If you have more than 1 TV, you now have to pay EXTRA Kshs 999, per month, SMH4. Installation and Relocation charges have gone up considerably. Relocation fee was 2,000. It is now 4,000
    5. Their website is full of broken links, I couldn’t get more info on their website

    MMK August 1, 2012 23:27
  • zuku was trending through out the day….am quite surprised. But customers will always complain. Same thing happened to dstv… customers even petitioned for the prices to drop but nothing happened. All they did is introduced a package for the complainers. But to be honest…they still provide some of the best services….they need to up their game by adding more content to their sports channels

    Miss babes August 2, 2012 00:14
  • Hi, thanks for that informative piece. Is the situation still the same or has anything changed? Secondly, I’m a bit new to Zuku so wondering if the 1999 package also comes with net/ wi-fi or is this now non existent?

    Miriam Mathenge October 11, 2012 22:17
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