TPG faces customer backlash over slowed net speeds

ISP forums go into overdrive as customers claim to seek TIO action

TPG is facing the prospect of a major customer backlash following numerous reports of slow network speeds and a lack of customer service.

The reports, posted on the internet service provider’s (ISP) support site and on community portal Whirlpool, also warn of potential official complaints to Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO).

“My average connection speed is 100 kbps and less,” user Alexc123 posted on TPG’s site. “Websites are timing out all the time. I can't use a wireless router anymore due to the pathetic speeds, I have to restart the modem and do the ten second dance like ten times a day and I am sick and tired of this.”

The networking issues, discussed on the Whirlpool forum date back as far as April this year and have generated more than 1500 posts in November alone.

“It's just not good enough – I've given them two weeks to fix the problems and I've had nothing but smoke and mirrors put up,” user Belated posted last week. “…How long till it all happens again?”

“I've just been reconnected from being offline for the past three hours,” user BurnedOutWriter wrote. “My modem was telling me ‘Authentication Failed’. Between this and only being able to download right now at a ludicrous 117 kbps, I am far from impressed.”

At the time of publication, Whirlpool's most recent TPG TIO complaint thread had 75 replies with forum user F. Pinkus claiming that the ISP isn't responding to customer enquires.

"It's obvious TPG don't think too highly of their user-base since naturally you'd release some information regarding the issue," F. Pinkus claimed. "I think it's time people submit a TIO complaint, since it's probably the only way TPG will listen and start taking the business they run seriously."

The posts follow calls this month from iiNet that ISPs must place more of an emphasis on customer service or risk high customer churn levels, and as Australian ISPs and telcos were recently warned that they must lift customer service standards following a call from the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN).

TPG was unavailable for comment at time of writing.

Follow Lisa Banks on Twitter: @CapricaStar

Follow Computerworld Australia on Twitter: @ComputerworldAu

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Tags ISPTPGTelecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO)Internet speeds

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