[Resolved]  Sify Broadband Connection — Frequent Non Connectivity - poor maintenance & service

Hi,

It’s extremely sad to say after all this is India and poor services are acceptable here since nobody is complaining or escalating to the concerned people on this issue. I am referring to my experience here with Sify Broadband connection.
I am also trying to bring to the notice of whomever concerned in Sify Broadband as well as other customers and prospective customers on the poor maintenance and service given by both the Sify Broadband and their Franchises (my experience is with Franchise - Vishwa Cable network, Sultanpalya Main Road, RT Nagar, Bangalore - 32). As well as the kind of harassment I have faced with absolute no permanent solution to the problem of frequent non connectivity.
My constant calls to their customer care has only resulted in calls being transferred, reassurance given but on ground the Franchise is giving temporary solutions and my connectivity is not there each time I switch on the system. Franchise and Sify attitude being totally non accountable, poor maintenance including their cable (2 yrs since they gave connection, the pin rusted near the box), the problems in the junction box only resolved recently with complaints from other customers. Further the cables are running across haphazardly on our apartment terrace including on the floor posing hazard to anyone tripping on them. During monsoon now with the exposure to sun, wind and rain the cable has become porous and soaks in water which through gravity (the cable is connected from the box on the terrace to the desktop which enters the apartment through window below) reaches the desktop port and the amount of water reaching here depending on the intensity of the incessant rains. Initially I used the same cable to connect to my laptop (recently bought) for internet connection as I had not yet began using a datacard. But since seeing the water enter into the cable, I immediately disconnected the cable from the laptop and used it for desktop only, worrying about the safety of the laptop and the damage the water can cause not forgetting its cost compared to that of a 5yr old desktop PC.
The whole objective of having a supposedly 24hrs broadband service is a farce here with non connectivity being frequent and is dependable only on the Franchise tech person to resolve it every time it goes off and that again is non dependable. In the end you are left with paying for a service where you have not been able to utilize at all and further given responses that this kind of problem of non connectivity is common. According to them, the complaint was raised on no connectivity - they came and restored and so its fine - the complaint gets closed immediately. Then again the next day the connection would not be there and the person would come back maybe after quite a few frantic calls and most times my work would come to a standstill and helpless to continue I would rush to nearest internet parlour and complete the task. And if its nigh time aligned to the US/global time then one cannot work or send mails or chat at all and having no choice but to be postponed for the next day - probably again being dependent on the neighbourhood internet parlour.
The frustration arising here is that why is no one checking on the connectivity being lost every time I log off and finding a permanent solution. My constant pleas to them was to check and change the cable or even change the pins connecting on both ends (seeing its poor state of maintenance) or at least check with another new cable - this has been till date responded with ignorance. They asked me to pay for the cable and connection charges, its not their headache. Many times the error message showing BB108 error would show on non connectivity - which says due to LAN cable non connectivity problem or the local cable network disconnectivity. I would confront the tech person on why this is so and also noticing him many times he checking the box and connecting cable kept on the terrace and it being restored immediately, his response would be its connected now, problem resolved. I wasn’t given a response why this happened often and no clear answer either. Unable to face this kind of attitude and harassment I mentioned I would not like to continue with their services if this is the constant and continuous non connectivity happening. Further its not being rectified on a permanent basis either and instead an indifferent attitude given to a customer who has availed their services for 2 yrs and has been promptly paying the charges and inspite of not being able to utilise their package completely. The tech person as well as Sify Broadband customer care is giving me clear indifference that either I utilise their services this way only or if I am finding it a problem I can look elsewhere.
Further dismay came when the Franchise Tech person had made cuts on the cable with a pocket knife a little distance away from the pin - which gets plugged into the port explaining to me that the water would pour out of here because of the cut even before it reached my desktop port and hence no water would reach here and thus according to him it was safe. I also noticed the knife had cut further beyond the gray casing onto the red, yellow wires inside also. This is one of Sify and Franchise tech person measure of ensuring the rainwater does not get through the cable till the port. But inspite of all this there was still water droplets near the port, which prompted me to disconnect every time during rains as well lightning. This further convinced me of changing over from broadband connection to the data card to ensure better quality of connectivity for my laptop and not be dependent on someone else who is unable to neither maintain nor give good service and used crude methods of rain preventive measures involving electrical equipment.
Upon looking at this problem of non connectivity closer, it seems as if Sify broadband or the Franchise is not letting its customer to utilise the package completely even though the customer pays for the services at the beginning o[censored]sage itself. Each time there is sufficient balance left every month - especially with the min package of Rs. 230/month and usage dependant as well as applicable for a expiry date every month. The package period would expire and again the next month it would get renewed with a new balance. Thus the customer with the non connectivity problem does not get to use but yet pays in the beginning itself the complete monthly package money. On the other hand Franchise or Sify broadband has got their payment but has not kept their side of the bargain. This is a clear indication of customers being taken for a ride at their own cost.
This kind of behaviour coming in from the Sify as well as Franchise tech person is pushing me to think of changing the Broadband connection - my shock is that it does not hassle them that they may further lose 10 other prospective customers. I really insist people not to be taken in by their promises and hope they read this experience and are able to confront Sify Broadband with this problem before they avail the connection or those who want to still go ahead with their services.
I am sure there are also many people out there facing similar problems with Sify Broadband connection and hope this is useful. At the same time I hope to receive a response from Sify Broadband on the same and this problem resolved.