Maxis Wireless Broadband Sucks!
Wednesday, September 10th, 2008
I signed up for the package on a fateful afternoon back in February 2008. The package was RM 178 per month. Since it came with a HP Laptop, I am suppose to be tied to the package for the next 24 months, which comes to RM 4,272. Thus far, from February to September, I have paid RM 1,246 for this sub-standard product.
I’ve officially discontinued my Maxis wireless broadband on 9th Sep 2008.
There’s only one reason why I would want to pay for a wireless broadband service- mobility. Since I am always running around, I need internet access on-the-go. Yes, before I subscribed to the broadband service, I have to ensure that my appointments are made at a place with wifi connections, or at least “close to a Starbucks”. You also get to learn which Mc Donald’s are run by stingy managers. You also know which Old Town branch has got broadband but provides no power outlet, which is a very obvious message that customers with laptops are not welcomed (hint: Aman Suria). So, I thought by having a wireless broadband package, I could end the Hunt for Wifi Zones once and for all.
Let’s look at what they’ve quoted on their website on Minimum Contract Period:
We believe in giving you the best assurance when you use our service. As such, we are providing a seven (7) days cooling-off period. This allows you to test whether you like the service and whether the indoor coverage in your specific area is adequate to deliver the speeds you expect. During this 7-day period, you can discontinue our Maxis Wireless Broadband Service without any handling fee. Simply return the modem and telephone set (if applicable) in good working condition in its original packaging to our Maxis Centres (KLANG VALLEY: KLCC, Sunway, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Cheras, Selayang, Pavilion, Berjaya Times Square PENANG: Northam, Bayan Baru, Prai JOHOR BAHRU: JB Kotaraya, Taman Molek).
For full clause of their no minimum contract period, check here.
When I first signed up, of course there was no such clause. This must have come up to reduce the number of complaints. 7 days to test out the connection is actually too short. Why? Since you need mobility, you definitely need to test out the connectivity in a few destinations. Unless you can cover many places that you are most likely to travel to in these 7 days, then having this 7 days cooling period is as good as nothing. So, to really exercise your cooling-off period rights, make sure you schedule a cross-border trip across the country the moment they pass you the tampon.
Also, after the 7-days period, the no minimum contract period is as good as USELESS. That’s because you would still need to pay a hefty fine of RM200 for handling fees if you are to stop using the service in less than a year. RM200 for handling what? That’s literally daylight robbery. So, why didn’t I stayed on for another 4 months to qualify for the handling fee waiver, which would mean that Maxis will absorb the RM200 handling fee? Maxis has provided me a service I could barely use, and I don’t see that changing in the next 4 months. If I am still subscribed to the service, I would continue to fork out RM712 for a useless device. So, which is the lesser evil? The RM200 pickpocket or the RM712 robber wielding a parang? You might want to help Ananda Krishnan do the maths.
I happened to extensively travel between Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Johor. The quality of connection in Kuala Lumpur is still alright. The speed is fine, but the amount of times being dropped out during a connection is considerably high, say once in about half an hour. Even if you are not dropped out, chances are the downloading will just come to a stop, whereby you need to restart the connection again. Well, that’s in Klang Valley.
Now, let’s drive 180 kilometres south to the Historical City of Melaka. Over here, the symptoms are quite consistent in the past 6 months: the device will indicate it’s connected at 3G or EDGE, but essentially nothing comes through. Yes, you’ll be loading pages and pages of “Connection Time Out”, and if you are lucky, the Maxis broadband homepage loads.
And let’s go all the way down south another 120 kilometres to a small town called Kluang. It’s small, but the population is rather civilized and the 250,000 residents living here also deserve decent wireless broadband connection. Unfortunately, Maxis doesn’t think so. Hence, you are being served GPRS if you are really lucky and most of the time, it’s just 53.68Kbps, which is almost the same speed as your normal dial-up connection. Only, all these speed are just “lip service”. Like in Melaka, you don’t get any data while you “stay connected”.
I remember very well on the day as I was enthusiastically signing up for the broadband service, the Maxis Wireless Broadband representative was explaining to me how they are going to extend their coverage in time to come, and how the broadband connection works. Basically, the device will detect the connection speed that is available in the area, and if you look at the chart below, the slowest connection that the device can fall back on is dial-up.
This essentially means that I still get to connect at dial up speed in the worst possible scenario. However, they’ve never told me that even though you might be connected, there’s no assurance that the data will be received by the device.
Now, their favorite tag line is this: Speed of service is on best effort basis.
Ouch…whatever happened to consumer rights? Does that mean we get a discount from you if your package is performing below acceptable quality? That’s certainly not in my case. I have to pay in full every month even though I make complaints to them on a monthly basis, even when I am having problems downloading a decent web page. Just because you have that “best effort basis” clause, you can just tell all customers who are facing problems with your service, “What did I tell you? Stop whining, we are doing our best.” Is that the BEST Maxis can do?
Alas, this is my personal experience. I am not sure if there are any Maxis wireless broadband users who are having the same problems which I’ve had. If you do, please share it here. Also, there could be Maxis wireless broadband users who might have had a good experience, please share it here too.
To add to the challenge of unsubscribing, I asked the Customer Service dude what’s going to happen to my Laptop that came with the joint-promotion. He just gave me blank look and tell me to contact HP myself. So much for joint-promotion, it looks more like a joint-extortion.
I have heard good stories from many friends who are using CELCOM’s wireless broadband, which is essentially using the same HUAWEI E220 technology for the device. I have not used it myself, but if I am going to subscribe another broadband services in the future, I will definitely give CELCOM’s package a try.
To conclude my adventure, here’s another look at one of Maxis Wireless Broadband propaganda. They are quite smart to use all these “wild, jungle, animal” themes to sub consciously drill into our heads that you can go into the wild jungle like Indiana Jones and still able to work and surf the net with their service.
All I can say is that you shouldn’t sign up with Maxis wireless broadband if you need mobility. Period.
I am not alone in my quest to bring up the injustice that Maxis is practicing on their customers and ex-customers:
http://titoki.blogspot.com/2008/09/fuck-u-stimx-fuck-u-maxis-bb-fuck-you.html
http://crizlai.blogspot.com/2008/05/maxis-wireless-broadband-unreliable.html
http://www.planetmy.com/blog/maxis-broadband/
http://nccc.org.my/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=820&Itemid=99999999
http://www.consumer.com.my/message/index.php?itemid=1620
Don’t think twice when you are choosing your next wireless broadband package. In fact, don’t even think at all. No amount of perks or up front promotion will make it up for the distressing experience once you sign up with Maxis. You’ve been warned!
Thanks to reader Chong who picked up a very interesting link.
