Exit-tel customers can't even upgrade their plans to stay

More detail has come to Vulture South's attention about second-tier ISP Exetel dumping customers without any explanation whatsoever.

After yesterday's report, other customers have come forward to complain that they're not even offered the option to shift their accounts to a higher-price plan.

One customer that contacted Vulture South said “I was told that I was not going to be able to sign up on any plan, and would be unable to ever sign up [with Exetel] again”.

That customer said he was on a 1 TB/month “non-fixed-term” plan and had never used beyond “50-70 per cent of that limit”.

Non-fixed-term plans seem to be the common characteristic of the sacked customers.

Exetel's call centres also seem to be in the dark about what's going on: “we are told it was a management commercial decision, and they have not told the staff the reason”.

Callers to Exetel are told they can't have their call escalated to a manager, the customer told us.

Another customer sent us a copy of his email correspondence with Extel that posed the question "could someone please provide more detail as to the reason for the termination?"

Exetel's response was "Please be advised that the notice period provided for the termination of your service is in accordance with relevant Federal legislation (Telecommunications Act) and industry standards," followed by a section of its customer agreement, section 12.4, stating "If the Agreement is a non Fixed-Term Agreement, Exetel may cancel the Service at any time by giving the Customer at least thirty (30) days’ notice.”

There was speculation about Exetel's future in 2012 when the company's founder, the energetic John Linton, died suddenly from a stroke. However, the company continued operating, albeit with a much lower public profile.

Customers are, of course, welcome to tell us more if they wish. ®