The column for anyone fed up with bureaucracy, frustrated with delays or furious with poor service. Tell us your complaint and we'll try to fix it ...
Internet user Ms Hsu of Yuen Long, a customer of Hutchison Global Communications, asks why she was asked to pay for a broadband service she did not get. In September, the broadband service at Ms Hsu's home broke down.
'I had been waiting for over a month for their technician to come and sort out the connection problem in my estate. After numerous phone calls, letters, e-mails and false promises, there was no technician, and the problem was never solved.
'So I asked for a termination of their service. Initially, they didn't respond to my request. So in early October, I had to recruit another company's service. However, HGC, after learning of my situation, demanded a full payment for their 'service' from September 2006 to July 2007, which fell into the contracted period.'
Ms Hsu said the long battle with HGC left her feeling 'helplessly vulnerable'. 'We can respect the spirit of a contract as long as it is fair to both parties involved. Yet as consumers, we don't seem to have the right to rid ourselves of a poorly executed service without having to pay a dear price for it. I am proud to live in a lawful city, but HGC's broadband service and its staff really shocked me with their hooligan-like deeds. Could the company justify why such unjust contractual terms should be deployed?'
Ms Hsu also wanted to express her thanks to the Consumer Council in assisting her and many other victims with such conflicts.
HGC said that although Ms Hsu, under the sales agreement, should be required to pay the outstanding contract amount, the company had taken her case as an exception and reached an agreeable solution with her. A spokeswoman apologised for any inconvenience caused.
