'Disgusting service' from Slingshot after Auckland woman's father dies

Slingshot has now apologised to an Auckland woman and waived their early termination fee for an internet account she took out for her father, after earlier refusing to do so following his death on Thursday. Photo / 123RF

An Auckland woman was left disgusted when internet provider Slingshot refused to waive a $200 early termination fee for her deceased father's broadband service.

After speaking to several customer representatives and laying a complaint, the woman has received an apology and Slingshot has waived the fee.

She contacted the Herald this morning, saying her father died on Thursday.

"I paid for a yearly subscription to Slingshot broadband services for my father, hence on Saturday I emailed them advising them of the news and the fact that he passed away," the woman said.

She included a copy of her father's death certificate in the email, asking for the early termination fee to be waived on compassionate grounds.

"I followed up with a call today and I was advised that they will not waive the $200 early termination fee as the account was in my name, not his."

The woman lodged a complaint with Telecommunications Dispute Resolution.

She said the experience was "a shocking display of an incompassionate organisation with extremely poor support staff [and] a ridiculous process of registering complaints.

"The service I received was disgusting."

The Herald contacted Slingshot today and was told that earlier in the day, the company had waived the fee.

"Late this morning we waived the termination fee and outstanding fees on the account," said customer operations general manager Catherine Adams.

"We, of course, should have done this earlier in the morning when [the woman] initially spoke with us.

"The mistake was human error and against our policy. We have spoken to the staff members concerned and have extended a further apology to [the woman]."