I am not a Zuku customer. I have been before, though. That was way back in 2019. I didn’t particularly enjoy their services. Which led me to terminate my reliance on them, and even move houses to a place with a different Fibre provider.
That’s not a good thing to say especially in a country where fixed internet services haven’t particularly taken shape. That means one less recommendation for potential customers, which I feel gives more power to a potentially dominant player. Which is why I am writing this. A formal public complaint to the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA).
In the past week there have been numerous tweets by Zuku customers complaining about services. Not once has there been an official statement from the company. If there has been, we haven’t seen it, point it our way.
A year ago in January of 2022, I wrote an article titled, Home internet providers must compensate for any downtimes experienced, arguing out the need for a more robust set of guidelines that need to be met by ALL Internet service providers. In the article I asked the CA to do the following:
- Have providers rate their services themselves giving customers potential downtimes as percentages.
- Provide customers with information about upcoming maintenances to avoid any inconveniences.
- Provide customers with proper compensation for any downtimes that surpass the percentages given in agreement.
- During any unexpected downtimes, provide information on the cause, the expected timelines and any backup options during that period.
- Have easily reachable customer care services.
- Provide proper breakdown at the end of each billing cycle on uptimes and downtimes and potential compensation in terms of extra hours, cash refunds etc.
I don’t think any of these have been incorporated by the Authority. And this is a request for a reconsideration of the same.
Fast reliable internet access is a necessity, not a luxury. In Kenya we are actually paying quite expensively for the fixed fibre to home (FFTH) services, in terms of speeds in comparison to other countries. This is despite us having what can be argued to be enough capacity for faster speeds at cheaper prices.
We shouldn’t then have to experience poor services. We shouldn’t also have to be limited in choice and access.
So, not only should the Communication Authority properly deal with Zuku, or enforce the strict standards I’ve set out above, they should also find ways to open up the market for more competition.
Update: A few days since customers started complaining, Zuku has issued an official statement
I regret subscribing to Zuku internet since Thursday I have been offline yet I paid 3000. Please credit my 6days I never use your internet.i will sue Zuku .any referrals for another internet provider company.?Zuku it’s the beginning of mass exodus
2Africa’s set to go live in the East 2024 (West will be live this year) – https://www.submarinecablemap.com/submarine-cable/2africa
I know, I know, Africa will find some way to fuck it up – but better Infrastructure tends to bring better opportunities. Someone will take advantage of it, local or foreign.
Dude, you are the people who damage the African names,same white people would have done it years ago. It’s a human thing, not African.
I remember we first got Zuku internet all the way back in 2013 & back in those days they actually provided good services. They were basically the first real big player in the home Wi-Fi space but they got very complacent. By 2016 more & more people we’re switching & in 2017 we’d had enough of their incompetence. The funny thing is that the ISP we switched to; Safaricom, has also started having more & more issues of late as more & more people have left Zuku. Something needs to be done to hold these ISPs accountable cause the prices they charge do not even come close to matching their services.
Service pathetic billing prompt
Just got it
Refunds for no service zero
This is fleecing
Cake kindly hear us and deal with them for refunds
Zuku zuku. This is typical of our service providers in this country. Government oversight, control and moderation is out of the window. The government has set up all kind of structures, departments, commissions, laws, and name it —-its there and running but none perfoming their intended duties other than receiving protection monies from the same companies and individuals they are supposed to regulate.
Totally negligent & careless ISP with no hesitation to lie thro noses.
Calls never go answered, customer support chats never go responded. Already sourced for a different faster and reliable provider service recommended by friends.. cant wait for end month!!!.. until then is when they will bother to call me to reconnect.. musijisumbue aki!!! Save hio credit…
Here in Airways, Utawala we also have quite a number of reliable fiber internet providers! I’m currently using Gwijinet and they’re reliable and reasonably affordable too! At only ksh 3600 you get 20MBPS
So whatever the alternative,am ready to leave ☺️
Reading the article (nay complaint), one gets the impression that customers have to choose either zuku or safaricom. I think this is not the case. Here in rural kiambu we never consider the two companies because we cannot simply afford their charges. Nonetheless we have better cheaper and reliable provider such as Cheetah etc and JIJI Fibre. At 3k per month you can get 12mbps unlimited service. This is adequate for streaming even at 720p.
Zuku are just HORRIBLE!!!!
They are a dreadful company, you never the line speed you pay for , when first sign up customer service is great , thereafter terrible. When terminate they pester you every day to go back …
If you are still using zuku in the year of our Lord 2k23 then you are the problem, not them! They have been consistent in giving poor services for 10 yrs. You can’t be crying about poor economy and also about zuku!!! Save your tears for character development….
Zuku, Zuku, Zuku….when will people ever learn? It has never been reliable since time immemorial
I stopped using Zuku and switched to a private company called Masaka, they don’t use fibre but they provide Point to Point connection. At first it was great and then when they expanded, they downgraded my speed and increased their prices. So there is this freedom these ISP providers have, where there is no oversight or government intiatives to relay the importance of Internet in our country. Corruption is harming this country’s progress and when you complain its shut down by these politicians who have stake in this companies. That is why Zuku does not care, because they know they are protected. Safaricom and Liquid Telecoms’ expantion is slow as they target places where there is a high demand for internet. JTL is so far the only reliable company that provides what it advertises, but they have the worst customer service and also safaricom. So as Kenyans we are at a loss because we have no government to complain to.
I have the decoder but I distanced to upgrade due to circumstances, why do I dump money if no service
Quite disappointing given they could have been great
Zuku is so pathetic. I have been complaining to them but they seem not to care.
What happens to the downtime? I regret installing zuku 1000000x
Between Zuku and Safaricom internets, the former is the better evil.
Zuku get your act together, some of us have been with you since you started… what’s going on??
Absolutely and yet all they think of is your due payment and nil compensation on downtimes.
I forget the number of times I have to go thru the machine then wait for the next available operator, then talk to them then wait for them to rectify the problem later in the day, or after two or three days. Then the next morning you wait again in the phone que to get the next available operator. Only way is to get them to feel the pinch of compensating their customers, so they improve their performance.
I concur with all of the above, in the meantime please retrain your costumer care team. Extremely rude, the supervisors never return calls with a complaint. Very bad and annoying service provider.
This couldn’t have come at a better time. This company is taking us for a ride and for granted. Zero customer care service. Something needs to be done.
The poorest service provider ever.
Very true. And they never apologise or give credit for lost time.
Very true ..they need to up their game_
Even DStv is another one…very poor services…weak signals and some paid stations within the package are not displayed
Just one word. Cheap is expensive. And they have clearly proven that. Chiloba do something quick!
And seems the only time their lines work, is when they call you on outstanding dues!
Worst Internet provider, I wish their licence to be disbanded, I’m exiting it at the end of this month
Pathetic services.i will quit end of month
Zuku has become the worst internet service provider, who careless about their clients. They don’t don’t have free customer Care toll number,you call them using your credit & they keep on holding you for 10-20mins &if by any chance you reach them,even the respondent is cought by surprise about any issue you raise with no substantial reason behind the problem you face.
Hafsa.
I totally agree, zuku services have deteriorated over time, we had no net for a complete 18 hrs, all their numbers go unanswered or no one is picking.
You are giving your clients a raw deal.
I used to think that zuku would be an ideal competitive firm to regulate safaricom dominance.I was wrong.your services gets poor day by day.kindly upgrade your sevices.As your potential clients,we are not happy
I concur. Their service had gone from bad to worse. The only time they need feed is when your bill is due, they wouldn’t hesitate to call you. CAK act.
Worst service provider ever. You can never reach them other than voice recorded machine. I disconnected their device last year hopefully when they get manpower let them know to come to pick their device.
Totally agree . .Zuku’s license should be suspended. At the moment, their service is worse than pathetic. Can’t wait to close account once the current subscription is over
I am in total agreement with issues raised, having called Zuku at least twice because of the same. Today alone I was kept waiting for more than 5 minutes until I hang up
More than five minutes then they disconnected the call
Well said. I was their customer and the service was just pathetic. You only get a call when you haven’t paid for the subscription and they don’t hesitate to disconnect you immediately your subscription expires.
That’s usual, because all their agents are busy calling clients who are already connected and using the service.