Telkom unblocks Netflix – but just enough for Netflix subscribers to cancel their subscriptions

Ever since Telkom, Indonesia’s biggest Internet service provider, decided to unilaterally block popular streaming service Netflix in order to “protect its customers”, the company has gotten plenty of bad press and faced accusations of poor customer service, such as forcing their customers who want to cancel their internet services to also cancel their cable TV and phone services as well.

Well this week Telkom did something to help its customers – it unblocked Netflix.

But just a little. Not enough so that their customers could actually watch Netflix’s cornucopia of movies and TV shows. Just enough so that those who had already signed up for the streaming service could access the site to cancel their subscriptions.

Starting on Tuesday, customers of Telkom’s IndiHome ISP could access the customer service page on Netflix.com – and only the customer service page – so that they could cancel existing subscriptions which would otherwise automatically get billed to their credit cards every month.

Telkom’s VP of Consumer Relationship Management, Agus Winarno said the partial Netflix unblocking was done by Telkom “to protect consumer rights”.

“With the opening of the block on the customer service page, customers who have already registered for Netflix through have the opportunity to cancel the subscription package,” Agus said as quoted by Kompas on Wednesday.

Aw, isn’t it sweet the way that Telkom is always looking out for its customers?

Those of you who are fortunate enough to use a non-Telkom ISP don’t have to worry about Netflix being blocked or censored until at least next month, when the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is planning to release new regulations governing the streaming media service and others similar to it.



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