If you've just joined Micronet and you've received a Prestel bill you don't understand, there may be a good reason. Prestel may have started billing you before you actually received your modem and were in a position to start incurring charges.

Micronet sends the paperwork to Prestel and its dispatch department at the same time on receipt of your order, so Prestel actually starts billing you for the standing charge without having any confirmation that you've received the modem.

Micronet says that there are very few cases where delays have occurred, and that the VTX5000 modem has always been in ample supply.

But at least one reader waited 12 weeks before a faulty VTX5000 was delivered, and he was billed for most of this period.

Micronet claims that this is very unusual, but says that in such cases arrangements have been made to supply a credit against your Prestel account.

So if you've sent off an order for a VTX5000, make a note of the date you receive your Prestel acknowledgement, and if you have to wait longer for your modem, let the company know.