Mobile broadband problems
02-September-2010
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Mobile broadband problems

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I recently purchased mobile broadband from Vodafone to use with my laptop.  Their returns policy is 14 days and I guess it was my fault that I had assumed all would be well and I could just use their service when I was ready.  As soon as I started to use it I found that websites would take 10-15 minutes to load and then as soon as you clicked on a link it would take another 5 minutes to load or not load at all.  I am not good with computers so wouldn't have known where to start so thought it best to contact Vodafone customer services.

It often took a while to get through.  Twenty minutes was the average time and they were mostly foreign people.  So trying to speak to them on a mobile in a bad signal area with someone who has an accent was very hard work.  They were as helpful as they could be though.  After speaking to someone at Vodafone a number of times and trying out various things, they told me it was most likely a problem with my laptop and I would need to get an engineer to look at it.  I did this and if anything afterwards it was even slower with sites at times not loading at all!

It was supposed to be a case of plug in and go...

Mobile broadband problems

I spoke to Vodafone again who finally determined I was having the problems due to the mobile signal where I lived and I would have to pay for a signal booster.  I was not happy about this at all as I was not told initially that the broadband could be affected by the mobile signal.  It was supposed to be a case of plug in and go.

In the end I had to tell them I was not paying for a service they could not provide and asked to cancel my mobile broadband 'service'. Cancelling wasn't exactly straightforward either.  It took me 3 calls and the best part of a month to cancel my contract.  The first time I phoned their systems were down so they couldn't help.  The next time I called they said they could offer a discount and that was it.  The last time I called I insisted on speaking to a manager.  I felt that my only way out was to tell a white lie so I told them I was due to work from home a couple of days a week and needed access to the Internet.  It seemed that was the only way I could get out of the 2 year contract I had signed up for.  I had a mobile phone attached to the contract, so when they cancelled the broadband they the also cancelled my phone so I had to get that reinstated.

Please be warned, if you are looking to purchase mobile broadband that you make sure the signal is sufficient in your area to support it.


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Vodafone are a disgrace, after no network at all for 2 months & several visits to shop to check out my laptop & issued me with a new dongle which made no difference I asked them to give me a credit for the months I had no serrvice. they totally ignored my request & continued to take payment out of my account leaving me only 1 option but to cancel my direct debt, OH BOY they soon responded then with letters of threat & debt collection agency telephone calls to my mobile which I did not give them & would like to know how they got that as my mobile is not with them. reported this to ofcom & now otelo why should this affect my credit rating. Has any one had the same problems & what was the outcome
*Eno  13-Jul-2010 22:45

 
Well that really is bad news for you and I don't want to seem a smart alec but the company I use lets you try the 'dongle' first and if you can't get a signal and return it within 14 days they will refund your money and you are not in any contract from day 1.How cool is that!
I use the Utility Warehouse Discount Club/F87143 you may nor have heard of it but it IS a major plc company based in the UK in London.
Hope this helps
bestbillsaver.co.uk
*bestbillsaver.co.uk  22-May-2010 15:43

 
vodafone provide piss poor customer service and their staff in the shops miss sell mobile broadband making claims that are not true.
*Marc  20-May-2010 20:36

 
Yes that sounds like my own experience with Vodafone.Mine started when I agreed to take out a new 2 year contract with them.The issued me with a new USB 'dongle'.Getting the device's software installed on my laptop was a nightmare and when it finally was the thing would not work in my location.
As the local shop is only a few miles away I kept making myself a nuisance until they sorted it and reinstalled the old software.
What concerned me also was the lack of customer care and apparent the indiffrent, casual attitude from the staff.
*Edwin 5  27-Mar-2010 23:16

 
Bulgaria has a better broaband than Britain and that`s suposed to be a poor country - if you look at the ratings Bulgaria is far in front of Britain - what a sad country this is.
*bridlington1  25-Mar-2010 11:56

 
My TalkTalk broaband is absolutley useless - shall be choosing another suplier shortly if things don`t improve
*bridlington1  25-Mar-2010 11:51

 
I now have the same problem but with 02! I got a free laptop with 24 month mobile broadband and the broadband rarely works! I am only into the 3rd month, what do I do?
*Lexi86  22-Mar-2010 16:21

 
Personally I'd have thought that you aren't legally obliged to pay for a service you are not receiving and that any sensible judge would throw this case out. Seek some legal advice and hit them hard where it hurts. Nothing worse than corporate bullying!
*AOD  24-Dec-2009 14:51

 
I have just received a warning of court action from a company called Adams Phones as Imoved house and can get no signal there. They insist I have to pay until the end of the contract (9 months more) even though I cannot use the service.
*Jan  24-Dec-2009 12:23

 
Hi

I have had similar problem with Vodafone, cut a very, very long story short. After 20 calls (exactly) I have given up and they still wont cancel my broadband contract after I took it back within 7 days (no signal)... that was 6 months ago and they have just threatened me with a default notice. I have now taken this up with ofcom and they are dealing with this for me but in the mean time I have a nice default on my credit report for no reason at all. Customer services at vodafone enjoy playing ping pong with you... they just like to keep brushing you off to other departments and 1 girl even shouted at me as I said please dont put me through to another person as you are the 6th person ive been passed over too, and she then put the phone down on me... they are absolutely outrageously, terribly bad at customer services!!!! STAY AWAY!!!
*VFone-PingPong-Games  25-Nov-2009 18:55

 
I've has the same problem with the Tmobile stick. It's been fine for months , about 18 months infact, then last week it started to run really slowly and keep disconnecting. I took it into a shop but they just offered to send it away to be looked at leaving me with no internet at all, despite me paying the extra insurance every month. Her only other idea was to take out the SIM and put it back in!!!!! or to download an upgrade from the website that I cannot find for the life of me! She also said that I was not due for an upgrade until feb next year on my 24 month contract .. what upgrade?!?!? it's not a phone it's just a SIM. I think there is a problem here and Tmobile want people to pay to fix it!
*Oliver  27-Oct-2009 11:43

 
I have tmobile broadband stick.this was the highest I could get from this provider. i've checked the area signalwise..it was ok and I used to get proper signal for 5months.. 90% on their HSDPA network 10% on 3G.
since 2 weeks I getting only 3G with low speeds.
today I vent to one of their shops to find out what the hell is goin on.
what happenes was: ive rang the technical support where I was spoken to one of their advisor who wanted me to understand I have no problem whit the modem because HSDPA and 3G are the same there is no difference between them. well I dont wanted to speak with her any further and i've tryed another call.
fortunately ive found a technical person who told me the signal is very good in my area I supposed to get the best. if not try to reinstall the modems software.
ive done it and still getting full signal 3G with 0.4mbit/s down 0.04uploads which is not 1.2/1.2mbit/s what I used to get.
if any1 here had the same problem please tell me the solution or any advices
thanks very much
*spec  16-Oct-2009 14:50


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