Should I be stuck paying for a signal booster ?

[PIXeL_92]

Hey guys,

 

I am with Vodafone and have been for a while, I have 3 contracts in my name at the moment with them and my partner has one.

 

since my first contract, I have always gotten very poor signal in my house and the same with my partner.

 

I keep ringing and ringing to try and get it sorted,

ideally I want a signal box but I DON'T want to pay for it,

 

I am paying them £37 a month x3 for contracts that I can't use the majority of the time.

 

They keep taking me though "test," and they have never got me anywhere.

 

They fob me off with the whole "there are works going on around your area."

 

When they look at the signal/ heat map, it shows I should be getting great signal,

but they don't seem to acknowledge that there are various things that effect signal.

 

When I ask about this signal box they seem like they don't wish to give me one as they always say,

"lets run some tests first," ect.

 

when I say I have done every test you have on the 4 different phone we have in the house hold and nothing.

 

They then say I have to go into store to get the box but it will cost me from £50 (with a discount) to £100.

 

I just don't see it fit to pay extra on top of my bill to get the service I am paying for.

 

every time I have gone to get a contract they never give me a signal check,

but after doing it so many times myself I know that I should be getting good signal.

 

So what do you guys think I should do all about this.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Haven]

I had the same issue using Vodafone at home, now with Talk mobile who use Vodafone and my calls constantly drop. I looked into this issue and the information i found was that you couldn't cancel the contract because of service problems. How long have you left on your contracts? If you dont seem to be getting anywhere with the CS then try contacting their Ombudsman

[renegadeimp]

Give lee a shout on this forum. He should be able to sort it.

[fletch70]

Are you saying that you have had contracts with vodafone before and renewed or taken additional contracts ?

 

I would have to ask, why , if you knew there were problems

[PIXeL_92]

Are you saying that you have had contracts with vodafone before and renewed or taken additional contracts ?

 

I would have to ask, why , if you knew there were problems

 

Because I thought it was the phone, and going of the heat maps it did look like it wasn't the area. But now it is the same for multiple devices I know it is the area. Also the deals were to good to miss

 

Give lee a shout on this forum. He should be able to sort it.

 

I have no idea who that is lol. Is his username just "lee" ? cheers

[silverfox1961]

Hi,

follow this link

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?213340-Vodafone-Webteam-for-Customers-With-Problems-**UPDATED-November-2012**&p=3683706&viewfull=1#post3683706

 

Then post the automated reply number here so that Lee can find your email.

[PIXeL_92]

Hi,

follow this link

 

http:/ /www .consumeractiongroup.co .uk/forum/showthread.php?213340-Vodafone-Webteam-for-Customers-With-Problems-**UPDATED-November-2012**&p=3683706&viewfull=1#post3683706

 

Then post the automated reply number here so that Lee can find your email.

 

Cheers, I found his profile, but due to my post count I couldn't PM him.

 

Emailed the address in the link provided.

 

Thanks

[fkofilee]

Pixel you dont PM him... He will pick up this thread

Patience, probably on Monday onwards...

 

Hes pretty good and diffused a very volatile situation for me with Vodafone Insurance.

[dx100uk]

post the returned email number here

 

dx

[PIXeL_92]

WRT135 – CAG Forum [#4930649]‏

[fletch70]

He is very good, if it is in his power he will sort it.

[PIXeL_92]

Sounds great. Look forward to hearing from him

[PIXeL_92]

Any idea how long he takes to reply ?

 

Sorry to rush just anxious to get this sorted.

 

Thanks

[oleg]

Hey be patient. Lee is not contractually bound to appear here by command! His visits are sporadic but, once he's seen your case, rest assured that he'll look into it without delay.

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi PIXeL_92,

 

Thanks for your time on the phone on Tuesday.

 

As promised, I'll get back in touch with you as soon as I have an update.

 

Kind regards,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations

 

Vodafone UK

[PIXeL_92]

So an update is due,

 

we are stuck going round in circles.

 

Can't get a signal booster for free even though I pay out £70+

and my partner pays £30+ a month and these things cost pennies to make.

(I would be happy with getting once of these for free and leaving it at that.)

 

Can't end the contract and return the phone as the signal in my area shows that it is fine

(These things are not always accurate as I work in an IT background and we use WiFi (Heat maps)

to determine signal and someone in a great area that then goes inside there house

or hotel home will then completely drop off the network.

 

Voda won't see that as a possible reason they are assuming just because they have something in front of them

stating that it SHOULD work that's it, there is no arguing,

 

they also don't seem to take into account that people don't think like a business

and may make choices based on price and deals at the time or even just pure impulse,

we have all done that, it is human nature.

 

I think this complaint is being raised to one higher than Lee as a "final judgement,"

then if I don't like the outcome I will have to take it up with the ombudsman.

 

All of this would be fine and I would be happy if they just stomached the cost of one signal box

but by the sounds of it they would rather loose two customers that bring them in a decent amount

of revenue a month over a couple quid for the cost of manufacturing a box.

 

I will not be returning to Vodafone after all of this and will warn all others I meet or talk to of the issues faced with them.

 

But on a positive note Lee was good to talk to and try and get this resolved.

[PIXeL_92]

So I got a letter today saying that all complaint procedures has been exhausted.

 

They say they can do nothing except for me to pay for a £50 booster that cost pennies to make. I pay them about 3 times that a month in the 3 contracts in mine and partners name, yet they are not willing to waive the costs, unlike all the other phone companies for example Three (3,) that give them to customers for free.

 

All this because they refuse to believe me over there coverage map that isn't always accurate down to a precise location (I work with Wi-Fi heat maps at work and they are not 100% liable to go off for signal quality.)

 

So essentially they won't (not can't) do anything even though I can give them detailed dates and times when my signal drops and the areas of the house it does drop in.

 

So now it looks like I have to go to the ombudsman to launch a complaint against Vodafone.

 

And this is all over them refusing to give me a booster as there service is not a promised.

[woad]

Wait a moment - is the poor signal quality outside the property, or inside? If it is inside, I'm afraid that there is very little you can do (and, regrettably, Vodafone did not force you to take a second and third contract, that was your decision, despite knowing there was a problem. I suspect Vodafone would simply counter that you could have bought a cheap £10 handset and a £4 PAYG SIM card to eliminate the handset as a cause of the problem).

 

If the problem persists outside the property, and in the general area, and the Vodafone in-store map shows that signal coverage is excellent/good, then you may have a case to argue that one contract was entered on the basis of Vodafone providing you with misleading information. if they are adamant that their map is accurate, and that you live in a good signal area, then you could demonstrate (by filming it) otherwise by showing three handsets all experiencing connection issues and call problems in an open area shown as having good coverage.

 

But once again, no phone company makes any statement as to the quality of its network indoors, simply because they know they have no knowledge of the building construction in any given property. When you read their coverage maps, this is highlighted.

 

Perhaps, just perhaps, a politely phrased written request to their UK MD explaining that you have four separate contracts with Vodafone, paying in excess of £££/month but are unable to use them due to coverage issues and would he consider a signal booster as a gesture of goodwill to a loyal customer? I dont know the UK MD, only the Head of IP Operations (formerly VP Network Operations and prior Head of Network Support, Adrian Smith, based at Newbury)

 

None of the mobile companies push these signal boxes (O2 denied theirs exists...!), as often they are more trouble than they are worth. Last time I looked, Vodafone was on V3 of theirs, which tells a story in itself. Box resetting, box not connecting to network, box interfering with adsl line and internet access, and so on.