The great Neotel wait (and wait)...

That is one thing of the African culture that really irrates me . When something goes wrong, they will not communicate it, no we just run away and hide and hope the customer waits without complaining. Pathetic!
 
Valid

Just, please, communicate properly.

A very valid request, If I know whats going on, I can manage it, or at least try to manage it.

Further when or if the communication is done, pleeeze oh pleeeeze let all communicate the same "story" to the customers. Canned responses do not cut it, there are too many responses for un-sawwy call centre helpers to choose from.
 
UPDATE: Neotel is currently delivering NeoFlex devices to consumers.
And Neotel fixes the issue. I must admit that although there are some issues with Neotel, they do then to see that it gets resolved as fast as possible and they do infact listen to what the consumers want!

I just which that I had spare cash to try the Neoflex out!
 
Tried NeoFlex Data and NeoFlex Voice. Not impressed.

Voice was broken up and out of order most of the time. Sometimes Neotel indicated that the number did not exist. Most of the time it rang engaged.

High latency (900+ms to JHB; 2000+ms to London) from Newlands in Pretoria. Slow uploads (max 20kbps - local & international). Download was fine (1.3Mbps+ local; 700+kbps international).

Unfriendly router. No diagnostics. Only tells you that it is connected and what your IP is. No signal strength indicator. No connect/disconnect/reconnect options. Have to reboot router to reconnect. No log indicating why connection failed.

USB connection on router allows all the diagnostics but complain about the device not having a RUIM (EV/DO version of a SIM card). EV/DO doesn't need a RUIM as operator can use the device serial number for routing.

Paperwork indicated wrong username to login and 40 minute call to call centre (from a mobile phone) could not diagnose problem. Couldn't understand "device does not want to connect to Neotel network". Tried to explain to me how to configure the WiFi when I wasn't able to connect to the Neotel network. Call centre totally useless. Fixed when installer arrived 4 days later and found the issue on the paperwork.

Issues with Neotel relay server bouncing emails. Some Neotel IPs are blacklisted at Spamhaus. Neotel uses RBL to bounce mails from those IPs. Neotel uses a MS Exchange server as relay which sends delivery notifications for email it should not accept. Neotel relay has problems connecting to other mail servers and sends bounces within 1 hour indicating that remote mail server is unreachable even though it is up and running and every other server out there can connect to it. Technical (IT) staff did not understand problem and was not willing to resolve kept telling me that I need static IP to accept incoming mail for my domain. I know that and have that on a server hosted in the US but want to relay outgoing mail through Neotel relay that I don't have to wait 20 minutes to send an email due to high latency and slow upload through my mail server in the US. Using mail server in US as I work for International company and it costs 1/10th of what it costs in South Africa for far superior service.

Wrote letter to Neotel requesting clarifications. No response received.

Posted on HelloPeter.com and then received call from Neotel. Neotel had to call me on my mobile as the Neotel phone did not work. Neotel technician on site was helpful and tried his best to resolve issues but was not properly backed by the behind the scenes people. Technician tested tower and found that everything was fine close to the tower but service degraded even 1Km from tower.

One month later issues were still not resolved (even though Neotel issued a press release confirming that they had problems and that it has been solved) so ordered a Telkom line and ADSL. Installed happened on Monday. No issues since then.

Will try Neotel again in a year when they have proper coverage, prepaid and a choice of devices.
 
Telkom: A while ago I had to wait just over 2 weeks for telkom to come out and physically reconnect the copper line. Finally some fat arsed technician showed up (on a Saturday to claim overtime ) fart arsed about, blew my modem and phone somehow (nothing is K factor proof) then left with my line connected with a really noisy fault on it (new modem training at only 28kbps).

All the while still charging rental on the line.

After years and years of having a landline I had them cancelled a week later.

At least Neotel sorts out issues, seemingly alot of them not of their doing.
 
It's okay to sometimes drop the ball - especially if your device and pricing is superior (which NeoFlex is)

really? The comments on this forum show otherwise.
 
Telkom: A while ago I had to wait just over 2 weeks for telkom to come out and physically reconnect the copper line. Finally some fat arsed technician showed up (on a Saturday to claim overtime ) fart arsed about, blew my modem and phone somehow (nothing is K factor proof) then left with my line connected with a really noisy fault on it (new modem training at only 28kbps).

All the while still charging rental on the line.

After years and years of having a landline I had them cancelled a week later.

At least Neotel sorts out issues, seemingly alot of them not of their doing.

Similar experience, just my modem was not plugged in to let him blow it up like an terrorist. On Neotel and have endured the teething pains in my quest to remain Telkom free.
 
10 000 Target Reached by Neotel ..............

10 000 Target Reached by Neotel ..............

It seems if Neotel is sold out on their EVDO Devices then they have reached their 10 000 mark. Which is good for Competition reasons.

VodaCom , MTN , Telkom & Iburst must wake up to this news.

Demand is increasing for Neotel and they need to stop that NOW !

By offering better deals than Neotel !

DXL - Team
 
Just, please, communicate properly.

Spot on, if Neotel can only TELL. Tell their call centre, tell their clients, tell their applicants - in a little 1st-world style.
 
I was thinking of joining Neotel, but after reading all the posts about how pathetic their service are and the slow speeds and long waiting time for service installations, since it is a wireless device - you should be able to get it within a week like with ordering a cellphone package, I decided that they lost me as a customer, until they are able to provide a proper service...
 
The longest wait ever is for neotel

for them to open their doors and serve (2+ years), then you realise, they are not interested in consumers but corporates. so we wait.....
for them to start consumer services (18+ months), loads of hot air, loads of empty promises and missed launch dates
for them to get coverage (18+ months), with no concrete roll out plan.

And I just checked my coverage yesterday again, guess what... my place is literally the only spot on the map that has ... you guessed it "NO COVERAGE"

almost feels like I have a tower setup, deliberately breaking up neotel signal:D

Neofail = Nevertel = Neohell

Good luck to anyone who goes with them
 
Not a chance..

Seems like there is no escape from incompetancy in SA. Might as well get used to it, right?

In my opinion, it's because people shut up & take this bullsh*t that nothing ever gets better.

Thanks for a good, straight & hard-hitting article at last about these incompetents... After the previous few I thought April fools day was still running.
 
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