Did anyone ever mention how utterly useless Autopage are?

[AirWolf]

Hi there

I was compiling a list of PUK numbers for my boss for the office sims. The 2 MTN ones I had already recorded from a few years ago. The 2 Vodacom VSP one's I got by just phoning Customer Care [automated response system].

And then for the Autopage one. It was a Vodacom number, but the auto response system on 111 did not give the PUK number and transferred me into the queue to speak to a consultant.

So I guessed that I would have to call Autopage directly and ended that call. I called Autopage and gave the lady on the other end our company details and requested the PUK. She puts me hold then says that I will have to fax a request signed by the authorised signatory.

I did the request on our company letterhead and faxed it off. Phone Autopage again. Got a different lady, gave her the story all over again and told her about the required fax.

She puts me on hold, checks for the fax, and says they didn't get it. I say I've got the confirmation right there. She says it hasn't come through yet. But now I'm really pissed and slam the phone down.

I send the fax about 8 more times straight after one another. So maybe someone will get it.

Call again. Get a guy this time. Tell him same story over again. He asks if it is a premicell line [which is was], and I confirm this. [I didn't really think that mattered as any sim would work in the premicell router]. He says that I have to speak to the premicell department.

He puts me through [I hear something about supercall]. A lady answers. I give her the story [again]. Wrong department. She puts me through. Get a guy in the correct department.

Give him the story all over again. He says they don't have a PUK on record because there isn't any PUK for premicell lines. He says that we will never need the PUK once the sim is in the premicell router [which is true because the techie who installed it disabled the PIN so we won't have any problem if the router reboots - unless of course there is some sort of malfunction].

So I had to speak to 5 different people and sent 9 faxes to find out absolutely zero.

Every sim must has a PIN and a PUK right?

 

[eagle-slayor]

i've been in the business for long and never seen a SIM card without those two for long. perhaps its some funny thing with contracts

 

[Puttybag]

"He says that we will never need the PUK once the sim is in the premicell router [which is true because the techie who installed it disabled the PIN so we won't have any problem if the router reboots."

Well blow me over, they remove the Pin?? What??? Are they mad?? No just lazy, uneducated in the Cellular LCR game and also could not give a toss!! I would tell them to come collect their "Premicells" and cancel the contracts. This places undue risk on your company. The technician and managers in the Autopage LCR department should be fired.
This is a problem that was overcome 10 years ago. So essentially I could steal the card out of the Premicell on a Friday night, use it and abuse it and replace again on Monday morning...........HUH?? or worse use the Sim until somebody discovered it was missing out the Premicell. (I put money on it if you remove the Sim for 5 days, as a test, nobody from Autopage would even call you anyway to say there was a problem, and therefore no cost savings for those 5 days so whats the point???) Idiots. Do yourself a favour tell them to rectify or you cancel the contracts. Second Point: every Sim has a PUK and why you want yours, is of no business of theirs.
You have requested it on a letterhead, now they must cough up. You can and have the right to use that sim in any fashion you wish, therefore the PUK is essential. (Do the 5 day test, I dare you)

 

[AirWolf]

"He says that we will never need the PUK once the sim is in the premicell router [which is true because the techie who installed it disabled the PIN so we won't have any problem if the router reboots."

Well blow me over, they remove the Pin?? What??? Are they mad?? No just lazy, uneducated in the Cellular LCR game and also could not give a toss!! I would tell them to come collect their "Premicells" and cancel the contracts. This places undue risk on your company. The technician and managers in the Autopage LCR department should be fired.
This is a problem that was overcome 10 years ago. So essentially I could steal the card out of the Premicell on a Friday night, use it and abuse it and replace again on Monday morning...........HUH?? or worse use the Sim until somebody discovered it was missing out the Premicell. (I put money on it if you remove the Sim for 5 days, as a test, nobody from Autopage would even call you anyway to say there was a problem, and therefore no cost savings for those 5 days so whats the point???) Idiots. Do yourself a favour tell them to rectify or you cancel the contracts. Second Point: every Sim has a PUK and why you want yours, is of no business of theirs.
You have requested it on a letterhead, now they must cough up. You can and have the right to use that sim in any fashion you wish, therefore the PUK is essential. (Do the 5 day test, I dare you)

I would but our switchboard only routes cell numbers through the premicell line - so if the sim is out you can't dial any cell numbers from the extensions only the switchboard.

But I'm pretty sure they wouldn't call even if I did.

 

[Puttybag]

"I would but our switchboard only routes cell numbers through the premicell line - so if the sim is out you can't dial any cell numbers from the extensions only the switchboard."

But I'm pretty sure they wouldn't call even if I did.

Again they prove that they are way behind the curve............LCR failure or Sim failure should simply result in all calls diverting to Telkom. The way they have set this up is truly insane.

You should ask them to rectify in 2 working days and prove they have done it or then Give them the boot they are nothing but Sim Jockeys, not LCR specialists. Everything they do is outsourced accept the sales pitch, which Im sure will also have holes in it. You dont need to stand for this nonsense, there are other providers that do nothing else but LCR, ie (They dont sell handsets which is Autopages bread and butter) Take your pick and get some more discount while you are at it.