VODACOM data services out for 5 days!

[GPSJane]

My data connection was out from Friday to Tuesday. I had full phone calls and smses and my 3G modem could connect but no downstream data could get through.

I assumed on Friday night when I realised that it would be fixed over the weekend and that all the very urgent emails sitting in my outbox since Friday morning when I left would be sent at some point. On Monday morning it was stll not working so I called it in.

I was told that 1. No one else had reported any problems and 2. It will take 24 hours to solve. I told them that I didn't believe 1 and that 2 is unacceptable.

Luckily we started calling and complaining on Monday already because it took us 8 hours to get the complete morons working at Vodacom to understand that if 4 different modems and 3 different phones in 3 different locations within the area have exactly the same problem then clearly the problem lies with the network and not the settings on my computer. (These idiots spent all that time insisting there is no problem with their network and that clearly the problem is with my computer).

That evening we were told they cannot do anything about the problem (which I reported in the morning) because everyone had gone home. They apparently don't employ after-hours technicians.

More than 24 hours after the initial report (Tuesday) I received a phone call from someone who wanted to make an appointment to come and see me on Wednesday! I had a fit and told them 1. seeing me will not resolve your problems and 2. Wednesday is certainly not acceptable!

We eventually, after speaking to many fairly high-up managers (we got some cellphone numbers) we managed to get them to understand that the problem is with them and they rebooted their base station. Voila, problem solved.

Oh did I mention that 14 other people complained about the problem since Friday? So Vodacom are liars, idiots who cannot troubleshoot worth sh*t, cannot be arsed to fix a connection issue when it comes up and just all round are in the business of ripping off their customers.

Oh wait, we knew that last didn't we?

 

[J0n0]

Been a subscriber since 2001-11-29 13:53:41. And Im still perfectly happy.

ps. People always add some salt to claims....Relax bru, problem solved right?

 

[efons]

Yep ours too in Primrose Hill. around 5 days. It would work for a while then nothing. Also last week at Bedford centre Vodacom Down and Out. But sh*t Man this is africa and 5 days in a year its OK... Have tried all the other companies from Telkom to Neotel, virgin, MTN, and they even worse.... But hey blood pressure goes up.... Put on the TV and ho yeah this is africa so I go out and play... It seems to be Ok because all my clients when They called to complain. I just said this is africa our services is down. Eish Sorry try again tomorrow and hey no loss of business... I'm getting to love Africa with the Best Sun and all..... Viva Africa..

 

[efons]

Yep out again last night. It connected and all but nothing coming through. Primrose Hill.... A stone throw away from Bedforview/Edenvale. No ADSL due to copper theft. Iburst weak signal. Neotel just Sucks. Virgin more off than on and now Vodacom doing a virgin trick... and to think that people travel far to getaway from it all...

 

[Steinie]

I lost my 3G connection yesterday at around 16:00. Although I could connect to GPRS, I still had no throughput.

As this has been happening regularly for the past two months, I decided to call it in immediately. I listened to the "high call volumes" message and assumed that it was probably a bigger problem than just my local base station, and I hung up.

Much later, I called 155 again and eventually got through to an operator who immediately started to quiz me about my computer settings! The more I tried to tell him that it's not my computer/datacard because I also had no 3G on my cellphone, the more he insisted that I should check my settings!

He also denied that they had received any other complaints from my area, despite the fact that I am situated in what I believe is a very busy area in the middle of Johannesburg, with thousands of university students who, I am sure, make use of the internet on a daily basis.

I, eventually, gave up in disgust and went to bed.

 

[Blïn©]

Same problem here last week...

Hi all, we had the same problem here all of last week in Lone Hill - and the same stupid replies from Vodacom.

I found on this forum this morning a link to a schedule of Vodacom network upgrades on the Vodacom website....why couldn't the techie just have referred me there in the first place? Or TOLD me when I called in that there are network upgrades in progress instead of 1. telling me no-one else in the area is reporting problems and 2. they don't know what the problem could be?

While Vodacom's 111 support staff are friendly and courteous, and no doubt helpful to morons who [still] don't know that PC mice don't eat cheese, they are of absolutely NO help to more technical customers who very often also have to advise their customers further down the line about network problems and how to resolve them.

Hey Vodacom, why not have a 2nd level to your support - one aimed specifically at technical people?

 

[wikus]

These idiots spent all that time insisting there is no problem with their network and that clearly the problem is with my computer

Damn South African companies, you have to nag them for support. One email or call will never be sufficient

 

[GPSJane]

J0n0 - No salted added, I promise you. I am in the business of laying down facts on paper without "added salt". I have been with Vodacom for a few years and am certainly not happy with the bad service and lack of support. But if South Africans continue to accept this kind of thing without complaint then we will never have decent service.

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Can't they reboot their towers once a week? Or will that put too much strain on the hardware?

 

[Lucasg]

My data connection was out from Friday to Tuesday. I had full phone calls and smses and my 3G modem could connect but no downstream data could get through.

I assumed on Friday night when I realised that it would be fixed over the weekend and that all the very urgent emails sitting in my outbox since Friday morning when I left would be sent at some point. On Monday morning it was stll not working so I called it in.

I was told that 1. No one else had reported any problems and 2. It will take 24 hours to solve. I told them that I didn't believe 1 and that 2 is unacceptable.

Luckily we started calling and complaining on Monday already because it took us 8 hours to get the complete morons working at Vodacom to understand that if 4 different modems and 3 different phones in 3 different locations within the area have exactly the same problem then clearly the problem lies with the network and not the settings on my computer. (These idiots spent all that time insisting there is no problem with their network and that clearly the problem is with my computer).

That evening we were told they cannot do anything about the problem (which I reported in the morning) because everyone had gone home. They apparently don't employ after-hours technicians.

More than 24 hours after the initial report (Tuesday) I received a phone call from someone who wanted to make an appointment to come and see me on Wednesday! I had a fit and told them 1. seeing me will not resolve your problems and 2. Wednesday is certainly not acceptable!

We eventually, after speaking to many fairly high-up managers (we got some cellphone numbers) we managed to get them to understand that the problem is with them and they rebooted their base station. Voila, problem solved.

Oh did I mention that 14 other people complained about the problem since Friday? So Vodacom are liars, idiots who cannot troubleshoot worth sh*t, cannot be arsed to fix a connection issue when it comes up and just all round are in the business of ripping off their customers.

Oh wait, we knew that last didn't we?

I am so glad that I don't live in your shoes! I've read a few of your other posts on MyBB and boy, life really seems to suck big time for you. Hang in there Jane, you can make a difference!

 

[wheunis]

Oh my... it seems the problem I have been having with Voda for more than a year now is starting to spread...

I guess my problem couldve been an opportunity for them to actually do something and learn in the process, but hey... it was your call to just stick an antenna in my face and demand I put it up, even though I told you right from the start it would not be possible.

I really do feel for everyone else experiencing this problem.
As a temporary fix, what I normally do in those situations is:

Firstly, use Ginggs' app.
When you are connected and start getting 0 throughput, remain connected.
Switch the profile from 3G Only, to GPRS/EDGE Only.
Wait for it to re-establish a tower and signal.
Change profile back to 3G Only.
Wait again for switching to tower and establish signal.
Continue.

If the problem does not clear with this procedure, as it has started doing here, sorry... You just gotta wait it out or push up your patience levels by trying to complain to get it fixed.
And yes, here in Nelspruit, the problem has now escalated to new heights.

At least 3 times per day, it seems every single tower within coverage radius, just DIES.
Gone.
Dead.
Nothing.
For anything between 5 minutes and 2 hours at a time.
Gingg's reads 0 signal. No network. No tower. Nothing.
VMC just sits at "No Network".
Globetrotter same as VMC.

Oh and in case youre wondering, this is the same outcome on 3 pc's, and 1 PS3 running Linux.
2 different modems, one integrated on one PC, and another Huawei E220.