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Why is it so difficult to get a 4G SIM Data Card activated on 4G?

crunchieeagle
4: Newbie

 

I am a Managing Director of a specialist 4G mobile broadband supplier in Devon and Somerset and Dorset and just lately Cornwall, and an approved supplier of the Government Better Broadband scheme and Connecting Devon and Somerset Scheme for people with poor landline speeds.

.

Our target customers are businesses, home consumers, park home areas, in rural areas (outside of the FTTC network) and park homes.

 

We have lots of customers that can use 4G with our systems and get signals on a good line of sight for upto 10-15 miles away from a 4G mast. Most of the best infrastructure in the South West is Vodafone and EE. We use unlocked 4G routers and high gain 4G antennas

 

We have in the past tried many times to get customers on Vodafone, 4G, on monthly contracts either a year or a 30 day rolling contract but alot of problems always arise,  because the current situation is not working.

 

The sales or technical department don’t seem to understand what we do. They just seem to think 4G sim only cards are for phones and tablets. We use a TP Link MR200 which works with a 4G Vodafone SIM card beautifully (sets up the APN settings automatically) which is attached through low loss gain cables to our powerful 4G antennas. It should be just plug and play.

 

But

  1. The cards often arrive not activated
  2. There are no instructions or telephone number given to activate it
  3. Some customers if they have been activated. have been activated on 3G only, even though they are purchasing a 4G sim
  4. We have had customers not capped. Even though you can stop the allowance in the router to stop you going over your allowance, most customers don’t know how to do this or have the time to learn, so we are disappointed to find some customer being charged money without knowing they have gone over their allowance, and don’t know that the SIM Card has to be asked to be “capped”

 

We do about 30-40 installs a month on both EE and Vodafone. We give alot of business to Vodafone and all we get are headaches. Our customers have even been told by the sales team or technical team that our equipment does not work or not fit for purpose. 

I don't know why Vodafone even sell 4G data only Sim Cards, when they dont know what they can be used for, not just tablets!

I am a Managing Director  of a specialist 4G mobile broadband supplier in Devon and Somerset and Dorset and just lately Cornwall, and an approved supplier of the Government Better Broadband scheme and Connecting Devon and Somerset Scheme for people with poor landline speeds.

.

Our target customers are businesses, home consumers, park home areas, in rural areas (outside of the FTTC network) and park homes.

 

We have lots of customers that can use 4G with our systems and get signals on a good line of sight for upto 10-15 miles away from a 4G mast. Most of the best infrastructure in the South West is Vodafone and EE. We use unlocked 4G routers and high gain 4G antennas

 

We have in the past tried many times to get customers on Vodafone, 4G, on monthly contracts either a year or a 30 day rolling contract but alot of problems always arise,  because the current situation is not working.

 

The sales or technical department don’t seem to understand what we do. They just seem to think 4G sim only cards are for phones and tablets. We use a TP Link MR200 which works with a 4G Vodafone SIM card beautifully (sets up the APN settings automatically) which is attached through low loss gain cables to our powerful 4G antennas. It should be just plug and play.

 

But

  1. The cards often arrive not activated
  2. There are no instructions or telephone number given to activate it
  3. Some customers if they have been activated. have been activated on 3G only, even though they are purchasing a 4G sim
  4. We have had customers not capped. Even though you can stop the allowance in the router to stop you going over your allowance, most customers don’t know how to do this or have the time to learn, so we are disappointed to find some customer being charged money without knowing they have gone over their allowance, and don’t know that the SIM Card has to be asked to be “capped”

 

We do about 30-40 installs a month on both EE and Vodafone. We give alot of business to Vodafone and all we get are headaches. Our customers have even been told by the sales team or technical team that our equipment does not work or not fit for purpose. 

I don't know why Vodafone even sell 4G data only Sim Cards, when they dont know what they can be used for, not just tablets!

44 REPLIES 44

Vodafone response so far............

 

Hi,

As we're not discussing a specific account, we'll be unable to assist.

However, I can see that you've mentioned a few of your customers having issues regarding their 4G Data-only SIM.

If you're aware of any customers currently having trouble, you can ask them to get in touch via our Live Chat or call us on 191 and we'll be more than happy to assist.

Thanks,
Social Media Comms

Vodafone Limited
Vodafone HQ, The Connection, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 2FN
Registered in England No 1471587

Doesn’t work .

 

I have phoned about 20 times and on Chat and I have managed to find 2 people who understand what i am talking about.

 

They just look at a customer’s post code on a coverage map, see there is no 4G in the area and say that is why it is not working or worse still have even said our equipment is faulty or not fit for purpose.

 

I just want customers who order a 4G sim card to have the card activated on 4G and not only on 3G. It is very simple.

 

I know this happens as our customers are not getting 4G, and when I put my 4G sim in,, hey presto, 4G signal comes into the 4G Router (TP Link MR200 – which sets up Vodafone APN settings automatically – another excuse that is often supplied from your tech team). This is taking up so much of my time and money. I can never act on the customers behave as I am not the account holder, so the account holder gets “fobbed off” with some of your excuses already mentioned. Whilst we are at it, you also should cap the amount used like EE do, and not just let the customer carry on regardless uses data that without knowing have exceeded, and then chards excessive amounts for data used, as customers unknowingly go over their data cap. His can be done in our router, but not all customers use it, as our router can monitor the data used.

 

All our antennas can pick up 4G on 3 EE Vodafone and 02 from a mast upto 10 miles away, in a good line of sight (we do a 4G analytical test first to find out the signal strength and direction of where the mast is) and you are the only provider we have trouble with in understanding what we do.

 

We sell about 30 4G sim cards a month, and could possible sell 10-20 on Vodafone. We just provide the best suppliers for the best signal we can get, but Vodafone and EE offer the best value for money in this regard, (if your SIM card ever work).

 

I hope you can provide me with a better answer than one i have been trying with for the last 4 months with no avail.

 

Russ

bang-head-against-brick-wall.jpg

DaneB
Moderator (Retired)
Moderator (Retired)

@crunchieeagle

 

What's the email reference number from the auotmated response you received? 

 

it should look like [#123456789].

 

We'll chase your email and query up.

 [#15507838]

Hi @crunchieeagle

 

I've checked your reference and can see we've been in touch. 

 

All the information on the resolution is detailed in our last email. 

 

Thanks, 

 

Amanda 

So this is it? The same thing i have been doing for the last 4 months with no success. Jeez

 

Hi,

As we're not discussing a specific account, we'll be unable to assist.

However, I can see that you've mentioned a few of your customers having issues regarding their 4G Data-only SIM.

If you're aware of any customers currently having trouble, you can ask them to get in touch via our Live Chat or call us on 191 and we'll be more than happy to assist.

Thanks,

Alex
Social Media Comms

Vodafone Limited
Vodafone HQ, The Connection, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 2FN
Registered in England No 1471587

Your Egyptian Call Centre does not know what it is doing, what it is selling, and not supplying what is ordered.

 

This is simple.

 

The only way to get this resolved is for customers to go to a Vodafone shop, activate it, then go home. As most of our customers are in rural area sand are often 40+ miles away from a shop, this is not satisfactory at all.

 

What you are selling on line is not fit for purpose. End of.

bigstock-going-round-in-circles-signpos-2974740.jpg

DaneB
Moderator (Retired)
Moderator (Retired)

@crunchieeagle

 

@Amanda is refering to the email we've sent you.

 

Please check your spam/junk folder if you've not received it.