Are Vodafone discontinuing Sure Signal?

[rodmac1951]

I've been with Vodafone for more than 15 years, mainly because they've always had the best signal at my home address and in my area generally.. However, in recent years the reception has deteriorated which, in part at least, is probably due to the phone manufacturers reducing the effectiveness of the phone's aerial. O2 and orange have responded by improving the signal but Vodafone have done nothing. I can't get a 2G signal let alone 3G yet O2 phones get a perfect 3G signal all the time.

Having been reluctant to pay £100 for a Sure Signal device (I figured I could get a new phone on another network for less and this problem was of Vodafone's making anyway) I stuck with them in the hope they would improve the signal. I've concluded this clearly isn't going to happen now and as I work from home more often now I decided a Sure Signal would be the only solution.

So I called customer services hoping they might do a better deal for a long standing customer and was told they would have normally made an exception in this situation. However, they said they've had a top level instruction saying NO more Sure Signal devices are to be supplied. They have no stock left from customer services and shops are running down stocks quickly.

This looks like Vodafone have washed their hands of the problem and it can only be a matter of time before they withdraw support for existing devices. If this really is the true picture perhaps they would like to say what they'll be doing to help customers like myself who suffer from poor signals. I would like to think this has nothing to do with the roll out of 4G taking precedence over upgrades to existing performance but I'm having trouble convincing myself of that!

If no improvements are made I will almost certainly be changing networks when my contract ends but I would rather Vodafone actually listened to their customers and responded positively.

[SPW999]

Hi rodmac,

I think you could be correct in your assumption.  As you so correctly state, one cannot buy a VSS (V3) online as it shows as having been dicontinued !!!! Why discontinue a new accessory when it has only been on the market for a few months?

Support for VSS (V1 & V2) through customer services has since the inseption of VSS been bad, but now is abysmal.  There has never been a dedicated VSS support line, so most of the operators do not have an inkling of the system or how it works.

Likewise through this forum, support for any VSS problems has been scant.  If Vodafone wished its VSS customers to obtain a better service then there should have been employed more operators working on all the questions and faults.  Has never happened.

As can be seen from the great number of posts, and the 'TechTeam' replies, especially over the last few months, once every 24 hours a post may get a stock reply, to follow the trouble shooting advice.  Then may be 24 after a responce by the post originator, comes another stock reply, this seems to go on for days and days, with stock replies given to all and sundry.  Check it Out !!! - Actually do not bother do not waste your time.  It is true.

So I would say - Yes - VSS is a thing of the past, but of course Vodafone will not say so, because of the number of customers who have purchased the equipment, who WOULD be entitled to a refund.  They will just wait until every such customer has thrown the thing in the bin in exasperation.  I wonder why there have been no other service suppliers with a similar system??

Trouble is in my case, that I have no usable signal from ANY provider at my home location, so VSS was a good investment, if it worked as it should. 

[Retired-Simon]

Hi rodmac1951 and SPW999

Thanks for your posts. The Sure Signal isn't a product that we'll be discontinuing. We're just extremely low on stock at the moment which is why it's currently showing as 'currently unavailable' on our website. Our stores are also carrying limited stock.

With regards to network coverage and improvements, you can view these on our UK coverage map. If you put your postcode in and check the coverage, you can also leave feedback and request a network coverage enhancement for your area. It'll also show if there are any network upgrades due in the next six months.

@rodmac1951 - What are to referring to when you say we'll withdraw support for existing devices? 2G and 3G frequencies will still be available. 3G has now been available for 10 years and there is still support for 2G only phones as there are many handsets still running on 2G only. There'll still be support for 2G and 3G when 4G is launched.

Thanks

Simon

[rodmac1951]

Thanks Simon.

I've checked coverage many times and for calls it always says 'good indoors'. But that's the problem - it's not good indoors, it's virtually non-existent, and 3G is even worse. I've reported this many times but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Compare that with O2 who have boosted their signal twice in the last few years and now their 3G signal is considerably stronger than Vodafones 2G. I've been a Vodafone for years because they had the best signal in this area but they've been dragging their heels with improvements and now lag behind the other networks.

My comments you refer to were not about withdrawing support for the 2G or 3G service - I was talking about the SureSignal device. Nobody seems to know if or when it will be available again so I'm not totally convinced it will be!

[Retired-James]

Hi rodmac1951,

The Sure Signals are now available again to buy online.

James

[rodmac1951]

Thanks James.