Slow Internet too

[Jayceemarlow]

Well, I am joining the slow internet club as well. Signed up for Vodafone Fibre 76. I needed it fairly quickly and in the Vodafone Store was promised it should be completed within 2 weeks. Some hours later I got an email with a much later date. Called the helpdesk and: “ Sorry, that is out of our hands, but dependent on OpenReach”. OK, go with it.. Got the confirmation letter with a minimum guaranteed speed of 39.81 MBps, and going live 25th September. Back home on the 25th, nothing.. Called the helpdesk and it turned out Vodafone entered the wrong username/password on their side. They promised it should be fixed end of the day. And yes, it was, speed was about 38 Mbps.

Checked the next day, speed down to 26.46 Mbps. Well, just wait, as stated, 10 days, it needs to be trained and can fluctuate. Went lower and lower, 22, 16 etc. I waited until 8th October, fairly more than the 10 days, and at that time it had been down to 15 Mbps steady for some days. Time to call the helpdesk. Eventually got called back and the employee was very helpful. (so maybe not horror stories I read before) Explained the problem and she asked for screenshots of the speedtests and Vodafone app.

Send those, I got a promise to be called back. That happened and I was told the problem needed to be raised to the technical team, and they would be in touch soon. (Sidenote: apparently it is impossible for a telecom provider like Vodafone to contact me on a non-UK mobile number. I can call it from my Vodafone landline, my work phone, but the helpdesk or engineers can’t. So I am forced to walk around with 2 phones just to be reachable for Vodafone…)

Engineers tried to call me, I couldn’t answer so they send me a text, Friday 13th October 08.51 (see attachment). Yes we found a fault and within 3 working days an OpenReach engineer will work on it, will keep you updated. I gave it until Wednesday 18th (4 working days in my book). Nothing, no update, no improvement. I emailed the same helpdesk contact as before about this, no reaction.

It is now Friday 20th, no update , and still slow speed, around 16-18 Mbps on the Vodafone app. I am too nearing my first 30 days cool off period and I am paying for a not delivered service. Vodafone get your act together and get this sorted!!

[Crashmoe]

Me too

Please see my post regarding my own issues seem sto be a common thread. Sorry but have no solution!

[ExtraMask]

I'm in the same boat. My guaranteed minimum was 10Mbps. I'm receiving 10Mbps until approximately 8:30am and then it drops to 5Mbps. During afternoons and evenings it drops between 1Mbps - 3Mbps then returns to 10Mbps after midnight.

I complaint about it but nothing has been done. They gave me 50GB of mobile data to use until they resolve the issue and told me someone would be in touch but haven't heard anything in 3 weeks. Not good custoemr service or complaint management.

[Jayceemarlow]

Credit where credit is due. Saturday I did a last attempt and contacted Vodafone via chat and explained the problem. I was promissed they would look into it urgently. I got called back the same night and they did some more diagnostics. I didnt know there was a test socket behind the normal wall mount. Plugged into this and made an appointment for a engineer Wednesday morning. Already on Monday the speed was improving (still being plugged in the test socket) so for me it was clear there was a wiring problem in house. Engineer came this morning and changed the wall socket. Speed is now above 42 MBps, so for now I am very happy.

[DaneB]

@Jayceemarlow

Apologies for the delay in our response.

We're delighted to hear that the engineer has now fixed your issue.

[jayceemarlow2]

Well, the story continues. When the speed issues were corrected, I got reliability problems. I have been away a couple of weeks ago and when I got home, due to an incident with the cabinet (car crashed into it) I lost telephone and internet. This was fixed (sort of), because from that moment on my internet connection just got lost each night around 2200 for a couple of hours , and sometimes in the morning as well.  Basically, when I was at home and not sleeping,  I didn't have a connection... the time you just want it. (the speed was ok, just above guaranteed).

Raised it to the helpdesk a couple of times (I must say most of them really do try, although one just blatantly lied )  and finally today the OR Engineer could come over (I have a job too, so taking leave isnt always easy).
He checked the line from my socket, did some changes at the fibre cabinet and I got a connection with a speed I didnt had before. Finally I thought!! Let's stream a TV show. That went ok for 25 minutes... lost connection again and it stays that way since then (1400 today).

So now I went from a slow, reliable connection, via a faster non-reliable one to no connection whatsover. Raised it again with the helpdesk and see what happens now... probably no internet again for a couple of days and maybe it will cost me another day (4th) of leave...

.
Yes I got my money back for the first month, and probably for the second one too (this struggle for good internet is already going on for 2 months). I got offered 50GB data for my Vodafone Mobile, which I dont have.
Because I do need some internet connection I bought a PAYG Vodafone 4G router. Maybe the 50GB could been transferred to the router, during a chat session this was promissed. Turns out today that this cant be done for PAYG.....sigh..(in my opinion it should be technically possible so its just policy)

Vodafone, come on get this sorted.

(for the techies, the VF router does the slow red flash trying to connect and then switches to the fast red flash and then again the slow again and so on all the time).

[jayceemarlow2]

Ps i needed to make a new community account because I couldnt get my password reset (mail cant be send..)

[jayceemarlow2]

After two days of silence since last Friday ( I was promised the situations would be monitored) I called the helpdesk this afternoon. Turns out nothing has been done because the problem was archieved as sorted because of the landline issue. Yes Vodafone, the landline is ok now, but I don't have broadband, thats why I immediately called back on Friday! So two days lost again. The problem needed to be raised to 2nd level Tech team, with (again) a promise to be called back before 20.00. You still have half an hour....

this is starting to look like an Ombudsman escalation..

[jayceemarlow2]

Well another update. I have still no internet, so plenty time to write one.(and upload it at a friend’s)

Of course the tech team didn’t call me back, so 20.15 I called the helpdesk again.

“Oh we are sorry, what is wrong” . Again explained everything, again the same tests..

We did try a new type of router reset, but also no results.

Again promised they will have a look into it.. "There are some problems in your area".

Why do my neighbours have internet then? Same FTTC cabinet

When I came home on Monday still no internet, and no update call or text about the situation.

Called again and this time I got the tip to call back the next day during daytime and ask to be transferred to

level 2 Tech to discuss it directly with them. In the ticket notes this would be reflected so I could get straight through. Because again nothing had been done, I also filed a complaint to Vodafone using the complaint page (they come back to you within 48 hrs, is stated....let' see).

Tuesday afternoon I called the helpdesk and asked to be transferred to tech level 2.

“We can’t/don’t do that, I will transfer your questions” ##~##?!

Vodafone, this is at least the 4th time your helpdesk is giving totally contradicting inconsistent information.

“We can book an engineer for you for tomorrow” WHY DIDN’T YOU DO THAT STRAIGHT AWAY ON FRIDAY!!

4 days lost, 4 days delay, 4 days no internet.       

“We can have the tech team call/text you if they identified the problem”. YES PLEASE!! But nothing of course…

Wednesday now, come home. Of course nothing changed. No internet, no feedback from the helpdesk, the tech side, or engineer side. Also heard nothing from complaint department (within 48 hours, yeah right…)

The lack of moderator response on this thread is also amazing. Older one’s do get a fast reply.
Looks like I am becoming too much of a pain, being blacklisted?

Or do you just take the collateral damage of some bad internet connections, just leave them to rot.

I had better connection when I was in Afghanistan.

I will call complaints tomorrow. I will also stop my Direct Debit. And I am writing to the Ombudsman.

Vodafone, you’ve been a trip to hell of three months.

Your problem solution capability when things get more difficult is non-existent.Even your complaints procedure is a joke

[jayceemarlow2]

After waiting 4 days for the Vodafone complaints department to get back to me (within 48 hrs., I decided to call the complaints number 03333 041 524 (I was too busy to do it earlier as was the plan)
“please enter the Vodafone mobile your complaining about” Sigh.. what about other complaints, like broadband??? Just waited it out, and after some time got someone.
“ you got the wrong department, this is for mobile only”. Ok give me the correct number to call.
“No I will transfer you”. Wait again 5 minutes, got someone, told my complaint.
“Oh sorry, you got the wrong department, I will transfer you” …again waiting… (the above waiting for 4 days was also in conjunction with my call from Tuesday where the helpdesk said first a day, later72 hours needed to get engineer info).

And then I got the bloody Broadband helpdesk!! NO, I WANT THE COMPLAINT DEPARTMENT!

Nice Vodafone, make it impossible to make a complaint. Why is the number on your site just for mobile?

The nice lady at the helpdesk got the brunt of my frustration and now anger but it was simple, this last part with the complaint procedure above was the last drop :
I want to terminate my contract with you, Vodafone, and don’t you dare to start talking about termination fee.
She tried to let me perform more tests. NO. There are some network problems in your area, BT OpenReach is going to work through the night. And what has been done since I first reported my problem a week ago? Silence. How about neighbours with working internet? Eh…

She finally transferred me to a manager and I told him the same, I want out of the contract. He asked for a chance to correct it. About what are you thinking, how much time? He then asked me how much time I would give them. Against all promises to myself and better judgement I gave Vodafone another 24 hrs to get things sorted. Made it clear that I meant with sorted an up and running internet connection, not a text or phone call they identified the problem, booked an engineer, etc.He thanked me for the extra chance and promised to look into it and make sure it is the notes for his coworkers and I will be contacted anyway. Made it clear again after this last chance I want out if things are not sorted.

Those 24 hrs are over now. No connection, no call back . So I probably have to chase it up again myself. All my post and writing are the base for my letter to the Ombudsman if VF wants to charge me a termination fee.

I think I have been very patient with Vodafone. Out of the 10 weeks I have been with them, I had:
-4 weeks of very slow internet, below minimum guaranteed speed
-2 weeks of internet losing connection for several hours a day when I need and want it
-1 week of no internet connection at all
Of the remaining 3 weeks I was away for work for more than 2 weeks, so I can’t say how it was at that time.