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

[crunchieeagle]

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!

[crunchieeagle]

I have Dabe B, Still not received it. Thanks

[Jenny]

@crunchieeagle - I’ve resent the email this evening, to the same email address. 

If this doesn't show in your inbox, please check your spam/junk folder.

[crunchieeagle]

Got it thanks

Hi Russell,

Further to email ref: #15507838, please find a copy of the reply sent by Matthew on 8 March 2017.

Hi,

As advised previously, the customer's who are having issues can contact us themselves.

We can then look at their issue and resolve this.

Thanks,

Matthew

Thanks, 

Jenny
Social Media Comms

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

Could you email a number to your tech team rather than going through the inept 191 number I say this because I have been trying for 4 months (i will not publish it if you don't want me to).

[Alex]

@crunchieeagle Please respond to our latest email and we'll be able to organise a call. :smileyhappy:

[crunchieeagle]

Hi Alex

Checked Junk etc, no email as yet.

Could you send it again.

Cheers

Russ

[Becca_P]

@crunchieeagle

I've resent you a copy of the email sent on 8 March to your email address.

Please let us know if you've received it.

[crunchieeagle]

Yes, I have got it now. Thank You.

But do you have a number so that i dont have to go through the call centre, as they do not understand that a sim card need to be activated in 4g even though not everyone is in a "4g area". That is what our antennas do.

[Becca_P]

@crunchieeagle

Unfortunately we don't.

If you respond to the email asking to be called, a member of the team will be happy to do this.

[pipcoo]

If you buy a sim that is sold as a 4g data plan then surely it should be activated as 4g regardless of what area you live in or whether you can get a 4g signal at your address. It is ridiculous to have to jump through all these hoops just to get a sim to work as sold when it should be ready to use upon receipt.

[DaneB]

@pipcoo

We can't guarantee that all 4G SIM cards have the neccessary service for all our customers.

This is why we recommmend using our Network Status Checker before purchase.