Router not delivered, broadband apparently activated

[Mchl]

Hi,

I've been a happy customer for the past two years (mobile phone) and decided to switch my broadband to Vodafone last month. Since then I have realised that all the bad reviews are actually true.

After being constantly in touch with Vodafone Live Chat since last Wednesday (16th October), I've lost my patience. My broadband activation date was yesterday (21st October) and apparently it has been activated as I can see the broadband being live on my online accout.

The problem is that I haven't received the router yet. It was supposed to be delivered on the 16th October as per the confirmation e-mail from Vodafone. It didn't arrive, so I contacted Vodafone and heard back that it would be delivered within 24-48 hours. Since then, every time and every day I contacted Live Chat, I've heard the same story about the router being despatched and that I would receive it within 24-48 hours. Yesterday I asked the advisor for the tracking number (as the advisor assured me a few times it has been despatched and it is now with DPD), and was promised to receive it within 12 hours via e-mail.

Guess what? A day later and still no e-mail, so I've contacted Live Chat to learn that there was no order for DPD in my account and the advisor had to fill it in manually today (which I don't believe he did)- Vodafone actually admitted that they lied to me. Of course the advisor wasn't able to provide the tracking number and all I got was the usual "you will receive it within the next 24-48 hours".

I have got the all the transcripts of the chats, including the one where Vodafone actually admits they lied to me about the despatch.  What I can see here is a breach of a promise given to the customer and unlawful charge for a broadband service that is not live (I am unable to use it and to actually check if it has been activated yesterday).

Before I decide to make an official complaint with Vodafone or OFCOM? (if the router does not arrive within 24-48 hours from today), I would like to ask: Has anyone had such problems with their router not being delivered?

Thanks

EDIT: As for the positives, Vodafone have added unlimited data for 30 days to my mobile account which helps a bit, but still...

[TJ]

Hey @Mchl - it's strange that you've not received your router, sorry for all the inconvenience this has caused. 

We'll need to access your account to help get you up and running - please contact our team via Facebook, or get in touch on Twitter. You can find more information on doing this here.

Please also provide a link to this thread, along with your username; this will save time and we’ll be able to help you quicker.

[CLOUDYCOFFEE]

Exactly the same. Doing my head in. Been told its been dispatched 3 times now. 

They've sworn it will arrive tomorrow, we will see. 

Told me I could log on on my old plus net router which doesn't work. Then told if i went in to store theyd give me a pay as you go sim and add data to it as I don't have a voda mobile but  went in and to do that they wanted to sign me up to a contract - no chance don't trust them to reimburse me. So far useless!!!!

If DPD are performing as badly as they say they need to arrange some urgent meetings with them. Or if it's rubbish they need to stop blaming them to their customers, it's not very professional. 

[TJ]

Oh no @CLOUDYCOFFEE - nothing should stop you from connecting and we want to get your router to you ASAP. So we can check on it's delivery status, we'll need to access your account. 

Please contact our team via Facebook, or get in touch on Twitter. You can find more information on doing this here. Make sure to pop your username and link to this thread in your message too, this will save you having to explain again and we can help you quicker.

[CLOUDYCOFFEE]

Been in touch on twitter. No one answers the messages. Meant to have a delivery today was meant to get contact from the delivery company but nothing... 

So far huge mistake moving to Vodafone. 

I'm camped out at my parents house waiting for the delivery that prob won't come which means i can't do my shopping using their Internet to do my online study that has to be done that i can't do at home. Will Voda pay my exam resit fees if i fail due to not being able to complete my online study I wonder? 

[CLOUDYCOFFEE]

So I had a call with someone who I will say was actually helpful from twitter.

So it appears they don't know when they will be able to supply me with a router for sure, I'm desperate for internet so suggested seeing if plusnet could take the line back a a quick fix but they can't without at least a 7-10 day gap in service so didn't solve problem. Still no Internet... 

[TJ]

I'm glad someone got in touch with you @CLOUDYCOFFEE and tried to help - it's disappointing to hear that everything's not been sorted yet though. Did they explain why we were unable to send you a replacement router? 

[t0m3kedi]

Hi man, you're lucky. I'm about three months into to network without activation, without any reasonable way to contact them and with them sending me letters to pay £50 quid for broadband I never had. Twice I called them and asked for cancellation and twice I was told it will be done as I don't have any service but it doesn't matter. You can't cancel Vodafone, Vodafone takes all your money and cancels you when you're done. At least they're funny in the letter saying that my services will be disconnected if I don't pay

[verpalmi]

Same story here: first delivery went wrong because they made some mistake with the address and DPD didn't deliver the router (they attempt the delivery on the 08/11/2019).

From Monday 11/11/2019 over the phone and on live chat being promised every time that they would deliver within 24-48hours.

Line went live on the 13/11/2019, according to the email received by Vodafone.

Result: router delivered on the 15/11/2019. 

Went home, installed everything, done the hard reset as suggested via text by the Easy switch team: line was not working. Spent all Friday afternoon/night over the phone trying to reach a technician (I have tried the Live Chat but it was useless); finally, after hours got someone on the line, after few attempts he concludes that we got some kind of problem over the landline. He promised us that he will send an engineer on Monday morning to check some kind of "internet cabinet" in our area. I have to say, the guy didn't sound very confident about this resolution over the phone (he sounded more like someone who had no idea what was wrong, which is concerning). Will the engineer show up? Given all the promises that I received so far, I would say unlikely. Also, I don't understand why this should be necessary if few days before, with another provider, everything was working fine.
Result: entire weekend without internet and I am using that for work

So far, my experience with Vodafone has been awful, they tried to compensate me, but I didn't receive anything official yet (document or email).
Customer service has been, in the 95% of the cases, blundering and useless. I could see total absence of communication within the same department: every time I was in a new chat or over the phone, they would give me different set of information! EVERY single TIME they will give me a different or total new set of information about my account or the location of the router.
How could I trust a company with such Customer Service? How could I pay for such an appalling service? 
If I don't get the line by tomorrow I will cancel the contract even because so far I was unable to use the service at ALL!!
Just hours over the phone or wasting my time in chats where I got empty promises and NO REAL SOLUTION.
Work hours flied out of the window with a lot of stress and frustration!

Who is going to compensate me for all the extra money spent to have some kind of internet connection? What about the time that I lost?

I am extremely disappointed.

[TJ]

Thanks for getting in touch @verpalmi - it sounds like you've been given the run around. If you'd like us to take a further look into what's happened with your delivery, you can get in touch with us here on the Social Media team via Facebook or Twitter. Find out how to get in contact here.

Make sure to pop your username and link to this thread in your message too, this will save you having to explain again and we can help you quicker.