Right folks, on the basis that someone from Vodafone actually pulls their finger out and intends to help a poor patron. Vodafone use CityFibre in the Bournemouth area. I have been waiting ages of dug up roads and the rest of it for CityFibre to actually install the fibre in the street. Eventually - low and behold - it becomes available to order. So I place my order as one of the first in the street on the 12th November. Installation set for 23rd November.
I take leave to sit here for an 8am to 1pm appointment to have the FTTP installed. I confirm with Vodafone the day before on the online chat that everything is set and the installation will go ahead.
And then - no engineer turns up. So at about 12 o'clock - I call Vodafone to be told that the engineer could still turn up at some point in the day. So I wait.
By about 3pm I phone Vodafone back and they tell me that the engineer probably wont make it. So, I think okay - what next. And therein starts the rest of the story!
I then get told by Vodafone that I would get a call back on the 24th to sort out the "what next". I get this call and was told that the first order, for some reason had been cancelled (I later find out that the CityFibre engineer decided not to pity up because the street required a hoist which they didn't check over within the two weeks lead time from order to installation).
I then get told I have to recreate my order (administratively expensive and highly frustrating). So an hour later on the phone with a lady from Vodafone new business I have (I think) created the new order with a date of the 2nd December to do the install - in addition, I would need to be sent all new equipment and that the old equipment which I already had from the first installation date would need to be returned. I asked, in addition, with the new order creation for an earlier date considering that CityFibre are useless and therefore should try and resolve this whole situation as quickly as possible to sort it out.
I then get a text message back on the afternoon of the 24th, to tell me that the new order cannot be created, because the old order has not been fully cancelled. In addition, this would set the installation date back even further from the 2nd December. But that they would sort out the new order first this morning 25th November.
2PM on the 25th Arrives. No calls. No text. No email. So I ring through to Vodafone, to find out that CityFibre, who are at fault will not actually click the little button that says cancel over the phone from Vodafone. They will only do that with a requisition service request or some such silly thing - which apparently was submitted yesterday 24th in the afternoon.
In addition, Vodafone tell me they cannot place the new order until CityFibre have completely cancelled the older order. I then try and explain that this is going to cost Vodafone a lot in compensation. And ask to be transferred to a management member.
I eventually get through to someone in management - after over an hour on the phone. The lady then tells me that she is completely aware of the case, and will recreate the order when CityFibre have cancelled it. In the meantime, they cannot arrange to book out the date so that we are not all waiting for ages to get the service installed and activated. She also tells me that she gets at least 4-5 customers with the same issues of Cityfibre failing in their duties and having to cancel and rebook a day. Not a good run really. And she is just one of the managers.
So right now - I have no past order. No new order. No order in sight. No installation date. Equipment that cannot be used. A cancelled existing broadband service. And then get told that she will call me back on Sunday 28th to tell me whats going on. Which will mean I may not see a broadband connection this side of Christmas at this rate. Absolutely rediculous. I have a mind to actually create a flyer campaign (nice having a printer that does 50ppm) and flyer the entire local area telling them to NOT CANCEL THEIR EXISTING BROADBAND SERVICES AND NOT TO USE CITYFIBRE OR VODAFONE. I would hate some of the older pensioners in the area to literally die of heart failure at the incompetence I have experienced.
I know that this message probably wont get read by anyone at Vodafone - let alone answered because its just too much of an embarrassment to them. But if you are thinking of getting a service by Vodafone and Cityfibre (wherever you are) save yourself the hassle.
If this ever does get resolved, compensated, dealt with, answered I will obviously post a reply on this thread. In the meantime - we wait. If anyone else has experienced shoddy service from Vodafone or Cityfibre - please post it here in the hope that some may see it and that Vodafone doesn't decide to censor the true responses of people.
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