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Upload speed lower than advertised after FTTP installation

edmanning555
3: Seeker
3: Seeker

The story so far: I had the 67 mbps FTTC service from Vodafone (I was unhappy with this as I was only recieving 30mbps down). I noticed one day that Openreach were on my street installing fibre lines in the pavement boxes. Shortly after this, Vodafone informed me that I was eligible for an upgrade, including a selection of FTTP packages - I noticed most of them offered higher upload speeds, and I chose 100/100 for £24. If the higher upload speeds were not offered, I would not have renewed with Vodafone due to the shocking service I have received from them.

Shortly after ordering, the confirmation page said that I had chosen the 100 down/18 up package, which was incorrect. I got in touch via web chat, and the adviser told me to ignore this and I would definitely get the 100/100 service that I was originally offered.

Installation day comes around (yesterday) and the Openreach engineers do a good job of installing my fibre line. They check their work, and it is all working except for the fact that I am only recieving 18mbps upload. They tell me that there is no chance I will get 100mbps upload, as Vodafone have only enabled my service to be 120 down, 20 up.

I spent the rest of the day trying to get hold of Vodafone, and eventually tech support gets back to me to talk about it. I tell them my fibre line is fine, and the problem lies with Vodafone. The tech guy says they will send a Vodafone engineer to fix. I say again, it's not a problem with the line as it was checked a matter of hours ago - the guy says it won't be Openreach attempting to fix, but Vodafone. I reluctantly accept this, and end the call.

Later on, I get a text from Openreach saying they will send an engineer to fix my problem - I facepalmed.

I once again talk to Vodafone, and try telling them that it's not an openreach problem. We end the call with him saying as it's my activation day the line needs to "settle" (load of rubbish imo) and he can't do anything else until the next day (today). I say I don't want to spend another hour navigation the menus, waiting on hold, and going through security questions, so he says he will call me back at 10am this morning to check if my speed is as expected.

10am comes and goes, no call, and my speed is still too slow.

 

Has anyone else been in a similar situation, and what might be a good next move for me, considering I can't seem to get it into Vodafone's head that they simply need to enable the higher upload speed for my connection - I just want to receive what I was originally offered.

9 REPLIES 9

Jayach
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

As you are on an Openreach connection, there is no way Vodafone can raise your upload speed, as all Openreach FTTP services are faster down than up.

It should have been obvious what you were signing up for from the outset, it's only on CityFibre connections that the speeds are the same up/down.

FTTP Questions and Answers (FAQs) For an Openreach Community Partnership | Increase Broadband Speed

Okay, but regardless of the technicalities of Openreach, as far as I am concerned, I was initially offered 100/100, and it was later confirmed on live chat that I would receive 100/100. So clearly this has been mis-sold to me - what are they going to do to solve this?

Jayach
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

There is nothing they can do to solve the (physical) problem. You will need to raise a complaint and see what they offer. The options will probably be to leave or maybe get compensation. Complaints Code of Practice | Vodafone UK

How did you sign up, over the phone or on-line? The on-line checker should have told you exactly what was available. Best Broadband Deals | Home Broadband | Vodafone

Thanks for your reply. I signed up through the following process:

I received an email from Vodafone telling me I was eligible for an upgrade with my broadband account. This contained a unique link containing the selection of my upgrade offers. One of these offers was the 100/100 deal, which I then selected through this interface, and agreed to a new contract in this way.

I am on the phone to another Vodafone agent as we speak, so I'll follow up with what he says.

As a side note, it should be possible for them to offer 100mbps upload speed, as this is available with high level packages. In an ideal world, they would bump me up to one of these packages. I'm sure there is no actual 'fault' with the fibre line, as it is brand new and otherwise working as expected.

Jayach
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

@edmanning555 wrote:

As a side note, it should be possible for them to offer 100mbps upload speed, as this is available with high level packages. In an ideal world, they would bump me up to one of these packages. 


That may well be possible, but other posts on here have said that even when the higher Openreach speeds are available with other suppliers, Vodafone would only supply the lower tiers.

Hopefully some compromise can be reached between yourself and Vodafone.

Just finished with the agent on the phone. He said that the contract says 18mbps upload... which it does - however this is not in keeping with the upgrade offer I was initially sent, or indeed the live chat agent who confirmed I would get 100mbps upload and I should disregard what the upgrade confirmation email says.

He didn't really seem to understand this, and insisted that the contract says 18 so that's what I will get - and apparently completely ignoring what the upgrade email said and also what the agent in the live chat said.

The email with the upgrade offers no longer links correctly, Vodafone appears to have removed it immediately after I upgraded. In hindsight I would have taken a screenshot of this, but I had no idea they were planning to renege and pull the ol' bait 'n' switch.

The agent on the phone said they would investigate their correspondence with me, and call me back later. We'll have to see what comes of this!

Jayach
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

@edmanning555 wrote:

 the live chat agent who confirmed I would get 100mbps upload and I should disregard what the upgrade confirmation email says.


Unfortunately what they say on live chat and over the phone is not always correct, and the upgrade confirmation was correct. Unless I see something "written in black and white" I'm always suspicious.

Do let us know the outcome of the investigation.

 

It's looking increasingly like Vodafone will tell me to get stuffed.


@Jayachwrote:
Unless I see something "written in black and white" I'm always suspicious.

This is the main reason I chose to gave this particular conversation over live chat, so there would be a written record. I'm of the peculiar persuasion that a representative of a company, represents the company i.e. what they say is on behalf of the company.

Maybe Vodafone don't realise that they are messing with someone with an excessive amount of time on their hands. I will update with any developments.

Just received another call from the same representative. They were very apologetic and agreed that I had been misled by the upgrade offers and the previous agent I spoke to.

They offered a £30 voucher applied to my account, which I accepted, although in my opinion this isn't proportional to the disparity between the service initially offered and actually provided.

They also said I could upgrade my service to receive a higher upload speed, and I was transferred to the upgrades team. The person (Becky) on the other end was quite friendly, and offered:

  • 910/105 for £45
  • 500/68 for £35
  • 200/27 for £30

However I didn't consider these to be particularly good offers, and declined - especially considering not long ago they were offering lower prices for the 500mbps plan which was what originally caught my eye. https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2022/01/isp-vodafone-uk-discount-openreach-and-cityfibre-fttp-...

As a side note, I also find it annoying that they only offered me the upgrade a couple of days after these deals expired, and refused to honour them at my request.