Apple Watch Series 5 Data Plan - Getting Nowhere with Customer Support / Technical Team

[RA1967]

Hello,

I'm pretty much at my wits end with this. I've been in repeated contact with support on this issue and we have repeatedly done the exact same process again and again and again.

The result is that nothing has changed. My cellular plan continues not to work on my Apple Watch Series 5.

At this rate, as I own my phone outright due to the contract being paid off, I've requested a Network Unlock Code and am seriously contemplating switching mobile providers as Vodafone seems to be entirely unable to deliver a quality service in relation to getting my watch working.

As per the advice of the chat support, tech chat support, 191, and repeated calls, I've probably reset my Apple Watch and network settings on my phone upwards of 15+ times, with no change in the results.

Here's what I currently know:

Despite the fact that I have purchased the OneNumber plan, and that it shows in my account, and that I've done repeated (at least 6) E-Sim Swaps on my secondary device - when I go into the 'Watch App' it says that my Vodafone UK account is not eligible for Apple Watch Data and that I need to call 191. If I try to go through and setup mobile data through the Watch App anyway, It asks me to Subscribe to OneNumber and then I'm required to login to my Vodafone account and am simply met with the error, 'Something unexpected has happened.'

When I call 191, they run through the same process: reset your watch, reset your phone network settings, re-link the OneNumber plan, input your EID, hurry up and wait, ding ding ding, many texts later, and then, voila - nothing.

Thus far, I've had my OneNumber plan cancelled and re-linked to my account at least 3 or 4 times with text messages to prove it. Alongside this, I've done repeated Sim Swaps and have effectively been passed from pillar to post and told to hurry up and wait for days on end!

I've dealt with multiple agents on the line and none of them seem to have any idea what's going on or how they can offer any help whatsoever other than, 'We will refresh your OneNumber plan (wait 24-72 hours), add your EID (wait 24 hours) and then we will call you back' They call me back, I pair the watch, my watch app continues to say that I'm not eligible for mobile data on my watch, and then the entire process is repeated again!

I cannot understand why this service is even on offer when it is not fit for purpose! Is anyone out there that has any suggestions on how to resolve this issue? I do not have social media accounts so I cannot use them and I also don't understand why it should be necessary for me to use social media for support when this support forum already exists.

How on earth is this supposed to be resolved apart from stopping service with Vodafone (strongly considering it)?

[BandOfBrothers]

Unfortunately your not alone when experiencing issues with connecting up an Apple Watch @RA1967 

There are some existing threads that may help via a forum search.

We do have the Vodafone Social Media Team's but their is no account access via this forum and hasn't been for a while now.

If you would like them to help then they only can via Social Media. Contact-us-for-account-specific-queries. 

I appreciate you don't have social media accounts at the moment and indeed some don't want one.

All I can suggest is that once you've used Twitter or a Facebook account it can be deleted /  turned off.

I wish you all the best with this. 

[RA1967]

I don't understand why I would need to sign up for social media accounts for support, when this is supposed to be the support forum. Makes no sense.

[RA1967 · Accepted solution]

GREAT NEWS:

My Apple Watch has finally been connected to Mobile Data with Vodafone.

Below, I'm going to detail the process that seemed to make it work

As mentioned in the OP, I was on the phone to support, and chat multiple times. The following seems to be the winning formula (for me). 

MOST IMPORTANT:

1. MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC AGENT WORKING ON YOUR CASE AND THAT THEY WILL REPEATEDLY CALL YOU BACK UNTIL IT IS FIXED.

2. Ensure you have the OneNumber plan and have linked the Apple Watch EID.

Source the watch EID, not from the box, but from the 'About' inside the settings within the watch.

You can also source the EID through the Watch App on your iPhone under 'General' and 'About'

3. Speak to support and ensure that THEY have added your EID on the backend.

4. Add the EID yourself via the E-Sim swap too.

At this point, you will have to wait approximately 24 hours. This didn't work for me the first 2 times and so the following was necessary:

1. Contact support, refresh the OneNumber plan and add your EID again

2. Unfortunately, wait another 24 hours.

It's entirely possible that you will have to go through multiple rounds of troubleshooting to get it to function.

You should know that it's functioning when you enter into the 'Watch App' on your iPhone, select Mobile Data, and see 'Vodafone UK' Mine quickly went from 'Activating' to 'Active' once I viewed it. I tested my watch away from my phone and continued to receive data.

Previous support sessions had me resetting network settings on my phone, factory resets on my watch, etc. This process seems (in my case) to be misguided. I was able to activate my data without resetting anything at all once the plan itself appeared through my Watch App. However, it may be necessary depending on where you are in the process, but the fact that it worked in the end without resetting leads me to believe that it's a fruitless endeavour. 

What helped the most was voicing my frustrations with support without becoming angry with them. Ultimately, they are there to help you. I also had 2 separate support workers helping me out to fix this issue and ensuring me that they would call me back (I received multiple call backs per day). This morning, I looked into my watch app and saw that my Vodafone plan was activating and then went on to complete. 

All in all, it took about 3 rounds of doing what I've listed to get mobile data fully functioning on my watch. Good luck to anyone else out there.