Series 4 Apple Watch Cellular doesn’t work

[Nsjmurray]

So, in typical Vodafone fashion they have come out with a new feature and product that doesn’t work at launch - in-fact it does several unannounced and unauthorised credit checks.

So I received my brand new iPhone and Apple Watch today and I have to admit, they look fantastic, after opening the iPhone box and just seeing the magnificence that is the phone I am definitely happy with my purchase.

I open up the oddly packaged watch box and start to set it up, everything is fine except for when I got to the mobile data setup section- at first it looked promising a Vodafone log-in screen, “Awesome” I thought, so I logged in and all of a sudden it was asking me to add a subscription for £5 per month.. I thought this was strange as I was already paying for the watch now you’re trying to charge me more for a subscription, I knew it seems to be a mistake so I just glanced at the terms, it seemed normal just about linking them together so it made sense, I went ahead and clicked add subscription knowing that I would just call Vodafone and explain the situation if they tried to charge me more.

Anyway, it shows me a loading screen and I’m simply waiting for it to complete the link between my devices.

After a short while it went to a blank white screen and then... what’s this... I HAVE FAILED A CREDIT CHECK AND I HAVENT BEEN CHARGED?!?!?

So not only did it fail.. Vodafone has performed a credit check, without authorisation just to link it to my existing plan that I was already credit checked on?

Good one Vodafone, will be returning the watch and the device and leaving the network for good, this is the final straw, I’ve had nothing but trouble with you for 7 years and I’ve stuck by you, but you just cannot get anything right first time, EVER.

wondering if anyone else had this happen to them.

[Djmacca]

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@J8nno wrote:

My carrier settings are still 33.1 and my watch is working 

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Yep same settings for me!

womder why mine isn’t working 😞

have you paid a fee to use your minutes  or not?

its crazy as I get a signal just can’t ring out or ring into the watch.

pair and re-pair also still nothing 

[SJMehran]

@J8nno: is your WIFI Calling and 4G Voice showing enabled on your iPhone?

[J8nno]

I’ve not paid a fee, and yes I have 4g Wi-Fi calling enabled. I couldn’t even attempt to set up the cellular plan until that was turned on 

[HeleninGrimsby]

Wow, carrier setting updated and cellular icon on Watch now has a white background - up and running finally.  If this helps, I didn’t bother with VF contact centre after initial advisor asked me if I’d put the Sim into my watch!  I spoke to the Tech staff in my local store.  They were all great and keen to help.  It still took 4 visits over 10 days, but my last visit was more positive with a manager taking on my case.  It was supposed to take 24 hours, but took more like 36 - I did turn wi-if off on phone after 24 hours, not sure if that made any difference.  

[SJMehran]

Thanks. I was told yesterday when watch is added to your account (One Number) it disables the WIFI calling and 4G  Voice as the watch is not capable of using either services. I am now more ##~## off as I even lost more services. It is just great.

[Welshboyuk]

Morning

just tried this. Wasn’t working... then Turned WiFi calling off in settings. And boom..... carrier update message!

watch has just connected... just testing now. Shows plan in watch app and shows mobile data on watch

[willc1000]

I am thinking about cancelling my plans now my watch finally works because the wifi calling doesn't work properly.  Every time someone rings me at home now or anywhere I am connected to wifi and I answer it sends them straight to voicemail   After all that effort to get these things working only to find out I can't use something I would prefer to use 😕

[garethr]

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@willc1000 wrote:

I am thinking about cancelling my plans now my watch finally works because the wifi calling doesn't work properly.  Every time someone rings me at home now or anywhere I am connected to wifi and I answer it sends them straight to voicemail   After all that effort to get these things working only to find out I can't use something I would prefer to use 😕

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Sounds like something definitely isn't right there then. Wifi calling should continue to work absolutely fine. My watch is (at last) working, and wifi calling continues to remain active and working as expected.

I've you've been in contact with the Director's complaints team then I'd definitely get back in touch to get them to sort it. By the looks of things over the past few days their dedicated technical team looking at the watch issues have been slowly going through and fixing things - as evidenced why for a bunch of us it suddently starting working on Friday.

Strongly suuspect most of these issues people face are down to legacy Vodafone infrastructure and their half baked implementations of things like wifi calling (eg no SMS support). You get the sense that they botch/hack implementations together to fit in with legacy infrastructure. EE seems to be one of the few networks who have full implementations (or followed standards) and also offer Apple specific niceties such as Visual Voicemail which Vodafone still don't support. Anyone who was with Vodafone a couple of years back will probably remember the total disaster that was their Siebel CRM/billing system migration. They even got heavily fined by Ofcom for that and I'm pretty sure they've not learnt their lesson from it either...

[morganomalley]

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 wrote:

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I've you've been in contact with the Director's complaints team then I'd definitely get back in touch to get them to sort it. By the looks of things over the past few days their dedicated technical team looking at the watch issues have been slowly going through and fixing things - as evidenced why for a bunch of us it suddently starting working on Friday.

Strongly suuspect most of these issues people face are down to legacy Vodafone infrastructure and their half baked implementations of things like wifi calling (eg no SMS support). You get the sense that they botch/hack implementations together to fit in with legacy infrastructure. EE seems to be one of the few networks who have full implementations (or followed standards) and also offer Apple specific niceties such as Visual Voicemail which Vodafone still don't support. Anyone who was with Vodafone a couple of years back will probably remember the total disaster that was their Siebel CRM/billing system migration. They even got heavily fined by Ofcom for that and I'm pretty sure they've not learnt their lesson from it either...

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Tbh my own experience with the directors office (been in contact with them since 05/10/2018) they only thing that's happened is a couple of call backs but nothing about getting mine working 

I've basically been told, we don't know what's wrong and we don't know what hen we can fix it for you.

I have now 3 complaints against vodafone 1 I store 1 via resolver 1at the directors office 

Ive been to apple to see if it's the watch (it's not), I've given up hope.

I'm mega ##~## off at them 

[garethr]

I’ve been dealing with Abby in the directors complaints office team. When I spoke with her Friday she mentioned that they had a dedicated team working through people’s issues one by one. Was advised that she’d been told my issues would be resolved within 2 days, although as it turned out it started working later that afternoon. 

To be fair to Abby, whilst she herself hasn’t been in a position to fix things herself she had always called back when agreed and always sent a text a few minutes to let me know she’d be calling ahead of the call. I was happy to be relatively patient (with their technical ineptitude) as long as I was being communicated with and kept in the loop.

I’m next due to speak with her on Monday so I’ll be keen to get some kind of explanation as to what my issue was along with assurances that they understand the root cause and have taken steps to mitigate it happening again.