My latest in a series of whinges about telcos, and this time it's Vodafone Australia. I have been in Perth for 12 days, in the city centre. And for 8 days I've had no data connection. No internet access for 8 days! Let me correct that. My Vodafone data access on my Vodafone Dell netbook has had no access for over a week, but my Vodafone iPhone has allowed me tethered access, burning up the 1GB data on my iPhone, by plugging into my Netbook for internet access, but no access to my 5GB of data using the SIM card data modem built into the Dell.
Both SIM cards work on my iPhone, the 3G network works perfectly on my iPhone, but no access from my Netbook. It recognises the SIM card but can't find the network. Why? The iPhone and Netbook SIM are accessing the same 3G network aren't they?
Call Vodafone several times. It's a network problem in Perth! For 8 days!!!! Blimey. I'm now fobbed of with "We're still waiting for a technician report" It must be a bloody amazing report taking 8 days to write!! And in the process, Vodafone seem to having taken their mobile network down twice for 2 mornings, no mobile access for anyone for a few hours on 2 mornings, just to investigate my lack of data access on my netbook. And still nothing!
Compensation? 10 Bucks! A quarter of a month on the data plan. Eh? What about 8 days x internet access from my hotel room!!! I don't want your bloody 10 or 20 dollars, I want my internet.
And when I suggest to Vodafone the ideal solution, they don't won't can't seem to comprehend or do what I'm asking for. Give me more than the 1GB on my tethered iPhone, whilst you're trying to repair your bloody network in Perth. It costs you nothing Vodafone to let me have a few GB of access via my tethered iPhone, into your stinking network. Get it sorted now please.
And....I'm not convinced that lack of access from my Vodafone Netbook is from the network, I think it might be with my Netbook, but the technical staff seem to have given up and left it as a network problem. Hey Vodafone, you try having no internet access for 8 days, and are you working on this problem 24/7 since last Saturday?
And corporates love you having all your services with them, until you try and use one service to compensate for another service. My mobile and netbook are on one bill, but there is no way I can use my mobile to help my netbook through this trying time. Hello Telstra, I love you right now.