Today, it is exactly 7 months since I originally filed a complaint with Vodafone (I had to do this atleast 3 times before they actually contemplated that they had to do something about it!)
The problem I have is very simple and one that Vodafone acknowledges as well. The area that I stay in simply does'nt have good cell phone reception. Infact, I cannot receive any calls at home and due to this, I am forced to keep going down to the parking lot of my building premises simply to make and receive important calls. All this has just ensured that I have increased my outgoing calls thereby hiking up my bill charges. I have even tried to threaten them with non-payments of bills so they take my complaint seriously (in reality, after I delayed payment on one of my bills in a particular month, is when Vodafone really took notice of my plight and decided to pay attention. Till then, they were just faffing around!)
For the most part, I have been following up with Vodafone religiously regarding putting up a Cell Site in the nearest vicinity possible. Infact, forget a costly solution like a cell tower, I have even given them an option of putting in a Cell Fone Booster at my residence as a temporary solution (one they can take back once a Tower is put up!). This too has been turned down by Vodafone with an excuse that they do not have devices that can match frequencies of their broadcast towers anymore as they are dynamic in nature.
That's just rubbish! The towers operate on either 900 or 1800 Mhz. It does'nt take a rocket scientist to figure that one out or find a device that will help amplify that. Also, if finding compatible devices was such a problem, then how is it that big corporates or malls or even parking lots of these malls are able to have these so called Boosters that work like a charm with Operator frequencies?
So far, I have gone through 2 site surveys (with a recent suggestion of a third) to deduce a problem that Vodafone (by their own admittance!) knows is a problem in terms of reception. I have had 1 person come over to scout for a possible Cell Tower location in my colony (Nilgiri Gardens, CBD, Belapur, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra) and I have been regularly following up with another person for progress of the Cell Tower installation that doesnt even belong to me! Vodafone only started to take steps to appease me after my third stinker of a visit to their Showroom in Nerul, Navi Mumbai, which was roughly in the 3rd month after my first complaint.
So far, I have gone through 2 site surveys (with a recent suggestion of a third) to deduce a problem that Vodafone (by their own admittance!) knows is a problem in terms of reception. I have had 1 person come over to scout for a possible Cell Tower location in my colony (Nilgiri Gardens, CBD, Belapur, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra) and I have been regularly following up with another person for progress of the Cell Tower installation that doesnt even belong to me! Vodafone only started to take steps to appease me after my third stinker of a visit to their Showroom in Nerul, Navi Mumbai, which was roughly in the 3rd month after my first complaint.
Now I have been extremely patient with Vodafone, but as a heart patient and a lone crusader in what seems to be a lost cause, I really would like for Vodafone to man up and give me an instant solution of a Booster till such time they figure out a Cell Site Location. I am sick and tired of going through Vodafone Red Tape in what seems to be a problem that Vodafone should have rectified themselves without any customer intervention. My sources in Vodafone clearly tell me that I am not important enough for them to put up a Booster at my place (market costs for this are roughly 18-25 thousand rupees as opposed to a cell tower installation which costs atleast about 1.5 Crores and atleast 2-3 months to set up due to pure levels of red tape!)
Now I know what most of you are thinking. Why am I whining so much when I can just go ahead and possbily get another number with a provider who has network in my area. I simply cannot. The number in question is really old and having both personal and business contacts shift to that would be a pain. Also, why should I? Vodafone keeps on suggesting that the network would follow me wherever I go through their advertisements. So it's simply time for them to live up to their promise instead of misleading people.
I for one will see this to the very end, even if I have to take legal recourse for this. Vodafone cannot simply take it's customers for granted anymore.
Show your support and join the support group on Facebook (Anti-Vodafone Support Group on Facebook) to let Vodafone Essar Limited that we customers cannot be taken for a ride
Show your support and join the support group on Facebook (Anti-Vodafone Support Group on Facebook) to let Vodafone Essar Limited that we customers cannot be taken for a ride
