Tenerife forum

[funky]

New Year, New Rant, ok here we go....

TELEFONICA. Where do I start with these monkeys?!?

The fun started when I ordered a new telephone line and broadband back in late November 06. After negotiating the ridiculously complicated phone menu system in Spanish, I eventually got through to an English speaking operator, who promptly hung up on me.

Back in the queue and eventually back to another operator. Strangely they didn't have my address on record on their system, which is pretty damn amazing considering the property previously had a phone line and 6 of my neighbours also have telefonica lines. After a combination of English swear words, some broken Spanish, a few smoke signals, a carrier pigeon and two messenger monkeys, I eventually managed to explain to the operator where the property was located, and my order was duly processed.

Despite the advised 20 day wait, I nearly fell out of my bath on receiving a call from Telefonica only 4 days later, wanting to fit my line 2 days afterwards. However, the morning of the installation, an engineer called me up, speaking in the most horrendous canarian accent I have ever heard in my life, and advising that there was some problem between Los Cristianos and La Caleta. Seeing as there is quite a big space inbetween, I couldn't really comment, so I asked him to call me back when he had sorted out the problem.

Having heard nothing after a further 2 weeks, I rang up again, only to be told that my order had been cancelled, with no clue on the system as to why. So I had to go through the whole process again and they started a new order. This time I was told I would have to wait up to 30 days due to the holiday period.

Imagine my surprise when I again received a call after about a week, all eager to come and fit my line the next day. I even got a call the following morning to confirm the appointment for the afternoon. All was looking good. And then the engineer called. He couldn't find my address anywhere on his computer! So I gave him detailed directions (in perfect Spanish I might add, I've had lots of practice due to stupid furniture delivery men getting lost).

He then called me an hour after he was supposed to arrive, to say that he was about half a kilometre away, and couldn't find my address!! More directions ensued (idiot proof this time, as he admitted knowing a restaurant 50m from my door!!). Another hour went by, and no engineer. So I rang Telefonica again, and after being passed around the houses, I was eventually told that the engineer had not been able to reconcile my address with the one on his order sheet, so in a nutshell he had simply decided to bugger off back to his office instead. No phone call to explain, no coming round anyway and discussing the problem or checking with neighbours, no, lets just bugger off for a Starbucks !!

I rang Telefonica, and they checked the system, checked my neighbour's phone numbers, and concluded that there was nothing wrong with my order, and that the engineer should have come round anyway even if he had a problem with the address. So they said they would e-mail the Tenerife office and ask them to follow up my order.

That was 5 days ago. Three guesses if I've heard anything yet. And what odds will I get on Telefonica cancelling my order and me having to start all over a third time?

Come back B.T, all is forgiven !!!



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My Paranoia-Management Therapy is going great! Now they're only watching me half the time....

[DaveR]

You couldn't make it up could you!

I am moving house at the end of the month ( about 50 metres within the same complex) I keep putting off ringing them to arrange it. I am expecting the worst to avoid disappointment.

[funky]

Dave, it'll probably be less hassle just to run 50m of telephone cable to your new pad. And with a bit of luck, the new owners might not notice the cable running out the door, and they'll carry on paying your bill....
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My Paranoia-Management Therapy is going great! Now they're only watching me half the time....

[DaveR]

Well it did cross my mind

[jenny]

Funky, if you want to PM me the details, I could call them for you and find out what's happening.
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Stripps...it's just a ploy to get his full name and future telephone number, if he ever gets it

[strippersrus]

Good thinking batman.......
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Stripps

Where the party starts.....
www.tenerifehennights.com

[funky]

What scurrilous subterfuge! He he nice work Jenny.

Seriously though, I should be ok chasing them up myself. Its kind of a personal vendetta for me now. And besides, I need somewhere to practice all my new Spanish swear words.....
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My Paranoia-Management Therapy is going great! Now they're only watching me half the time....

[karlb]

When I moved Telefonica came and changed my line, I kept my same phone number, all in the space of a week.

With ADSL

Sorry Funky.

There is light at the end of the long dark void tunnel.
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Who am I? Check out MySpaceTenerife.

The sky is not less blue because the blind man does not see it.

[Tenerife Seagull]

You have my full sympathy funky. We moved in August to a brand new building just across the road from our previous apartment. We advised Telefonica mid-June that we would be moving on the 1st August, and that we would like to retain our telephone number.

After 1st August a few people advised us that they called our number and asked why we didn't answer the phone. Although callers were receiving a ring tone we were not connected until the end of October.

Like you we were fobbed off with many excuses as to why we couldn't be connected. We followed up our 'order' many times and managed to retain our composure thinking, "When in Spain . . ." Each month we received from our previous address a full bill for the non-existent telephone and internet services.

It took the engineers less than half an hour to connect the cable from the street in to the complex, and less than an another hour to connect our apartment to the system. We couldn't understand what all the fuss had been about.

There is a happy ending. We have retained our existing telephone number, and since connection received uninterrupted telephone and internet (via Direct-Dial) services. We have also received a credit from Telefonica for the wrongly billed services, and that was paid directly into our bank account.

Hang in there funky. It will all come out in the wash.

Having said that, I'm dreading April. We move again, even if it is only to the apartment next door. I hope that we mirror your experience Karl.
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[funky]

Thanks TS, its nice to hear there's a light at the end of the tunnel.
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My Paranoia-Management Therapy is going great! Now they're only watching me half the time....

[funky]

It could be worse though. Check out these poor sods in Llano Del Camello.

More than 100 families living in the Llano del Camello zone on the road between Las Chafiras and San Miguel have complained that they are still without a telephone land line service.

The affected people are homeowners in several complexes that have been built over the past couple of years, and many of them have been waiting over a year to receive a telephone service. A spokesman for the group said that they were finding it hard to understand, after so much time, why the problem still has not been resolved.

However, the situation could become a lot worse, since over 1,500 homes in the area have been built or are in the process of being erected. At this time, only one public phone box has been installed.

According to statements from 75 families living in the second phase of the development, Jardin de Abona, they have waited months for service and have to drive to other locations to send faxes or make business calls, or use expensive mobile phones.

Complaints have been officially lodged, on several occasions, with Telefonica, the developer and the San Miguel de Abona Town Council, yet little has been done to date. Telefonica, when asked what is causing the hold-up, has stated that they need to install a connection from the nearby Las Chafiras industrial zone. Work was due to commence on the installation of the connection back in December 2006, but residents claim that there is no sign that any progress has been made so far.
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My Paranoia-Management Therapy is going great! Now they're only watching me half the time....

[Andy0210]

Without wanting to advertise on here the people i always use are MAS.Com based at the valdez centre in Los Cris, Recently changed to the ORange shop, further up from the Social office on the same side of the complex, Soulef and Lucas are great and always get results, even if you have already applied and are struggling they will sort it out for you, number is 922788695.
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Oh well, here goes another day in paradise!

[funky]

Thanks Andy. Can they help with Telefonica problems too? I would have thought being Orange, that they wouldn't want to help the competition.

I would have signed up for Orange landline and broadband service instead, but I still have to get the initial line installed by Telefonica, and then they stiff you with a large connection fee if you don't sign up for a year's contract. The cads!
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My Paranoia-Management Therapy is going great! Now they're only watching me half the time....