1 reviews | Active since Jul 2011
Vumatel Unable / Unwilling to Complete Installation Within Their Coverage Area
On 29th Nov I paid for installation of the Fibre: Vumatel GPON Uncapped 25/25 Mbps package via WebAfrica and was assured that I was in the Vumatel coverage area ( Rosebank Cape Town). However, when Vumatel arrived to complete my installation on Friday 2nd November (morning), they said that their nearest connection points on either side of my property are 2 houses away on one side and would be obstructed by trees on the other ( I have a corner property). The technician confirmed that Vumatel would need to install a bracket / pole on my roof and have the cable pass over my neighbour's property. I was therefore asked to secure permission from my neighbour (which I did) and assured that Vumatel would call that afternoon to confirm a new installation date. They didn't.
I therefore called Vumatel CT and I asked the operator to confirm speedy installation, as I work from home and would have preferred to re-activate my old serve provider for another month than be left for days without internet. I was assured the matter was being escalated. I even received an email from Webafrica on 4th Dec confirming the escalation.
Come 5th December, I have had no confirmation of an installation date, I have wasted an entire morning chasing up an installation date: 1. The technician from Friday assured me that he would call the office and get somebody to call me back. 2 hours went by. 2. I then phone Vumatel ***) myself and eventually got through to an operator , who simply transferred my call to their installers (Bright light?) after giving me their direct line *** 3. Here, one is kept on hold for ages after selecting the switchboard option for" book/change my installation date" and then gets cut off off as soon as one get through ( this has happened 3 times today). 4. I then phoned the switchboard of this company and was told that I'd be put through to "Jason" the installation manager for CT (who obviously didn't pick up) and that he'd be given my message to call me back. Nobody has called me. 5. As for WebAfrica? The only lines operated by real people are the sales department... otherwise the WhatsApp line is manned by a bot that assures one that a live agent will respond (nobody has responded yet).
Another team came to my house yesterday ( 2 Bridge Street, Rosebank, Cape Town) but they apparently hadn't been briefed that this was not a standard installation and therefore didn't have the necessary equipment. They said that I actually need a new pole or wall box and that only the maintenance unit could sort this out ??
They assured me that they had logged the report ( even took photos) and I was assured that somebody would call me back yesterday afternoon. Nobody called. Please could Vumatel call me to arrange to a team with the right equipment to come and complete my connection?
Another team came to my house yesterday ( 2 Bridge Street, Rosebank, Cape Town) but they apparently hadn't been briefed that this was not a standard installation and therefore didn't have the necessary equipment. They said that I actually need a new pole or wall box and that only the maintenance unit could sort this out ??
They assured me that they had logged the report ( even took photos) and I was assured that somebody would call me back yesterday afternoon. Nobody called. Please could Vumatel call me to arrange to a team with the right equipment to come and complete my connection?
A representative of Bright Things (Vumatel's installation contractors) called yesterday following my second review and confirmed that this is an infrastructure problem ( I guess somehow my house was not accounted for when they installed the fiber network in the area?). I was assured ( once again) that somebody will call me back to confirm a date for this to be attended to but nearly 24 hours later, I have not received a call-back.
Given that Vumatel has a service agreement with Webafrica to complete the installation within 14 days of the order payment & confirmation, and given that my 14 days are up on Monday 12th Dec, I have since contacted Webafrica for them to pursue a callback on their side ( ref number ISP-998191).
If installation is impossible within the agreed service period, Vumatel should rather inform me and Webafrica should reimburse me, rather than keeping me waiting with "escalations" that seem no closer to resolving the installation issue. This would not even compensate the amount spent of cell-phone data for hot-spotting off my phone (having cancelled my old service provider since Dec 1st after Vumatel had confirmed installation the morning for the morning of Dec 2nd).
A representative of Bright Things (Vumatel's installation contractors) called yesterday following my second review and confirmed that this is an infrastructure problem ( I guess somehow my house was not accounted for when they installed the fiber network in the area?). I was assured ( once again) that somebody will call me back to confirm a date for this to be attended to but nearly 24 hours later, I have not received a call-back.
Given that Vumatel has a service agreement with Webafrica to complete the installation within 14 days of the order payment & confirmation, and given that my 14 days are up on Monday 12th Dec, I have since contacted Webafrica for them to pursue a callback on their side ( ref number ISP-998191).
If installation is impossible within the agreed service period, Vumatel should rather inform me and Webafrica should reimburse me, rather than keeping me waiting with "escalations" that seem no closer to resolving the installation issue. This would not even compensate the amount spent of cell-phone data for hot-spotting off my phone (having cancelled my old service provider since Dec 1st after Vumatel had confirmed installation the morning for the morning of Dec 2nd).