"Orange net pre-pago problem - good customer service in action"

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Chirimoya

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What would you say if I told you that I went to the supermarket and bought 4 cartons of milk at RD$50 each, and paid the cashier RD$200. However, on my way out another staff member removed 3 of the cartons from my bag and said I had to make a phone call to their customer service department before he could let me have them. Meanwhile, if I needed milk, I was to go back to the supermarket and buy another carton.

That's not what really happened, but in effect it's what the telecomms companies here do with their pre-pago deals.

It happened to us with Claro banda ancha internet - see this recent thread http://www.dr1.com/forums/living/103400-claro-codetel-way-they-treat-their-paying-customers.html - and now with Orange net.

I paid for 4 days of internet service with the USB thingy because they had to order the 'flybox' option we chose, and once the flybox arrived we were going to get a one-year contract - not pre-pago.

What happens though is that with the pre-pago set up, when the first 24 hours are up they say you have to recharge, even though you've paid for a full four days. Customer service instructs you to remove the SIM from your USB and put it in your phone, and dial *223. The first time I did this I was very reluctant, but it worked - only to find that when I replaced the phone chip it no longer worked and had to be replaced. At first they wanted me to pay for the new chip but I managed to persuade them that I would have never removed it if they hadn't told me to, and that in any case it seemed like an unnecessary and absurd manoeuvre.

The second time the chip thing didn't result in a successful restoration of service, so the person we've been dealing with at the local branch made a complaint, which will be dealt with in 48 hours. They told her that I had used up much of the balance by attempting to connect and no longer had enough credit. My stance is that I paid for 4 days and only got 1, so they have in effect stolen 3 days worth of money from me AND not provided the service I paid for. But I still need to wait for them to get back to me.

Meanwhile the only option if I want to remain online is to pay again for a new recharge, meaning I'm paying them twice. As if the supermarket had made me go back in and buy another carton of milk to replace the one they'd taken away from me at the exit.

Our options for internet service are running out. The first company we used - Bectel - went belly up. Codetel have installed cables in the entire neighbourhood but not in our building for some reason so regular landline/broadband is not yet an option. Claro pre-pago banda ancha was too slow and we had similar issues when it came to recharging. The Orange signal is quite good and the local staff member is much better than Claro/Codetel so we would have liked to give it a chance, but I'm seriously concerned about making a one-year commitment to a company that has such absurd practices.

I think the only other wireless option in our area is Tricom but everyone I know who's tried it say the signal is non-existent. I don't think we can afford satellite internet, and in any case have not seen any options here in the east - although I'm sure they exist.
 
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SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
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Now you realize all the power you gave up being a Moderator!!!! ;) lol

How could you have used up your credits trying to connect if you paid for 4 days of service? Sounds more like a per hour rate instead of a per day rate.

My friend has Tricom cellular and when his balance gets low, but still more than the cost of a call, Tricom won?t allow him to call out.

t9d26v.gif

SantiagoDR
 

cobraboy

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Did the 4 day "contract" include how much bandwidth you got?
 

cobraboy

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It wasn't a contract, it was a pre-payment for 4 days use of internet.
How much bandwidth was included?

As far as I know only the TOP wireless plans comes with unlimited bandwidth, and even those trottle down at a point.

Might be looking at the contract.

<edit>According to THIS, you're limited to 250mb a day. A gig would be very easy to do in one day.
 
Feb 7, 2007
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Chiri, do you have the Codetel "box" (a black tube, about 5-6 inches wide and 15 inches long) on a Codetel line nearby (within 200 meters)? They might be able to run a line to your APT via the air even if there are no lines installed in your building. They put a demarc point on the outside (or even into your window) and make the hole in the wall or just run the wire through the window....

On the other note, sending you a PM ... another option in bavaro.
 

Chirimoya

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How much bandwidth was included?

As far as I know only the TOP wireless plans comes with unlimited bandwidth, and even those trottle down at a point.

Might be looking at the contract.

<edit>According to THIS, you're limited to 250mb a day. A gig would be very easy to do in one day.

No, no limit is specified:
Orange Dominicana ™ - Orange net
plan por d?a
Este plan es para ti si accedes ocasionalmente a Internet, quieres controlar tus pagos y no deseas comprometerte a un plan con renta.

Al iniciar la navegaci?n empieza un per?odo de 24 horas el cual se mantiene hasta que el mismo finalice. Si deseas un nuevo per?odo de conexi?n puedes recargar por cualquiera de los m?todos de recarga disponibles si tu es plan es prepago o cargarlo a tu factura si tu plan es pospago.

As you can see, this RD$200 per day deal (once tax is included) is not a cost-effective long-term solution, but one that we were prepared to use for a few days while waiting for the flybox/contract. As it happens, I've now paid a total of RD$1,400 and only received 4 days of service. The "lost" RD$600 is the subject of a complaint which has still not been settled.

The way they deal with this complaint will have an effect on our decision to take up the one-year contract, but at the same time we're running out of options.
 

Chirimoya

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Chiri, do you have the Codetel "box" (a black tube, about 5-6 inches wide and 15 inches long) on a Codetel line nearby (within 200 meters)? They might be able to run a line to your APT via the air even if there are no lines installed in your building. They put a demarc point on the outside (or even into your window) and make the hole in the wall or just run the wire through the window....

On the other note, sending you a PM ... another option in bavaro.

Thanks, I will check out both possibilities. The first may well be possible seeing as some of our neighbours in other parts of the complex do have landlines.
 
Feb 7, 2007
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I have Codetel banda ancha wireless Prepago. I only had two problems:

1) At one time I recharged 500 pesos, and used 2 x 24 hours (260 pesos in total). At the end, the whole balance was used up. I made a claim and within several days the money was credited back. Don't know how that happened. Since then, I only do recharges for the amount I will use activate.

2) The ZTE modem (chinese crap) failed on me on 2 occasions. The USB part just stopped working. I could have plugged it in any computer and the USB drive was not ever detected. After several days, it just started working again 9exactly the same day I decided to go to Codetel to have it repaired). When I went in it was working (both times) ha! so they told me they could not take replace it (which I can understand, as it was working at THAT moment) but offered to take it in and send to repair center for revision (it would take about 2 weeks). i needed the modem so I said the next time it happened I will bring it back, working or not.

I was also told I can use my banda ancha Claro prepago SIM chip in my HSDPA capable phone to connect. Have phone connected via USB to computer and use Nokia Communications center to connect. I have yet to try it that way with Claro (I did it with Orange with my fleet SIM). I don't want to lose 3 months worth of call logs in my Nokia by switching the SIM, so I have not tried it yet, but if a need arises when the ZTE modem starts la huelga again, I will see if HSDPA phone works the same way as the modem does (it should, logically, after all)...
 
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No, no limit is specified:
Orange Dominicana ? - Orange net
plan por d?a

Not quite like that...

# Plan por d?a tiene una capacidad m?xima de transferencia de datos de 1GB por cada 24 horas. Al alcanzar dicha capacidad, la velocidad ser? reducida a 128 kbps. por el tiempo restante de dicho per?odo.

# Plan ilimitado tiene una capacidad m?xima de transferencia de datos de 5GB por cada per?odo de facturaci?n. Al alcanzar dicha capacidad, la velocidad ser? reducida a 128 kbps por el tiempo restante de dicho per?odo.

# Plan ilimitado Plus tiene una capacidad m?xima de transferencia de datos de 15GB por cada per?odo de facturaci?n. Al alcanzar dicha capacidad, la velocidad ser? reducida a 128 kbps.por el tiempo restante de dicho per?odo.
 

Chirimoya

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My problem with going back to Codetel/Claro for banda ancha pre-pago (or a contract, which should in theory eliminate the recarga related glitches) is the slower speed and the atrocious customer service.

The Orange connection is much stronger - I can watch videos again - and the front line customer service is more personalised - the staff member has gone out of her way to try and help me. The operator I spoke to this morning admitted they were still not quite up to speed on the software (as suggested by a friend who works for a telecoms company in Canada) and that this may have resulted in me being given bad advice.
 

Chirimoya

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Not quite like that...

# Plan por d?a tiene una capacidad m?xima de transferencia de datos de 1GB por cada 24 horas. Al alcanzar dicha capacidad, la velocidad ser? reducida a 128 kbps. por el tiempo restante de dicho per?odo.
True, but going over 1GB only means a reduction in speed, which I didn't notice: No way would it result in using up 4 days of service in 1.
 
Feb 7, 2007
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Chiri, whose your cell carrier? I have business account with Orange and we have a special customer service center (though they work only business hours, not 24/7) but much more personalized, you get account rep, and after some time many of the staff will know you by name, they respond their emails (sometimes with delay, but they do). Best thing is they have better access to solving complaints and technical issues than regular customer service (and the callcenter, which is in Colombia).

You could do Orange business account (they have great plans) even with one phone and if you have 3 or more phones you can get a fleet deal with incredible pricing and free infleet calling, and have Orange Business Net (Net Negocios). The customer service would then go through this dedicated department where you would get more personalized and attentive customer service.
 
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Chirimoya

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My cell is with Orange but Mr C is still with Claro, so we would need to discuss.

I noticed some - but not all - of the operators I spoke to were Colombian.
 

cobraboy

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My experience with Orange customer service in Santigo is excellent, some of the best I've received in this country.

Codetel? Meh. Not so much.
 
Feb 7, 2007
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It's all in the people.... but also policies. If a business does not encourage flexibility and does not empower employees to resolve problems and have all tools at their respective disposal for such resolutions, but instead restricts and impedes creative solutions and orders by-the-book procedures, it's only inevitable that customer service suffers in the long term.
 

cobraboy

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It's all in the people.... but also policies. If a business does not encourage flexibility and does not empower employees to resolve problems and have all tools at their respective disposal for such resolutions, but instead restricts and impedes creative solutions and orders by-the-book procedures, it's only inevitable that customer service suffers in the long term.
Which is how David beats Goliath...
 

Chirimoya

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Looks like I'm going to have to report my own post and request a change in the thread title, because Orange appears to have redeemed itself. In response to our report, a customer service representative phoned me this afternoon and said the three lost days would be reimbursed, so that when my current carga expires I should have three more days worth of service.

My gut reaction was proved right. Despite this glitch I'm impressed with their service and attitude and will almost definitely take on the Net Hogar plan when the flybox arrives next week.

Orange Dominicana ™ - Net hogar

El Flybox de Orange te permite conectar hasta 4 computadoras y navegar simult?neamente en Internet. Cuenta con una conexi?n Wi-Fi que te permite desplazarte dentro de tu hogar y seguir conectado.

# Plan Net hogar extra tiene una capacidad m?xima de transferencia de datos de 15GB por cada per?odo de facturaci?n. Al alcanzar dicha capacidad, la velocidad ser? reducida a 128 kbps.por el tiempo restante de dicho per?odo.

It's RD$2,800 per month inc. taxes.

Now all three of us can connect at the same time instead of having to fight over the USB. :)
 
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