Codetel get a clue

rafael

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Jan 2, 2002
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I am now renting an apartment in SD, the area near the zona franca on san isidro.

Cheap rent, brand new apt etc, although I haven't seen it yet.


Trying to get a phone line and DSL has been a joke. No two codetel employees give the same answers.

First I call, and ask if I can order this stuff over the phone. Sure the guy tells me, even though I am still in US, gives me a number to call.

Call the number, they say no, need to come in in person. Ok I decide I'll have my novia do it.

She goes to the office and waits forever to be given a phone number to call. The woman says you need to do it over the phone!

OK, she calls the number, they confirm that Internet Flash is available in that area,( I already told them this).

They tell her to go to an office in person! Now my GF goes to the office, and is told we need a person that already has a Codetel acount to act as guarantee.

OK, now I call a friend, and the next day he goes to the office with my novia and pay the installation fees etc.

She is told 7 day wait, Ok not horrible.

After a week, she calls and they say maybe 15 days, she says she was told seven, they say OK 8 days.

She waits more. No word. Calls again and is told 15-30 days. Once again she explains that we were told 7 and the woman immediately says 7-15 days.


OK, that is typical. All the while this is happening, I decide to buy the Internet Flash install CD kit, so we have it ready for when the DSL goes in.

Novia goes to office, and is told that she can't buy it unless she has a phone line? What? OK, she explains that we are waiting for the phone line, and wants to be able to install internet asap. Nope, not allowed says the girl.

A few days later my novia goes back to the office where she ordered the service and complains. The woman tells her two weeks more. My novia FINALLY gets pissed, and rips into her. Saying we were promised numerous times and nobody there has a clue. the woman apologizes and says she put us on the schedule for this thursday, no later, no sooner.

OK, so it's wednesday and Codetel shows up. Luckily my novia is home!
They don't have any cable and need to come back!!!! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!


I want to kill someone!!;-) If they get it installed, I can't wait to see how long it takes to convince some idiot there to sell me the friggin CD kit. I need DSL for when I head down next friday. I am not holding my breath.

I bet the next obstacle is you need a phone line for 15 days before you can install the DSL!!!!!!


Same problems when we had electricity installed. Guys show up and don't have any cable. You're the friggin utility company, how do you not have cable?

It's like when I went to Pollo Victorina and they were all out of CHICKEN!!!

Can ya imagine Pizza hut not having Pizza one day? I bet it happens in the DR!



Why do I like it there again? ;-) Ok, a few ice cold presidentes will make me forget about it, but for now, I'm pissed!
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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I went to "WENDY'S" once and they had no BUNS!

My friend Bill was asked to stay in his friends apt while he was in New York.Codetel was going to come instal his phone line and he didn't want them to come and not find anyone home.(This was when it took about 4 months to get a phone line!)Bill was not aware of what a big deal it was to get a phone line.When Codetel came Bill was there to let the "tech" into his friends apartment.The guy asked Bill where he wanted the telephone installed,livingroom,bedroom,kitchen? Bill was not sure,so he told the guy to come back when the apt.owner was there!His friend returned from New York to find out what had happened,he still hates Bill!CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 

Jersey Devil

Bronze
Jul 5, 2002
686
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Rafael,

I now have an even better idea of why my wife
does not want to live in her country of birth.
I hope you get your DSL soon.

Suerte,

Moca
 

rafael

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Jan 2, 2002
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I just got off the phone with Codetel, What morons! The guy has come and left three times so far today. How can they be profitable if their techs need an entire day to install a phone line?

Anywho, all I wanted to know from the lady on the phone was. . . . . . . .

If the planets align properly and I get a Phone line installed today. . . . . . .can she buy the FRIGGIN Install CD tomorrow? The woman can not answer that simple question without knowing:

1-phone number - Duh, I don't have one yet, because your tech is an idiot

2-novias cedula number?

3-numero de soliticitud

4-the capital of hungary

5-how to make hot dogs from scratch


OK, the last two were joking, but only half joking.

I'm not asking anything specific to our acount. I want to KNOW how long I need to wait after having a damn phone number.

Wanna hear how long it has been taking to get her computer fixed?

They call every two days to say it's done. She goes to pick it up an dit freezes within 10 minutes.

The "tech" tells her she is doing too much too quickly! What a weenie.

She then just turns it on, doesn't touch it and it freezes again.


He says "somthing is wrong", Yeah einstein, that is why she has brought it to you ^ friggin times.

How about you pull out a memory stick and see if it works? I told them it might be bad memory the first day she brought it in. Today, the woman says, she might have to change the memory.


First of all it has been a MONTH since I TOLD her to try the memory. I also told her not to change it but just remove the bad stick as there will still be 128 megs of ram, which should be fine for checking email. . . . . . . .if I had friggin internet service!!!!!

AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!


I need a Presidente, bien fria, muy rapido!!!!!!!!
 

mkohn

Bronze
Jan 1, 2002
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Sounds like a Monty Python sketch ...

What's the air speed velocity of an African swallow?
 

AnnaC

Gold
Jan 2, 2002
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I'm sorry for all the problem your having Rafael but you did give me a good laugh today. I like the one about if the planets align properly. Good luck and remember you need to get used to the answer being manana ( if your lucky) instead of yesturday, the way we're used to in North America.
 

Keith R

"Believe it!"
Jan 1, 2002
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Ah, yes...

Rafael,
You gave me a good laugh, more out of sympathy than anything else. I lived in SD 1995-99, and had to go through this time and time again, not just with Codetel, but with about every service (telecom, electricity, banking, mail, car repair, etc.) except the cable TV people. Ah, the "wonderful" memories! It drove me crazy, but I learned to exercise patience in spite of my frustration. Trouble was, every once in a while I would run into a situation that would have tried even the patience of Job.
You may think Codetel is bad, but really Tricom is no better. I used both, and both were frustrating in their own way.
For example, I had basic call-up internet service with Tricom (DSL was just arriving in the DR when I moved), and internet access was critical for me since I did all research via internet and communicated with my consulting clients via e-mail. One day Tricom changed all dial-up connections from PPP to TCP-IP (or was it the other way around). Anyhoo, they did not provide prior notice of it to us regular clients. I couldn't get my e-mail or get internet service because I couldn't get to log-on. I called tech support. After waiting a very long time and explaining my problem to 3 different clueless people, I reached a guy who told me, "But we sent you clear instructions in an e-mail this morning." "But you changed the access routine before you sent it, so I cannot access my e-mail and read the instructions," I pointed out. "Could you please walk me through them now on the phone?" The guy, exasperated: "Look, all you have to do is get onto our internet site and follow the instructions we posted there under the notice of service change." Me, trying not to lose my cool: "But how can I do that if you changed the access routine, so that I cannot even access the internet????" The dummy put me on hold again. An associate finally came on who explained to me the necessary changes to make in the dial-up script.
Of course, at no point did anyone apologize to me for inconvenience, or the stupidity of informing clients of basic changes in a manner in which the clients would never receive the information!
Regards,
Keith
 
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rafael

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Jan 2, 2002
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I remember when I saw that Codehell supported Smart phones. Since I have the samsung color model, I was excited.

They call it datamivil because I could check email and browse the web in color from my phone. I tell them I want to get service. They ask me my home number. I tell them I'm from the states but travel there once a month and at the time was planning to move there.

They say, that in order to get datamovil, I need a home phone line. I tried to politely point out what movil meant;-)

Didn't get far. I then decide that while I wait to move there I could get a dial up acount. I ask to sign up and once again am told I need a home phone line. I explain that I have a laptop and want to connect from my hotel phone etc.


Nope, need a a home phone? They would be able to charge my credit card etc, so I have no clue what all this nonsense is about.

Good news is, I do have a phone number now!!!! I'll let yas know how the DSL fiasco goes.

I told my novia that if I get there and it will be a while till I get DSL, I will need to leave as I am doing freelance work now and NEED high speed net access etc.

She was not happy to hear that. It is certainly not her fault but if there is ANYTHING she can do to get them to make things happen, she will!
BTW

BTW, you would have laffed to hear me goofing on the Codetel rep on the phone. When I finally conceded that speaking to het any longer was a waste of both of our times, she gets all polite again and asks "can I help you with anything else today"?

I started laffing. I said in order for you to be able to help sith something else, you would have had to have actually helped me in the first place! ;-)
 

rafael

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Jan 2, 2002
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Keith. . . . . .LOL. . . . . . .that is classic. See I can laff at others stories, just not mine!

The difference between comedy and tragedy? Comedy is when you slip on a banana peel. . . . .tragedy is when I slip on a banana peel.

Sort of like when I tried to install a CD Rom in windows 95 and windows kept saying driver not found please incert windows 95 CD into drive! Duh, the drive wasn't working. . . . .. . no drivers!
 
S

Stephen

Guest
When I had my phone line (the first one) installed in my house in Puerto Plata it took over 2 years to get it. Then it took another 2 years to have the address and name corrected on the bill. When I had the 2nd line installed it was much easier. They told me 7 days. On the 8th day I called and they told me it could be about 2 more weeks. When I asked why do they tell you 7 days if they don't do it in 7 days, her response was: "We tell everyone that, but we can't get to yours cause there are people ahead of you".

When you get to the point of just accepting that someday it will get done, you'll save yourself alot of stress and aggravation.