Major Codetel Problems - Any advice?

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Simon & Nicky

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Feb 3, 2004
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I'm back from my self imposed exile in order to moan about Codetel. Here's the story:

My line was disconnected over two weeks ago - I pay for the premium service including highest speed broadband and answering service that has a guaranteed response time of one business day. I have complained, been given a reference number, called to complain again only to find that the reference number has been closed because the problem has been "fixed" (when obviously it has not) on so many occassions that this morning I was told that they can no longer issue me with a service reference number because there are no more spaces left on the computer to put them. I have begged, pleaded and shouted. I have my lawyer working on the case, my secretary spends about half an hour per day calling them and still NOTHING.

Does anyone know of a "watchdog" service (like Edenorte is regulated by Protecom) or anything similar? Or does anyone have a friend on the inside in Codetel who can tell me what the hell is going on? Or can anyone come up to LMIII and fix the problem themselves?

I'm at the end of my rope with this one - It's not been a good week!


Simon
 
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Chris

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Oct 21, 2002
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What a frustration! Anyway, welcome back. My experience with Codetel is hang in there ... or lie in wait for a Codetel technician somewhere, abduct him, and make him check! :laugh::laugh: If you can find anyone who knows a technician, that will work better ... try the personal approach!
 
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Chip00

Guest
Simon & Nicky said:
I'm back from my self imposed exile in order to moan about Codetel. Here's the story:

My line was disconnected over two weeks ago - I pay for the premium service including highest speed broadband and answering service that has a guaranteed response time of one business day. I have complained, been given a reference number, called to complain again only to find that the reference number has been closed because the problem has been "fixed" (when obviously it has not) on so many occassions that this morning I was told that they can no longer issue me with a service reference number because there are no more spaces left on the computer to put them. I have begged, pleaded and shouted. I have my lawyer working on the case, my secretary spends about half an hour per day calling them and still NOTHING.

Does anyone know of a "watchdog" service (like Edenorte is regulated by Protecom) or anything similar? Or does anyone have a friend on the inside in Codetel who can tell me what the hell is going on? Or can anyone come up to LMIII and fix the problem themselves?

I'm at the end of my rope with this one - It's not been a good week!


Simon
Click to expand...

Where do you live? I have a friend who is a Codetel technician who actually came and fixed my internet connection last week. The response time was 1 day. I pay for 1.5k down and 7.7k up and it was operating much lower. hey got it back to light speed (80% of advertised)
in no time flat.

Chip
 
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BushBaby

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Jan 1, 2002
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I always try to get the same person at Codetel when I ring because he is sane & sensible & tries to help. We have built up a relationship over the years & he always wants to practice his English whilst I am happy to have him correct my Spanish!

On the rare occasions that I can not get hold of him & a request to speak with the supervisor gets stone walled, I get on to the secretary to the President of Codetel at her office down the road a bit. SHE is most helpful too & always gets back to me once she has sorted the answer out &/or got a time-frame for doing the job! I always find that shouting just gets me no-where & so I search diligently (can take 15 minutes of chat) to find what the "Hot Button" is of the person answering my call. There is nearly always something that makes us 'Almost Brothers' if I just make the time to find it! :chinese:

Good luck with your endeavours & I hope you get your problem sorted quickly so that you can resume your self imposed exile. :surprised :cheeky: ~ Grahame.
 
Hillbilly

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
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Simon, forget the rubbish about CODETEL, and tell us about the new baby!!

Nicky, tell Simon what i said!! Or better yet, you tell us how things are going....

Big smiles from STGO

HB
 
SantiagoDR

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
5,812
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You could try calling Mexico and ask for "Slim" (The major owner of Claro).:confused: lol

Slim's quote as reported in the news is:

"Our concept is more to accomplish and solve things, rather than giving ? that is, not going around like Santa Claus," Slim said. "Poverty isn't solved with donations."
 
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Simon & Nicky

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Feb 3, 2004
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Latest news .....

They will no longer log my calls at the call centre / complaints hot-line because the computer system can only log so many calls against one person's telephone number! Therefore in the eyes of Codetel the problem is fixed and the file is closed...

Bushbaby - Can you get me the number of the PP office? Or a name? Maybe I'll go down there.

Chip - I had a guy at codetel that even got a Christmas card from me - He's BRILLIANT but only does installations not repairs!!!!

Does anyone know if there is an office and/or manager in the Sosua office? I thought it's just a call centre / payment office maybe I'm wrong?

Please help me out guys!!



Simon
 
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Bear

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Aug 15, 2006
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Beware of Codetel

Their field technicians have been in our area of Sosua several weeks ago
to install all new telephone posts and string new lines. It took them almost
3 weeks with off again/on again work before they finally succeeded in
getting our house disconnected. No telephone, no internet.
Phone calls and personal visits to PP office accomplished nothing. One techie
tried to fix the problem via my cellphone for about 40 minutes. Now I had
2 complaint numbers, one for no telephone and one for no internet. I received
several calls on my cell phone telling me to try different phones and outlets
in the house. No matter how often I explained that this did not change
anything and that the problem only occured after their geniuses finished
installing new poles and lines. I also told them not to send any more line
installation or repair techies unless they wanted to get shot.
After 5 days they did send a technical guy that had been at the house fixing
an earlier problem. He tested every thing and told me the problem had to be
with the wiring inside the house. Upon my insistance he finally checked the
line from the pole to the house and located the problem. The Codetel pole
and line installers had disconnected the line at my house and never bothered
to reconnect it when they were finished. Now I will file for a rebate.
 
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snowbird44

New member
Oct 29, 2004
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The incompetence of people and service providers here is just mindboggling....and this occurs in every sector of the services here. I think (I hope and pray) that we finally sorted out our problem with Codetel. It took 3 months to reduce two lines into one and to put our internet line on the same line as the telephone. In the meantime, we paid major dinero for a service which we did not require.
Another example: it took me an entire morning to close an account at the Scotia Bank in Cabarete!
At the Hidalisa in Puerto Plata I was ready to pull out my hair today when I tried to return some blinds that I was not able to attach to my windows.
Stuff like this just drives me crazy. Maybe I should just stick to the beach.
Going back to Canada on Monday. Some regrets, but I am ready. I will be back when the snow flies again.
 
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Simon & Nicky

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Feb 3, 2004
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Latest news ....

The line (actually about 50 lines) had been burnt but it was completely repaired on Wednesday. Today is Saturday - still no service!!!

Off to Puerto Plata on Monday to kick some Dominican butts.......
 
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mountainfrog

On Vacation!
Dec 8, 2003
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Infrastructure and Services Suck

Simon & Nicky said:
.... kick some Dominican butts.......
Click to expand...
Most likely will not change a thing.

You want to be self-sufficient and have your own electricity supply, own water, satellite internet access (incl. the Skype telephone service) and use the republic for shopping and garbage disposal only.

The latter two provide enough annoyance.... :pirate:

m'frog
 
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BushBaby

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Simon & Nicky said:
The line (actually about 50 lines) had been burnt but it was completely repaired on Wednesday. Today is Saturday - still no service!!!

Off to Puerto Plata on Monday to kick some Dominican butts.......
Click to expand...
Maybe JDSauser could give some advice on this. He is a newcomer to the island (3 months I think), moved into rented house some 6 weeks ago & has had his flash internet service up & running for just over a week. 4 weeks beginning to end & nary a Dominican butt kicked!! ~ Grahame.
 
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BushBaby

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Never EVER get the feeling of being smug in the DR!!

I was feeling pretty smug last Tuesday because I hadn't had a Verizon/Codetel problem for a few weeks & WHAM, what happens? BOTH lines get cut off. Just after chatting to someone at the bank & organising for him to phone me about a credit they were going to make to me, I lose internet connection AND my land line!! just after 6.00 pm when I notice the problem is 'no line' (I had thought until then it was a normal readjustment of Codetel in the area & would be back in a moment or two), so too late to get down to Codetel offices & I had no line to give the notice to Codetel in Santo Domingo - what a bummer ..... I had to wait till morning!!

So, 08.30 I am in 27 de Febrero offices & speak to a person I have known a few years & advise him that I have checked the problem which is a broken line/cable in the street just round the corner from me (Growing trees break the cable every couple of year or so - standard for the area!!!). He advises a QUICK repair will be effected as it is Internet connected & Codetel are aware of the importance of Internet!! Three hours later no technicians have called so I visit again - we should be there very shortly (although our normal rapid call-out should be 24/72 ['working' said very quietly] hours!

Still nothing by 3.15 pm so I am down to Codetel offices again - wouldn't you just know it, ..... my friendly contact has left for the day!!

I am sure you are all well aware of the stonewalling that can go on at Codetel so won't explain further on that here, suffice to say I was NOT going to accept any stonewalling! I got on the 'phone in their offices, found the number of my contact down there in the Oresident (of Codetel Dominicana)'s office & chatted to her. Well actually it wasn't HER because she had moved on - it was a NEW contact (& now friend) I had to 'chat' with!!

After about 5 minutes of establishing some form of rapport, she talked to someone SHE knew, got promises & then came back to explain to me what she had organised - couldn't promise anything for today ...... but should be first thing tomorrow (i.e. this morning)!

GUESS WHAT????? I looked round the corner at 10.30 this morning & tere was a Codetel van with a man repairing our lines!! After a coffee each chatting, up the ladder he shinned & the job was completed in 20 minutes, ..... BOTH lines (I was only desperate for the Intenet line) were functioning!!! Another coffee whist he filled in his report sheet & the technician was on his way & I was on the 'phone to my contact in the President's office saying "THANK YOU!!!!!!"

All I have to do now is speak to the Mayor up here & request he gets the trees that cause this problem every two years or so, cut back so we can go at least 4 years before the next breaking of cables!! If that fails,I will check with my contact in Santo Domingo & see if she has a direct line to 'El Senor'. I will be happy to have a chat with HIM & ask HE arrange that these trees do not grow in future!

WELL DONE Codetel - no butts kicked & the job still got done quickly!! ~ Grahame (feeling smug again so wait for the next problem to arise shortly!).
 
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Simon & Nicky

Bronze
Feb 3, 2004
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The pain continues ....

Here's the latest update on my Codetel problems.

It's four weeks today since my line was disconnected and finally on Tuesday I started to get to the root cause of the problem. After yet another call to Codetel and a sensational porky from their "helpline". "The engineer is there and fixing the problem right now" - (No he wasn't, and what's more I've tested the lines all the way back to the junctin box myself and found them to be absolutely fine). I received a call from the "engineer" who informed me that he was not prepared to reconnect my service because my neighbour wont let them!

The story that he gave me is that one of my neighbours has told the engineer that he personally owns all the telephone lines in the area and consequently I have to pay my neighbour $3000 US before I can be reconnected.

As a result of this entrepreneurial endeavour I have decided to jump on the bandwagon and I have taken over the rights to all the air that people breathe in the Sosua area. Consequently in future every household in Sosua will have to pay me a regular monthly amount for inhalation based around an average of 20 breaths per minute per person at a cost of five pesos per
thousand. There will be a discount for those willing to demonstrate an ability to hold their breath, or for locals who appear to be in a constant state of comatose. The dead will be allowed a special discount. Furthermore there will be an additional greenhouse gas charge for everyones "carbon footprint" based around an assumed same 20 exhalations per hour. Naturally, if you would like an invoice with your company number quoted as a reference you will be charged an additional 16% ITBIS tax. (See DeLancer cable TV for further details regarding this additional taxation).

Those feeling sorry for me will be able to find me outside the local drugstore holding a tin can and a poorly scribbled message written on the back of a Cornflakes packet appealing for funds to go towards my lawyers expenses.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - THIS IS BOLLOCKS.

It's time for this country and it's people to take a good look at themselves and to decide once and for all whether or not they want to remain considered a sad and sorry bunch of degenerate spongers or if they want a clean start that only the current wave of political prosperity and stability can bring. In my opinion, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the peple of this country to stand up for themselves and be proud to be called Dominicans
but the clock is ticking and right now I just don't see it.

I appeal to all of you that are stupid enough to still be reading this message. PLEASE stop giving bribes to people like telephone engineers or cable TV installers to come to your homes to fix problems. Instead PLEASE DO pay them a nice generous tip AFTER they have performed a good service. If we all did this and stuck firmly to the principle it wouldn't take long for the cream to rise to the top, and the good working, honest people of this country to start to earn money based on their ability, personality and performance. Then we would soon see this wonderful country that we call home drag itself up to stand proud and strong rather than weasely and corrupted to the core.

Those who know me can do me one other small favour which is this:

Phone the Codetel "helpline" 809 220 1111, when you hear the recorded message don't worry if you don't understand it, just hit "0" then press 809 571 4433 (my number) then wait for an answer and when they speak to you tell them either that you want to speak to someone in English or get right to the point and tell them to reconnect my service. They will ask my name, so I suggest only those who know me bother to do this, but if enough of you call perhaps (and it's a big perhaps) they will actually press the button (and trust me on this one, that's all they have to do) that will re-instate my service. - Just so you all know, I pay something like $80 per month for a "VIP" service allowing me a "guaranteed" 24 hour response to any problems that I might have, and don't forget that this could just as easily happen to you.

No doubt more to follow .....
 
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Simon & Nicky

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Feb 3, 2004
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I don't think they're scared...

Look I must stress it's just a rumour but I heard that one of Dr No's munchkins pointed a gun at the guy from Codetel - now only his "clan" have telephones and the guy with the gun still swaggers around Playero with it strapped to his belt. Go figure!

- Maybe (just maybe) or is that allegedly? They paid the codetel engineer to keep them out of jail and reconnect the service? And that would be the same engineer who is trying to extract $3000 from me.

They aren't scared of him - He's their favourite "Cash Cow".

As an aside - we asked the authorities about people who wander around supermarkets (in this case Playero) carrying guns and scaring my daughter and apparently there's nothing they can do, even though the gun is "supposed to be hidden". Of course, the owners of Playero could do us all a favour and refuse to serve these people - I guess they just spend too much money!
 
S

Sharlene

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Mar 4, 2006
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Simon
I know you're in Mulata III, but in Mulata I where I live I know a lot of people around me have had no internet and/or telephone from Codetel for the past week or two. Codetel came and tinkered with the lines and disappeared without fixing anything. They're meant to be returning 'at some point' to sort out the problems. Would this be anything to do with what you're talking about or would it be a different situation entirely. I'll find out today if they've fixed things yet. I know they still hadn't returned a couple of days ago. If I see a Codetel engineer up a pole would there any point sending him up to you or is it only something that can be sorted out from their head office ?
 
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