3rd day of drastically dropped signal strength (+ data connection dropping to Edge if even present)

[palmyra08]

Hi,

1. in same house, few minutes from town centre, 

2. without anybody having newly built a metal cage or a skyscraper around me,

3. in wide open green neighbourhood,

4. on 2 different phones tried with same SIM card:

Over the last 3 days there was a consistently observed (thus not temporary) dramatic loss in signal strength. Normal level was 4-5 bars, now barely seeing one.

Also, data connection that was HSDPA or at worst 3G is now, if even present, dropping to Edge.

As an extra result, beyond atrocious connection, the phones are eating battery like mad as they are trying to max out radio power to some seemingly distant feeble cell. 

How is this even possible? It is a huge change and it is crippling, and tried every part of the house, where I had perfect Virgin (or whatever underlying network is providing it) coverage. 

If I ring helpline, no offence, but I get some person asking me things like did I put the SIM in correctly etc, - so it is IMPOSSIBLE to talk to them or to get beyond this level of idiotic customer support to ask anybody pertinent. 

Any tips on who to contact or what to do much appreciated. 

[palmyra08]

I rang 789 again, they apparently will "log" a complaint and try to escalate - it is simply not acceptable for a network provider (EE) to not bother to fix their case station for days and days. I am seriously considering escalating this to OFCOM - it is simply ludicrous. 

Let's see if anything changes but EE is not even bothering to update service status website as they are having a nice long weekend... as if that was acceptable for a network provider with admitted service fault in my area. 

[paulchambers061]

Yeah, I feel your pain. VM are stuck between a rock and a hard place unfortunately as they rely on EE and Vodafone for physical signal. The problem with being a mvno.

[palmyra08]

They promised to open complaint, I just got an email that it was Resolved with "technical guidance" and they are happy they solved it. What?!?!?!?!

Nothing was solved, and this contradicts what they said on the phone: they said they will raise complaint to escalate to EE  Exactly the same BS that Virgin Media so-called customer service uses: they make you feel better, they promise X and Y, you hang up, and you get bogus emails about bogus tickets closed with bogus resolution. 

Now VMobile made up bogus complaint ticket, and closed it immediately, without any actual action plus the email has nothing to do with what was reported and what I was promised on the phone  - I am so going to report the whole gang, this is absolutely unbelievable business practice.

[palmyra08]

Today's 789 call from other side of town was splendid: 27 minutes of all kinds of reassurances not backed up by any facts, but then he asks: "have my colleagues try to send you a replacement phone?".

1. This entire saga as N times stated to him, too was about an EE celltower and loss of signal.

2.He could see I only have SIM package not VM phone - and as per (1) it has nothing to do with my phone

What is the competence required to be Virgin Mobile customer service person? And what is need to get to someone who as BASIC level understands fundamental aspect plus doesn't just emit series of lies? As they again promised there is a complaint (there isn't, they could not give me a reference number for any ticket or complaint or escalation). 

[enlli]

Well ringing Virgin about a downed mast that EE are fully aware of is not going to get anything fixed quicker.

Outages are a fact of life with something as complex as a mobile network. Sometimes they can be fixed remotely, sometimes with a site visit and sometimes longer term problems arise for a whole host of reasons.

All you can do is log how long you are without and look for compensation once it is fixed

OFCOM don't deal with individual complaints BTW

[palmyra08]

Very true - i.e. for VM customer service, when they do grasp the issue, it seems to be an external matter. However, under UK rules, they are directly responsible for mobile service even if e.g. EE is providing the underlying network. Plus there is standard procedure for (in this case VM) poking the network provider. But VM customer service people, now 4 and counting, seems to have landed from a planet where mobile networks and UK regulations are completely unknown.  This morning to think phone needs replacement when talking about an EE cell tower outage (still saying 16 hours repair time, by the way...) is tragicomic.

A mid-city base station to be still not fixed since Thursday is astonishing, and VM customer service, fi they don't care, should state something along those lines instead of a series of crystal clear lies. 

Indeed, OFCOM itself doesn't care about individual cases, but after set time period the ombudsman has a complaint process when in this case VM itself fails to resolve complaint.

[palmyra08]

Great development in the wrong direction: this morning EE status page removed to 16 hour promise (which was there since last week). It now just states they are aware of the failure (of the base station). 

Grrrreat. So no deadline for fixing it and as discussed, VM customer service doesn't eve understand let alone able to escalate in any way. But very competent at series of proven lies.

[Corey_C]

Thanks for your post and welcome to the Community Forums, palmyra08,

Sorry to hear that you have been having issues with your mobile services. If it is a technical issue with EE masts or equipment then unfortunately there is little we can do beyond waiting till the repairs are done. As you have expressed dissatisfaction then I an get a complaint opened for you. I have sent you a private message to confirm your account details.

Cheers,

Corey C

[palmyra08]

many thanks, I was getting extremely frustrated by phone support staff stating they open complaints and they didn't... so much appreciated, I shall provide you with the details.

[palmyra08]

So update based on private messages is that there is a fault logged for the mast next to me, but no time estimate on when if ever fixed. 

This is utterly ludicrous and all this time one is paying mobile service that is non-existent or at most one bar signal strength if lucky.