Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 242

Voicestream is so bad: Getting International Roaming activated

Can bureaucracy BE any worse?

I call Voicestream to activate international roaming. First CSR: never heard of it.

Second CSR: You can't use the phone. Has to be a tri band not a dual band.

Third CSR: Someone has to call you back to verify your land line (which is finally a true statement according to VS's rules albeit idiotic rules; I guess if you talk to enough VS csrs (just like typing monkeys and the Encyclopedia,) they'll finally get it right. ). Someone is supposed to call me in 48 hours to "verify" my land line--even though they're talking to me right then and there on my land line.

A week later I call them again. How much of my time should they be able to waste? No one called back. They check their records, which contain "proof" I was called on MOnday night at home (I wasn't) and also at 5 p.m. on Tuesday (a time when I told them I definitely would never be available at home). THey also say someone told me to get an international calling card!!!!!! They also NEVER bothered to leave a message. Apparently, I am supposed to be available and chained to my sofa/office 24/7 waiting eagerly for Voicestream to call me.

We start over again. Once again.I'm still awaiting that wonderful call back. CSR refuses to activate roaming. It has to be done by the international dept. They have to call me.

Does it serve any purpose? No. It's idiotic. They have me on the line. They've verified my account. They know what phone I'm calling from. They've approved my credit. Why this rigamarole?

Because it's Voicestream.

When the day comes that they have competition in my region, they are outta here. I hate their customer service so much I cannot begin to discuss it without turning red in the face.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 106

Thanks for the post Mark. Everyday I am reassured that skipping past Visor Phone's alliance with Voicestream's GSM wireless was the right decision.

Kupe

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 242

I like the GSM concept. It's just Voicestream I can't stand. Would that they had competition in my region. I hated having to cancel Verizon on my old, regular cell for no reason to put up with these clowns.

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Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Pembroke,MA
Posts: 307

I called up voicestream last month when I got my Visorphone to have Global Roaming Activated. The person I spoke to knew that a form needed to be filled out by her, and she said somebody would call me back within a week. The form needs to be send to Europe to processing (acceptance).

I got a call back the next day that said I am all set with Global roaming. I was sceptical, but after being in Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, and Italy, with flawless phone service for the past 3 weeks, I can't complain. Their GSM coverage over there is unbelievable, and I had a choice of wireless providers at all times.

Sorry to hear of the problems that you are having, but I had the exact opposite experience. For me, this makes up for the lack of data services for 2 weeks when I first got my phone.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 242

I imagine it depends on (a) whether you get one of the apparently very few reps who knows what they are doing; and (b) whether you're available when they deign to call.

The problem that guarantees lack of consistency in experiences is that many of their CSRs seem poorly trained and their call procedure is unnecessary and inappropriate; it guarantees some people will be unhappy, indeed, infuritated, yet it exists with no really good rationale the way they insist on doing it (You get calls within 48 hours, they call when they want to, they leave no messages, they try twice and then blow it off if they don't get you). Basically, it is some bureaucrat's response to a perceived problem (international calls are expensive!), even though the response does not alleviate, prevent or cure the problem. Is there any reason, for instance, other than stupid rules, that a CSR couldn't just do this for me the fifth time, let alone the first, that I spoke to them? Why should it be this complicated?

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Last edited by Mark Squires on 08-28-2001 at 06:48 PM

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Houston
Posts: 72

[QUOTE]Originally posted by LarryN
Sorry to hear of the problems that you are having, but I had the exact opposite experience. [/QUOTE
Mark Squires and I have had this same discussion. My experience was like yours, LarryN. But it's too bad VS can treat everyone that well.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 242

Ta-daaaaaaaaaa!

I have now gotten the famous call back. I suggested the best time to try me was 9--12 in the morning in the office or 8-11 pm at home.
They called at 2 pm in the office. Gee.

The burning questions that required a week's delay and multiple calls, not to mention the callback itself:

1. Confirm your d/o/b
2. The last 4 digits of your ss #
3. Confirm your mailing address.

Of course, these are the same things Voicestream CSRs ask about when you call to discuss your account in the first place.

So what was accomplished here? Zip.

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