Thursday 26 November 2009

Know Vodafone, no Vodafone

Have any other iHug customers noticed that since Vodafone took over iHug, the service has gone sideways, the connection to the internet is unreliable, and as an internet service provider they're frankly not. Not at all.

I'm typing this post from an internet cafe because Vodafone has now failed completely -- misunderstanding a simple order for a change of accounts on the 30th of this month, they've instead accidentally disconnected my internet connection altogether (and that of my network sharing it) as of today and can do nothing at all, they say, to fix their blunder.

You could say I'm not happy.  Not happy at all.

Orcon, here we come.

9 comments:

Greig McGill said...

The problem is that they are crap, but so is everyone else. Who should one use these days? As soon as someone does well for a bit, everyone floods to them, and they begin to suck. It's a nightmare.

mexaguil said...

Never had problems with Vodafone, the speed was reliable. But Orcon is a little faster.

Anonymous said...

Well, when I was in NZ, I was with little old Wave Internet, and they were marvellous - great service, and helpful staff. My dial up connection was always disconnecting, and they sent a technician to Whakatane to test the lines. Turned out that the coastal climate had caused corrosion in my modem card. Still, no charge for the service. Then iHug took them over, and things went into decline. Then in Auckland, my ADSL failed, and the new owners, Vodafone, weren't interested - MY Problem, they said. In the end I phoned the opposition - Telecom - because that Company host all the phone lines. Turned out that the wire in the wall had come loose. Thanks for nought, Vodafone.

-Elliot

Monsieur said...

I'd recommend Orcon:
- 1 month contract cancelation (so it's simple if you want to change to another provider)
- I remember seeing an independent test somewhere that rated their speeds as the fastest (twice as fast as the closest competitors)
- very competatively priced.

P.S. They are state owned.

Anonymous said...

Hohoho - don't tell me the free market failed to provide... ;)

I would suggest a small Auckland ISP - Planet. Very reliable, reasonable cost, and very friendly and helpful.

But of course, Elliot is right - Telecom determine reliability as they have the lines.

twr said...

I've found Orcon to be pretty good, and they give you a fixed IP for free which a lot of the bigger ones don't.

Sir Arthur Streeb-Greebling said...

We're with Orcon as well. Even though there are sometimes problems their call centre people are very helpful and are local i.e. can speak English.

Luke H said...

I guess you don't have TelstraClear cable up in Auckland?

Shane Pleasance said...

I use slingshot - regularly about 16 - 17 Gigs a month. Consistently more reliable than my previous provider, Telecom. $60-$70 /month
Vodafone provide my cellphone service - and I would lose them in a heartbeat. $3000 global roaming charges. Im about to take my resistance & distain to a new level.

And for those of you.... the service in NZ is a virtual duopoly created by gummint control and a very high barrier to entry.