I have today received a reply to my last email to Vodafone (see Vodafone Update: And Wanlockhead Too). Suffice to say, this has not heralded the salvation of the local network signal – far from it, it seems they know not where we are. Judge for yourselves.
Hello Mike,
Thank you for contacting Vodafone Customer Support. I am sorry to learn that you are unable to access our services for sometime in the signal site in your area.
We aim to provide you with the services at all times, but owing to the nature of mobile telecommunications, it is impossible to provide a fault free service. The quality and coverage of the services depends partly on your mobile phone, partly on the Vodafone network and partly on other telecommunications networks to which the Vodafone network is connected.
The services might be adversely affected by too many people trying to use the network at the same time, physical features such as buildings and under passes and by atmospheric conditions or other causes of interference and may fail or require maintenance without notice.
I can confirm that there is no ongoing issue in your area. I can see that there is variable 2G network in your area (IV27 4RU) [Lairg, the Highlands – 298 miles from Leadhills]. In this case, if you want you can raise a request to enhance the network from the following link:
_http://help.vodafone.co.uk/system/selfservice.controller?CMD=VIEW_ARTICLE&PARTITION_ID=1&CONFIGURATION=1000&ARTICLE_ID=2908&CURRENT_CMD=BROWSE_TOPIC&SIDE_LINK_TOPIC_ID=1012&SIDE_LINK_SUB_TOPIC_ID=1103&SIDE_LINK_TOPIC_INDEX=null&SIDE_LINK_SUB_TOPIC_INDEX=null
I trust this information is helpful.
Kind regards,
****** ********
Vodafone Customer Services
Here is my reply:
Dear Sir,
I will now try to explain the purpose and reality of my previous communications as it is apparent that I am either: misunderstood or: my communications are not being read in full.
1. Leadhills and Wanlockhead are two villages, a mile apart in the Lowther Hills of Southern Scotland – nowhere near the Scottish Highlands.
2. Both villages have been served by Vodafone for many years with a modest to strong signal, depending on the elevation of the location of the user. Elevations within Leadhills vary by up to 150 feet for individual dwellings, in Wanlockhead, by up to 300 feet – the hills are steep.
3. Both Villages are in the ML12 6** area, example post codes are: ML12 6YA in Leadhills and ML12 6UZ in Wanlockhead.
4. Both Villages have had a prolonged loss of service, now standing at 13 days apart from brief periods when signal has appeared over the past two days. Only by climbing up to 600 feet into the surrounding hills can a usable signal be found.
5. This is affecting some 250 households equating to between 500 and 600 local Vodafone users – adults, children and the First Responders teams.
6. I am not a Vodafone customer – I gave my Vodafone away as I hate being permanently contactable and I don’t like Vodafone’s customer relations – I have a Virgin phone that only works 4 miles out of Leadhills..
7. I am making enquiries on behalf of the people who have contacted me through my website: http://www.leadhillsonline.org.uk. They have all, repeat: ALL, complained to Vodafone, they have all been told there is no problem, they have all been told there have been no other complaints, they have all been told their phones are probably the problem. I have been contacted directly by several villagers. A neighbour of mine has found many others with the same complaint; hence the intention of villagers to make a written joint formal complaint.
8. Your last email gives our area as having a 2G variable service, post code IV27 4RU. That mast is at Lairg in the Highlands which is 298 miles away from Leadhills by the shortest road route – so it is clearly NOT our area. Therefore, We fail to see how you can state that there is no ongoing service issue when clearly, you have no idea where we are.
9. My reference to the Clydesdale Wind Farm was made to present for your consideration, the possibility that the construction works ongoing there may be impacting on Vodafone’s service. If you cannot locate Leadhills or Wanlockhead, then finding one of the largest Wind Farm developments in Europe may also be tricky.
10. Needless to say, I am a stickler for documentary evidence and am compiling a dossier of communications, connected with this ongoing service issue, to be forwarded to our Local MP and MSP and to OFCOM.
11. We require that Vodafone properly identify our location, properly identify the cause of service interruption and then rectify the problem or explain to the several hundred local users why this cannot or will not be done.
Finally, I will publish your email along with my reply on my web site – this provides feedback to both affected villages and will no doubt be the source of great amusement with Vodafone’s apparent ignorance of their own infrastructure.
Best regards,
Mike Fuller.
Back now to the waiting game. Anyone in Leadhills or Wanlockhead with problems with Vodafone signal, please contact me with your Name, Vodafone Number and Post Code, for inclusion in the Joint Complaint.