June 7
I ordered a landline and ADSL using Telef?nica using online form which is available at:
http://www.telefonicainenglish.com/Form/ALTA/index2.htm

The form data were successfully sent and the system showed the following information:

Thank you for your application. Your order will now be processed and a Telefonica technician will contact you within the next 20 working days to arrange a day to install the telephone line. Within the next few days you will be charged a one off admin charge of 68,44 (Inc.IVA.) ... If there are any problems with your order an English operator will contact you. ...

June 9
I received an email from Emma @ Telef?nica Customer Service telling that:

“Unfortunately there has been a problem with your details in our system. The system can’t find your address.”

I asked several people who live in my house to check if I have corect mail address. All of them confirmed that the adress is correct.

I sent reply to the Customer Service and included the same address, and asked to check one more time if their system really can not locate it.

June 11

I received an email from Louise @ Telef?nica Customer Service telling that:

“Thank you for supplying this information. If there are any more problems, we will contact you by email..”

June 12
Waiting for Telef?nica technician call.

to

June 17
Waiting for Telef?nica technician call.

June 18
I sent an email to the Customer Service asking if there is some way how to process my landline aplication faster because I am self-employed server administrator and programmer and id I don’t have Internet, I don’t have a job and money. I agreed to pay double or triple installation price.

I received an email from Emma @ Telef?nica Customer Service telling that:

Your application states that it was ordered on the 12th of June.

Unfortunately, we can not specify the exact date when the technician will go to your property. It normally takes approximately 10 to 20 working days provided that there is infrastructure and lines available in the exchange. A technician will call, on the contact number given by you, prior to installation to make arrangements.

June 19
Waiting for Telef?nica technician call.

to

July 5
Checked my bank account and discovered that Telef?nica didn’t charge money for telephone line installation.
Sent an email to the Customer Service with question why Telef?nica didn’t charge money yet for telephone line installation.

July 6
Waiting for Telef?nica technician call.
Waiting for answer from Customer Service.

to

July 8
Waiting for Telef?nica technician call.
Waiting for answer from Customer Service.

July 9
Sent one more email to the Customer service asking the same question.

July 10
I received an email from Emma @ Telef?nica Customer Service telling that:

Unfortunately your application states that your bank reclaimed the monies we tried to debit so we were not able to proceed with your application.
Once we have successfully debited the correct amount of monies from your bank account, then we will be able to proceed with your application.

I sent angry reply with my bank data and asked to check if they have correct information.

July 11
I received an email from Emma @ Telef?nica Customer Service telling that:

Thank you for supplying the additional information. I have updated your application and if there any further problems I will contact you via e-mail.

July 12
I sent email to the customer service and asked when can I expect my telephone line to be connected.

July 13
Waiting for Telef?nica technician call.
Waiting for answer from Customer Service.

July 14
I received an email from Emma @ Telef?nica Customer Service telling that:

Your application will be ordered in the next 3 to 5 working days.
Then It normally takes approximately 10 to 20 working days provided that there is infrastructure and lines available in the exchange. A technician will call, on the contact number given by you, prior to installation to make arrangements.

July 15
Waiting for Telef?nica technician call.
Checked bank account. Telef?nica didn’t charge for landline installation.

to

July 17
Waiting for Telef?nica technician call.
Checked bank account. Telef?nica didn’t charge for landline installation.

July 18
Sent an email to the Customer service telling that 5 working days are over, and asked why Telef?nica didn’t charge yet for landline installation.

July 19
No answer.
Sent an email to the Customer service telling that 6 working days are over, and asked why Telef?nica didn’t charge yet for landline installation.

July 20
No answer.
Sent an email to the Customer service telling that 7 working days are over, and asked why Telef?nica didn’t charge yet for landline installation.

July 21
No answer.

July 22
No answer.
Sent an email to the Customer service telling that 8 working days are over, and asked why Telef?nica didn’t charge yet for landline installation and what games is playing Telef?nica.

July 23
No answer.
Sent an email to the Customer service and asked if their company is closed or what.

Translated into Spanish and sent a letter with my story to all available Telefonica email addresses (including address .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) and to some Spanish newspapers.

.................

continued
.............................

July 24
I received an email from Emma @ Telef?nica Customer Service telling that:

Thank you for your application for a landline, Unfortunately there has been a problem with your details in our system. The system can’t find your address. Could you please verify your address by checking another utility bill or asking a neighbour what the correct address is with the town hall.

I sent answer asking what is the reason why Telef?nica is humilating me and asked to provide snail mail address where can I send complaint about Telef?nica support system.

July 25
No answer from Telef?nica Customer Service.

I called 1004 and asked what’s wrong with my landline application. Operator who answered my call told me that there are my personal data in their system, but I don’t have any applications submitted, and if I want a landline, she can accept my application. It was done and operator told me that the technician will call me till August 20.

July 26
I received an email from Emma @ Telef?nica Customer Service telling that:

Good afternoon,
We recieved an email from you before stating that you wished to cancel.
We cancelled you application and no monies will be taken out of your bank account.
Thank you.
Kind regards,
Emma
TELEFONICAINENGLISH.COM

=================================

I am shoked. I feel like Alice in Wonderland.

To be continued…

Eh, Gran Canaria, you know that TelefonicaInEnglish is NOT Telefonica, right?

And your link was ellipsis’d. Wanna edit that?

The Expatriator, I edited my link.

What do you mean - TelefonicaInEnglish is NOT Telefonica?

Btw from my computer for some reason I can not open Telefonica’s website http://www.telefonica.es
I am being redirected to:
http://www.telefonica.com/home_eng.shtml

which is Telefónica’s International Corporate Site and doesnt contain any information about telefonica services and how to order them.

Read their About Us: they’re NOT Telefonica.

As for being redirected, even Wikipedia’s entry for Telefonica doesn’t have a product page for them.

And dude, you definitely have my sympathies. Unfortunately you’re suffering from all the Telefonica Rage symptoms and you’ve only just arrived (it would seem). Wait another year…

OK, now I see that it’s not Telefonica, but they offer Telefonica services and use Telefonica’s name. Telefonica must be responsible for their agents activities. 50 days I am waiting for a landline and it’s not normal in 21 century in an EU country.

Sure, Wikipedia?s entry for Telefonica doesn?t have a product page for them, but it’s just Wikipedia and not an official website of Telefonica. I was writing that I have to visit an Internet cafe if I want to see the content of http://www.telefonica.es which is an official website of Telefonica. It’s very strange that some users (some computers) for some unknown reason are being redirected to the corporate website. Maybe only computers with Spanish version of Windows are allowed to access Telefonica’s website. Don’t know.

Probably I am suffering from all the Telefonica Rage symptoms, but your irony make me very sad. I arrived to Gran Canaria on May 27. I am self employed server administrator and programmer. I can work from any place in the world where Internet is available. As you can understand, I don’t work since I arrived because I don’t have Internet. I was ready to wait 2 or 3 or 4 weeks, but not for months. Since May 28 till yesterday every day twice a day I visited Internet cafe which is located ~5 km from my home to make the most important work what I can do from a computer in Internet cafe. Once in 3 days I visited a restaurant with wi-fi where I can connect to the Internet with my own computer.

After 1 month of this “marathon” I’m having problems with health. I am having problems with heart and more and more often can sleep only 2-3 hours per night.

Yesterday I got Internet m?vil from Movistar. Afternoon it’s extremaly slow, but better than nothing.

More than 2 years I planned my move to Spain. I have heard many bad stories about Telefonica, but I never thought that I will have problems like this.

Sorry, if my English looks strange. I am not from UK nor other English speaking country.

So have you looked at other DSL or Cable providers? There should be other options!

GC, you have my fullest sympathy!

Telefonica are woefully inept as well as rude, but they are a law unto themselves and I believe they actually enjoy messing people about because they know nothing can be done about it.

They don’t care if you go elsewhere - they still get their monthly paychecks because other service providers have to pay Telefonica a proportion of their revenue anyway!

I’m not surprised they couldn’t find your address - they couldn’t find my address from the previous occupier’s name or telephone number.  Did they ask you for a neighbor’s telephone number?

I HATE TELEFONICA

that’s it, let it out. You’ll feel better. 😊

I waited over 2 years & all I wanted was a reconnection as I already had the landline installed when we first bought the apartment.

I also hate T*****fonica

Wendy x

FINALLY telefonica called me to fix a date and time to install everything. They called me thursday, told them I’m in Belgium till 7th and THEY complained!!:-)

I really really hate telefonica.

two guys came to install my new phone line(I ordered the trio package: phone, television and Internet) after the installation of the phone they wanted to leave.
“ADSL and the television package does not arrive where you live”...aargh!!!!!!!!

I called telefonica two days later and they will install the television cable on august 23 and still waiting to set a date for the internet.

I hate telefonica

We moved into our new house in Andalucia last October from Barcelona, we are not in the middle of nowhere, 15mins from Granada city, but we live half way up a mountain!!!  Telefonica said they would get round to it in 2008 when they lay the new lines…. obviously we complained as previous owners had telephone line which they very kindly decided to disconnect completely before we arrived, hmm nice or what???  Guess what???  We didn’t wait and now have internet and telephone with Iberbanda, works perfectly well for us, although sometimes have the odd glich!!  and guess what again???  After we had all this installed, Telefonica wrote us and said they would be coming in a few days to connect with some special doodars, don’t ask about all this techno stuff and we told them to bog off!!!!

Gran Canaria - 27 July 2007 01:56 AM

[experience very similar to mine]

.................

Next time you call 1004, ask them for the number of their complaints fax. Then write to them and tell them you give them 5 more days to install your phone line or you will contract alternative services such as a mobile phone contract with UMTS (not Movistar, of course) and the required equipment, and send them the bill. You’ll be surprised how quickly you have your phone line. They are required by law to give you a phone line within 30 or 60 days (don’t know exactly which) or indemnify you for any damages or alternative solutions. Good luck!