Equine One
Newbie
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Registered: 5-15-2015
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Help with Telnor in Ensenada area
Hi,
New to this forum but not to Baja. I've been living in the Punta Banda area for the last few months and using Telcel's USB Internet. Two weeks ago
Telcel seemed to have some sort of meltdown (AKA they were "upgrading" their site) and my weekly packet of data was getting eaten in mere hours, with
me doing nothing different than I normally do on the Internet (very limited streaming of music or video, no big downloads). After a week of hell with
them promising me a credit, then making my Internet completely inaccessible, I decided to try Telnor again (had it in Rosarito), knowing it would be a
pain, since none of my utilities come in my name. But I can have Netflix back, which is a plus.
My landlady went with me to Telnor to get the service established (which took two trips, because she insisted we didn't need to prove we lived there,
and we had to go back a second time with her utility bills). She insisted on giving directions to the house, and I should have stepped in, because
even with my limited Spanish I knew they were like the kind of directions a 5 year old would give. As predicted, they no-showed for the appointment,
because they couldn't find the house, as I learned later.
I only have a US cellular with limited Mexican minutes and no way to text their *050 to reschedule (wouldn't even know how to do that anyway). I got
online with their chat representative using my Telcel Internet and got hung up on twice before being told I needed to call to reschedule my
appointment and they would not take directions over the Internet. Ok. (No answer at their 1-800 number.)
Back to Telnor in Ensenada for the 3rd time yesterday to reschedule and give directions in person. They refuse to take my directions and say they are
only permitted to take directions and reschedule with my "referencias," which could mean my information or my references, not sure. They call the
first number my landlady gave them as a contact--either wrong or fake number--American dude who doesn't know me and I don't know him. The second
number, which I have to BEG them to try, is one of my landlady's family members who says they share the phone between three houses--not sure how, but
whatever. They confirm they'll be here today for a reschedule and they give the same lousy directions (I can see the girl writing them down) with me
begging in the background to please add real landmarks that someone from outside the village will recognize.
Of course it poured all day today, so no Telnor, even if they could find the place. So now I don't know if I need to have my landlady call them (not
sure if she will or if I can find her at home) or if the appointment will just roll to Monday with the rain... They asked yesterday at Telnor if I had
any other neighbors' numbers to give them, and they seemed kind of shocked when I said no, I'm new to the area. They also said I couldn't give them
any cell phone numbers for neighbors, only house numbers. WTH? They are the biggest telephone company in northern Mexico, but they couldn't use my US
cellular number for emergencies either.
I don't remember going through any of this BS at Telnor in Rosarito a few years ago, and I'm wondering if this is a new policy or if I'm just getting
played by a bunch of snotty Telnor girls. I'm kind of ready to hang it up with Telnor and just take back the modem.
I work from home on the Internet, so I have to have it in some form or another. Anyone know of any wifi options in the Punta Banda area besides
Telnor? I don't want Hughes or Starland or any of those, because they have the same data limits as Telcel with a higher price. Baja Wireless doesn't
go further south than about Baja Mar. Any way to get around this rule about the "referencias?"
I feel like I'm in a page out of Kafka this week, and it's reminding me why I won't retire long-term in Baja. The infrastructure is just too crazy.
Thanks for reading this and for any reasonable suggestions.
ETA: If the appointment will just roll to next week with the bad weather, I don't want to be gone when they show up, but I also don't want to just sit
around all week waiting for them to show up. And the only reason I would bother to return the modem is I'm sure the clock is already ticking on my
bill, and I don't want to be charged for service I haven't received. The house is all primed for Telnor; all they have to do is flip the freakin'
switch. Maybe I should see if they activated it already, but I bet the guy in the truck has to give the final OK...
[Edited on 5-16-2015 by Equine One]
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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Sit at Paty's and drink coffee. It's a free hot-zone..... signal coming from the fire station across the street.
Oh well.....just a thought.
"YOU CAN'T LITTER ALUMINUM"
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Equine One
Newbie
Posts: 12
Registered: 5-15-2015
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Thanks, Dennis. I have places I can pick up a free signal for emergencies now and then, but it's good to know about the fire station and I know right
where that is. But I work crazy long hours online, and my laptop battery is dodgy to boot, so I need to plug in.
I know my LL and her family are trying to be helpful, but they're kinda small town folk, and they don't really know how to direct someone here who
doesn't know the area or how blase Telnor is about the whole thing. Other than that, they're lovely people. I'm just frustrated from losing hundreds
of dollars of income when Telcel was down, and now days of work time to go back and forth to Telcel (and wait in line for hours before seeing anyone).
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Can't find the house???
Draw them a map....a picture is worth a thousand words
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Equine One
Newbie
Posts: 12
Registered: 5-15-2015
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Bajaguy, they won't take it from me. They will only take information from my "referencias." I wrote out very detailed information in good Spanish for
them, and they just handed it back to me and said they weren't allowed to use it. This is why I feel like I'm getting yanked around by Telnor's office
staff.
[Edited on 5-16-2015 by Equine One]
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Equine One
Newbie
Posts: 12
Registered: 5-15-2015
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Update:
Went to Telnor Tienda Bahia for the 4th time yesterday and they were shocked I had not received service on Friday. Absolutely I would get service
today they said.
Well, when they no-showed for the 3rd time today, my landlady called for me to ask what was going on. They told her they don't have anymore lines in
this area of Ensenada and they don't know when they will.
So now what do I do? Do I hold on to the modem and keep calling or visiting them every day. Are they just going to show up when they have a number for
me? Am I being billed since I have all the equipment and a contract that has now been active for over two weeks? Is there a waiting list for numbers?
No one there seems to know.
This gets more insane every day. I bought a week's worth of data from Telcel, and it was gone in less than two days again, along with the balance on
my account and my saldo regalo (gift balance).
PLEASE if anyone knows any other wifi providers in the Punta Banda area, let me know.
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Equine One
Newbie
Posts: 12
Registered: 5-15-2015
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Further update:
After more calls, a supervisor came to the house (amazingly, he could find it, but he said the technician couldn't). They must have found a line
somewhere, because I got hooked up after about two hours of the technician going back and forth with the main hub.
Netflix for the first time in over a year. Yee haw!
My advice to anyone reading this having similar difficulties: be VERY persistent, keep being polite on the outside when you're boiling on the inside,
and use whatever Spanish language resources you have to explain your situation or make contacts on your behalf.
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ehall
Super Nomad
Posts: 1906
Registered: 3-29-2014
Location: Buckeye, Az
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Mood: It's 5 o'clock somewhere
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Frustrating! Glad you got it fixed.
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