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]

Can't find the house???