Dodgy companies?

[Tricky Dicky]

Walmart in the UK trades under the name Asda. I am interested to find out if the treatment handed out to me in the UK differs from that I could expect in the States. Now mobile phones I loath ( you can be 'got at' at any time, any place ) and the people who use them in public and shout their personal life to any one who have the misfortune to be near them ( have you noticed that they rarely seem to listen only gab - is there any one at the other end? ) are idiots. That being said they do come in useful in emergencies ( provide you keep them switched off most the time ) and I purchased a mobile from Walmart and joined their system. Recently they changed operators with the result:

(1) I cannot get my credit back unless I go though an impossible number of hurdles.
.
(2) I have to get my mobile phone unlocked privately ( which does not always work ) in order to accept their new SIM.

(3) can take it or leave it!

[Drummond]

Walmart in the UK trades under the name Asda. I am interested to find out if the treatment handed out to me in the UK differs from that I could expect in the States. Now mobile phones I loath ( you can be 'got at' at any time, any place ) and the people who use them in public and shout their personal life to any one who have the misfortune to be near them ( have you noticed that they rarely seem to listen only gab - is there any one at the other end? ) are idiots. That being said they do come in useful in emergencies ( provide you keep them switched off most the time ) and I purchased a mobile from Walmart and joined their system. Recently they changed operators with the result:

(1) I cannot get my credit back unless I go though an impossible number of hurdles.
.
(2) I have to get my mobile phone unlocked privately ( which does not always work ) in order to accept their new SIM.

(3) can take it or leave it!

Hello, 'Tricky'.

Just as I see Americanisms on this forum from time to time, so I now see a 'Britishism' here, in your post. What we'd naturally call a mobile phone, over in the US, they commonly call them 'cellphones'.

... anyway ...

It has to be said - I think you are the author of your own misfortune here. I shall show you what I mean, from these links :-

http://kenstechtips.com/index.php/new-asda-mobile-switching-to-ee#Customers_Of_The_Old_ASDA_Mobile_Vodafone


If you’re still a customer on the old ASDA Mobile, you’ll need to take action before the 30th April 2014. On the 30th April, the old ASDA service will close its doors and all remaining customers will lose their service. For all intents and purposes, the new ASDA Mobile is an entirely separate network. You won’t be transitioned automatically. You’ll either need to switch over manually or you’ll need to change to a different network provider.

Switching to the New ASDA Mobile.

In order to switch to the new ASDA Mobile, you’ll need to start by ordering a new SIM card. Fill in the form on ASDA’s website and they’ll send you a SIM card through the post. Once you’ve received the SIM, follow the instructions here to transfer your phone number to the new ASDA Mobile. It’s not necessary to use a PAC Code: the transfer will be handled through a series of text messages. By the way: you can’t transfer Pay As You Go credit to the new ASDA Mobile. It’s a good idea to use up your remaining credit before changing over.

Switching to a different mobile network.

If you find a different mobile network that better suits your needs, it’s possible to switch and to keep your phone number. To transfer your phone number to a new mobile network, start by contacting ASDA Customer Services. You can dial 2732 from your ASDA handset (or 0845 303 2732 if you’re calling from a landline). Ask ASDA to provide you with a PAC Code. This is a nine-digit code that authorises the transfer of your phone number. Provide this to your new mobile network and they’ll handle the transfer (our PAC Code Finder can help you out with this).

Staying on the Old ASDA Mobile.

If you opt to stay on the old ASDA Mobile, you’ll continue to receive service until the 30th April 2014. After this date, you’ll lose service. It also won’t be possible to transfer your phone number as your account will have been closed. If you’d like to keep your number, transfer to another network before the end of April. Customers choosing this final option will receive a refund for any unused credit. This will come in the form of an ASDA SIM card.

So you see, it's not as though this wasn't being given proper, due attention. Advice WAS out there, to refer to. Months before the pre-planned cutoff date of 30th April, there was help and advice out there to aid users. You were surely supposed to act at the proper time !!!

Now, we're getting towards the end of JUNE. I really wonder why you didn't resolve all this some months ago ! Especially considering this :-

https://mobile.asda.com/pages/customer-updates


Important Customer Update

From 13th June 2014, if dialling from a UK landline to speak to the Asda Mobile Customer Services team, it’s now free by dialling 0800 952 0393.

The old Asda mobile network ended on 30th April.

After this date you won’t be able to make or receive calls and your number will be lost.


From 24th September 2013, we have sent our customers lots of SMS messages about the migration to the new Asda Mobile network powered by EE. All customers should have received every SMS, click below to download our communication timeline. If you are an existing Asda Mobile customer, and haven’t received any of these messages please call 0800 479 8707 and we’ll answer any questions you may have.

Monday, 17th March 2014

As part of the move to the Asda Mobile network powered by EE, any SIMs received before November 2013, will stop working on the 30th April 2014. All these existing SIMs will be disconnected by our old service provider, so if you still haven’t ordered your new Asda Mobile SIM, make sure you do it soon to avoid any down-time.

In order to maintain the level of service you expect from Asda Mobile, we have trebled the number of colleagues in our EE call centre which means 90% of your calls will be answered within 20 seconds! We also have a dedicated team to handle SIM orders and handset unlocking within our head office to ensure that no one is kept waiting.

We’ve also made massive improvements to the way in which we handle number porting and apologise again to anyone who experienced delays with this service. With our new automated system, we have the majority of numbers transferred from our old service to the new EE network in under 5 working days.

You say you have to get your handset unlocked privately. Well, judging by the above .. haven't you placed yourself in this position because you've delayed in acting ?

Regardless, it's obvious that you have left it very late indeed to deal with your current difficulty. I think it's this delay which has been at the root of your difficulty as it exists now.

[NightTrain]

You're right, Drummond.

They're phasing out an old technology and migrating people over to the new network. Every cell company tries to move their customers over before they shut down the obsolete network but there is always customers that are happy with the old one and have to be forced to change.

The communications companies can't be expected to maintain separate networks because it's cost prohibitive and slower besides.

That ASDA network sounds like the British version of the CDMA technology that's being phased out here in the United States... just a guess on my part, I'm on my phone and can't look it up.

Tricky Dicky, the new technology is 4G and it's worlds faster for handling data. If you don't use data on your phone, you probably won't see much difference but it sounds to me like they have been trying to get you to upgrade for a while now and acted properly.

It's not 'bad engineering', it's new technology evolving.

[Drummond]

You're right, Drummond.

They're phasing out an old technology and migrating people over to the new network. Every cell company tries to move their customers over before they shut down the obsolete network but there is always customers that are happy with the old one and have to be forced to change.

The communications companies can't be expected to maintain separate networks because it's cost prohibitive and slower besides.

That ASDA network sounds like the British version of the CDMA technology that's being phased out here in the United States... just a guess on my part, I'm on my phone and can't look it up.

Tricky Dicky, the new technology is 4G and it's worlds faster for handling data. If you don't use data on your phone, you probably won't see much difference but it sounds to me like they have been trying to get you to upgrade for a while now and acted properly.

It's not 'bad engineering', it's new technology evolving.:clap::clap::clap:

Precisely so, NightTrain. You're spot on, I'm sure.

4G has been advertised over here in the UK for the past two years, and phased migration to that technology is well known.

In fact ... in case you don't know ... it's your very own Kevin Bacon who's been appearing in adverts in the UK, to sell it here !!! Only yesterday I watched the latest one (Tricky - have you seen it ? Kevin B on a rollercoaster ride, sharing it with a young boy he's sitting with, chatting 'at cross purposes' about his 4G connection at the top of the rollercoaster ride ...).

Here's one of the earliest of them, from 2012 ....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtI2TlAtm-o

Enjoy !

[Drummond]

I just found the latest one ... this is what I had in mind in my previous post.

Ringing any bells with you, 'Tricky' .. ??


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFY3EzxGNF4

[aboutime]

I just found the latest one ... this is what I had in mind in my previous post.

Ringing any bells with you, 'Tricky' .. ??


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFY3EzxGNF4


Sir Drummond. Attempted to watch this one. Got this instead This content is not available on this country domain.

[Drummond]

Sir Drummond. Attempted to watch this one. Got this instead This content is not available on this country domain.

Ah. I'm very sorry about that, Aboutime. That's a pity ... it plays perfectly for me.

I don't know what can be done about that - presumably nothing. And that link was the only one I saw leading to that particular ad.

Still, 'Tricky' shouldn't have a problem playing it (nor Noir, I imagine).

[Drummond]

Ah. I'm very sorry about that, Aboutime. That's a pity ... it plays perfectly for me.

I don't know what can be done about that - presumably nothing. And that link was the only one I saw leading to that particular ad.

Still, 'Tricky' shouldn't have a problem playing it (nor Noir, I imagine).

Another link to the same video clip. I'm guessing that the country setting change won't improve things ... however, in case I'm wrong, and it WORKS ... let me know !!!

Putting the link address on, not using the video utility here .. in case that might help .. ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFY3EzxGNF4&gl=US

[aboutime]

Another link to the same video clip. I'm guessing that the country setting change won't improve things ... however, in case I'm wrong, and it WORKS ... let me know !!!

Putting the link address on, not using the video utility here .. in case that might help .. ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFY3EzxGNF4&gl=US


Not a problem. I tried your link in YOUTUBE, and still got the same warning. For some reason. It seems they wanted to limit the Kevin Bacon aspect. Probably due to MONEY, or copyright infringement that doesn't pay him royalties for the G.B. ad in the U.S.A.
Who knows?

[Drummond]

Not a problem. I tried your link in YOUTUBE, and still got the same warning. For some reason. It seems they wanted to limit the Kevin Bacon aspect. Probably due to MONEY, or copyright infringement that doesn't pay him royalties for the G.B. ad in the U.S.A.
Who knows?

I expect you're on the right track. And it probably matters that the video is still playing on domestic UK channels. Who knows, maybe when they stop using it over here, maybe access will improve overseas (... though somehow I doubt it ...).