Weak network on vacation? |
BILD radio hole check: which provider pays compensation
Holiday at last, off to the campsite on the Baltic Sea. But please WITH mobile network. Unfortunately, this is not yet a matter of course in 2022 either! Bitter, vacation in the dead zone instead! BILD did the test: which provider paid compensation? Which one went to the diving station? And how do you successfully defend yourself with the provider if the reception is poor?
Funkloch-Check on one of the most beautiful campsites on the Baltic Sea in Prerow (Fischland-Darß, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania). Around 2,000 people are on the square, most without a network. Only phone calls are possible, surfing is no fun.
Weak network: The mobile Internet can hardly be used
The daily speed according to the speed test:
▶︎ Telekom: 4G, but under 1 Mbit/s, sometimes only E (Edge)
▶︎ Vodafone: 4G, similarly slow, but never Edge
▶︎ Telephone (O2): Surfing not possible, although 4G is displayed
Very poor performance: The surfing speed in the Telekom network on the campsite
Result: sad for all providers. It only gets better from midnight until early morning. Clear case of overload!
Do I have to put up with the weak internet? No!
The Sparfochs tested as a private person (WITHOUT involving the press office) and complained to the providers as a normal customer. The reactions were totally different:
▶︎ Telekom: Complaint about the customer account, received confirmation of receipt, but no response for about a week.
▶︎ Vodafone: Complaint via the e-mail address impressum@vodafone.de, after four days the message: 30 euros as a gesture of goodwill on the customer account.
▶︎ Telephone (O2): Complaint via the chat, after a few days the message: 203 euros (!) for two contracts on the customer account (will be offset against invoices).
The test shows: It’s worth complaining about. The providers can easily check how the reception is really in the region and whether the customer stays there longer. A campsite is a reason, for example. The high compensation from Telefónica (O2) shows: The problem with the network is obviously known, so the criticism is calculated!
Good to know: In contrast to stationary DSL or cable Internet at home, there are no minimum requirements for mobile communications. The legislator knows that the network cannot be equally well developed at every point.
This is how you defend yourself in the event of poor reception
▶︎ Tell your provider exactly what is not working. The provider sees: A customer has taken the trouble to take a close look and report in a differentiated manner. Statements like “everywhere slowly snoring”, “forget the net” are too sweeping. There will hardly be any goodwill compensation.
▶︎ BEFORE concluding a new mobile phone contract, check how the reception is in the places you often visit: in your own four walls, at work, on the way to work (frequently dropped calls?). Because: If the network is weak, you will be permanently annoyed.
▶︎ Everyone is trying out the actually ultra-fixed 5G network. The result: it is overloaded in many places. Tip: it is better to surf in the less busy 4G or LTE network (can be set in the mobile phone under “Mobile network”).
▶︎ Doesn’t help if the network is bad either: Switch on offline mode for at least 15 minutes (or all night long): The SIM card is completely deregistered and re-registered in the network after the reception break.