# Telus won't give me my modem quickly [rant]



## Betty Woo (Feb 5, 2005)

My current Telus modem that I bought from them four years ago is going on the fritz and dropping connections frequently.

Not good when I'm on the VOiP phone, have no landline and, generally, the disruption is bothersome.

So I call them up and they're going to send me a new Thompson modem by Canada Post - wait time up to 7 business days.

Can I pick up a modem at their store on Robson and Seymour in Vancouver, three blocks from where I work? No. 

Why not? Because they're all in a wareshouse in suburban Richmond. 

Why not have a few at the downtown store? Because it only sells cellphones and such. 

Would it kill the store to have a few modems in the back room? I don't know. 

Shaw has modems down at the Shaw tower but you guys don't have modems in your flagship store? No. 

So can I get a modem courriered to my place? No. We don't allow that. 

Am I going to get a credit for all the downtime I have because I can't get one of your modems? No because you have internet service - just not a modem.

This is stupid. But the service itself is good in my area. But the minute you have to contact them? Three minutes of prompts to get you to someone nice but who can't give you what you want in a decent time frame. 

Blaaaah.


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## Betty Woo (Feb 5, 2005)

So. I dropped by the store today... just to see if whoever I was talking to on the phone was right about them not having a few modems under a counter or something.

I walk in and there's a lovely display case... of modems.

Great! I'll have one, thank you.

No. These are only display, we have to get you one from Edmonton. 

Edmonton?? I was told Richmond and a Thompson modem.

No. Looking at your records, I don't see any request for a modem at all. But we can make one now. It'll be something else and it'll be coming from Edmonton. Probably get to you Monday.

Wait. NO record of a modem request... AT ALL??

No.

Her name was Reeza. I made the call about 11:15AM yesterday.

No. No record at all.

Order me a modem, please. Make it *fast* and make sure the order goes through and I *really* want a Thompson over whatever you're suggesting [I forgot the name but I seem to recall it didn't get very good reviews].

We'll order one now from Edmonton, hope it gets to you Friday (right... like that's gonna happen) and it can't be a Thompson.

Fine, whatever.

I mean, honestly... what the heck is going on here? I really hope I get two in the mail. Then I'll hold the other one hostage as long as I can until I really have to send my kaput D-Link 360 and the extra back to Telus.

What the heck kinds customer service is that?? They won't stock a few modems in a store full of expensive cellphones and gadgets?


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

I upgraded my Telus ADSL line from standard to enhanced to get more mail boxes and twice the speed. It only cost $15.00 a month more.

To my surprise, I received a box via courier the next day.

In that box was a brand new wireless modem/router. I opened the box for a quick look, then closed it and it now sits on the shelf next to my Airport Extreme.

Seems they have more than enough to go around, does it not?


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## Betty Woo (Feb 5, 2005)

Strangely enough, it seems I did that, too, with the first call to Reeza (*that* order, incidently, was confirmed at the visit with the store) because, well, it was $1 less a month than what I'm paying now (and I'm paying about $35 for Velocity Whatever). I can't wait to see how it gets screwed up, though 

I wonder if you got the thing by courier the next day 'cause you're in/near Edmonton? It takes a lot of time to get those pack mules over the Rockies, ya know... .

I'm really having a hard time figuring out why Telus can't have *one* person in all the downtown/Burnaby/Richmond offices who can't just set the damn modems for the BC region. And drop them off to the nearest retail store for pickup.

It's just *insanely* bad service to have a customer wait so long for a replacement when there's no real need to.

Let's see if it gets here tomorrow... .

Wait!!! you're not using the modem/router? You mean your Airport Extreme does both?


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Betty Woo said:


> Wait!!! you're not using the modem/router? You mean your Airport Extreme does both?


Telus gave me a small D-Link modem many years back when I went ADSL. They wanted $5 a month for it, so I told them to come and get it because I could buy the same modem here for $49 at the time. They relented and gave me the modem which I am still using with the AP Extreme, thus the new combo router modem sits unused and new in the box.


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## Betty Woo (Feb 5, 2005)

That little D-Link modem was sweet. And dependable.

I wonder what I'll get... .


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## Betty Woo (Feb 5, 2005)

I got... a wireless gateway. Which is not the Thompson.

Luckily, about an hour before I got it at the office, I was struck by a thought that I don't know why I didn't have before; I looked in Craigslist, found someone selling their D-Link 300G for $15 and in half an hour I'd contacted and arranged to pick it up after work. 

So now I have *three* modems (one of which I'm sending back to Telus). The $15 D-Link is happily flashing away now and as for this wireless gateway contraption... I guess I'll either sell it on Craigslist or just have it sitting in a drawer as back up.

But still... why they can't just have a few of these modems at their flagship store is totally beyond me


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