Complaints against Telefonica Spain

Having moved to Spain initially in the 1980's when a telephone in your villa or apartment meant waiting up to five years! Things have improved a lot but the level of service paticularily with the Telefonica "english Dept is terrible.

In November 2004 I rented my first office in Spain (I had started on my kitchen table and used the local internet Cafe) I signed a contract paid two months deposit and a month in advance and got my keys. A week earlier after I hgad found the office and poppe into the Telefonica office in Torre del Mar to arrange for two telephone lines to be installed. I was told that I could not order the Telephone lines without a copy of the rental agreement for the office, so had to wait untill I had signed and paid for the office.

The day that I signed and paid I went back to the Telefonica office to order my lines and spoke to one of the ladies who took my name address bank details (She never asked for my rental agreement) and she told me that my two telephone lines would be installed within 14 days and that an engineer would be calling.

After 14 days and having heard nothing I returned to the Telefonica shop and a different girl told me that she could not find our order and that I must be mistaken? I explained that the original time I come in I was sent away as I had no rental agreement, and when I had the agreement nobody wanted to see it, and now the third time that I have visited I am being told no order has been placed for my two telephone lines.

I must admit that at this point I was beginning to loose my patients as I felt I was being treated this way as I am a British person living in Spain, I bet a Spaniard would not have all this nonsense. I waited while the girl called there head office in Velez-Malaga and was then told that an engineer would be with me on the following Thursday at 8.15am at our office's in Torre del Mar.

Following Thursday was up at 6.30am to be at office for 8am and sat in the office untill 11am (no engineer, no call, nothing = I am not happy) back to the Telefonica Shop where the same girl was busy serving a customer (25 minutes later) I get to speak to the same girl that I had spoken to the week before and exlained that nobody had been in contact. She told me that the enginner is probably busy on another job and that I will recieve a call. 2pm still nothing, I had earlier selotaped my number to the front door of our office block explaining that I had just popped out in case the Telefonica engineer turned up whilst I was in the Telefonica shop. I went and had some lunch and got back to the office at 4.00pm. 6.30pm I have still heard nothing so went back to the Telefonica shop and spoke to the girl who explained that the pewrson at her office who is dealing with the installation had gone home early and that I would have to come back in the morning. Following day go back to shop to find that it is a holiday! and the shop was locked shut!

Monday morning back to Telefonica shop the girl that I had so far been dealing with showed no sign of embarassment having told me to come back on a day when they would be shut taking a deep breath I went up to the counter and asked what was happening, she called her office and told me that the engineer would be coming this Thursday at 8.15am and when I asked why the engineer had not come she told me that she had got the dates wrong! I actually believed her as it made sense as yet agfain I have got an apointment at 8.15am ion a Thursday? (how gullible I was) Thursday 6.30am up office (you guessed it) No engineer? Go back to Telefonica shop the girl I have been dealing with is now working in there other shop and the "new girl" obviously knows nothing about it. I yet again take a deep breath and explain what has been happening, she smiled at me reassuringly picked up the phone and called there head office. I could not believe it when she said that they could not find my order? I had now had enough and asked to speak to the Velez - Malaga head office myself "thats not possible" she said, so I explained that I had an office with no telephones, and that i must get this problem sorted out.

The girl suggested that I should contact Telefonica direct by calling 1004.

Eventually found a Telefonica phone box that worked and called 1004 and got through to the English speaking Dept if Telefonica. I explained what had happened and asked for two phone lines to be installed, I was asked for my name, address, and bank details (oh and they did not want to see rental agreement either!) and told me that an engineer would be with us within 14 days. I could not believe that I was going to loose a month, so explained again how urgent it was so the lady said "I will mark you urgent"

7 days later I have heard nothing, 10 days later call 1004 and I am told that my order has been sent to the engineers that cover my area! I asked if I could speak to them as I wanted to know what was happening, I was told that they would be in contact, I pointed out that I was not asked for my mobile number so how would they contact me? (she put the phone down on me!) I called 1004 again (diiferent ploy) I gave my name and address and explained that I had heard nothing at that I needed to contact the engineers to establish when they will be coming to install my telephone lines? "Sorry Sir we cannot give out there number!" I asked why and she told me that they cannot give out the number so I asked her if she could call them? "NO we cannot make outgoing calls, bt offered to send an e-mail" I asked if I could also have the e-mail address (NO) but she did promise to pass on my mobile number!

Two days later whist shopping in my local shopping centre I notice the girl from the Telefonica shop in Torre del Mar working behind the counter, after waiting 25 minutes I say hello and explain that I still had no contact from the engineers and that it was now five weeks since I had opened my office and still NO telephone lines. I ask if there was anything that I could do and she just said that I would have to wait? I asked her if she could tell me who she had originally spoken to at her head office, she wrote down a name and the telephone number that was printed on the back of the mobile phonbe catalogue! so why could nobody give me this number before then?

I drove up to Velez-Malaga and explained to the girl behind the counter what had happened (by now this take's 20 minutes to fully explain) the girl went off and come back and told me that someone would be down to see me. I waited ten minutes when yet another girl asked me how she could help, I explained what had happened and she explained that they had recently changes there computer system and that something must have messed up and that she would arrange for an engineer to come to my office's the following Tuesday and that I do not need to worry, I immediately thanked her and asked for her business card (She did not have any) she wrote down her name and a telephone number, I pushed for a mobile but she said that she did not have one, although she offered me her company e-mail address.

Following Tuesday (yes nothing!) I called the head office and was told to leave my number and the girl would call me back (nothing) 1pm called she is in meeting, 1.45pm she has left for the day not back untill tommorow. Wednesday morning I go up to the Head offices again and the girl that I have been dealing with is out visiting clients, I leave my mobile number along with a message to contact me urgently. Wednesday 7pm (nothing) send an e-mail expaining what has happened and if she could please tell me what is happening (no reply to e-mail) Thursday: I call Telefonica and as I am explaining what has happened I get cut off, call back on hold for 15 minutes and get cut off, eventully get top speak to the english department and expalin that I have rented an office and that I need two phone lines installed, I am asked my name address and at that point I am told that I have already placed an order at that address, ask for a reference number (NO) asked for an update? on hold then told that the engineers will be in touch asked if they could sopeak to engineers (Put on hold then cut off) back to Velez-Malaga no sign of girl so I resort to shouting, as it was 1.45pm I was told that I must come back at 5pm, I refused and sat down, being a big chap they had absolutely no chance of me budging untill I got some answers, after 10 minutes a chap come out and explained that he worked with the girl that I had spoken to and that I did not need to worry as an engineer was being sent to me the following morning, he even showed me what looked like a job sheet with my name and address and mobile number that ended in a 7 and not a 1. (great) took his name (he would only provide a 1st name, had no mobile number and provided another land line) after his assurances I was 99% certain that all would be OK the following morning.

By 1pm the next day I had heard nothing and both the girl that I was dealing with and the chap could not be contacted on the phone! With the hump I went for lunch just as I started my lunch the phone rang and it was an engineer who wanted to let me know that he would be calling at 5pm that afternoon. 5pm (nothing) 6pm (nothing) 7pm (nothing).

Thursday (Its a Holiday) Friday they do not open as the Friday is in between the Thursday and the weekend so they are shut!

Monday I go to Velez-Malaga and just as I am parking the car the engineer call's and tells me that he is in the entrance of the building at that he cannot get in, I assure hime that I will be there in 10 minutes and ask him to take a coffee in Cafe Centro next door and that I will be there in 10 minutes, driving as fast as possible get to Cafe Centro (no engineer) Cafe over Road (no engineer) go up to the office and after 45 minutes the intercom sounds and its the engineer I tell him that we are on the 5th floor and he then expalins that I cannot have a telephone line as they are all taken! Stay there I shouted in my best Spanish and run down to the ground floor, the engineer was stood in the entrance with a freshly lit Ducados cigarette hanging out of his mouth and I ask what is up "The Box is full" he repeated. I asked how quickly they could make bigger? "6 months" I could not even reply.

If you would like to hear the rest of this story click here.