[SPLIT] Problems with Blackberry and Vodafone Italy

[wisniak]

Hi Effendi,

Just returned from Italy.

I purchased a SIM from the 1st store I found, which was a Vodafone in Verona.

I told the sales lady that I needed the Mobile Internet per iPhone, as I understand it should have given me 500MB per week of data (Safari full browsing and emails, not WAP).

Very quickly I discovered that I was connected to a different package, as I continuously had to recharge my SIM (If I'm not mistaken, I recharged to a total of 45 or 55 Euros, not including the initial 10 Euro payment).

Due to the locations where I stayed, it was very difficult to find a Vodafone store to try and receive explanations regarding the nature of the problem.

So my question is, is there anything I should have done differently so as to be able to obtain the required data package?

Besides this, I had many disconnects from the network (I visited Verona, Venice, the Dolomites, Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore) and some places with no service at all.

Thanks.

[Effendi]

You chose Vodafone, the fault is yours! :P
Apart from joking, unfortunately with Vodafone it's all so complicated with this (horrible) options. That's again one of the reasons why I always suggest Wind or TIM. They are also easier for activating options by yourself. Vodafone network should be ok, it's strange you had bad coverage, but of course in the mountains all operators can have some problems and BTW lately I read Vodafone has network problems in the Veneto region and around.
Next time go with Wind or TIM...

[wisniak]

That was the 1st (and only) store that I found. And since it was late Friday, I was concerned I might not have a better option.

But did I have to anything to activate the required option, besides telling the sales lady?

I read the contract, didn't see anything that mentions the package type.

[Effendi]

The only way I know to activate the iPhone option is calling 42070. But I don't use Vodafone nor I have an iPhone, so I don't know how it works when you call that number.
With TIM or Wind you just send an SMS and that's all. You probably used the wrong APN, by the way, even if the iPhone should set up the APN automatically...

[wisniak]

Initially I couldn't use the data functions.
after several tries, I placed the SIM in s spare Nokia phone I took with me. I then received an error message which pointed me to look into the APN.
After some research I found that the "cellular data" tab was gone.
Since I wasn't able to use the Internet, I had to wait till I got to a place with WIFI (had to pay, it was virtually to find a free hotspot throughout the 10 day trip).
So I used a site that enables changing the APN - and I was ready to go.

I asked a salesperson to contact vodafone for me (it was late evening) and the vidafone guy said the APN setting would be done within 2 working hours (which practically meant the next morning). He also said that there had been a problem setting up my iPhone automatically (he didn't specify).

So on the next morning I did receive an SMS in Italian saying that my phone had been remotelly setup, but it screwed ip my ability to use the data functions, so I again set the APN manually and that's the way it worked till the end if the trip.

Further, the sales guy in the vodafone store in The Grande Mela shopping center near Lake Garda, also said that vodafone have problems to automatically set up iPhones.

And I used the APN that you publihed (can't remember it at the moment).

[Effendi]

It should be iphone.vodafone.it
I think you were quite unlucky...

[wisniak]

This is the approprite APN?
if so, I'll write it down.

[Effendi]

Yes, that should be Vodafone Italy's APN for the iPhone, valid ONLY if you have the iPhone data option active.

[wisniak]

And THAT is the question - what did I need to check/ask the vodafone salespeople to do in order to actually have that option?

Is there a vodafone number I can Sms to receive the type of package I'm curently on?

Thanks.

[Effendi]

AFAIK there's no way to check if the option is active and how many KB you used... that's another reason why I prefer Wind. You can register on http://www.vodafone.it and from there it should be possible to see if the option is active. But, I repeat, I'm not a Vodafone private customer and I don't want to be, so unfortunately I cannot be much more helpful...