Wireless / Mobile > Wireless Users Chat > WaveDirect in SW Ontario is HORRIBLE

WaveDirect in SW Ontario is HORRIBLE

reply to ThatGuy

Re: WaveDirect in SW Ontario is HORRIBLE

I intended to post this in the review section, but could not as this WISP doesn't show up in the list of providers.

Apologies as I was unaware of the Rant section on here. My intention was to advise others of my experiences.

I was not expecting a truck roll after hours, I was expecting helpful support, or guidance into how to correct the issue (such as if a truck roll would be required later), but it seemed like they never offered that unless you called in for more than a week!

It is with great disappointment that I see this written about WaveDirect. I assure anyone reading that we do our best to handle extraordinary circumstances such as this. I wish that the outcome here could have been more similar to the great majority of issues we handle and solve.

WaveDirect Telecommunications is a locally owned wireless Internet Service Provider serving Essex County Ontario and surrounding areas. As a locally owned member of the community, we do our best to provide our customers with the best possible Internet service. We have grown over the past 10 years to the level we are at now by our good reputation as a service provider. We do our best to ensure that problems with our customers are resolved satisfactorily in one way or another.

This particular case you are reading is an exception that we can say has happened very few times in our 10 year life as a provider of Internet services. By the nature of wireless, there are some variables in delivering the service, and for a very few cases, we need to work with customers to bring their service to a satisfactory level. Sometimes we need access to a roof to re-point equipment or need to replace parts. In working with this customer, we were repeatedly refused access to his house to troubleshoot. Even after working with him for a month through phone calls and emails, he still insisted on no service calls. I even offered to change all WaveDirect owned equipment at his house and guaranteed that there would not be a charge, and he refused insisting that the problem needed to be solved without a service call. At that point, it was becoming outside of the normal scope of duty to continue emails and calls after in-house support was offered for free and refused. This is the first time we’ve encountered a customer who has refused a service call. Consequently, this case is an unfortunate exception; we are very sorry that things turned out the way they did but in retrospect, there was not much more that could have reasonably been offered from us.

WaveDirect builds its business on its quality service. We have upgraded our equipment in many areas to further this commitment to quality. We even have a 30-day free trial to attest to the quality of our service. This case is unfortunate, but far from the norm. If any current WaveDirect customers are reading this and feel that they are having problems too, I implore you to call us and we will be very willing to work with you. If you do not have WaveDirect and are reading this, then I ask that you simply call to inquire about our 30-day trial, and if after 30-days you are not satisfied, then you are out nothing.

As another WISP owner, I can say that we have had to deal with people like that from time to time. I think your response sounds honest and is written much how I would write one if I found a negative review about my company posted in a public place. As you say, with wireless technologies, sometimes there is just nothing that can reasonably be done to correct some problems, and sometimes problems crop up for no apparent reason.

reply to wavedirect
Interesting statements above, especially since you were out and moving your antenna. Your service man even knocked on the door and told us what he had done after he switched us to a new tower as the old one was being turned off. When did you say that you would come out and change our antenna free of charge? Was that after this post and you wanted the above post taken down. You offered free nothing and every wavedirect tech call we were told it was our problem our computors. Please do call and maybe now he will listen. There were even graphs sent to him and he must not have looked at them. As far as the post below that it could be the same as the emails they sent on how to treat a customer. I am actually thinking of posting some of the e-mails he sent me as to what his response was. Yes after being thorughly disatisfied and once I change companies he did offer to set me back up free of charge and with a monthly fee starting right away. My response no way as I was thoroughly unhappy with them and their service.
If you are having no problems stay with them. If you have problems don't expect good service.
When I cancelled my service I had a week to go and did not receive a refund (no refunds on down service) and did not expect one.

Re: WaveDirect in SW Ontario is HORRIBLE

Re: WaveDirect in SW Ontario is HORRIBLE

reply to ThatGuy
So "ThatGuy"...

What exactly is your connection with Xplornet? Do you work for them? Are you an owner? Its obviously something that makes you come here and sing the praises of a company that has virtually no good reviews and slam a reputable company.

Have you read my review of Xplornet? Here it is:
»/comment/82678

XPLORNET is far superior service, that actually works, with tech support that is willing to work with you!!!!

As my service with Wave Direct was steadily going down hill, starting with inconsistent service that continually got worse with each "upgrade" I looked into other providers. I live in an area where DSL and cable are not options, as the phone lines allow for a maximum connection of 22Lbps down (90% far less than that) and no cable lines in this area (live in the middle of the country) my options are Fixed Wireless and Satellite.

As I attempted to troubleshoot with Wave Direct, because the service would work for a few minutes every few hours after their latest upgrade, I was continuously told that my router, which was unplugged so the computer could be connected direct to their radio, or laughably that iphones or ipads were the issue (which would require the before mentioned disconnected router, and would require me to own either of them). I was told by the higher ups that when my internet was not working and when their support techs were trying to tell me the radio was not connected to my computer (when it was clearly connected to my computer and tested with 3 different working PCs) and the internet was not functioning in any usable way to pull up even the Google home page, that their system was working "flawlessly". I had sent in trace routes and ping tests showing high times of over 1000ms on the third or fourth hop, and even though they stated my service spiked only once most likely due to rebooting their radio (which had been done numerous times, so by that logic there should have been numerous spikes?) that Abe Guenther and Steven Kenney the Network Operations Manager

"...recommend if you are so unhappy about your internet that you move to town and take your chances with DSL or cable. Or become a wireless engineer and try and improve the technology. Because you are already getting the best wireless performance you can get point to multipoint.

...If you want higher reliability we can put in a $7500 backhaul to your location if you'd like and you'd be charged $500 a month for bandwidth, and a rental charge on the tower for use of the spectrum. That is the only way you will get the sort of performance you want 24/7."

So for the service I was requesting... the ability to open up a webpage, not stream video, not download torrents, Wave Direct said not only that they are the best, but I could not find any better!

Xplornet came out twice to work on getting the signal for the service, they provided me with a free router (I'm sure built into the cost of the service, nice gesture but not needed) and they explained their work as they did it. Xplornet worked hard to get the best possible signal and have the internet working for me.

XPLORNET is far better than Wave Direct! The tech support is actually knowledgeable and was willing to work with me to determine the cause. Yes, the speeds I am getting are not what I signed up for... but unlike the experience with Wave Direct I AM ABLE TO LOAD WEBPAGES! The tech support is looking into the speed issues, but at least I can read news, check my email and do what I like with an internet connection that works without the ridiculous costs of $7500 installation fee and $500 per month or selling my home and moving that the lazy upper management and support staff from Wave Direct stated I would need just be to be able to open a webpage on a regular basis.

I advise all to use Xplornet if you live an area such as I do, and to avoid Wave Direct as they will gladly take your money, and then mock you when your service does not work and you try to work with them by providing tests showing the issues you are experiencing.

Tech support wants me to believe that ALL of my computers have a virus that is causing slow speeds here, but doesn't affect when the computers connect to other locations.

That was my review of Xplornet... Now I ask, is how Wave Direct treated us how a provider should treat it's customer? Does this sound like a glowing review of Xplornet?
THE KEY DIFFERENCE THAT MAKES ME REFER PEOPLE TO XPLORNET IS THAT XPLORNET ALLOWS ME TO LOAD A WEBPAGE, I STILL HAVE SLOW SPEEDS, WAVE DIRECT MOCKED ME FOR TRYING TO HAVE SERVICE THAT WAS USABLE, THEN WAVEDIRECT LIES ABOUT WHAT THEY ATTEMPTED TO DO FOR ME

For the record, I am not employed by or an owner of, nor do I know anyone personally who is an employee of Xplornet.