My SberMobail Nightmare: A Cautionary Tale of Operator Apologies and Savings
Warning: this story's gonna be a long and emotional ride. I'm about to share my experience with Sber's mobile operator, and it's not pretty.
Sweet promises and the thrill of getting something for nothing
I'm a long-time user of the Sber ecosystem, and I've got a column, a subscription, and SberSpasibo rewards that I love using. I'm also hooked on our Gigachats. When I saw the ad for SberMobile, my inner hamster went wild with excitement. The main selling point was the ability to pay up to 99% of the service costs with SberSpasibo rewards. I've got a ton of those rewards, so it seemed like a no-brainer.
Plus, I've got an SberPrime subscription that makes the tariffs even more attractive. And since I work from home, I don't need a lot of gigs. Decision made – I'm switching! My old operator hasn't been doing it for me lately, so I figured it was time for a change. The process seemed simple enough.
I ordered the SIM card on the website, chose a tariff plan that suited me, and used a promo code for 30% off for 12 months. I also applied for a number porting service for my beloved old number. I received the SIM card package and started waiting for the big day.
The Day of X: How My Vacation Turned into a Quest for Wi-Fi
And then this day arrived! I got the text message: 'Congratulations, your number has been successfully transferred to the SberMobil network!' I inserted the new SIM card, and – voilà! Everything worked. I was on cloud nine. That's exactly the day I was due to fly out on my long-awaited vacation.
But my excitement was short-lived. After using the network for about half a day, I arrived at the airport, and – welcome to paradise! Connection just died. Completely.
Trying to call my mom to let her know I'd be boarding soon turned out to be a failure – the robotic voice said, 'Call restrictions are in place.' Internet? Forget about it. Texts? Nope.
Panic started creeping in slowly but surely. I felt utterly exposed and helpless without a connection. I had to ask complete strangers for their phones to send my mom a quick text, so she wouldn't start calling all the pharmacies and hospitals.
9 Days of Hell: A Rant About Customer Support
Somehow managing to get to point B, I immediately launched a full-scale attack on SberMobil's support. I detailed my situation in all its gory glory in the app's chat. We politely checked all possible phone settings, APN points, and rebooted the phone multiple times – all for naught.
Eventually, my case was registered, and I was told it might take up to 9 days for it to be looked into. Nine days, folks! My entire vacation!
I had to run from one Wi-Fi hotspot to another just to stay connected to the world. And the cherry on top? Neither the SberMobil app nor SberBank Online showed my case at all. It was like it never happened.
The whole thing felt like some kind of surreal dream.
The bombshell diagnosis: you've got more than 10 SIM cards!
I didn't give up and kept emailing their support team every day. And then, after days of hassle, I finally got a clear explanation from them. It turned out I'm a repeat offender! I broke some obscure clause in their terms of service that says no more than 10 SIM cards can be activated per month for one customer!
I nearly dropped my phone. Ten SIM cards? Mine? I've only ever had one SIM card. Where did all these others come from? It's a mystery, wrapped in an enigma.
After that 'diagnosis', things seemed to move. Maybe someone somewhere hit the right button. The day before my return from vacation, when I was already mentally writing off my number, service finally came back! I thought I'd seen the worst of it, but then the calls and texts started working, and the mobile internet still didn't show up.
I let out a deep sigh and made a promise to myself: I'd give it two more days when I got home, and if nothing changed, I'd go buy a SIM card from a different operator. My number is precious, but my nerves are more so.
And then, miracle of miracles, the mobile internet came back on its own, just a day before my self-imposed deadline. My nine-day ordeal was finally over.
Happy ending? Connection, tariffs, and a generous compensation
So, what can I say in the end? Once everything finally worked, I was able to assess the connection itself. And it's worth noting, it's actually really good. The signal is stable, coverage is great, and the internet is fast. The tariff constructor is definitely convenient.
But the cherry on top was the operator's response to my prolonged case of frustration. I guess all those daily tirades in the chat support finally paid off. As a gesture of apology for the inconvenience, I was given a 30% discount on my subscription fee for three whole months – essentially, a super-cheap connection! It was nice, I won't deny it. That gesture somewhat smoothed out all the negative emotions I'd been feeling.
My verdict: is it worth the gamble?
Honestly? I have no idea what kind of system glitch caused the problem. It really got under my skin, and at one point, I was ready to burn all bridges with SberMobail. The thoughts of buying a new SIM card from a different operator were really nagging me. But my precious number, which all my friends, colleagues, and family know, stopped me in my tracks.
Would I recommend SberMobail? It's a tough question. On the one hand, great tariffs, the ability to pay 'thank you's, and good connection quality (when it's working). On the other hand – a crazy system glitch and not exactly the most responsive support, which almost ruined my whole vacation.
I guess I'd say this: if you're an active user of the Sber ecosystem and are tempted by the prospect of almost-free connection, go for it. But be prepared for the possibility that something might go wrong. If you're one of the lucky ones who get a smooth transition, you'll probably be happy. But I'm still on the fence. A three-month discount and the hope that I won't go through this nightmare again have won me over for now.
In the end, I'm glad I stuck with SberMobail, but I'm also a bit wary. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I'm not sure I'd want to go through that again. If you're considering switching to SberMobail, just be aware of the potential risks and make an informed decision.
As for me, I'll be keeping a close eye on my connection and support interactions. I hope that SberMobail will take my feedback to heart and work on improving their systems and support. Until then, I'll be enjoying my discounted connection and trying to put the whole ordeal behind me.
So, that's my story. I hope you found it entertaining and informative. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.