We’ve been living in Spain for just over a year. Until now, we’ve been using pre-paid mobile service. A few months into living here, I tried to get “permanent” or post-paid service but I was told my bank account need to have at least 6 months of service. Since we’d only been here for a few months that didn’t work.
Fast-forward to today, now our bank account is 1-year old and for sure we’d qualify. So I went to our local vodafone store and tried to get service and this is what happened:
- I tried to get their XL package, which included 6GB of data, but that can only be ordered through the phone. Yes, I am not kidding. The very vodafone store CANNOT let me order the XL package. They can only offer me the L package (which is 4GB). Fine, I ordered the L package
- I order to become a client, I have to provide them my bank account information by showing them a receipt with my name and account number. I used my bank’s online app and downloaded such a receipt. No, this was not good enough, because as a form of security, some of the account digits were obfuscated (as you’d expect). They needed a receipt with all the numbers. The solution is for me to go to my bank and request such a receipt. Now I have to take time out of my day to go to my bank and get this.
- Porting my pre-paid number requires 2 days. Yes, they took all of the necessary information off my pre-paid SIM card, they confirmed I am the owner, but I need to come back in 2 days to pick up my new vodafone SIM card with my newly ported number.
- You sign enough papers to get carpel tunnel syndrome. No exaggeration, I had to sign 12 sheets of paper. I was reminded of how many sheets of paper I had to sign to buy a Home in the US.
So, in a couple of days we’ll finally have “permanent” mobile service.
Long live the land of the complex…