Changing mobile provider.

[daveh75]

When my term is up, I will be going to GiffGaff.

Are you aware that GiffGaff is owned/operated by O2?

And their CS is online only (for account & billing issues) and anything else you'll be directed to FAQs and community forum?

Plus, as far as I'm aware they're still in the process of rolling out VoLTE and VoWifi (years after everyone else)

 

[jjbomber]

I upgraded my sim only deal with Vodafone through mobiles.co.uk (that's Currys), in April. Pretty straightforward and got unlimited/unlimited/200GB for £9.40 after cashback and it was activated later that day. I usually change deals just before the annual price rise, so I avoid the increase. I never deal with Vodafone directly.

Currently £8 with mobiles.co.uk cashback but before Quidco cashback.

 

[Ethics Gradient]

Are you aware that GiffGaff is owned/operated by O2?

I knew that they used the O2 network, but not that they were owned by them. Hmm. Point of principle now that I'll be avoiding anything to do with O2 - unless they resolve the complaint I submitted yesterday by going well above and beyond. My expectations are not high...

 

[Gray]

I upgraded my sim only deal with Vodafone through mobiles.co.uk (that's Currys), in April. Pretty straightforward and got unlimited/unlimited/200GB for £9.40 after cashback and it was activated later that day. I usually change deals just before the annual price rise, so I avoid the increase. I never deal with Vodafone directly.

Certainly pays to shop around with SIMs.

That's a lot of data for your phone.
Do you get close to using that much in a month?

Nice to have plenty of leeway though.
I know it's still limited, but 200GB for all my tethering needs would, effectively, be unlimited - in fact, half that would do me.

 

[Juzzie Wuzzie]

I always find you get (slightly) better service if you ask to confirm at the start of the call that it is being recorded "... just in case we have to refer back to it later ...".

 

[Gray]

I always find you get (slightly) better service if you ask to confirm at the start of the call that it is being recorded "... just in case we have to refer back to it later ...".

I (very often) find myself telling them that the recording must be used for training purposes.

 

[Gray]

Pathetic, isn't it?

It really is.
Of course, I didn't get my callback from the appropriate department.
Neither did I get two other, previously promised callbacks.

It was up to me to call them again today.
Might be interesting to hear what's said in the programme below - I haven't heard it because I was on the phone to Talk Talk for the entire duration of the live broadcast.

You and Yours - Call You and Yours: Good or bad, share your customer service experiences - BBC Sounds

We’re talking about your customer service – what have your experiences been like?

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Ethics Gradient]

Of course, I didn't get my callback from the appropriate department.

Weirdly enough, neither did I...

 

[daveh75]

I've had the fun with dealing with TalkTalk CS today (via chat as I don't do phone calls).

My contract come to an end last month and my package went up to the non discounted standard pricing, a £6 a month increase.

Obviously not happy with that, and armed with better deals having already shopped around, after much back and forth with the agent managed to get a deal that doubles my speed for £2 a month less than my original packages discounted price. Happy with that.

But this is where the fun starts.

Because it's a full fibre data only package, and the paranoia in the industry around switching to data only or digital voice (VoIP) based phone services and the risks that poses to the vulnerable I had to jump through many hoops and answer many questions to make sure I don't die in an emergency!

Now I get it, but remember this is just a contract renewal/upgrade, I'm already on a full fibre, data only package and had already been through that rigmarole when I first upgraded to full fibre from xDSL based broadband 3 years ago.

So that was an unnecessary extra half hour wasted in my view.

 

[Gray]

I had to jump through many hoops and answer many questions to make sure I don't die in an emergency!

So did I, as part of agreeing to a new contract, which will merely be reinstating my (copper line) service with them.

I've got landline phones (including a 40 year old, wired, pulse dialler!) for inbound calls only - so no calls package - been paying around £20 per month on an 18 month contract.
End of contract / discount was due to take that up to £32 on a 24 month contract.

What they (eventually) offered on a 12 month £20.95 contract, allowing for 3 free months and a £100 voucher (which will be as good as cash to me) will effectively cost me £7.38 per month.
I should be celebrating but realistically, that's all my service is worth (always been fast enough for my needs though).

 

[Ethics Gradient]

Last call I had was from someone telling me my SIM was old and would be blocked in three days' time. I was (how shall I put it) incandescent. Said that if they needed it upgrading they should send me a new one, but the person I was speaking to just kept on saying the same things.

Rang up again to see if this was genuine - turns out it is and a new SIM should have arrived yesterday - it didn't.

Also asked about my complaint - dolt I was talking to managed to cut me off.

'O2 - see what you can do'............wind me up for starters, it seems...

 

[daveh75]

Last call I had was from someone telling me my SIM was old and would be blocked in three days' time. I was (how shall I put it) incandescent. Said that if they needed it upgrading they should send me a new one, but the person I was speaking to just kept on saying the same things.

Rang up again to see if this was genuine - turns out it is and a new SIM should have arrived yesterday - it didn't.

Also asked about my complaint - dolt I was talking to managed to cut me off.

'O2 - see what you can do'............wind me up for starters, it seems...

If it were me I'd be requesting a PAC code and transfering the number out to a Prepay or PAYG provider immediately.

 

[Ethics Gradient]

If it were me I'd be requesting a PAC code and transfering the number out to a Prepay or PAYG provider immediately.

Did request a code, and it would now entail a cost of £320-odd as I'm on a contract - one where they seem to be applying the terms that benefit them, but not the ones that benefit me!

 

[hifi]

I will be watching this thread with interest - as I'm very much in research / learning mode.

Not long ago, I didn't know what a SIM was (and I'd still rather not know what one is 🙄)

However, I've scoured the comparison sites, taking note of the devil in the details.
I've found Lebara (Vodaphone) was my best choice, when bought through Moneysupermarket.

Of course, your price depends on the amount of data you want.
Even though monthly 'contracts' are available, SIM pricing in general is affected by the annual, inflation + whatever-they-fancy increase trend - conveniently invented by home broadband providers.

I'm currently only on 15GB just to test the signal around the house. (Important as I've just dumped the home broadband provider - with a view to relying solely on tethering).

Consequently, I'm looking forward to reading about the best 50-100GB SIM deals (preferably on one month contract) that anyone knows of.

I recently changed my ISP that was Via the phone line, can't get any form of cable where i am.I bought a 4G router TP Link and unlimited data monthly Sim from EE I'm now getting 40 to 100 MBPS and no contract with 30% discount has i already had a EE mobile sim that is no contract and only £6.50 a month.

worth a look .

 

[Ethics Gradient]

Had another idiotic call, followed by one which says new SIMs are on their way, and that they will be halving both our bills.

Breath not being held...

 

[Ethics Gradient]

Today's text implies bills haven't been halved, obviously no new SIMs have arrived. Have emailed again but will be taking this further as I am sure there'll be no reply.

O2 are ****. Avoid like the plague if you have the choice.

 

[Gray]

O2 are ****. Avoid like the plague if you have the choice.

They'd have to go some to be worse than TalkTalk.
If you feel your case is strong enough, make sure you register an official complaint with O2.
I've successfully used the Financial Ombudsman Service in battles with a building society and AXA, a uniquely diabolical insurance company.
CISAS deal with complaints about telecom providers - I won't hesitate to use them if TalkTalk fail to come good on promotional promises.

Yes it's a bit of a hassle, but having a complaint go against them (and being forced to pay out some comp) should result in better experience for future customers.

 

[Ethics Gradient]

CISAS deal with complaints about telecom providers - I won't hesitate to use them if TalkTalk fail to come good on promotional promises.

I used CISAS about 15 years ago - will be doing so again. That was TalkTalk, who wouldn't return my calls, ignored letters sent by recorded etc - then on the day they received the complaint from CISAS I go two calls and an offer of compensation.

 

[Ethics Gradient]

Last call I had was from someone telling me my SIM was old and would be blocked in three days' time. I was (how shall I put it) incandescent. Said that if they needed it upgrading they should send me a new one, but the person I was speaking to just kept on saying the same things.

Same call again, SIMs arriving today. They didn't.

It'll be eight weeks on Tuesday, so CISAS will be getting their form first thing.

Can't believe that one of our biggest companies is so totally and utterly useless.

 

[Gray]

Can't believe that one of our biggest companies is so totally and utterly useless.

I can.
They're all great with their promises.

TalkTalk complaints department spent another 30 minutes dealing with my complaint.....
Next comes an e-mail with the usual 'Great News' heading. 'We've made the changes you requested on your account'.
I hadn't asked for changes on the account, but the charge for making them was £30!!!

Took me another hour to find out that the charge had been 'waived' (at the same time as it was made).

They owe me a £100 voucher.
Different staff have checked and confirmed that the voucher takes 90 days to be issued - it cannot possibly be any sooner than that - but they can't explain why.

Separately, I receive e-mails and post offering £50 vouchers, one each for me and a person I recommend to them.
....then they phoned...."We mailed you recently.....have you thought about anyone you'd like to recommend?"
Told them I couldn't inflict TalkTalk on anybody for just 50 quid....

 

[daveh75]

Same call again, SIMs arriving today. They didn't.

It'll be eight weeks on Tuesday, so CISAS will be getting their form first thing.

Can't believe that one of our biggest companies is so totally and utterly useless.

O2 use the Communications ombudsman rather than CISAS for ADR.

Making a complaint and using ADR schemes

You can use this page to see which ADR scheme your provider belongs to.

www.ofcom.org.uk

 

[Friesiansam]

I can.
They're all great with their promises.

TalkTalk complaints department spent another 30 minutes dealing with my complaint.....
Next comes an e-mail with the usual 'Great News' heading. 'We've made the changes you requested on your account'.
I hadn't asked for changes on the account, but the charge for making them was £30!!!

Took me another hour to find out that the charge had been 'waived' (at the same time as it was made).

They owe me a £100 voucher.
Different staff have checked and confirmed that the voucher takes 90 days to be issued - it cannot possibly be any sooner than that - but they can't explain why.

Separately, I receive e-mails and post offering £50 vouchers, one each for me and a person I recommend to them.
....then they phoned...."We mailed you recently.....have you thought about anyone you'd like to recommend?"
Told them I couldn't inflict TalkTalk on anybody for just 50 quid....

I wouldn’t touch TalkTalk with someone else’s barge pole…

 

[Gray]

I wouldn’t touch TalkTalk with someone else’s barge pole…

🙂 Let me know if you change your mind and we'll have £50 each.
(They're probably as good as the next telecom company....as long as you never need to contact them 🤬).

 

[daveh75]

(They're probably as good as the next telecom company....as long as you never need to contact them 🤬).

The bigger ISPs are much of a muchness, at least with regard to CS.

You need to be looking at the smaller, more niche, business orientated ISPs if you value good CS, but that comes at a cost, so it's a case of whether you're willing to pay for a service you may never need to use.

With mobile providers I find it simpler.

Avoid getting locked into contracts with the four MNOs, and use one of the no contract, SIM only MVNOs an you'll find a better level of service IME.

 

[Ethics Gradient]

O2 use the Communications ombudsman rather than CISAS for ADR.

Making a complaint and using ADR schemes

You can use this page to see which ADR scheme your provider belongs to.

www.ofcom.org.uk

OK - thanks for that. Having filled the CISAS form in I can just C&P.

Cheers, Dave - much appreciated.