To ask who is your mobile network provider and why

[incywincybitofa]

Suddenly the world is my oyster with mobiles, I am leaving my network provider, buying myself an early exit and I can choose any network I want and to a degree any phone. So who are you with and why-and why would you avoid a particular network?
I like the look of 02, with Priority, Vodafone are cheaper on tarrifs though.

The boring bit- but so there is no drip feed on providers, after 19 years with Orange/EE and now with less than 6 months to go on a contract with a useless phone (screen sensitivity gone-and some random thing where if I connect to any WIFI the phone randomly texts and calls people and switches screens constantly) they want to charge me £201 to stay with them and upgrade or £214 to leave them- so I am going to leave them.

I know I am probably unreasonable to expect them to do anything for my loyalty, but to actually say "we don't want you to go, we want you to stay and pay £201 and choose one of our great phones and tarrifs" is a bit rich isn't it?

[ProcrastinatorGeneral]

Tesco with two iPhones.


If you're going to buy a handset then giffgaff are great for sim only deals.

[incywincybitofa]

Missed a couple of posts there O2 does sound quite good as does Giff Gaff.

[anyoldname76]

sim only on giff gaff, we pay £5 a month each, we get free calls and texts to other giff gaff users and enough allowance to last the month. i dont use the data though as i just use wifi at hone and work

[hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman]

Vodafone because I get a discount through my employer, my experience of their customer (dis)service hasn't been great and I will be moving to GiffGaff when my contract ends.

[IsadoraJ]

I'm on 3, sim only.. It works out far cheaper to buy the phone outright. I pay £15 for unlimited texts and Internet and a random amount of calls that I never go over

[Junosmum]

Tesco SIM only. Was with orange for years but a mobile mast near our house went down and the signal was awful. I was told by them that it wouldn't be being repaired but as an apology I could upgrade early to EE, at almost twice the price for half the package. I declined and at the end of my contract I bought a phone outright from fonis and a SIM only contract from Tesco- it was the best value I could find for the package I wanted and buying separately was cheaper than the cheapest package I could find.

[WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant]

Currently with voda as cheapest for Internet. Got 20% off for working in a certain job (loads are covered by this )

Still keep my 3 phone, as it £8 a month for all the phone/texts /net in Europe when I go visiting (old phone, paid for years ago )

Avoid o2. Still waiting for a refund for a phone I never ordered! They are expensive too.

[Oysterbabe]

3 Sim only, unlimited data, £17 per month.
I prefer a cheap sim only deal and buying a phone outright, it's usually cheaper.

[TrixieBernadette]

Tesco. They use 02 but their tariffs are so cheap. Swapped to them three years ago and never looked back.

[lrb978]

Another sim-only giffgaff user here. I can change my package monthly if I wish, no contract to worry about, automatic top up selected so I dont have to worry about forgetting , free calls and texts to other giffgaff users as long as I have topped up in the last 3 months (tbf this latter reason was why I went with them, ds and I are both on giffgaff and it means he can always contact me, no matter what credit he has on his phone). If I do need more credit/data it is really simple to top up as well.

Giffgaff work on the O2 network, so as long as you get good coverage with O2, you should be fine.

[flirtygirl]

Giff gaff is good but Tpo and life mobile cant be beaten for sim only prices, buy a phone from amazon and go sim only, ive got 3gb data 1000 mins and unlim texts for £10 per month on life mobile, uswitch has some great deals. I left ee because of high prices after 17 years, tried vodaphone for 1 week through carphonewarehouse and it took 4 months for them to cancel, they sent it to a debt agency and they even updated my credit file wrongly. My daughters on tpo which is in my name but they have a rule of one account per email address so i went with life mobile and its been ok, these companies all use ee, vodaphone or o2 networks.

[curren]

We are with EE, have been for years and only had one problem they sorted out ASAP. I could have up to 4 phones with them if I wanted. Which is always nice to have the option.

The signal got bad in our house, called them up and explained that me, dh and dd could no longer get signal. They found it was a mast that was damaged but sent us a free signal boost box, that usually costs £60.

It came the next day now we don't have a problem again. Didn't have to argue for it or anything. Just told them and they sorted it.

[CointreauVersial]

Giff Gaff. Cheap, no ties, uses O2 network which has good reception around here.

DCs are on Giff Gaff too.

[Friolero]

I'm with O2. I originally went with them as you used to get cheaper calls to mobiles on your own network, and most of my friends were with O2 so it made sense. This was donkeys years ago and I've never got round to changing.

Last time I wanted an upgrade, after not being impressed with "absolute best offer they could do" I asked to be put through to the disconnection team to get my PAC code (or whatever it's called) and lo and behold they can suddenly offer a much better deal. So I nearly left then and might do next time I want an upgrade. The best deals always seem to be for new customers, it just seems like a hassle to change providers.

[bloodyteenagers]

I am with 3. Reasons? Never had an issue with them. Any time I have spoken to CS about anything, they have been more than helpful including tips how to do early upgrades without cost. Then of course, the international calls. I don't know how other providers get away with robbing customers with the extra charges.

Son is with O2 payg. I am getting the phone unlocked asap. Had nothing but problems and when I have called O2 the help wasn't there.

One dd is with EE. She regrets is. Before she was on GiffGaff and that was bad. But EE are worse. Often cuts out. Dire service. Could go on and have a huge rant.

Other son is with Virgin mobile. He's had loads of problems and finally getting rid this week. Cutting his phone off when the bill had been paid. Adding late fees even though the bill was paid as usual by dd. Adding calls that he didn't make (the phone was with me, off whilst he was abroad). He was laid up to four week, and turned off mobile data so fully on wifi, yet somehow he went really, really over. I could go on. The EE stuff btw is a lot, lot worse.

[Pico2]

Three. I was with EE and needed a new sim as I'd broken my old phone and needed a tiny sim for a new one. I phoned EE who said, 'oh, it would be easier if you went into one of our shops'. So off I trotted, paid for expensive parking etc. In the shop they said, 'oh, you can't do that in the shop, you have to do it by phone'. So I walked into the nearest alternative phone shop, which was Three and they were able to help me.

[Ameliablue]

3 pay as you go. I don't use the phone much and found this the cheapest.

[incywincybitofa]

If I switch to SIM only can I still transfer my number?

[19lottie82]

ID mobile (owned by car phone warehouse and piggyback from EE).

I was with 3 on a PAYG with unlimited data but they put their prices up so I went to ID, as I get 500 mins, unlimited texts and 5gig of 4G data for £15 a month on a 30 day sim only deal.

It suited me as it was a good price for a high data allowance.

It's also capped to a certain extent (you get a £5 "buffer") which is good as there are no shock bills but you can still make the odd out of package call if you need to.

I didn't fancy GiffGaff as I had a horrendous problem with o2 in the past and I know GG uses their signal.

[19lottie82]

Is o2 PAYG not horrendously expensive?

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Virgin, 8 quid a month for SIM only, unlimited texts,500 mins and 1GB. Does me fine. Ds has the same.

[werewolfinladderedtights]

Giffgaff. I pay £20 pm for unlimited texts, minutes and unlimited 4G Internet which I can also tether other devices too.

[Pengweng]

O2 and before that it was BT Cellnet (i feel really old and I'm not I promise) who then got taken over by O2 so nearly 20 years with essentially the same company. I only use pay as you go now though as I top up £15 a month and get free unlimited calls and texts to other O2 numbers. My mum, sister and DH all have O2 as well so I rarely need to use the credit for anything other than data. I bought a cheap LG phone for less than £100 a few months ago and it's fine.

[Nonotmenori]

I'm with 3. £55 a month for unlimited everything with iPhone. 6. My bills used to be over £2100 when I was with orange/EE