Mobile phones and poor reception

[sammysam]

I hoping someone can help me befor 5 when they'll ring back again!

I'll try and cut a long story short-
have been with 3 for years-never had a problem til a while ago when something happened to my phone (not sure what) the reception went really bad-so much so I had to use my old phone. It used to say it had reception (full bars) but say emergency calls only on the screen.

I tried it a few months later and it worked better but still in some areas was very bad (where it had been good)

Anyway we moved house in december and at the new house I have no reception inside. I phoned to end my contract and ended up being rail roaded into trying a phone that was guarenteed to work. But the same thing happend-full bars of reception and emergency calls only.

I have sent it back and handed my notice in. But I've just had a phone call from 3 saying they can send me another new phone and reduce my bill to £8 a month for the same mins etc. It's such a good deal that i'm considering trying it.

Three questions:

Could it be a problem with my 6yr old sim card?

Is there such a thing as a mobile that recieves much better reception?

Can you boost the signal any other way (cheeply)?

If anyone can help i'll be very happy! Thank you!

I'm using Three (for mobile broadband, not voice calls). I am not sure they can do anything to improve reception for you, though it is probably true that some phones may be a little more sensitive than others.

Out of interest, if you put your postcode into the Three 'signal strength checker' does it suggest you would only get signals outdoors, or would you class it as being 'high' or 'low' signal strength?

I'd hate for you to get stuck with yet another phone (and given the lower price, perhaps a new 12 month contract) if, truthfully, there's nothing they can do to improve coverage.

I assume you would want to use Three indoors (perhaps to talk to friends/ relatives/ partner) so that's as important as when you are out and about...

Don't suppose you can find someone flogging the same model as you had been happy with (say on Ebay) to be able to see (fairly cheaply) if it was just old age (or a poor contact for the aerial) within the handset you were using?

Hope your negotiation went well, sorry, just saw it is past 5pm...