Read Mumsnetters’ feedback on the O2 Family Plan

[JustineBMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the testers who have tested the O2 Family Plan and its associated benefits, including discounts on each new connection added, premium access to the Qustodio parental controls app, exclusive O2 Priority family offers and NSPCC trained Gurus for advice.

Here’s what O2 has to say:
"#IsItAlright to dread the school holidays?
#IsItAlright to let your 15-year-old play PEGI 18 rated video games?
#IsItAlright to let them have a tablet at breakfast?
Here at O2, we understand that family life isn't straightforward. In fact, it can be downright messy. We believe that your mobile world shouldn’t be.
So, we’re launching O2 Family. We want to highlight the range of challenges you as parents all face, and bring together our products and services to help you with your day-to-day parenting.
The questions are endless. That's why at O2 we offer expert advice, massive savings with our Family Plan and exclusive Priority offers all summer long for family fun.”

Testers, please leave your feedback by answering the following questions and also sharing any other feedback you’d like to:

1. How easy was it for you to sign up to the O2 Family Plan?
2. What has your experience of the O2 Family Plan been so far?
3. Did you use the Qustodio app? If so, what did you think?
4. Would you recommend signing up to the O2 Family Plan?

All testers who give their feedback (both on this thread and on a short survey we’ve sent) will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

Thank you for choosing us to be one of the luckiest to test O2 Family plan. DD is in secondary and already has a phone but we had issues with data usage despite limiting it. I decided to move to O2 because of its popularity, customer focus, options to choose from and can have more than one family member on the family plan on discounted rate.

1. How easy was it for you to sign up to the O2 Family Plan?

Easy, I explored the options online first and then discussed with a customer service representative about the best plan to suit the needs for my daughter and Dad as I was comfortable with it than deciding myself.

1. What has your experience of the O2 Family Plan been so far?

Tracking via an app is impressive. Although most of her communications are on Whatsapp with her friends, I am able to check on her data usage and warn her about over using it. I don't track her locations a lot but it was useful couple of times when she had to get a bus and wasn't sure about her exact location.The priority benefits and perks are attractive for DD.

1. Did you use the Qustodio app? If so, what did you think?

Yes, parental control, Safe search and app usage notifications are useful. Limiting the usage seem to be working so far. We had a different phone for DD before that has the similar features but data usage limit was always a nightmare with it. We were on 5£ plan with ID but even after limiting the usage, she was always over doing and we ended up paying extra every monthand one good month, we paid 15£. I am hoping Qustodio will work as expected. Invading their privacy is somehow uncomfortable for me and definitely for her, but we are having a little chat when needed that, it is not exactly monitoring but how useful it would be in learning to use the technology safely especially when they are exposed to it for the first time.

1. Would you recommend signing up to the O2 Family Plan?

Yes, because of the saving/Discount options, features and Qustodio - especially if the child left with their own phone for the first time. They always get over-excited and over do things so it is better to monitor for the first few months - not mainly for spying them but to educate them how to use phone and internet safely.

Many thanks Mumsnet for selecting me to test. Here’s my answers to your questions....

1. How easy was it for you to sign up to the O2 Family Plan?

Quite easy. I’m an existing o2 customer and went into store and asked about setting up a 30 day sim for my children, as an extra phone for over summer. I particularly wanted the Qustodio app for this extra phone line. I was advised it would be two months’ minimum, as it would be set up for 30 days plus an extra 30 days to cancel. We decided to change my husband’s contract instead and linking him to me on family plan was quite easy.

1. What has your experience of the O2 Family Plan been so far?

We are pleased with the discount that comes with family plan, but that’s the only benefit we’ve been able to use.

1. Did you use the Qustodio app? If so, what did you think?

Although I specifically mentioned that I wanted this Qustodio app, it turns out we aren’t eligible for it! So although my husband and I are linked in Family Plan, we can’t get the free Qustodio benefit. We weren’t told this in the shop. In fact we were told that we’d be sent a text with details of how to get it. We weren’t. So I used the o2 text service to try to sign up for family plan again- it came back and said we were linked on family plan but still heard nothing about Qustodio. After searching on the o2 website I found that we weren’t eligible.

1. Would you recommend signing up to the O2 Family Plan?

Yes I would recommend the family plan for the discount but unfortunately that’s the only benefit we’ve had.

We were recently considering leaving o2 though, as the priority benefits haven’t been as good since they stopped £1 lunches, but this test and family plan have made us stay. For now.

1. How easy was it for you to sign up to the O2 Family Plan?

It wasn't especially easy! I tried to do it via text and online, brother of which worked. I then tried to do it via webchat and was told Qustodio was no longer available. Then I called O2 and was told I could do it but I'd have to call back the next day as that person couldn't actually action what I needed.

I THEN went into store and it was such an easy process! I really should have just done that to start with! It was explained clearly and the process was simple. I originally wanted a month sim just to trial but the salesperson showed me the price difference per month if I signed up to a 12 month sim only plan and mentioned that I'd be able to cancel within 14 days if I no longer wanted it.

Because I'm an existing pay monthly O2 customer, there was nothing to pay upfront and the cost of the sim will be added to my next bill.

I felt as though I got a good deal, paying £12 a month (discounted from £15) and managed to get double the data that my son had on his existing plan with another provider (which was £10 per month)

I asked about price capping and it was explained that this came as part of the family plan which is reassuring.

1. What has your experience of the O2 Family Plan been so far?

Signing up took a little effort but wasn't overly complicated- just a little fussy switching between phones to ensure I was filling in the correct details on either mine or my son's phone. That's probably more an indication of my ineptitude than the plan though!

1. Did you use the Qustodio app? If so, what did you think? We haven't been using it for long but I'm really impressed by the features and the ease of use.

I was really keen to put more safeguards in place around my son's 'phone use and feel that, alongside good communication and ground rules being in place, Qustodio will help hugely in being able to monitor and control what he's able to access and do using his phone.

I loved that within 5 minutes of signing up and then handing him his phone back, I had an email telling me he'd been on YouTube and that I could check the app to see what else he'd been doing.

The app is really intuitive and visual. I like that I can use it to set rules around time limits and usage- and can do this without having to even touch my son's phone or be in the same location.

I've used location trackers in the past but am pleased to see this is another feature of Qustodio. It is working well so far.

Although I hope it will never be needed, I am also reassured by the presence of a 'panic button' feature.
We've had some issues with older bullying kids in the past where I've had to go and collect my son after a tearful call or frantic text. I think he'd prefer to use a panic button feature in future which might be effective.

1. Would you recommend signing up to the O2 Family Plan? So far, I'd definitely recommend it!

I like that you get a discount on extra phone lines and that Qustodio is free when you sign up. It's such a great app and I think will help us to monitor/control phone use but also use as a way to help us have more meaningful conversations around this as a family.

It's a service that I might have considered paying extra for so to get it from my existing provider, alongside other benefits means that I'm much more likely to stay with O2 when my contract is due for renewal.

1. How easy was it for you to sign up to the O2 Family Plan?

It was really easy. We went into a store as dh was eager to get his new phone and didn't want to wait for delivery. We explained what we wanted and the staff were really helpful. They also made sure that the contract we had taken out for our daughter a little earlier than the test was added to the family plan (I thought it was already on it but apparently not!)

Pretty much as soon as they had added the new sign ups I could see them on my log in.

1. What has your experience of the O2 Family Plan been so far?

So far, so good. We have 3 users on our account. 2 mobile phone contracts and 1 sim only. I love that it is just one bill which goes out and that I can see everyone's individual use/contribution to the total bill. It has been very reassuring as our dd1 was previously on a less reliable service and the family plan has meant a good amount of minutes texts for her as well as days without costing a fortune. The increased discount per additional user on the plan was definitely a key point for us. It meant we were able to go for higher use plans without breaking the bank.

1. Did you use the Qustodio app? If so, what did you think?

I have set it up on dd1's phone although beyond initial setting up we haven't had to use the sos feature. I like that it is simple to allow or restrict use of the phone by day and time - a feature we use a lot on the dc's kindles but which wasn't available on Dd1's phone. I love the ease of limiting and restricting types of use. Eg shopping etc. It has meant dd1 hasn't accidentally purchased anything and if she does, I will get an alert so I can mitigate any excess spending.

I am really happy with the location and sos facilities as these aren't something which come as standard on the android phone dd1 uses. We had some teething problems with qustodio app asking for the password, when I thought I'd set it so dd1 wouldn't be able to change anything but should have been able to access sos without it. But I think we've sorted that now.

1. Would you recommend signing up to the O2 Family Plan?

For a family with several phone contracts, the O2 family plan would be ideal. All the bills are registered to the main account holder so you can monitor use that way. It comes out from one account as one payment, rather than having 3 or more bills going out at different times. Especially for tween age children who might be getting their first phone, the security of knowing dd1 wasn't going to run out of credit and could always be reached has been a great relief to us.

Obviously it depends on coverage but we have been quite pleased with coverage and overall service of O2, the family plan and Qustodio app.

1. How easy was it for you to sign up to the O2 Family Plan?

It was really easy to sign up , we was given a number to text from the main holder to add the number we want to add so we could start the family plan very easy and straight forward

1. What has your experience of the O2 Family Plan been so far?

really good and will be the same as paying pay as you go

1. Did you use the Qustodio app? If so, what did you think?

really good and great to keep an eye on what the child is up to

1. Would you recommend signing up to the O2 Family Plan?

yes as it would save you some money on additional contracts

Thanks all for giving your feedback. The winner of the prize draw is @Shuggas