085 vs 086 vs 087 ......(vs, um, 083 vs 088) - Mobile Prefix Stigma

eskimo

Is there a certain stigma attached to Meteor and the 085 mobile prefix?? To me it screams "cheap" or "student" or "budget" or "low quality." That's what I think more than anything else when I see 085.

Is there any stigma attached to the other prefixes? Like to me 087 screams TOO EXPENSIVE!!

I know it's weird. Anyway, if you had a choice, which prefix would you prefer to have on your mobile number?

AlmightyCushion

Well considering you can have any prefix on any network now any stigma would be pretty badly placed. Also who honestly gives a crap what prefix you have.

Senna

What the hell is 088?

eskimo

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Well considering you can have any prefix on any network now any stigma would be pretty badly placed. Also who honestly gives a crap what prefix you have.

Stigma generally is badly placed.

cHaTbOx

eskimo wrote: »

That's what I think more than anything else when I see 085.

Are you a real Eskimo?

AlmightyCushion

Senna wrote: »

What the hell is 088?

It used to belong to eircell's analogue service. It's tesco mobile now I think.

Cool_CM

Senna wrote: »

What the hell is 088?

Old Eircell methinks

AlmightyCushion

eskimo wrote: »

Stigma generally is badly placed.

Well at least thinking vodafone is expensive rather than 087 is a better placed stigma.

Any who, this reminds me of when I used to work in a shop that sold credit. You'd always get some idiot who would ask for €10 087. Then when you ask them what network they were with they would reply with o2 or meteor. Way to go retard.

minidazzler

083 - Thinks there being Cool.
085 - Young, student, maybe low paying job. Formerly had bad coverage, no longer the case but stigma sticks. Texters usually, although some try to convert people because they have free calls and text to meteor only.
086 - (me) Anyone really, nearest phone shop. Enjoy free texts after €20 top up, but call people enough to run out of credit. Generally top-up by €40 a month.
087 - (My second phone used to be my only and primary phone, now never used but kept with me because I have had it 10 years. And it's the only number everyone knows for me.) Generally business people, it's the brand of choice so they use it. They want to come across like they don't care about the price. Also the only one to work with Blackberry, so practical for the business type.
088 - Obsolete.

eskimo

088 = Tesco Mobile.

Yes I am a real Eskimo.

minidazzler

eskimo wrote: »

088 = Tesco Mobile.

Yes I am a real Eskimo.

Really, then I apologise, I was under the impression that was the Old Obsolete company.

S.I.R

doesnt really make a differance to me...


i use 086 only for free calls for business and normal use...

dSTAR

Mobile phone snobbery.

How nouveau.

seanybiker

eskimo wrote: »

088 = Tesco Mobile.

Yes I am a real Eskimo.

I thought tesco was 089

kelle

I'm with meteor because they're far cheaper, but I kept my 087 number as I've had the same number for over 10 years (I owned a mobile phone when it was considered yuppy-ish to have one, but I needed it for work). And, funnily enough, I do think there's a certain upper class feeling to having an 087 number!!!!
And, 088 - that's a blast from the past.
Who has 083?

pow wow

I surrendered my 086 for an 085 a couple of days ago. I don't feel dirty...yet.

i used to be meteor with 087 number but changed to 085 prefix few months back.

there is a stigma, people in work don't use meteor.. all my friends do though.

The Mad Hatter

kelle wrote: »

Who has 083?

3.

I'm 087 on o2, and I find as a teacher that most of my students' parents have 087 numbers, which I think is probably a hangover from Eircell. Most of my friends and family have 086 numbers, but are on a wide variety of networks.

Gah, it's far too early in the morning for this ****...

January

Tesco is 089 not 088. 088 is obsolete...

I've had all numbers... except 089, This was before you could change network but keep your prefix. At the moment I'm 083 and on 3's best of both plan, serial texter, I hate ringing people...

stovelid

Deleted User wrote: »

there is a stigma, people in work don't use meteor.. all my friends do though.

You actually know people that attach social significance to the mobile operator they use?

I originally went with vodafone because o2 and meteor never had any signal at home in meath ( no, I don't want to hear about 100% coverage campaigns, no signal = no signal and that's that ) and now I just like them, they have nice deals and give me random free credit now and then which is nice.


p.s. who on earth gives a damn, if someone is attaching some kind of social significance to this who isn't doing a project on it, tell them to get a life

dmcg90

I'm the only person here that likes the 083 number? I'm switching back to it at the moment, think theres more choice of numbers on it (you know where you go into a shop and they show you the phones they have in stock and the best number out of them eg 083*******)

ChumpStain

085 and meteor ftw!

I'd say about 70% of my mates are meteor so free calls and free texts do it for me. Plus I've been getting an extra €10 free every month off them for like 15 months. How could I leave something that treats me like the prince I clearly am?

Berty

My first ever phone was back in 1996. It was this and it was 088. I was the first to have one out of my friends. It was a quiet phone because nobody else had one so who was going to ring me................ah somebody had to be first.

I also had a scanner back then and you could listen in to mobile phone conversations. Every time someobody hung up you would have to search the airwaves for a new signal. You hear some strange things when people do not know you are listening.

ElBarco

This one has to be dying after number portability.

Although if we're really determined to keep the snobbery going we should all listen carefully for that little been after you dial and then mock the person for trying to hide their true colours. It could destroy relationships though - imagine if you found out the girl you loved wasn't really on vodafone?

I think the real answer in our hearts is that whichever network you're with is the cool, hip one that gives the best value for money.

kc66

Digiweb have the rights to use 088 with their mobile broadband service. Havent seen any progress with this though even though it was anounced a few years ago.

stupidsometimes

dmcg90 wrote: »

I'm the only person here that likes the 083 number? I'm switching back to it at the moment, think theres more choice of numbers on it (you know where you go into a shop and they show you the phones they have in stock and the best number out of them eg 0830551122)

I love my 083 number. I moved to O2 though lately and kept my number. I only need to tell people my number once and they remember it because it is so easy to remember

stovelid

stovelid wrote: »

You actually know people that attach social significance to the mobile operator they use?

not social significance.. jus an opinion that meteor is crap.

whereas all my college friends are on meteor so it's cool.

Firetrap

083 = people who were codded into signing up with Three, only to discover they're shyte.....

087 = people who signed up with them years ago and refuse to change even though they're being overcharged. I went into a Carphone Warehouse with a friend a few weeks ago - he was thinking of changing their phone. There were no prices beside the Vodafone mobiles (his network) but just an "Ask at the Counter" sticker. When we asked, the girl said it was because Vodafone keep changing their prices usually upwards. Also, they were giving away a staggering €5 free credit with their handsets. If that's not a network that's riding its customers sideways, I don't know what is. Maybe the customers like the misery.

Dord

Digiweb won the 088 number a year or two ago and are working on a new 4G phone network.

Personally I don't give a fupp about the various numbers.

PCros

085 by far, anyone whos uses the other networks just for text and calls is stupid because they're alot more expensive. Simple math.

I think the stigma is gone with 085, the only stigma I fealt was the bad coverage years ago but thats gone and also the now sponsor the biggest music awards in the country. Well done!

Obviously anyone who needs to use blackberrys would need 086 and 087.

Stercus Accidit

I find the only stigma associated with meteor is the crap customer service you get with them, but I imagine they are all the same.

Mobile phones adverts, patronising tripe from overpriced cnuts, I hate phones sometimes.

Tech3

Anyone who says Vodafone is a lot more expensive than meteor hasnt a clue.

It was a lot more expensive but meteor have become more expensive in the last few months so I moved back to vodafone. They offer a better deal free text and phone calls to all 087 users. My gf, mates and family use 087 so it makes perfect sense.

Gillo

08YORE MA

Now I remember why I generally don't bother with AH:rolleyes:

PCros

tech2 wrote: »

Anyone who says Vodafone is a lot more expensive than meteor hasnt a clue.

It was a lot more expensive but meteor have become more expensive in the last few months so I moved back to vodafone. They offer a better deal free text and phone calls to all 087 users. My gf, mates and family use 087 so it makes perfect sense.

Yeah cheap calls to your own network...but meteor offer low rates to all networks.

javaboy

Gillo wrote: »

08YORE MA

Now I remember why I generally don't bother with AH:rolleyes:

If "yore ma" is all you have to contribute, it's no great loss. :cool:

Eric Cartman

meteor 085 doesnt scream cheap it screams retarded, i wont even call people on meteor anymore, unless the in the city centre they dont have coverage. The only reason anyone is on meteor is :

girls : see the pink phones and buy them (because they dont know anything about phones or networks, they just like pink)

their boyfriends : bullied into moving to meteor for the free texts to each other,

boyfriends mates : when all his other mates are on meteor because their retarded birds made them move they move to meteor, join the heard.

all this leads to a large population of people under 25 who are unreachable by voice, only by text because of the patchy coverage, which is fine by them because there so cheap they just use free texts anyway, but annoys the f*ck out of everyone else.

JC 2K3

Eric Cartman wrote: »

meteor 085 doesnt scream cheap it screams retarded, i wont even call people on meteor anymore, unless the in the city centre they dont have coverage. The only reason anyone is on meteor is :

girls : see the pink phones and buy them (because they dont know anything about phones or networks, they just like pink)

their boyfriends : bullied into moving to meteor for the free texts to each other,

boyfriends mates : when all his other mates are on meteor because their retarded birds made them move they move to meteor, join the heard.

all this leads to a large population of people under 25 who are unreachable by voice, only by text because of the patchy coverage, which is fine by them because there so cheap they just use free texts anyway, but annoys the f*ck out of everyone else.

Have you tried calling anyone on Meteor in the last 5 years?

Eric Cartman

JC 2K3 wrote: »

Have you tried calling anyone on Meteor in the last 5 years?

my housemate - no coverage in most of leixlip , but when hes in college its just fine

my mate aoife - no coverage in half of celbridge, and when i do get her its very bad quality

a few college mates - maynooth has pretty bad coverage, its there but patchy

theres a reason meteor is the only network with a 'call catcher' its customers are out of signal so often they need it

JC 2K3

I've been with Meteor for about 6 years now, and i haven't had any signal problems in 4 or 5 years, no matter whether I'm in Dublin or in a remote part of Donegal...

PCros

Eric Cartman wrote: »

my housemate - no coverage in most of leixlip , but when hes in college its just fine

my mate aoife - no coverage in half of celbridge, and when i do get her its very bad quality

a few college mates - maynooth has pretty bad coverage, its there but patchy

theres a reason meteor is the only network with a 'call catcher' its customers are out of signal so often they need it

Oops they forgot about Kildare in their signal coverage! Dont worry they'll fix it soon.

pakblue

O2 Free Texts to ANY network FTW! :P

Almost 70% of my friends are on 085/Meteor network.

When I got my first phone there was only two networks out there at the time Eircell and Digifone. I of course went with 086 and I have had the same number for the last 5/6 years now. People who change there number every 5 minutes drive me up the wall. Though I have changed networks a few times.

Eric Cartman wrote: »

a few college mates - maynooth has pretty bad coverage, its there but patchy

Defiantly, In my last two houses in Maynooth you had to had to go outside to get any Meteor coverage and it was the same in some of my friends houses. Its a bit odd because most of the people in Maynooth i'd say are with Meteor being students and all.

Eric Cartman wrote: »

The only reason anyone is on meteor is :

girls : see the pink phones and buy them (because they dont know anything about phones or networks, they just like pink)

their boyfriends : bullied into moving to meteor for the free texts to each other,

boyfriends mates : when all his other mates are on meteor because their retarded birds made them move they move to meteor, join the heard..

I've known so many people who joined for this reason its scary.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

I'm with meteor but I keep my 087 prefix because it makes me superior.

banshee_bones

Got my first mobile when Eircell was the standard operator. Then they switched to Vodafone so was with them for a while, kept my number and switched to 02 bill phone. Switched again to Meteor still keeping my 087 number that i have always had. Have zero problems with meteor.

injured365

Im 087 but thats because when i got my first phone many moons ago it was either 087 or 086....but im with meteor now.......am i the only the only person whose phone switches automatically to vodafone if theres no meteor reception???

testicle

Berty wrote: »

I also had a scanner back then and you could listen in to mobile phone conversations. Every time someobody hung up you would have to search the airwaves for a new signal. You hear some strange things when people do not know you are listening.

Your memory is a bit hazy. You could only hear half (i.e. one side) of the conversation with a scanner.

Sam Vimes

tech2 wrote: »

Anyone who says Vodafone is a lot more expensive than meteor hasnt a clue.

It was a lot more expensive but meteor have become more expensive in the last few months so I moved back to vodafone. They offer a better deal free text and phone calls to all 087 users. My gf, mates and family use 087 so it makes perfect sense.

Of course an offer of free on network calls is cheaper for you on vodafone if everyone you know is on vodafone. That doesn't follow through to "vodafone is not more expensive than meteor". Meteor have the same offer as vodafone but with cheaper calls and if all your friends were on meteor it would be cheaper

Sam Vimes

Eric Cartman wrote: »

a few college mates - maynooth has pretty bad coverage, its there but patchy

I did a 4 year degree in Maynooth and never once had a coverage problem

eskimo

I think it's funny the amount of people who replied saying how there couldn't possibly be a stigma attached to certain prefixes/networks, when clearly they must have known what I was talking about if the thread title grabbed them in.

Yes it's true, believe it or not, each different network has been marketed in a distinctly different way so that you subconsciously (or consciously, in the case of the truly discriminatory) associate different thoughts with that network. You may not realise it, but it's a fact.

Par example.... Meteor means cheap. 083 means 3G. O2 means the iPhone and other various blue things. Vodafone 087 means business. Tesco means recession.

We all have subconscious thoughts when we see certain things. Fact. How aware you are of these thoughts is a different story altogether.

Jesus Juice

087-Free calls and texts every month for 20 euro.

n0fX

eskimo wrote: »

Meteor means cheap. 083 means 3G. O2 means the iPhone and other various blue things. Vodafone 087 means business. Tesco means recession.

That pretty much sums it up.