Tesco Mobile 100% Extra Free for Life, Any Catch?

Thargor

I was down in Tesco Headford Road, Galway today and they were selling SIMs for €2.50 and advertising 100% extra free credit for life, as in buy €10 get €10 for free, buy €20 get €20 free for life.

Also if you switch over you get €20 free credit and €10 for keeping your number.

I got a sim switching pack anyway and gave the guy my details, just wondering if anyone's spotted any catch before they ring me to confirm on Monday?

long_b

AFAIK the catches are they use your credit first then use the bonus credit, the bonus credit doesn't get carried over to the next month and people on the 3 network can't call you.

gdael

There is always a catch with tesco

Davy

long_b wrote: »

AFAIK the catches are they use your credit first then use the bonus credit, the bonus credit doesn't get carried over to the next month and people on the 3 network can't call you.

This and that its on a 30 day time frame before it expires.

Its not a catch as such but their customer service isnt the best either.

foggy_lad

http://www.tescomobile.ie/great_deals.aspx

not a great offer when the conditions are met tbh

ronbyrne2005

You can only call/text Irish landlines/mobiles with the bonus credit. Also no premium texts/numbers with the bonus credit.

Oracle

It's s great offer there's only one catch, as already said, you use your paid for credit first, then your free credit. Let's be honest, if you're somebody who uses €20 of call credit a month anyway, that's not going to make any difference is it? Except you'll only be paying €10 instead of €20. I think the free credit can be used for calls, texts (SMS and MMS) and internet browsing. All Tesco mobile call credit expires after 1 year.

Thargor

Yeah thanks people, if I was using that much credit Id be on a plan with an iPhone anyway, think Ill give it a pass.

Jimdagym

Why dont they just half their prices?

Esel

Anyone who said your paid credit is used first is incorrect. The free credit is used first (and expires after 1 month). You have to purchase at least €10 to get the same amount free.

Only big catch is that there is a minimum call charge of 20c (first minute covered). After that, it's per second billing.

TequilaMockingBird

You also get free calls to other Tesco mobiles if you top up by €20 per month (which would also give you €20 free credit). I got the sim pack but I can't get a signal in my house. The free calls to another mobile would be great for me, but alas..

If you buy €10 credit you can get a free sim card.

Sarn

I also get a similar offer with vodafone. I top up very infrequently and periodically get a text saying top up by €10 and get €10 credit free. No expiry on the credit, although I don't get the topping up by €20 month of free calls/texts etc. as a result.

Oracle

esel wrote: »

Anyone who said your paid credit is used first is incorrect. The free credit is used first (and expires after 1 month). You have to purchase at least €10 to get the same amount free.

Only big catch is that there is a minimum call charge of 20c (first minute covered). After that, it's per second billing.

Are you sure the free credit is used first Esel? Because the terms and conditions say:

To receive the Buy 1 Get 1 Free on Top Up for Life Offer you must top up by a minimum of €10 in one go excluding any drip fed or other promotional top up credit received in each month. The unused Free credit received as part of the Buy 1 get 1 free offer, will expire after 30 days and will not be carried over. Once the customer has spent all of their paid for airtime, they will then begin to use their free airtime

Its good that you said about the 20c minimum call charge, although I think Vodafone and Meteor, charge 9c minimum call charge now as well. The only other factor with Tesco is voicemail is not free, it's charged at 20c per minute. Then they're not alone in that either, voicemail is not free with O2 Prepay or 3 Ireland.

dolittle

you deff use up your free credit first
i have one myself and i`m happy enough with it

Oracle

Great happy days, one less catch then!

rom

My wife is on tesco mobile and her friends on 3 can call her.

Oracle

rom wrote: »

My wife is on tesco mobile and her friends on 3 can call her.

I'd consider that another catch! :rolleyes:

dinneenp

I used to be with Tesco- you use the free credit first, then the paid credit. The website does/or used to say it the opposite way around. I even phoned them and told them about this, they said they'd update it.

It is a very good deal. One bad thing is that you can't send picture messages to non Tesco mobiles and can't send texts/or make calls (don't remember which one) to some foreign countries.

Lastly their internet is WAP. That's the reason I moved away- got an iPhone unlocked and want decent browsing ( I presume with WAP it's very limited). I'm with three now- I get €10 credit free a month and 1GB is €10 a month.

rom

dinneenp wrote: »

I used to be with Tesco- you use the free credit first, then the paid credit. The website does/or used to say it the opposite way around. I even phoned them and told them about this, they said they'd update it.

It is a very good deal. One bad thing is that you can't send picture messages to non Tesco mobiles and can't send texts/or make calls (don't remember which one) to some foreign countries.

Lastly their internet is WAP. That's the reason I moved away- got an iPhone unlocked and want decent browsing ( I presume with WAP it's very limited). I'm with three now- I get €10 credit free a month and 1GB is €10 a month.

but you can't use your iPhone with 3 i thought

Davy

rom wrote: »

but you can't use your iPhone with 3 i thought

Once its a 3G model it will work fine

Kotek Besar

I moved away from Tesco Mobile. Two reasons:

1. Tesco Mobile customers can't call "3" customers, and "3" customers can't call Tesco Mobile customers.
   
2. Tesco Mobile customers cannot send MMS to any network other than Tesco Mobile.

Why, exactly, I don't know. Especially since Tesco Mobile are an MVNO, using O2.

daftdave

Oracle wrote: »

I'd consider that another catch! :rolleyes:

his wife ??:P

Inspector Gadget

People on 3 can't call you? That's a bit crap, isn't it?

Kotek Besar

Inspector Gadget wrote: »

People on 3 can't call you? That's a bit crap, isn't it?

It is.

in the queue

Man there's always a bah humbug anytime there's a good deal around.
If you look hard enough there are downsides to everything.
Look on the positives instead.
( Remember the saying "never look a gift horse in the mouth" )
Double credit for life
Free calls, texts and picture messages.
Cheaper rates 20c per min any network anytime. 9c texts.
If you use it right because you get double credit this will half the call cost to 10c pm and texts to 4.5c ea

The reason there is a problem with 3 is they (3) have thrown the toys out of the pram because Tesco got a better deal than they did.
The problem is with 3 and not with Tesco.
AFAIK the problem is if you try to keep your 3 number (ie 083 xxx xxxx ).
3 wont port the number properly and drop some of your calls when the call is bounced from them.
It reminds me of the trouble smart telecom had with eircom.
3 customers can ring 089 , 089 customers can ring 083.
If you are a 3 customer and decide to move to tesco and keep your 083 number then 3 act the sh!t.
Its totally illegal and there is a case with the totally useless and toothless regulator.

I find Tesco mobile the cheapest by far and even better when i get the rest of my family / mates on to it.

Yes the bonus credit is removed after 30 days but if you havent used it by then what difference is it going to make.
You still have your paid for credit to use for the second month and possibly the third if you didn't use the free stuff....
Its still way way cheaper than voda or o2 where you didn't get any free credit and pay through the nose to call anything outside the "network"

I think its a no brainer if you use your phone for making calls and sending texts you will save a small pile of dosh...

Fair enough if you browse the net on you phone or want to send silly videos or photos then it aint for you.

I'm going to stick with it coz i'm using roughly half of what i was when i was on voda even though i dont have the "free" calls to other vodas...

If I was you and had an old simfree phone i'd get a sim card and try it out. thats how i found out about it.
The sim card cost me €2.50 and i got €22.50 credit it was cheaper than buying credit.
And i'm still with them 5 months later... and mates and family slowly moving over...

Inspector Gadget

That's a totally different kettle of fish if we're just talking number portability - though I believe that violates an EU directive (the one guaranteeing number portability), so don't expect that to last long either. If people can still ring each other then it's no biggie, and as I've just said, probably temporary anyway.

long_b

Got an email yesterday promising 500 Clubcard Points once you register your Clubcard on their MyTesco mobile website.

They really are up against it what with the main networks offering free on-network calls and texts.

Kotek Besar

in the queue wrote: »

AFAIK the problem is if you try to keep your 3 number (ie 083 xxx xxxx ).

No it isn't. The problem is Tesco Mobile customers can't call "3" customers, and "3" customers can't call Tesco Mobile customers. This is regardless of whether or not any numbers have been ported.

in the queue wrote: »

3 customers can ring 089 , 089 customers can ring 083.

Once again, Tesco Mobile customers can't call "3" customers, and "3" customers can't call Tesco Mobile customers. Regardless of number prefix.

in the queue

benifa wrote: »

No it isn't. The problem is Tesco Mobile customers can't call "3" customers, and "3" customers can't call Tesco Mobile customers. This is regardless of whether or not any numbers have been ported.

Sorry that is incorrect.
My brother is on 3 and can call me and i him NO PROBLEM. he has a 083 number.
The problem he faces is if he moves over to tesco he will have to drop his number that is when they start acting the sh!t.
My brother was warned by tesco customer care when he tried to move over that 3 woldn't port his number properly and there is an ongoing dispute between 3 and tesco and that is in the hands of the regulator and they are expecting it to be resolved shortly.

benifa wrote: »

Once again, Tesco Mobile customers can't call "3" customers, and "3" customers can't call Tesco Mobile customers. Regardless of number prefix.

There is someone else on the thread

rom wrote: »

My wife is on tesco mobile and her friends on 3 can call her.

So if I have no problem calling 3 and rom's wife don't have any problem you are feeding the mis-information.
If you are a tesco customer having problems calling 3 or receiving calls from 3 I suggest you contact 3 thats where the problem is.

I have a mate that was on 3 with an 087 number and ported over sucessfully simply because he had an 087 prefix. He was told that there was no problem porting on an 087 number regardless of what service provider he was on, the porting problem is limited to 083 prefix numbers.

Kotek Besar

Are you saying the issue of Tesco Mobile customers not being able to call "3" customers and vice versa has been resolved?

in the queue

benifa wrote: »

Are you saying the issue of Tesco Mobile customers not being able to call "3" customers and vice versa has been resolved?

All I am saying is I have no problem calling my brother on 083 and visa versa.
PM me another 083 number and i will call them to confirm its working if you want.
The problem still exists with porting from them with an 083 prefix.
But our wonderful uselessful regulator is sorting that out.