Battle Of The Phone Networks

EireLemon

I made this thread to discuss which phone network is best. I want to hear your opinions on who your with, why your with them and why you don't move to another network. This has probably already been done before but I'd thought I'd make a new one.

There a four core networks,

Vodafone

O2

Meteor

Three (Who I'm Currently With)

Then there is Tesco and eMobile which I don't think has alot of users.

I'm with Three because I like there deal which is when you top up by 20 euro you get free texts, calls on the weekend, calls to three people and unlimited data throughout Ireland for a month.

EireLemon

BUMP!

regana

I am with O2, reasons being
1. 40 euro per month.
500 min free
500 Text free
and the main reason is i got 120 min of free international calls.
Sim only plan.

i will be more than happy if can get a cheaper package with free international calls.

Sir_Badshot

Are you serious?

There is no real compitition and they all offer pretty much the same services for the same price.

I have 3's 'Pro Broadbad' because I have no other choice.

Yes I get 60GB fro €35 which no one else does on a dongle but by god its ****e sometimes and dont even bother calling for help.

I had an 'unlimited download account' with vodafone a few years ago- 2 months in they cut me off ( and loads of others here) and ceased to provide the service they were contracted to do for 18 months. Complained to Comreg- nothing.

God help the punter pulling out of a contract early.

I went 100MB over with O2 once on a dongle and got a bill for hundreds.

In short they are all ****$ and we are fish in a barrel. Comreg is a Joke and all of these providers ride us raw.

Sir_Badshot

regana wrote: »

I am with O2, reasons being
1. 40 euro per month.
500 min free
500 Text free
and the main reason is i got 120 min of free international calls.
Sim only plan.

i will be more than happy if can get a cheaper package with free international calls.

You sound to happy.

regana

Sir_Badshot wrote: »

You sound to happy.

whats "SHILL"

Sir_Badshot

I take that back Regana,

A shill is someone who is paid to provide good press.

IrishStuff09

Tesco, because of triple credit.

Sir_Badshot

IrishStuff09 wrote: »

Tesco, because of triple credit.

Yes, I forgot about them, they do appear to offer a bit more than the other lot. But not on the MBB front yet.

scudzilla

Just about to switch to '48' even though i'm well outta there age range

20euro a month for Unlimited calls and texts to mobiles (any network) and 5GB data

For a researcher OP yer pretty crap, you forgot Tesco and 48

regana

Sir_Badshot wrote: »

You sound to happy.

so far as i have to make international calls. and i rarely go out of allocated minutes.....

But still looking for a cheaper deal as sometime 40 euro per month pinch a lot

Sir_Badshot

EireLemon wrote: »

I made this thread to discuss which phone network is best. I want to hear your opinions on who your with, why your with them and why you don't move to another network. This has probably already been done before but I'd thought I'd make a new one.

There a four core networks,

Vodafone

O2

Meteor

Three (Who I'm Currently With)

Then there is Tesco and eMobile which I don't think has alot of users.

I'm with Three because I like there deal which is when you top up by 20 euro you get free texts, calls on the weekend, calls to three people and unlimited data throughout Ireland for a month.

Why are you so interested? Whats your angle?

Dont fob us off now...

kiddums

Meteor's customer service is nothing short of terrible. Worst experience ever. And good luck to you if you want to try and leave them, they make that process so annoying that it just makes you glad you're leaving them.

maximoose

I'm prepay with Three, simply for €20 a month unlimited data.

Free roaming in the UK is handy too, from NI and home quite a bit so that's a bonus.

3G coverage doesn't tend to be too reliable though. Once you leave a city, tends to go to shite. Also issues with it reconnecting to 3G whenever it is dropped.

BUT I have been with Vodafone and Meteor previously and had more complaints about them.

_Kaiser_

eMobile..

€35 a month gets me unlimited calls (Irish mobile and regular landline numbers), unlimited texts, 15GB data, and free access to the eircom Wi-Fi spots around the country
Yes their back-office operations and customer service has a lot of issues but unlike 3, at least when you escalate you'll get somewhere rather than what may as well be an automated response service!

Use VF and O2 with work and the former has gone badly downhill since they started outsourcing the support to a NI call centre. O2 scores better on this front, but neither are what I'd call competitive vs the other networks.

Were it not for eMobile/3's support issues I'd move the account to one of those, but as it stands I can't take the risk - as I'd say is the case for a lor of corporates.

bk

regana wrote: »

so far as i have to make international calls. and i rarely go out of allocated minutes.....

Well could you use Skype, Viber, etc. for international calls instead?

If you could do this, the 48months, €20 per month gets you unlimited calls, texts and 5GB of data.

bk

This poll is flawed, there are only currently 4 physical networks in Ireland:

- Vodafone
- o2
- Meteor (Eircom)
- Three

Three is currently in the process of buying o2, so we will be down to three networks then.

The others are virtual operators who use one of the above networks:

- Tesco on o2
- 48months on o2
- eMobile on Meteor
- Postfone on Vodafone
- Blueface on 3
- Lycamobile on o2

hufpc8w3adnk65

scudzilla wrote: »

Just about to switch to '48' even though i'm well outta there age range

20euro a month for Unlimited calls and texts to mobiles (any network) and 5GB data

For a researcher OP yer pretty crap, you forgot Tesco and 48

Been with them 2 weeks after 14 years with Vodafone/Eircell never been better off on the phone 24/7

EireLemon

The problem with Tesco is you have to top up in Tesco stores...

IrishStuff09

EireLemon wrote: »

The problem with Tesco is you have to top up in Tesco stores...

You can top up at Payzone and PayPoint outlets too, so quite a lot of shops actually.

bassy

Where can I top up with 48 ?

IrishStuff09

bassy wrote: »

Where can I top up with 48 ?

Online and PayZone / Omnivend Vending Machines

hufpc8w3adnk65

bassy wrote: »

Where can I top up with 48 ?

Via smart phone.. It's only once a month too and you check your useage at any time also

bassy

MrMac84 wrote: »

Via smart phone.. It's only once a month too and you check your useage at any time also

How?

hufpc8w3adnk65

bassy wrote: »

How?

Go too the website and sign up and there's top up options and check usage settings

EireLemon

Looks like Three are the most popular network according to this poll

bk

EireLemon wrote: »

Looks like Three are the most popular network according to this poll

I think it maybe down to the demographics of boards and a badly designed poll.

Three's €20 plan is certainly very popular with young people, who tend to be on boards. Yet the poll doesn't include 48months who are the other very popular network with young people.

For official numbers, a comreg survey done in May 2012 showed:

Vodafone: 43%
O2: 31%
Eircom Group: 22%
3Ireland: 3%
Other: 1%

Now I expect 3Ireland up and Vodafone/o2 are down 2 or 3% in the past year, but nothing like this poll would indicate!

friendface

I'm currently with e-mobiles Unlimited Plan at €34.50p/m and find it great. I was previously with Meteor on a bill-pay contract but was not given the option of an upgrade on my renewal. Also, the price I was quoted for a renewed sim-only contract was worse than that available online. I didn't find the customer service/sales team made any attempt at maintaining customers.

Ironically, I guess that didn't matter because I ended up moving to e-mobile, which is part of Meteors parent company, Eircom. Anyway, so far I've found customer service to be better than Meteor (usually no wait times on calls, and good response with any queries I've had dealt with to date). Value was also excellent, given that I received a Galaxy S3 with the Unlimited plan for €139, which was a very good deal at the time. It was mentioned on Bargain Alerts here last year.

Just thought I'd share a good experience for once, as usually my experiences with phone companies has been the opposite

BarryT2012

Hi all,

As I am a Eircome lanline customer I am thinking of switching from Vodafone billpay to E-mobiles 40eur a month contract as in my opinion is the best atm.

My only concern is the coverage it offers and how consistent it is?
Also are there any hidden contract inclusions that I might be missing??

Has anyone done something similar recently and what is there experience?

Cheers

Walkman

bk wrote: »

For official numbers, a comreg survey done in May 2012 showed:

Vodafone: 43%
O2: 31%
Eircom Group: 22%
3Ireland: 3%
Other: 1%

Now I expect 3Ireland up and Vodafone/o2 are down 2 or 3% in the past year, but nothing like this poll would indicate!

Seems Three had more market share than your predicting

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/business/item/33682-three-ireland-breaks-even/

Davy

Walkman wrote: »

Seems Three had more market share than your predicting

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/business/item/33682-three-ireland-breaks-even/

They only have 6.7% for mobile users, and 9.4% market share if you include mobile broadband on the latest results. They are the largest market share for mobile broadband with a third of the market so the reason the figures jumps so much then you include mobile broadband. Any other networks market share decreases in % if you include mobile broadband.

Adrian4

I have a couple of phones.

I tend to use Lyca ringing landlines. (3c per minute)

I have an old meteor plan that I ring mobiles at 13c after 6pm.

Tend to use wi-fi for data

meoklmrk91

I am with three, at the moment I get:

350 flexiunits, 1 flexiunit is 2 texts or 1 minute of a call.
Unlimited data.
€40
I signed up before they stopped allowing tethering. My contract is up in December and I will be leaving if they don't allow me to continue tethering, heck even if they added on an extra €5 or €10 for the privilege I would be grand with that.

I'm pretty happy with the service, have had some annoying issues but it works well for me and I think the price is great for what I get.

I won't move to meteor because I had a bad experience with their customer service. Vodafone are very expensive IMHO, so I dunno where I'll be headed.

hufpc8w3adnk65

Adrian4 wrote: »

I have a couple of phones.

I tend to use Lyca ringing landlines. (3c per minute)

I have an old meteor plan that I ring mobiles at 13c after 6pm.

Tend to use wi-fi for data

Sounds like alot of hassle

Adrian4

it is. I Must find a half decent plan.

hufpc8w3adnk65

Adrian4 wrote: »

it is. I Must find a half decent plan.

48... 20 a month... Unlimited mobile calls & texts ... 5gb Internet... 60 mins too landlines

jeffk

Im on three at the minute and find the €20 deal great, until like someone says leave a city and bye bye using the net(herself lives in Navan and I have to put the phone into Gsm mode to receive calls or texts in her house)

It looks like 48 is as good as three and it uses the 02 network which seems more reliable than three, but then what’s the story on the age bracket thing?

hufpc8w3adnk65

jeffk wrote: »

It looks like 48 is as good as three and it uses the 02 network which seems more reliable than three, but then what’s the story on the age bracket thing?

The age thing.... I'm 19 if you ask 48 my passport says 29 tho

jeffk

MrMac84 wrote: »

The age thing.... I'm 19 if you ask 48 my passport says 29 tho

So what? Sign up on line and put in a DOB that matches their criteria ?

lorrieq

02

5 euro for 200mb internet a month. Use whatsapp and webtext. I don't have credit for calls then but I personally don't need to. Works a wonder for me as a student.

AlmightyCushion

MrMac84 wrote: »

The age thing.... I'm 19 if you ask 48 my passport says 29 tho

I just happened to turn 18 the day I joined 48. Strange coincidence that was...

Irishgirl12345

Been with meteor ever since they opened apart when I first got my iPhone tried 3 lasted a week and returned it and then bought an iPhone straight from apple and put my meteor sim in... I think the customer service differs big time if your on bill pay or Pay as you go.... The pay as you go line is run from cork and they seem helpful but bill pay is from Dublin and always hear people complain about that side of things alright

hufpc8w3adnk65

jeffk wrote: »

So what? Sign up on line and put in a DOB that matches their criteria ?

Exactly

jeffk

MrMac84 wrote: »

Exactly

Step 2: Select account type and enter security code
All you have to do now is select the account type:
Bill Pay – Paid your bill monthly with your old network.
Pre Pay Unregistered – Pay as you go with your old network and they did not have any of your details.
Pre Pay Registered – Pay as you go with your old network and they held your personal details.

Im guessing here id select Unregistered otherwise they will know my proper age.

hufpc8w3adnk65

jeffk wrote: »

Step 2: Select account type and enter security code
All you have to do now is select the account type:
Bill Pay – Paid your bill monthly with your old network.
Pre Pay Unregistered – Pay as you go with your old network and they did not have any of your details.
Pre Pay Registered – Pay as you go with your old network and they held your personal details.

Im guessing here id select Unregistered otherwise they will know my proper age.

Ya..

SlickTalker

I'm on Three.

Mainly due to the unlimited data. I'm on 50gb download a week into my prepay month.

Also I like that you can purchase apps on the play store using your three credit.

SlickTalker

48 don't care what age you are. Their 48 months is who they market the network at not just who they allow use their network.

hfallada

My brother and sister are both on 48 and they never checked their age. There is no customer service as such. You send a email and eventually get a reply. I guess its a way of O2 taking some college age customers from the likes of meteor whos price plans for pre pay are ****.

I wish we had aldi talk. €4 per month of unlimited calls and texts and pretty much every german is on it

jeffk

SlickTalker wrote: »

48 don't care what age you are. Their 48 months is who they market the network at not just who they allow use their network.

So if say I sign up using my three data that says im 31,they wont have any problems ?

The Ayatolla

jeffk wrote: »

So if say I sign up using my three data that says im 31,they wont have any problems ?

They dont have access to your 3 account details due to data protection.

Just give 48 a DOB that makes you 18 when you sign up and bobs your uncle.

jeffk

The Ayatolla wrote: »

They dont have access to your 3 account details due to data protection.

Just give 48 a DOB that makes you 18 when you sign up and bobs your uncle.

I meant when moving my number across , ill just select not to let them use my three data, put in a im 18 DOB.

Have requested three unlock code,my bundle is up the 22nd and then ill use my credit up and move to 48 :cool: