Do you judge people by their mobile phone network? - See mod warning post #24

Careful_now!

Maybe it's just me, but I tend to think less of people that have an 085 number. It feels to me that its a network for teenagers and kids. When a person in their 40s tells me their phone number and it starts with 085, I'm can't help but feel sorry for them. 083 isn't as bad I don't think, but worst if all I feel is the 089. I don't know how to explain how I feel about that one. I'm an 086 and I feel that 086 and 087 are for the decent folk.


What are your thoughts?

Dudda

Careful_now! wrote: »

Maybe it's just me, but I tend to think less of people that have an 085 number. It feels to me that its a network for teenagers and kids. When a person in their 40s tells me their phone number and it starts with 085, I'm can't help but feel sorry for them. 083 isn't as bad I don't think, but worst if all I feel is the 089. I don't know how to explain how I feel about that one. I'm an 086 and I feel that 086 and 087 are for the decent folk.


What are your thoughts?

No as people can change their network and keep their phone number. The number my girlfriend, brother, Dad and myself are on are all different to the network. I've had mine for over 10 years but had several different phones, networks and contracts. If anything I'd judge them more on their phone, eg. dumbphone, iPhone, Nexus 5 are all very different people.

Sandwlch

Yes. Like the brand of car that someone drives, it pretty much tells you all you need to know about a person, and allows natural groupings of social class and character to recognise each other or know their positions relative to each other. Much more useful than the brand of phone itself I find - a lot a people using phones that they shouldnt really have and it can be misleading.

newmug

I hope you people are being sarcastic. To judge someone on their phone network is a new low in shallowness. What if 085 was the only network they could get decent reception on where they live? And nobody judges others on their car brand, only tossers who actually believe that do.

Sandwlch

newmug wrote: »

I hope you people are being sarcastic. To judge someone on their phone network is a new low in shallowness. What if 085 was the only network they could get decent reception on where they live?

Agree with you. Its not completely foolproof, and like everything, there can be exceptions.

gugleguy

I hope you are sarcastic OP. FFS a very top of the range smartphone can be bought here
tescomobile dot ie
Also any perceived ' classification' of phone service providers in obstentatious context does not reflect the customer service of said service provider. I've had more professional customer service from Tesco mobile than some of the big 4: meteor Vodafone 02, 3. That's pretty much best of the bad lot choosing tescomobile.
You might as well start a thread proposing how the differening quality of weather over Irish town is indicative of the class of people in that town

krudler

Careful_now! wrote: »

Maybe it's just me, but I tend to think less of people that have an 085 number. It feels to me that its a network for teenagers and kids. When a person in their 40s tells me their phone number and it starts with 085, I'm can't help but feel sorry for them. 083 isn't as bad I don't think, but worst if all I feel is the 089. I don't know how to explain how I feel about that one. I'm an 086 and I feel that 086 and 087 are for the decent folk.


What are your thoughts?

What about coverage? if it's a work number? if they were on a network years ago and moved several times since? you do realise o2 and tesco are the same network right?


That's a fairly ridiculous thing to be judgmental about, hell tesco have great deals and 3 give crazy amounts of data that you won't get without paying massively for it.

_Kaiser_

Whatever about mobile prefixes, grown adults with good jobs who still use PAYG is something I don't get - especially when you get far better value with some of the billpay options.

shedweller

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Whatever about mobile prefixes, grown adults with good jobs who still use PAYG is something I don't get - especially when you get far better value with some of the billpay options.

In fairness i remember a few months ago the prepay deals seemed to give way more data etc than a bill pay tariff. You had to buy the phone first but if you had just finished a contract and hadn' mangled your phone then payg used to be the way to go. I havent looked in a good while so things may be very different now.

Stormington

especially when you get far better value with some of the billpay options

You typically don't.

With a contract, you tend to get either lots of/unlimited calls and/or texts or lots of data. And no, 5gb is not a lot for ~€50 per month. Companies only start to get generous when you are near the end of your contract and they're trying to keep you and lock you in for another year or two.

I read a while back (Sunday Business Post iirc) there's been a big push in recent years to get people onto billpay as they are more profitable over the long term for the company.

I don't understand why more people aren't on something like Lyca's €30 unlimited calls/text/data. I'm not btw, I'm on Tesco as they had a savage offer (still running) when I joined so I get too get to be judgmental of random internet strangers while I'm getting my gas bills paid when I top up.

Boskowski

No.

I know hardly anyone is free from superficial prejudice. For instance I can't help but think cheapskate when I see someone who I know is on decent money in nothing but ancient threadbare clothes ten+ years old. I know thats superficial too, some people just don't care about things others care a lot about.

But on mobile numbers? No.

philthrill69

I only judge people on their network if it's a business number.
I absolutely cringe if a rep or company gives me a contact number that is 085 or 083.
I'm on the three network myself so I have no problem with the network but i would say 90% of reputable business use Vodafone or O2.
And no matter what people say about being judgemental it is a fact that a lot of people think like that so I you have a business or company you should know the negative or positive effect your contact number has.
If you do have an 083 or 085 it either means you were late to the technology party or you were catching a cheap deal which is grand for an ordinary joe soap but not if you want to be taken seriously as a professional person.

_Kaiser_

philthrill69 wrote: »

I only judge people on their network if it's a business number.
I absolutely cringe if a rep or company gives me a contact number that is 085 or 083.
I'm on the three network myself so I have no problem with the network but i would say 90% of reputable business use Vodafone or O2.
And no matter what people say about being judgemental it is a fact that a lot of people think like that so I you have a business or company you should know the negative or positive effect your contact number has.
If you do have an 083 or 085 it either means you were late to the technology party or you were catching a cheap deal which is grand for an ordinary joe soap but not if you want to be taken seriously as a professional person.

That's true.. realistically there is only 2 options in this country for business - O2 or VF.

Of course what'll happen after 3 complete their takeover of O2 is anyone's guess.

Banjoxed

philthrill69 wrote: »

I only judge people on their network if it's a business number.
I absolutely cringe if a rep or company gives me a contact number that is 085 or 083.
I'm on the three network myself so I have no problem with the network but i would say 90% of reputable business use Vodafone or O2.
And no matter what people say about being judgemental it is a fact that a lot of people think like that so I you have a business or company you should know the negative or positive effect your contact number has.
If you do have an 083 or 085 it either means you were late to the technology party or you were catching a cheap deal which is grand for an ordinary joe soap but not if you want to be taken seriously as a professional person.

That's all right because the reciprocal is that I'd judge you as a tosseur and would run a mile from doing even the most rudimentary form of business with you.

ghogie91

Ridiculous thread is ridiculous

Anyhow I am on the 085 network with an 087 number, they call me the WAP Ninja in parts

SpaceTime

I'm sorry but that is utterly ridiculous!

Not only is it just snobbery of the most shallow variety but you don't even know what network some is on based on the prefix!

It also makes you seem like a techbophobe who got stuck in about 2002.

We have business mobiles on 085 and 083 with 'golden numbers' (highly memorable).

The coverage on Three is fine and their UK roaming is hugely attractive to anyone doing business in both countries.

Tesco Mobile has exactly the same coverage as O2 and their customer care is excellent.

Meteor / Emobile coverage is extremely solid these days and their 3G and 4G speeds are often far better than the "big two". They were also first to market with 4G and their infrastructure has access to eircom's enormous national fibre backbone.

draiochtanois

This post has been deleted.

Norma_Desmond

Judging people on mobile phone prefixes,
welcome to crazy town, population, you.

I judge people on what kind of person they are,
ya know, the way you should...

SpaceTime

I judge people on their level of superficiality and shallowness.

maximoose

I hope it is just you, it's completely daft!

Whatever about mobile prefixes, grown adults with good jobs who still use PAYG is something I don't get - especially when you get far better value with some of the billpay options.

I bought my handset (iphone 4) outright nearly 4 years ago and since then have paid €20 a month for unlimited data/texts on pay and go. Pretty sure I've saved a decent amount of money over it's life vs going billpay.

aimee1

Careful_now! wrote: »

Maybe it's just me, but I tend to think less of people that have an 085 number. It feels to me that its a network for teenagers and kids. When a person in their 40s tells me their phone number and it starts with 085, I'm can't help but feel sorry for them. 083 isn't as bad I don't think, but worst if all I feel is the 089. I don't know how to explain how I feel about that one. I'm an 086 and I feel that 086 and 087 are for the decent folk.


What are your thoughts?

people move from one network to another for better deals, or data usage etc. I know plenty of people who were with meteor because they offered free texts but moved to three for unlimited data etc. People switch networks the same way householders switch energy provider, to save money.

SpaceTime

I'd be more likely to judge someone who was still on the same network after 10 years as a bit 'dim' to be honest.

I usually find that people who switch networks for the best deals are the least technophobic and the ones who are still on their original network often think they're on Telecom Éireann or the P&T anyway or as one person recently told me "Oh, I'm on Nokia!"

philthrill69

Banjoxed wrote: »

That's all right because the reciprocal is that I'd judge you as a tosseur and would run a mile from doing even the most rudimentary form of business with you.

Name calling? Mature.
Let me guess your number 085*******?

The Corinthian

Everyone tone it down. The OP proposed something and if many may think it ridiculous or otherwise nonsense, then logically explaining why you think so is how to address the topic, at which point they can either rebut your argument or lose the argument. Simple, and it's how grown ups do these things.

Honestly, I'm not sure which is worse; the idea that a prefix is any measure of character, especially in a market like Ireland where there's very little difference between operators at this stage, or that people actually care enough to start insulting each other over it.

So if you want to continue with this discussion, do so in a civil manner, otherwise the banning stick comes out. No further warnings to follow.

ED E

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Whatever about mobile prefixes, grown adults with good jobs who still use PAYG is something I don't get - especially when you get far better value with some of the billpay options.

This is very much not the case. See three AYCE PAYG deal. Best on the market.

Sandwlch

Inthereshten discussion on the topic from a business perspective:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057142429

biko

Phone racism, well I never...