Take the plunge & join 3? Vote please!

FrankGrimes

I’ve been posting on another thread about how I’m thinking of joining 3 after 6 years with Vodafone. To be honest, I hate VF and its only cos my girlfriend and most of my mates are with them that I’ve stuck with them. But 3’s price plans change all that and I really think my average phone bill would come down.

I’ve been mailing back and forward with 3 asking questions, and they’ve been very responsive, though I’m not fully happy with the answers. Roaming in UK should be ok, but USA is poor as they have no official arrangements yet. This was gonna be a deal breaker as I travel to USA at least once a year and was planning on using VF’s Passort deal for cheap calls there – but I just found out this deal doesn’t cover USA, even though they told my sister it did when she rang but then they stung her with a 380 euro bill. So I think thats the last straw for me and I'd prefer to get out of there.

But I'm worried by some horror stories I've heard here about text messages repeatedly being received by the recipient, lack of webtexts, poor voicemail service, and the poor roaming service. So I'd really appreciate your opinion on whether this is the right move.

I'd be getting a Nokia 6680 for €109 and going with the €45 a month price plan which gives 400 minutes to any irish phone any time. Thanks.

Sam Vimes

FrankGrimes wrote:

But I'm worried by some horror stories I've heard here about text messages repeatedly being received by the recipient, lack of webtexts, poor voicemail service, and the poor roaming service. So I'd really appreciate your opinion on whether this is the right move.

I'd be getting a Nokia 6680 for €109 and going with the €45 a month price plan which gives 400 minutes to any irish phone any time. Thanks.

no texts i've sent have been received multiple times. you can get a symbian voicemail program for the phone so you don't need to use (and pay for) the three one. i just turned off voicemail altogether because i can just call someone back when i see a missed call or they can text me. :v:

the problem with the texts is actually the other networks problem. they aren't sending the acknowledgement of receipt to three so three keeps sending it

the roaming isn't the may west to be honest. i was in amsterdam and i couldn't connect to orange even though they're supposed to have an agreement with them. i somehow (occasionally) managed to connect to t-mobile, who they have no agreement with. the good thing is that i wasn't charged for the few calls i managed to make

to be honest you'd probably be best off having a pre pay sim from another network if your going abroad for the moment anyway. it should get better soon


i give them two and a half thumbs up. the only drawbacks at the moment are the roaming and a few teething problems on the technical side. all will be well in a few months

penexpers

I got a three phone last week and it's been pretty good so far. No complaints.

Cabaal

I'm going to make the move to 3 before the end of the year, their any network minutes does it for me tbh, that and the Nokia 6680...I'm holding out as close to Christmas as I can to see if they bring out anything better then the Nokia 6680.

Roaming is not much of a issue for me and I don't txt people that much so it works out the best deal :v:

FrankGrimes

Thanks for the replies - I'm looking more and more like moving to them.

Cabaal - how likely do you think it is that they will bring out a newer phone before Christmas? I'd probably be interested but I reckon its getting late in the day for them to launch a new one cos they will already have missed out on a lot of Christmas buyers.

The figures are adding up and I like the way they show their prices inclusive of VAT. When I'm away I can get texts on my girlfriend's phone so that's that one dealt with.

Now what about webtexts - is there anywhere else on the web I can send free texts from (about 30 a month), and can I do this so that it shows up as being from my own number?

Jam Man

Motorola V3X will be out late December and the Nokia 6280....


The text issue is with Vodafone only (where the receipt is not sent back by VF)and is only a few areas in Dublin centre.

Cabaal

FrankGrimes wrote:

Thanks for the replies - I'm looking more and more like moving to them.

Cabaal - how likely do you think it is that they will bring out a newer phone before Christmas? I'd probably be interested but I reckon its getting late in the day for them to launch a new one cos they will already have missed out on a lot of Christmas buyers.

Somebody mentioned that their going to bring two phones out on the 1st Dec, I don't know how likely this is but I'm going to leave things till the end of the week before I finally sign up.

I'm fairly happy with the price plans and I like the choice of phones but the webtxt's bit sucks abit, I'm going to get myself a PAYG O2 sim for 10e just as a backup for webtxt's incase I ever need it for whatever reason

Jam Man

The NEC 338 and Motorola V975 which were online only will be in stores from Thursday 1st.

No 'new' handsets from the 1st.

The next new ones are the V3X & 6280 towards the end of Dec.

Cabaal

Jam Man wrote:

The NEC 338 and Motorola V975 which were online only will be in stores from Thursday 1st.

No 'new' handsets from the 1st.

The next new ones are the V3X & 6280 towards the end of Dec.

Oh well if thats the case I'm ordering the Nokia 6680 tonight when I go home

FrankGrimes

wow - that 6280 looks like some serious piece of kit. am not too taken by the 6680 so I think I might be hanging on for the 6280. Any idea how much the 6280 will cost?

Jam Man

Probably close to 6680 prices?

FrankGrimes

Dunno - it looks a much better phone so I wouldn't be surprised to see a premium price being charged as often is for the latest top end tech stuff

By the way - talk about a split poll!

N_Raid

I've been with three for about two weeks now and no complaint really. The only thing is the texts being repeatedly sent as mentioned before but for me that only happens with one person and so far only when I'm in or around the temple bar area. No problems with coverage either. The only time i haven't had full coverage was in a bar that must have had RSJ's or something and even then I had on or two bars while vodafone people had none at all.

Dellas

The text issue is with VF and O2!!!! My collegue got my text loads of times on O2 and got fed up with it she turned phone off!!!!

Jam Man wrote:

Motorola V3X will be out late December and the Nokia 6280....


The text issue is with Vodafone only (where the receipt is not sent back by VF)and is only a few areas in Dublin centre.

Dellas

Im back with Vodafone after switching to 3 which was the worst thing I ever did!!! As I have said in previous postings 3 are great if you never use your phone outside of the Republic of Ireland. They are a great domestic network and good 3G content but if you want to call/text or use your phone outside Ireland they are a RIPOFF!!!!!!!

Vodafones text bundles (5c texts), webtexts,VF Passport for roaming and the number of partners abroad were main reasons for me going back. Also Im getting texts from my mates in the North and England which I couldnt get before on 3.

3 will get it right maybe in around a year as they did in UK. You would have thought they would have learnt from their mistakes over there.

Look at all charges that will affect you very carefully then make your choice. I would recommend 6680 or wait til N70 comes out it should be soon so my mates tell me. Also keep a VF ready to go for roaming and sending texts outside Ireland (if you do ).

1huge1

not so sure about this 6280 dosnt look amazing
does it have anything that the 6680 dosnt?

Cabaal

1huge1 wrote:

not so sure about this 6280 dosnt look amazing
does it have anything that the 6680 dosnt?

Not had a good look at it, but a 2MP camera instead of a 1.3MP like the 6680
thats just for starters

Jam Man

2 megapixel camera?

Jam Man

Dellas wrote:

The text issue is with VF and O2!!!! My collegue got my text loads of times on O2 and got fed up with it she turned phone off!!!!

The O2 one has been sorted now........so I heard

I've been with 3 for a couple of months now
From my experience...
In Ireland
coverage is excelent.
Customer service is excelent.

International Roaming is crap but , I can use a meteor pre pay for that

Cabaal

Jam Man wrote:

2 megapixel camera?

Yep according to the Nokia website anyway, basically its the same as the N70 although the N80 has a 3 Megapixel camera.
IF your getting a phone with a camera you might as well get a good one

Ajnag

Whats the deal with web browsing on 3, Ive looked round and havent seen any mention on there site or pricing plan. They dont seem to have price's per mb.

BrianD

Three don't allow you browse beyond their 'walled garden' of content. They have content available and some of it is free e.g. RTE News but it would be great to be able to browse beyond it.

Cabaal

BrianD wrote:

Three don't allow you browse beyond their 'walled garden' of content. They have content available and some of it is free e.g. RTE News but it would be great to be able to browse beyond it.

In the UK they allow you to buy a add-on to allow internet browsing but I hear thats also limited.
as well as the walled garden setup, the only e-mail setup you can use with them is threemail so don't put hopes on setting up your home e-mail account on your phone.

I'd have to certainly say these things are down sides

Ajnag

Ouch, that kind of demeans the point in having a 3g phone.....
Tho data prices with the others are a joke as well. Pity I was looking forward to browsing via bluetooth on my pda.

Cabaal

I see no loss in fairness, because the data prices are insane with the other providers its not like your going to really use it
But since I'm going for a provider I might as well go for one that offers decent value and sure if I get free streaming RTE news out of it, then better still

plonk

Ive been with 3 since august no problems at first
but people are trying to ring me and cant get through id have full signal
ive carried out experiments and one of my mates would ring me standing right beside me and it still wouldnt work
also the multiple text thing it happens ALOT

1huge1

i was going to join them at x mass but that was only if they had released the N70 (or was it the N90) by then but that seems unlikely now so i guess ill have to wait