O2 Ireland prices versus O2 UK, why are we paying WAY more?

Ghandee

Has anyone else noticed that the deals the guys in the UK and the North get way better price plans/cheaper phones than we get offered here?

My phone bills are usually between the 200-300 a month (work phone) and am nearly always entitled to a platinum upgrade each year. O2 still want me to pay 149 for the iphone4 lol!

Firstly, I don't expect to be treated differently than anyone else, I understand we are all equally as important, but when I pay a company more on monthly bills than I pay for car finance in a year, you'd think their would be some slack cut!

Also, the talk and text bundles we get offered in Ireland are pure pants compared to O2 UKs offers.

Take this deal for example;

O2 Irelands deal.

O2 Clear 600 price per month,€75.00. inclusive
mins 600, texts 250

O2 UK;
For 30 quid a month, 600 mins talk time, UNLIMITED texts???? And UNLIMITED O2-o2 calls.

Now, I know some of you lot are going to play the old '2 different companies card'

O2 Ireland and O2 UK are owned and operated by Telefonica, a Spanish company. NOT two different companies, as they would like you to believe when you question their billing policies here. Tescos get jumped on each and everytime we spot a mad price difference here vs their Uk counterparts? Why are we letting O2 away with it? Why, as two European Union member countries are we paying WAY more than the guys in the Uk?

Remind O2 of their blatant overcharging in Ireland the next time your on hold for five mins to get through to customer care!

UK
http://shop.o2.co.uk/tariffs/24_months

Rip off Ireland
http://www.o2online.ie/shop/plans/

ted1

the network here has a way less people. So its all to do with volume. We've the population of about a half of london but a much bigger area which needs to be covered. So basically it's to do with the costs of providing infastructure that gets less use.

Ghandee

Like for like contracts (18 months)
£35 for 600 mins, unlimited texts and o2-o2 calls. As I just know, someone will take great delight in pointing out my original prices are for 24 months.

http://shop.o2.co.uk/tariffs/18_months

Ghandee

ted1 wrote: »

the network here has a way less people. So its all to do with volume. We've the population of about a half of london but a much bigger area which needs to be covered. So basically it's to do with the costs of providing infastructure that gets less use.

As previously said though, they are the same companies. Their isn't even a body of water separating the network here and the one in the north! Donegal/Derry and Newry Dundalk how far apart can these masts be? Also unfortunate folk living in these areas must pay dearly in roaming charges when the 'stray' into the other carriers network (o2 Uk and O2 Irl) despite the fact the two are owned and operated by Telefonica!! (anyone else smell a rat?)
I can't see why they can't offer Irish And Uk customers similar deals, considering we have two different networks on the one small island.

Marks and Spencers, Tescos, Next, SKY are just a few companies operating both here and in the UK, yet O2 are the one company that has such HUGE price differences.

Stinks of a rip off IMHO

Their riding us in Ireland, riding us hard!

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

91011

UK = 62million people
Area = 94000 sq miles
660 people per square mile


Ireland = 4.4 million people
Area = 26600 sq miles
165 people per square mile.

For absolutely anything that needs full geographic coverage such as communications systems, the UK will ALWAYS be much cheaper for the very simple reason that population density = lower cost per mast.

Exact same way if you were purchasing 100 cans of coke or 500 cans of coke - you would expect a betetr price for the larger quantity.

91011

Gucky wrote: »

My phone bills are usually between the 200-300 a month (work phone)

Whoever has you on this plan is an eejit. - O" have a plan that costs a maximum of €99 per user no matter how many calls you make to irish landlines & mibiles (all networks)


http://www.o2online.ie/wps/wcm/connect/O2/Home/Business/Price+Plans/O2+Release+Edge/

Ghandee

91011 wrote: »

Whoever has you on this plan is an eejit. - O" have a plan that costs a maximum of €99 per user no matter how many calls you make to irish landlines & mibiles (all networks)


http://www.o2online.ie/wps/wcm/connect/O2/Home/Business/Price+Plans/O2+Release+Edge/

Yeah, I'm on this exact plan!
Don't let it fool you though, it's 99€ plus Vat so, let's say for arguments sake this comes to 125€, then I have to pay extra for each call made to the UK landlines, calls to UK mobiles, and texts are extra too, put in top of that a data plan, and phone insurance, doesn't take much to put it up over the 200 odd euro.

My other point is, as O2 Uk and O2 Ireland are one in the same company, and as their operating separately on such a small Island, is it really fair to hammer us with roaming charges even if (let's face it, it is) o2 Ireland are charging us a small fortune to use O2 as a carrier in the north!

Are you guys really telling me that O2 doesn't have an agreement with each other either side of the border?

Same goes for offering us discounts?

Why do the Tescos, Argos's etc of Ireland constantly be dragged through rip off Ireland for not offering us the same deals as they offer in the UK, yet when we point out O2 doing the exact same thing, the answer is always the same. Population here v the Uk, prices here v the UK, two different companies etc etc.

Tesco Ireland isn't the same company as Tesco UK. Yet people dontheir utmost to point out how theirs virtually no price differences, 91011 you have done this yourself in the past.

No man in Ireland will convince me that Telefonica (as their parent company) are unable to offer us the same deals as they offer O2s customers in the North or in the UK.

It stinks of price fixing and it stinks of a rip off!

Monkey61

Just one thing I will point out about O2 in Ireland (haven't lived in Ireland in 2 years so it may have changed though) as opposed to the UK.

When you buy a pay as you go simcard in Ireland it generally comes with tonnes of free credit?? We used to buy them in work for a tenner and get 90 quid free credit. There's none of that in the UK. I was laughed out of the O2 shop when I went to buy a simcard and asked how much free credit I would get!

So bonus points for Ireland on that one.

I don't know about bill phones...but I would echo the fact that I presume they charge what people are willing to pay. Living in the UK I take it for granted that everything (except for my rent) will be cheaper because my wages are much lower than they would be in Dublin.

Ghandee

Captain Morgan wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Yeah, I have questioned O2 on why Meteor can offer this plan, but they have nothing close to it (UNLESS your registered for business here)

My reply was, a rather childish 'they're not as good a network as we are" lol!

Meteors plan would suit me perfectly, but am tied in until atleast June2011, and the last I enquired they didn't count 048 Numbers (the north) as Irish landlines (o2 do however).

I'm from the north originally, So call home quite a bit, and 50% of my business is conducted up north, so be on the phone to head office quite a bit also.

It's really frustrating to be honest, as soon as you think you've spotted a loophole to lower your bill (even with a different carrier) another barrier appears and your back at square one!

Ghandee

Monkey61 wrote: »

When you buy a pay as you go simcard in Ireland it generally comes with tonnes of free credit?? We used to buy them in work for a tenner and get 90 quid free credit. There's none of that in the UK. I was laughed out of the O2 shop when I went to buy a simcard and asked how much free credit I would get!

I think this free credit was given to you on a basis of (not 100% sure) but like 20 a month over five months on the condition you had topped up by a certain amount each month.

Monkey61 wrote: »

I don't know about bill phones...but I would echo the fact that I presume they charge what people are willing to pay..

I mean its not like I, or most of us Irish are 'willing' to pay it, but what choice have we got? We need mobile phones, the mobile phone companies know this, and as a result we get shafted.

We cant exactly run up north on a Saturday or Sunday to use our mobiles like we would head up to do our Sainsburys/Tescos etc weekly or monthly shop!

worldclass

I could be way off here but if the following is correct regarding population density:

UK = 62million people
Area = 94000 sq miles
660 people per square mile


Ireland = 4.4 million people
Area = 26600 sq miles
165 people per square mile.

Well then it technically should be CRAZY expensive for mobile plans in the USA with:

USA = 307,006,550 million people
Area = 3790000 million sq miles
0.012 people per square mile.

Now I understand that geographically countries will vary when it comes to population density but this explanation seems too simplistic. I'd say there's more to it. I lived in the USA and it was ridiculous how cheap my mobile plan was.

Ghandee

Captain Morgan wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Is their any boards members out there on this plan?
If so, how are Meteor as a carrier?
Customer service?
Coverage?
And lastly, do you know if landlines include 048 numbers (these are numbers in the north)

Any opinions may help my decision enormously as to wether or not I 'buy' myself out of my contract with O2.

Thanks

Ghandee

worldclass wrote: »

I could be way off here but if the following is correct regarding population density:



Well then it technically should be CRAZY expensive for mobile plans in the USA with:

USA = 307,006,550 million people
Area = 3790000 million sq miles
0.012 people per square mile.

Now I understand that geographically countries will vary when it comes to population density but this explanation seems too simplistic. I'd say there's more to it. I lived in the USA and it was ridiculous how cheap my mobile plan was.

Same here for when I lived in Austraila.
Waaaaay bigger(area) than the UK, and they have an approx population of 20 million, so 1/3 less than the UK. yet on Vodafone Red a fifty AUS dollar top up lasted me nearly 1 month, and believe you me, I give that phone some use!

Monkey61

Gucky wrote: »

I think this free credit was given to you on a basis of (not 100% sure) but like 20 a month over five months on the condition you had topped up by a certain amount each month.

Nope it was just free! I remember this because it was during my year of living frugally and only sending internet texts and infuriating my girlfriend. I think I managed to go for 18 months without topping up my phone...or something ludicrous like that! I ended up moving in the middle of one of those free credit periods, had the simcard out, came back to Dublin on holidays 6 months later and had 50 euro credit waiting for me...that was a nice surprise!

Atlantic Dawn

How much did O2 pay for their license here as opposed to the UK? I think that quality chap Michael "thanks for the house extension Dunnes Stores" Lowry was giving out the licenses at the time.

Ghandee

Well I have decided to give O2 the old brush aside and am off to three.ie!

They have offered me the following plan:

Free Samsung Galaxy s

€95 a month including vat gets unlimited calls and texts to any network and land lines in Ireland (including northern land lines with 048 as prefix)
But also, 5000 yes, five THOUSAND landlines and UK mobiles mins for free.
Free texts to European mobiles
No roaming charges to answer or make calls whilst in the Uk.

Tecnichally my bills should be halved now based on the freebies included here.

Not many folk giving out about threes network coverage anymore, heard some folk whinging about Indian call centres (who cares when theirs a Waterford office opening)
If I have many probs in the first month I can use my cooling off period to keep o2.

Everyone happy!

91011

worldclass wrote: »

I could be way off here but if the following is correct regarding population density:



Well then it technically should be CRAZY expensive for mobile plans in the USA with:

USA = 307,006,550 million people
Area = 3790000 million sq miles
0.012 people per square mile.

Now I understand that geographically countries will vary when it comes to population density but this explanation seems too simplistic. I'd say there's more to it. I lived in the USA and it was ridiculous how cheap my mobile plan was.

Ever tried to get mobile coverage in the middle of desert or in colorado mountains?? - Coverage outside population areas in usa is almost non existent

natterjack

Maybe thats why they don't want us reading our bills.

ComReg seems to be waking up now says they need our prior explicit agreement before going to paperless bills. Must mean I have to agree in advance fair enough. 02 sending texts saying opposite and leaflet in bill.

02 says everyone shifting but in Sunday Busines Post says +65s and -18s will still get bills.

Need clear message from 02 and ComReg!!!!!!

Ghandee

natterjack wrote: »

Maybe thats why they don't want us reading our bills.

ComReg seems to be waking up now says they need our prior explicit agreement before going to paperless bills. Must mean I have to agree in advance fair enough. 02 sending texts saying opposite and leaflet in bill.

02 says everyone shifting but in Sunday Busines Post says +65s and -18s will still get bills.

Need clear message from 02 and ComReg!!!!!!

Couldn't agree more!
My texts said the WERE changing my bills to paperless, and I had to contact THEM if it didn't suit!

DOC09UNAM

worldclass wrote: »

I could be way off here but if the following is correct regarding population density:



Well then it technically should be CRAZY expensive for mobile plans in the USA with:

USA = 307,006,550 million people
Area = 3790000 million sq miles
0.012 people per square mile.

Now I understand that geographically countries will vary when it comes to population density but this explanation seems too simplistic. I'd say there's more to it. I lived in the USA and it was ridiculous how cheap my mobile plan was.

Your maths are unbelievably off.

That's 81 ppl per sq mile, not 0.012

You're basically saying that for every square mile, there's about a tenth of a tenth of a person there, if this was true, they would have a population of less than 50,000.

falabo

why is it way more ??

because YOU are getting paid WAY MORE than if you were doing the same job in the UK

because rents here are WAY MORE expensive than in the UK

why are rents here way more then in the UK ? because it cost WAY MORE than in the UK as wages ARE WAY MORE

IT'S A VICIOUS CIRCLE ...

Ghandee

falabo wrote: »

why is it way more ??

because YOU are getting paid WAY MORE than if you were doing the same job in the UK

because rents here are WAY MORE expensive than in the UK

why are rents here way more then in the UK ? because it cost WAY MORE than in the UK as wages ARE WAY MORE

IT'S A VICIOUS CIRCLE ...

Lol, nice to see you know so much about me haha!

FYI, I work for a company in the North, and have a STERLING salary (based in Leinster)

So, I am completely miffed as to how you know exactly how much I earn? I get paid in line with my northern based colleagues!

As a closing note, are you another buck mad eejit defending a rip off by a huge global company?

You pay O2 way over the odds if you like! I for one will actively try and do something about it!

keithclancy

Gucky wrote: »

Lol, nice to see you know so much about me haha!

FYI, I work for a company in the North, and have a STERLING salary (based in Leinster)

So, I am completely miffed as to how you know exactly how much I earn? I get paid in line with my northern based colleagues!

As a closing note, are you another buck mad eejit defending a rip off by a huge global company?

You pay O2 way over the odds if you like! I for one will actively try and do something about it!

Cheaper in Ireland than The Netherlands or Germany IMO.
My bill is about twice what it was back in Ireland on Vodafone in NL and T-Mobile in Germany.

CantGetNoSleep

keithclancy wrote: »

Cheaper in Ireland than The Netherlands or Germany IMO.
My bill is about twice what it was back in Ireland on Vodafone in NL and T-Mobile in Germany.

Same for France and Belgium, I used to think Meteor were ripping me off until I got phones in Europe. Have a look on www.orange.fr if you are interested.

Op - you should ask this q in the mobiles/pdas forum, a few o2 customer care people post there

Ghandee

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

Same for France and Belgium, I used to think Meteor were ripping me off until I got phones in Europe. Have a look on www.orange.fr if you are interested.

Op - you should ask this q in the mobiles/pdas forum, a few o2 customer care people post there

Hi there.
Have similar question posted in mobile section (only recently found it) generated quite a lot of inerrest so far, with a fair few of the posters actually vowing to follow suit and leave O2 for three!
Unsurprising enough no o2 customer care folk have bothered to post on the subject!
I'm not surprised that a few folk have defended O2 as per usual, but I really predict a huge number of people jumping ship now that the vast price differences have been highlighted, both by what o2 offer us compared to the uk branch, and how with three we get the unbelievable plans of free uk mobile and land line calls, no roaming to make or receive calls!

As an O2 customer for years, and having my thee phone for a week now, I can assure anyone else pondering the change that reception, data speeds etc are on par if not better than O2s offerings,!

bush Baby

Although I have an O2 mobile, I also have a UK one. I use my UK one for all UK calls and I have the Ireland bolt on (£1.99 per month extra to receive and make calls in Ireland for the same price as if I was in the UK).

Its pay as you go and I might, might spend £20.00 a month on....

Go me!

91011

the new emobile.ie from eircom seems to offer great prices + free land line calls on all plans - I'm sure o2 & vodafone will have to follow at some stage.

wackjob

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2010/1119/1224283708948.html

Good article in the Irish Times about O2 pricing

finnagen

I am scottish and live in ireland, I still use my uk o2 number for friends and family to contact me from uk via their free calls and texts, for this service I pay £1.99 for a Irish bolt on. I don't know if o2 Ireland do same sort of thing. I was also told that they were 2 separate companies, thing is I worked for o2 back in the uk a few years ago and I know they are one in the same, anyone with half a brain would know that too considering they have same logo's etc, just seems that the treats system took a while to reach Ireland. I put £10 a month in my uk fone and I get 300 free texts for that month, if i put £15 or more in I get unlimited free texts that I can't use from Ireland to UK, so they go unused every month! to top it all I used to be able to top my UK fone up over here but that was stopped, I now have to get a family member to do it from UK each month!.... It would be much simpler if they provided these services from Ireland to UK, I understand it is a bit more costly here, but why after we pay this extra can't they just let us use the free services we get between both countries, after all there is only a border between Northern Ireland and Republic and Northern Ireland reap these benefits! At end of the day if they did this then more people in ireland would switch, the end would justify the means!

keithclancy

finnagen wrote: »

I am scottish and live in ireland, I still use my uk o2 number for friends and family to contact me from uk via their free calls and texts, for this service I pay £1.99 for a Irish bolt on. I don't know if o2 Ireland do same sort of thing. I was also told that they were 2 separate companies, thing is I worked for o2 back in the uk a few years ago and I know they are one in the same, anyone with half a brain would know that too considering they have same logo's etc, just seems that the treats system took a while to reach Ireland. I put £10 a month in my uk fone and I get 300 free texts for that month, if i put £15 or more in I get unlimited free texts that I can't use from Ireland to UK, so they go unused every month! to top it all I used to be able to top my UK fone up over here but that was stopped, I now have to get a family member to do it from UK each month!.... It would be much simpler if they provided these services from Ireland to UK, I understand it is a bit more costly here, but why after we pay this extra can't they just let us use the free services we get between both countries, after all there is only a border between Northern Ireland and Republic and Northern Ireland reap these benefits! At end of the day if they did this then more people in ireland would switch, the end would justify the means!

Yeh deffo it sucks, I drive from the Netherlands to Germany in the morning to Work. Pay full roam fees on my German phone when at home and vice versa in Germany with my Dutch phone. So now I just have vodafone passport and my g/f only rings me on my Dutch number so its 79c flat for the call.

T-Mobile are a total ripoff even though you roam with T-Mobile Netherlands.

Its not just Ireland you know, its everywhere that this is the case.