Vodafone or 3?

On Vodafone, thinking of changing to 3. Just for mobile phone, not some broadband package or anything. Seems their tariffs are more suitable for my use - which is about a milion texts a week and no phone calls. Anything I should know about? Don't want to change and find out coverage is crap or anything.

bd250110

The coverage you notice should be identical to Vodafone. Where the 3 3G network is not available you will roam on Vodafone, still at 3 rates & T&C. If you do use the Internet on your phone, you should notice better 3G coverage, the 3 network is larger than Vodafones 3G network.

The only thing you need to watch for is that your handset MUST have 3G capability to use the 3 network. They will suspend service otherwise. It's not a problem if you are planning on a new phone anyway.

My experience with 3 has been really good. I find the coverage great and the priceplan suits me perfectly. customer care is based in India, so you will have to tolerate everything being done from a script, but be patient and things will happen.

Great thanks. Will have to get a new phone anyway, so that's part of the reason I'm changing. On my current vodafone contract I don't get any upgrade. Only thing is after 10 years with vodafone I don't think I've ever called customer care at all. Do you mind me asking why you needed that service with 3?

ct5amr2ig1nfhp

Happy 3Ireland customer here.

Coverage good, priceplan good, 3 Like Home roaming good, 333 webtexts good (although there not international webtexts - boo!)

If you do plan on moving, make sure your price plans suits your needs.
I'd also recommend you pick up a free SIM and make sure the area's where you frequent have good enough coverage (Edit: if you can get a lend of a 3G phone).

Skalragg

I use iphone on 3 network and am happy with coverage and 3g connection altough it drops now and again, I've managed to pick up low speed 3g connection even when in the middle of countryside which is handy

vodafone are a rip off, I'd advise moving

Redders825

Hi all,

Im in the same boat as the OP, Vodafone and O2 are just too expensive for smart phones and i was looking to get the HTC Desire HD or the iPhone 4.

Is there a quick and easy way to check you flexi-units during the month?

I will be living in Sligo, anyone any idea what the reception would be like there? Ive been on meteor and found it terrible.

Thanks

Delboy5

Can anyone explain a bit more about 3 Like Home roaming ?!

If i sign up to a contract that gives me 350 units and 2Gb will my units & data just be deducted as normal even when i roam on the 3Uk network ?! Is there no additional charges ?

As i live on the border i would be frequently on the northern side, on my current Meteor contract i get charged extra for sending roaming texts and voice calls......

Also on meteor as roaming data is extremely expensive i generally turn data off when north..........

bd250110

OP: I have only called CC when I lost my phone and needed a new SIM activated, I had no problem. I'm not the type to ring customer care every other day, but some people are. It's the only recurrent issue I have seen people complain about with 3, so just thought it was best to mention it!

3 like home means that whenever you are on a 3 network you are billed as if you were on 3-IRL. There are no extra charges for phone/text/video calls to Ireland. Rates to local numbers reflect standard international rates to that country from Ireland. So, if in the UK, up to half your units can be used for voice calls to UK numebrs (but not Texts). Data is also included when roaming.
Countries include
- UK
- Denmark & Sweeden
- Austria
- Italy
- Hong Kong
- Australia

Walkman

Redders825 wrote: »

Is there a quick and easy way to check you flexi-units during the month?
Thanks

You can access you account through My3 on your phone. This will tell you how much flexi units, data and free add on allowances you have left. Really handy as your allowances are deducted in real time so you'll always be sure exactly how much you've left.

Heard some bad stories about 3, incl one about someone who got a phone from them too. Phone keeps powering off. Texts regularly come in bunches hours or even days after they are sent. For me, that would be the real nightmare, seeing as most of my texts are the inane 'see you in pub in 5 mins' variety.

Would live with customer services being crap, seeing as I won't be getting broadband. For me, the clincher is can texts be sent and received promptly. If not, then its no go, and judging by the sound of their customer services the worst of all worlds would be to have a problem with texts and try and get them onto it.

h57xiucj2z946q

Delboy5 wrote: »

Can anyone explain a bit more about 3 Like Home roaming ?!

If i sign up to a contract that gives me 350 units and 2Gb will my units & data just be deducted as normal even when i roam on the 3Uk network ?! Is there no additional charges ?

As i live on the border i would be frequently on the northern side, on my current Meteor contract i get charged extra for sending roaming texts and voice calls......

Also on meteor as roaming data is extremely expensive i generally turn data off when north..........

I was roaming in UK and Sweden on the 3 network, just make sure to lock your phone to the 3 network. cals/texts/data all same rates as home.

drunkmonkey

Deleted User wrote: »

Heard some bad stories about 3, incl one about someone who got a phone from them too. Phone keeps powering off.

That could happen on any network, that's a phone fault nothing got to do with 3.

Walkman

Never had a problem sending or receiving texts on time

Mimikyu

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drunkmonkey

Captain Morgan wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

It's a common problem with people who don't know one end of a phone from the other across all networks. No disrespect to your relative:p

It's not a common problem on 3.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

drunkmonkey

drunkmonkey wrote: »

It's a common problem with people who don't know one end of a phone from the other across all networks. No disrespect to your relative:p

Curious about this too, as it's a problem I've heard from various people at various times who just press 'send' when they finish their text. I didn't know there was some function or way of improving the speed at which they were sent or received once that send button is pressed.

dskenny

Deleted User wrote: »

On Vodafone, thinking of changing to 3. Just for mobile phone, not some broadband package or anything. Seems their tariffs are more suitable for my use - which is about a milion texts a week and no phone calls. Anything I should know about? Don't want to change and find out coverage is crap or anything.

Hello Conor. IMHO, I would avoid Three at all costs. The plans, phones and deals look great, but their coverage is really random, cutting out in some buildings when everyone else can make calls no problem. Coverage roaming is pretty hopeless. However, their customer service is without question, the WORST I hae ever experienced, anywhere, bar none. The india call centers are just useless, repeating same things, saying they will call you back and they never do. The 'executive office' to whom they escalate any issues are even worse. Seriously, I would recommend just ruling out THREE, becuase if anything goes wrong, which it will, you will be subjecting yourself to an level of torment that with absolutely boggle your mind. Asking for explainations of billing amounts is enough to make you need medical care for the level of frustration you will end up with.

Ghandee

dskenny wrote: »

Hello Conor. IMHO, I would avoid Three at all costs. The plans, phones and deals look great, but their coverage is really random, cutting out in some buildings when everyone else can make calls no problem. Coverage roaming is pretty hopeless. However, their customer service is without question, the WORST I hae ever experienced, anywhere, bar none. The india call centers are just useless, repeating same things, saying they will call you back and they never do. The 'executive office' to whom they escalate any issues are even worse. Seriously, I would recommend just ruling out THREE, becuase if anything goes wrong, which it will, you will be subjecting yourself to an level of torment that with absolutely boggle your mind. Asking for explainations of billing amounts is enough to make you need medical care for the level of frustration you will end up with.

Bullshiit.

Do you work for O2 btw?:rolleyes:

Abelloid

Ghandee wrote: »

Bullshiit.

Do you work for O2 btw?:rolleyes:

Some areas are pretty bad, I can testify to that.

flipall

JustinOval wrote: »

Some areas are pretty bad, I can testify to that.

Are these areas by any chance that you would have zero coverage on anything?! Coverage should never be an issue with 3 unless its a handset fault.

Abelloid

flipall wrote: »

Are these areas by any chance that you would have zero coverage on anything?! Coverage should never be an issue with 3 unless its a handset fault.

Nope. I didn't have as many issues with Meteor and Vodafone.
My problem is weak 3G signal from Three passing me over to really poor 2G from Vodafone.

Davy

flipall wrote: »

Are these areas by any chance that you would have zero coverage on anything?! Coverage should never be an issue with 3 unless its a handset fault.

How can you be so certain of this

Ghandee

If you have Vodafone coverage, then you have 3 Ireland coverage too.
Same goes for when you are out of threes 3G coverage, but in range of vodafones 2g, your handset should automatically pick up vodafone signal as the two networks have an agreement between them.

dskenny

Not true. The 3G Three signal persists until the call quality is utterly hopeless, and then it disconnects you. You can then make a new call in the Codafone 2G network. the coverage on Three is really quite poor, even in areas other carriers including vodafone have perfectly satisfactory signals. This is even in Dublin 6, we aren't talking about the middle of nowhere.

smcnena

I moved from Vodafone a few years ago to 3. They are way cheaper...........vodafone are a complete rip off. I have no more issues with the network then vodafone or 02 users.

Mad_Mike

dskenny wrote: »

the coverage on Three is really quite poor, even in areas other carriers including vodafone have perfectly satisfactory signals. This is even in Dublin 6, we aren't talking about the middle of nowhere.

As a new user on 3, I have to agree with this. Their coverage is very patchy. Most of the time it's usable, but I joined them after using O2 for years, and it's definitely a step back a few years. With O2 it would be VERY unusual if I lost signal. With 3, it becomes more of a norm.

In actual fact, I had originally planned to move all my numbers to 3, but after trying out one number, I am still hanging on with O2 for the time being

srsly78

I had no problems with call coverage with 3, however mobile internet was very unreliable even with 5 bars in Dublin City Center. I switched because of this last year. I read people reporting the same symptoms on the 3 forum right now, so I doubt they have fixed anything.

doggy Bear

Ghandee wrote: »

Bullshiit.

Do you work for O2 btw?:rolleyes:

Do you work for Three? (heehee)

doggy Bear

Ghandee wrote: »

Bullshiit.

Do you work for O2 btw?:rolleyes:

Do you work for Three? (heehee)

Since moving from Vodafone (bill pay) to Three (pay as you go), here is what I have discovered:

In a holiday cottage in Doonbeg, Co Clare, my Three phone couldn't catch a signal to make any phone calls, let alone any kind of data streaming. However, my wife's Vodafone phone had very little problem, in the same place at the same time.

In the city (Northside Dublin), my Three phone gets no signal at the front of the house so I have to go to the backyard for any lengthy conversation. My wife's Vodafone phone has low to medium signal in the front of the house.

I am sticking with Three for the moment because of the All-You-Can-Eat data for €20 a month. Vodafone's €20 a month plan has a max of 5GB data a month. If push came to shove, I would move back to Vodafone, suffer the lower max data ceiling, but enjoy better coverage.

Hope that helps.

HanaleiJ5N

doggy Bear wrote: »

Do you work for Three? (heehee)

I hope you're not expecting an answer given that the thread is over 5 years old and the user is marked as 'Account Closed'!:o