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Switching from Vodafone to Tesco Mobile or O2?

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  • 27-05-2011 12:00pm
    #1
    MichaelR
    Registered Users Posts: 807 ✭✭✭


    Hello,

    I am with Vodafone since 2007. But in the house where I live at present (Adare region, rural) Vodafone reception is not very good - one has to find a point (or run out of the door) to avoid the conversation breaking up, and sometimes one misses calls too.

    Just for a test, I got free SIM cards from O2 and Meteor. Meteor coverage seems even worse, but O2 seems significantly better.

    Money wise, I like the Tesco Mobile offer, which is on the O2 network. Is it OK to switch to it, or are there any catches I should be aware of? Their main selling points for me are the free calls within Tesco Mobile at a mere 10 Euro a month top-up (compared to 20 for Vodafone and O2) and the international rates.

    Or is switching to O2 proper a better idea?

    Or is there some ultimate reason I should stay on Vodafone? We *are* planning to move our landline to Vodafone because of the download allowances, but apparently we won't gain anything except a brief discount by having both our mobiles and landline on Vodafone?

    (Vodafone's SureSignal offer is of no use for me because neither I nor my wife have 3G handsets. Besides, our broadband is just 2 M down 256K up, and sometimes we use it heavily).


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    #2
    Mimikyu
    Registered Users Posts: 18,919 ✭✭✭✭Mimikyu


    This post has been deleted.


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    #3
    MichaelR
    Registered Users Posts: 807 ✭✭✭MichaelR


    Comparing Golden SIM to Tesco Mobile...

    Free calls: Golden SIM always, Tesco Mobile requires 10 Euro topup. I will need to top up by that amount anyhow, but one can always forget. *BUT* apart from in-family calls, O2's offer has some more value as more random contacts are likely to be on O2 than on Tesco Mobile.

    Calls to other networks: Golden SIM 10c, Tesco Mobile 20c. *BUT* Tesco Mobile has double credit, which evens the score - and then, Tesco Mobile does not have the 9 c setup charge.

    International: Tesco Mobile cheaper. Very significantly cheaper. (Russia is the priority destination for me). However, http://www.1call.ie is available on O2, somewhat compensating for this (Tesco Mobile's way is stil more convenient).

    Data: Tesco Mobile cheaper.

    Customer service: ???

    Phone selecton for upgrade: O2 better. But I'm tempted to go for DealExtreme or TinyDeal anyhow.

    Tesco Mobile seems to be winning on points, but it is not an absolute victory as yet, and I know nothing of customer service.


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    #4
    Mimikyu
    Registered Users Posts: 18,919 ✭✭✭✭Mimikyu


    This post has been deleted.


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    #5
    MichaelR
    Registered Users Posts: 807 ✭✭✭MichaelR


    Oops - no webtexts on Tesco Mobile. That's a bit of a turn off, as I hate typing texts. But on another thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056151979 they say they are working on it.


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    #6
    Mimikyu
    Registered Users Posts: 18,919 ✭✭✭✭Mimikyu


    This post has been deleted.


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    #7
    MichaelR
    Registered Users Posts: 807 ✭✭✭MichaelR


    Thanks for the hint re moving networks. However, once I'm settled on a network I am likely to buy a handset and that is likely to be locked (unless I go for the Chinese websites - DealExtreme/TinyDeal, but there are warranty issues there). I probably need Bluetooth, and also want a QWERTY keyboard. The cheapest QWERTY devices are in fact Vodafone - but coverage takes priority.

    Or is the locking to a network as opposed to an operator? That is, if I get an O2 locked device will it work in Tesco Mobile and vice versa?

    As for international - I definitely need calls as opposed to texts.


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    #8
    Tesco Mobile: Paul
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,357 ✭✭✭Tesco Mobile: Paul


    Hi Michael

    We are a separate network to O2 and phones locked to our network will not work on O2 and vice versa.

    Webtexts is in development and is about 6 weeks away from go live.

    Hope this helps
    Regards
    Paul


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    #9
    MichaelR
    Registered Users Posts: 807 ✭✭✭MichaelR


    A separate network but still on O2 physical network, right?

    I just want to be sure that if we get good O2 coverage this applies to Tesco Mobile.


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    #10
    Mimikyu
    Registered Users Posts: 18,919 ✭✭✭✭Mimikyu


    This post has been deleted.


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    #11
    Tesco Mobile: Paul
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,357 ✭✭✭Tesco Mobile: Paul


    Yes, coverage is the same but our services are different in that we have our own core and service network separate from O2.

    regards
    Paul


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    #12
    MichaelR
    Registered Users Posts: 807 ✭✭✭MichaelR


    After long consideration, O2 wins, because of the Treats and the *much* better choice of new handsets (in both O2 itself and Carphone Warehouse). After all, I have VoIP on my computer for those long international chats, and the O2 rates are acceptable for short ones.

    Now to catch the right time - using up as much remaining Vodafone credit as possible yet not losing the chance to grab the Golden SIM :)

    Boards.ie is great - got answers from reps of both contenders!


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