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Vodafone Red 30 Day plan €30 being retired - options?

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  • 22-06-2021 9:27pm
    #1
    pathogan2008
    Registered Users Posts: 109 ✭✭


    Out of the blue, I got the following text from Vodafone today:

    "CONTRACT CHANGE: Your current mobile plan is being retired and will no longer be available. As a result, you may withdraw from your contract without penalty any time before 22/07/21 by following the directions in this link: https://n.vodafone.ie/aboutus/customer-notifications.html. If you do not withdraw you will be moved to a new plan between 22/07/21 & 04/08/2021. From this date the price of your plan will go up and your allowance will change. Your new plan will be Red Unlimited 30 Day for €35 per month. This change will happen between 22/07/21 & 04/08/2021 and will be reflected in your subsequent bills.

    I was quite happy with the cost and the features of the old plan.
    Can they just do this? It looks like they are just trying to gouge me for an extra €5 per month. It doesn't sound like much, but it's 60 euro per year.

    Can I fight this? Is anyone else in the same situation?
    What are my options?

    PH


Comments

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    #2
    Idleater
    Registered Users Posts: 6,236 ✭✭✭Idleater


    If you have no particular reason for staying on Vodafone there are cheaper sim only plans out there. If you want to stay on the Vodafone network with a reduction in bandwidth you can look at clear.


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    #3
    cornflake1
    Registered Users Posts: 225 ✭✭cornflake1


    I got this text too. Gonna switch to one of the SIM free providers. I have been meaning to do it for ages.


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    #4
    KildareP
    Registered Users Posts: 1,488 ✭✭✭KildareP


    pathogan2008 wrote: »
    Out of the blue, I got the following text from Vodafone today:

    "CONTRACT CHANGE: Your current mobile plan is being retired and will no longer be available. As a result, you may withdraw from your contract without penalty any time before 22/07/21 by following the directions in this link: https://n.vodafone.ie/aboutus/customer-notifications.html. If you do not withdraw you will be moved to a new plan between 22/07/21 & 04/08/2021. From this date the price of your plan will go up and your allowance will change. Your new plan will be Red Unlimited 30 Day for €35 per month. This change will happen between 22/07/21 & 04/08/2021 and will be reflected in your subsequent bills.

    I was quite happy with the cost and the features of the old plan.
    Can they just do this? It looks like they are just trying to gouge me for an extra €5 per month. It doesn't sound like much, but it's 60 euro per year.

    Can I fight this? Is anyone else in the same situation?
    What are my options?

    PH
    Accept the new plan or shop around are your only options.
    I'd be shopping around as there's far better value out there to be had.

    As for fighting it, they are under no obligation to continue to sell you any product now or into the future. At best, if you were still in a contract, they'd have to allow you exit that penalty free but since it's a 30 Day plan they have no obligation to you outside of the 30 Day notice you received from them that the plan is no longer available.


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    #5
    TheDriver
    Registered Users Posts: 12,517 ✭✭✭✭TheDriver


    Idleater wrote: »
    If you have no particular reason for staying on Vodafone there are cheaper sim only plans out there. If you want to stay on the Vodafone network with a reduction in bandwidth you can look at clear.

    Or PostMobile.


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    #6
    pathogan2008
    Registered Users Posts: 109 ✭✭pathogan2008


    Thanks for the replies.

    I've been with Vodafone / Eircell since around 1996 (088 era!)

    To be fair, where I live, the 4G data coverage is fast and reliable.
    When I travel to rural parts of the country, the coverage on Vodafone seems to be the best of the bunch also.

    So I'd prefer to stick with VF, or a provider that uses their network.

    I hadn't thought about speeds before.
    I just ran a speed test on my phone and I'm getting 70 Mbps down and 10 Mbps up.
    A downgrade to a slower throttled connection might not be palatable.

    I'll take a look at Vodafone's plans, and Clear.

    I only need a sim-only plan.
    A handful of texts per month
    Free national landline and mobile calls
    The ability to add roaming to UK occasionally
    The ability to add roaming to US occasionally
    5-6GB of data per month - maybe up to 8GB occasionally

    If anyone has a plan that does all this, I'd be very interested.

    Thanks.
    PH


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    #7
    Ten Pin
    Registered Users Posts: 2,836 ✭✭✭Ten Pin


    I've been with Vodafone / Eircell since around 1996 (088 era!)

    This is how ISPs operate...raise the price for loyal customers as they know they are unlikely to leave.

    A downgrade to a slower throttled connection might not be palatable.

    VFs speed caps are the only reason they have good service, they used to achieve it with miserly data allowances. Having said that 10Mbps is OK for most apps so you might not even notice any change in service.
    I'll take a look at Vodafone's plans, and Clear.

    Clear has a cap of 5Mbps.
    I only need a sim-only plan.
    A handful of texts per month
    Free national landline and mobile calls
    The ability to add roaming to UK occasionally
    The ability to add roaming to US occasionally
    5-6GB of data per month - maybe up to 8GB occasionally

    Vodafone Pay as you go Chat Extra plan has all that without any speed cap....

    €20 per 28 days
    All calls
    All text
    10GB data
    https://n.vodafone.ie/shop/pay-as-you-go-plans.html

    Post Mobile
    €15 per month
    All calls
    All text
    50GB data
    https://www.anpost.com/Mobile
    The ability to add roaming to US occasionally
    US roaming is probably more cost efficient with a travel SIM.


  • Options
    #8
    pathogan2008
    Registered Users Posts: 109 ✭✭pathogan2008


    Ten Pin wrote: »
    This is how ISPs operate...raise the price for loyal customers as they know they are unlikely to leave.

    VFs speed caps are the only reason they have good service, they used to achieve it with miserly data allowances. Having said that 10Mbps is OK for most apps so you might not even notice any change in service.


    Vodafone Pay as you go Chat Extra plan has all that without any speed cap....

    €20 per 28 days
    All calls
    All text
    10GB data
    https://n.vodafone.ie/shop/pay-as-you-go-plans.html

    Post Mobile
    €15 per month
    All calls
    All text
    50GB data
    https://www.anpost.com/Mobile


    US roaming is probably more cost efficient with a travel SIM.

    All good points, Ten Pin.
    Would I need a new sim card, if I switch to Post Mobile?

    For the VF chat extra - you have to top up every 4 weeks.
    Pardon my ignorance, I've never had a PAYG phone, I've been paying by direct debit since 1996, but is there a way of automatically topping up - I'd rather not have the hassle of having to buy and apply credit every 28 days.

    Are there any other useful features that you loose by switching to PAYG from a 30-day contract type account?

    PH


  • Options
    #9
    Ten Pin
    Registered Users Posts: 2,836 ✭✭✭Ten Pin


    Would I need a new sim card, if I switch to Post Mobile?
    Yes. IMO it's always better to try out a new provider for a week before porting. First month with PM is free so you can try it out with a new number and then port afterwards.
    ...is there a way of automatically topping up - I'd rather not have the hassle of having to buy and apply credit every 28 days.

    Yes, set auto top up with a debit card, both VF and PM have this option.
    Are there any other useful features that you lose by switching to PAYG from a 30-day contract type account?

    WiFi calling isn't available on PAYG plans, that would only be an issue in a location with poor signal.

    If your phone was bought from Vodafone, get an unlock code from them before switching to another plan / provider. PM SIM will probably work in a VF locked phone but better to have it unlocked anyway.


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