Mobile phone advice

[Cheesy Mike]

Background: Mrs Cheesy has a crappy old phone which is on its last legs. Little Miss Cheesy doesn't have a mobile phone at all. Little Miss Cheesy's best friend has a phone on O2 (so that's who most of her calls or texts will most likely be with). Mrs B never calls anyone, never turns her frigging phone on, never leaves it charged etc etc. My phone is a corporate supplied Vodafone so I don't care what it costs me to phone them. T-Mobile is crap in our village so both them and Virgin and BT Mobile are out. That leaves O2, Vodafone or Orange.

I guess what I'm looking for is the cheapest possible deal to supply a pair of handsents on the same network with a sensibly (i.e. low) priced bundle of cross network minutes. One option for my daughter is an O2 pay as you go but I'm flexible.

Any mobile experts here? Anyone able to recommend a good and cheap and reputable mobile supplier?

Mike

 

[Cheesy Mike]

So you guys know lots about bikes but feck all about mobile phones. But that's OK, I still like you and besides I did a bit of research myself. So just in case you are interested:

Orange to a value tarrif that costs £15/month with a free phone. So total 1 year ownership is £360 for 2 phones.
Advantage: Each phone has its own separate minutes and text allowance (120mins/30text)
Disadvantage: Orange have pikey style customer service.

BT Mobile, who I had previously discounted, now use Vodafone as their backbone. They do a £25/month tarrif on the first free phone (discounted to £4.99 for the first 6 months) then £19.99 for the second phone plus £10/month. Sounds complicated but the 1 year ownership for 2 phones is only £319. BT have reasonable customer service.
Advantage: lower costs, reasonable BT customer service, unused minutes and texts carried over maximum of 1 month. Unlimited free quicky 2 minute phone calls home.
Disadvantage: shared talk plan between both phones (100mins/50text)

Carphone Whorehouse, Phones4U etc can't come near these deals. So it looks like BT Mobile is a definite possibility.

Mike

 

[Bikergary]

Just a word of Warning... VAT!

I took out an Orange Contract for £25 as it worked out about right for me,

But when I get the first bill through, I discover that £25 does not include VAT, so it's more like £30 a month.

I doubt Orange are the only ones who do this, it pieved me off a bit, but it's still works out OK ish for what I use, but just be aware when you sit and try and work it out.

 

[Fanum]

Mike...I know this won't be a particularly pleasant thing to do, but go and buy a chavrag tommorrow...the Sun will do nicely.

Every other page seems to be a full spread of mobile phone offers......and from what i've seen in my brief yet common visits to the chinese takeaway where I flick through the aforementioned rag, the deals appear to be pretty good.

I did a load of looking about before I got my latest contract in October, and the week after i was kicking myself when I saw some of these ads.....but do read the small print obviously, I was just looking at the big headline offers.

 

[Deleted Member I]

Pay as you go ...

Mike,

If you are thinking of Pay as you Go ... I may be able to help you out.

Maybe able to sort you out with Sims and phone. PM me if you are interested.

T.

 

[(RIP) Shenzi]

Mike,

With kids it has to be 'Pay as you go' or another mortgage, listen to a T Shirt wearer! A reformed T Shirt wearer I might add.

 

[Barrie]

mobile phones

Hi Cheesy Mike,
I am afraid to tell you that "Cheap and Good" do not go together, there are warehouses full of cheap, that is easy, but good you have to pay for.
Try to get BT on the phone, ask advise from Carphone etc. not easy.
I would advise you speak to fellow GS rider MAX at Direct Communications 020 8560 6161. Ask an expert, get the right answer but do not expect cheap.
good luck ,
Barrie.

 

[split28]

Never had a problem with Orange especially when your trying to get through to them.

Recently some scumbo knicked my identity and bought 3 pairs of mobile phones, £2,500 loan from Dixons and a store card from JB Sports!

O2 - 20 mins waiting time before I even spoke to anyone!

3G - 25 mins put through to India told they had not had that problem before implying I was lying! I asked to speak to their fraud dept " oh we don't have one I'll sort it"

Had to call on 3 different occasions and I'm still receiving bills for the phones!

The scumbag was using my name at my mothers address... I haven't been at the house in 5 years!

To add insult to injury 3G have let the bast@rds use a different persons name at my mums address even though the address now has a fraud warning against it so when people try and get credit from there they have to answer a password!

I'll stick with Orange where I speak to a representative straight away!

 

[BBB61]

Agree with the comments about Orange customer service. They have a call centre based in the Newcastle area. Their reps are friendly and helpful and they know their stuff.

As for the phone, try a company called Dialaphone (www.dialaphone.com). I just got a Sony Ericsson from them (its on a T-mobile package so no use to you Mike) with a years free line rental. They have some good deals going on most networks.

Bob

 

[littleredrooster]

Before you do anything, check out the O2 website for deals. I was just about to sign up for a new contract phone to replace the crappy T-Mobile thing (which didn't work anywhere) when I checked the website. Almost all of the deals on there gave double the amount of free cross-network minutes compared to anything available on the High Street or in magazine adverts. Better phone, too. I ended up with 100 anytime cross-network minutes + Motorola V600 for about £18/month. Extra handsets can be had, I believe.