On OrangeUK, thinking of switching...need advice.

[179202]

hey guys,
I'm a long time reader and poster here, so please don't flame me about the search function.

I'm currently on Orange UK and am using an unlocked iPhone but would love to have one officially (where I didn't have to worry about the next update being delayed due to no jailbreak or worry about hitting update accidently, get visual voicemail etc). My contract is up in July which is around new iPhone launch time.

My contract is currently £40 a month for:
- Unlimited texts
- 600 anytime mins
- 500MB a month (pretty much dont come close to this, so consider it unlimited)
- Free weekend and evening calls
- 5 Magic numbers (you don't pay to call these numbers)

I was wondering if anyone had achieved anything close to this by being a loyal O2 customer, or even a way to get roughly the same deal using bolt-ons.

Also, I've read in a few places that O2 customer service is atrocious. Orange have never been anything but brilliant and helpful to me and I'm a little nervous about switching away from that. Anyone have any good things to say about O2 customer service? (I'm aware you only usually hear the bad things).

I'm grateful for any feedback anyone can give.
Dan x

 

[alexph]

Hi

Last July, I switched from Vodafone to Apple to get the iPhone 3G. However despite what O2 said, their coverage in my area (South Devon) is rubbish and I struggled to get a signal.

I was paying the standard £35 per mlonth.

However i kicked up a real fuss with O2, that they relented and cancelled my contract without penalty. they also refunded my monthly contract costs, plus the cost of the iPhone (although they have still to ask for it back), plus some compensation for all the trouble.

The net result is that at the moment I have an iPhone which I am using on VF - I signed up for a deal that costs about £15 per month, plus £6 for unlimited web access. I also have sufficient funds from O2 that as soon as the new iPhone comes out, I will be off to Belgium or whereveer to buy a factory unlocked one.

However this also came across my desk today and which might be of interest:

http://portal.beta.vodafone.com/HelpWidget/images/vodafone_demo_final_v2.1.swf

Also you might take a look at: http://portal.beta.vodafone.com/

I am not sure how many english speaking countries they sell the iPhone in, but its an awful lot of work if its not that many.

Alex

 

[instaxgirl]

Also, I've read in a few places that O2 customer service is atrocious. Orange have never been anything but brilliant and helpful to me and I'm a little nervous about switching away from that. Anyone have any good things to say about O2 customer service? (I'm aware you only usually hear the bad things).

Well I was on 3 (who really were atrocious, I had people deliberately misunderstand me, mess up my billing and plan and then literally shout down the phone at me that they wouldn't sort it - unbelievable) before I switched onto O2.

O2's customer services have been absolutely fantastic so far. Always helpful, always polite and they always seemed to know what they were doing. And I've phoned them quite a lot without ever getting anyone rude or incompetent (since I'm on sim only I move my contract up and down every couple of months depending on my usage) Only criticism is that if you don't phone right after they've opened you have to hold for generally 5-10 mins and the hold music is dire. Otherwise they're great.

 

[Pelorus]

I was happy to switch from OrangeUK to O2-UK due to poor experiences with Orange so a lot of it is going to be anecotal and regional.

That said, we've seen the Vodafone portal beta and I'm told that iPhone will be coming out on 3 and Orange in the autumn.

 

[ddmac]

There is no way that 3 network are getting the iphone. They have poor customer services that dont understand anything.

O2 is a great network and it was apple that approached o2 to see if they wanted the iphone.

Anyway, O2 is great you wont regret your move.

 

[Pelorus]

There is no way that 3 network are getting the iphone. They have poor customer services that dont understand anything.

O2 is a great network and it was apple that approached o2 to see if they wanted the iphone.

Anyway, O2 is great you wont regret your move.

Four network operators were approached in the UK for the original iPhone. 3 was not approached because they didn't have an EDGE network. This doesn't apply obviously for the 3G or the third generation iPhone.

O2 is better than Orange in my experience but I wouldn't say they're "great".

 

[ddmac]

"Four network operators were approached in the UK for the original iPhone"


This statement isnt true is it?? Orange, Voda, T-Mobile all wanted the exclusivity on the iphone (first gen) and so they approached apple. O2 were approached by apple 9 days before the contract deadline.


If they weren't great they wouldn't have the highest customer base in the UK.

 

[Pelorus]

"Four network operators were approached in the UK for the original iPhone"
This statement isnt true is it??

If they weren't great they wouldn't have the highest customer base in the UK.

You have links to support that?
The last report I saw had Vodafone at 25.4%, O2 at 25.2%, T-Mobile at 23.4% and Orange at 21.6%. And 3 with 4.5% ( Report ). The numbers could have increased to give O2 more of a lead DUE to iPhone not because of anything else. Certainly nothing there to suggest they are the "best".