Want to ditch O2 and their sub 100kbps HSDPA

[Guest pete_thomson]

As the title suggests I want out of my current O2 package - thank god for rolling 1 month contracts - and I'm looking to go elsewhere.

I have a sim only deal with 200 mins and 400 text for £15/month and then £7.50 for the unlimited web bolt.

I want to go elsewhere that has actual 3G and HSDPA speeds so I'm currently looking around.

3 is out of the question as they don't do sim only contracts.

Vodafone is possible but I've not looked into them today.

So it's out of Orange and T-Mobile.

I've never been a T-Mobile customer before but I hear a lot of good things about WnW, although I've heard they are blocking stuff now.

I mainly use Web, Email, some FTP, some SSH and some VPN. My average usage is 3-4Mb a day so nothing major.

I've been an Orange customer in one for or another since 1995 when I got a "Nokia Orange" on Talk 200 and I didn't have to pay for text messaging although I was the only person I knew who could send text messages are everyone else had the Motorola MR1 which could only receive texts.

They now do a sim only contract and with the Orange World £8 deal would put me in a similar place as O2 currently have me.....

....but I can't find any T&Cs for it and I've read it's got a stupidly low usage cap and no-one seems to be clear on how quick the HSDPA is (if it's even available). I am currently contractor for Orange so I feel I should be using them however they shafted me and didn't let me have a Liberate contract so maybe I shouldn't go back to them. Although I sit near the guys that look after the RNC and are involved in the HSDPA roll out and I know that they have pimped SIM cards for other things I might be able to pimp mine for decent HSDPA speeds!!! hahahah

So, who would recommend T-Mobile with Web N Walk and who would recommend Orange and Orange World?

Would anyone care to recommend Vodafone?

Thanks

Pete

Edited March 20, 2008 by pete_thomson

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

T-Mo WnW all the way here. Get Plus rather than basic and you'll have access to everything (FTP is blocked on basic).

Moved over a while ago now and never looked back! :(

eXpansys now do T-Mo FlexT WnW too, so you can have your pick of devices :D

P

[Guest pete_thomson]

T-Mo WnW all the way here. Get Plus rather than basic and you'll have access to everything (FTP is blocked on basic).

Moved over a while ago now and never looked back! :(

eXpansys now do T-Mo FlexT WnW too, so you can have your pick of devices :D

P

FTP is not a deal breaker, but I can probably SSH tunnel it if I really need to.

I just recently (a week weeks back) got a TyTN II hence why I wanted a SIM only contract.

I went into the T-Mobile shop here today to check that I could have WnW on a Just SIM contract and they said yes.... but I forgot to ask how much extra WnW was!! Any ideas and how much more is WnW+ over WnW??

[Guest pete_thomson]

FTP is not a deal breaker, but I can probably SSH tunnel it if I really need to.

I just recently (a week weeks back) got a TyTN II hence why I wanted a SIM only contract.

I went into the T-Mobile shop here today to check that I could have WnW on a Just SIM contract and they said yes.... but I forgot to ask how much extra WnW was!! Any ideas and how much more is WnW+ over WnW??

Actually scrub that - WnW is £7.50, WnW+ is £12.50 as I just called to ask...... and now I'm a customer!

They said the offer will only last until the end of the month so I need to order now. I explained I need to give O2 30 days notice so I can;t order until then so they said if I signed up now that they'd give me the first month FOC so I can give O2 the flick, use T-Mobile on a temporary number until I get my PAC then move my number to T-Mobile.

I can upgrade to WnW+ if I want at a later stage - It may come in handy.

Pete

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Sweet, nice deal :D

P

[Guest pete_thomson]

Sweet, nice deal :D

P

So, question is...... what are their speeds like?? So long as I get over 120kbps I'll be happy :(

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

I consistently get at least 500k which does me... :D

P

[Guest G1LIW]

Do not, whatever you do, go back to Orange. I'm trying to get a MAC code out of those conniving, lying, blood-pressure-raising blood-sucking bleeders at the moment. Their customer service sucks, and frankly the last payment I have to make to them will be one thousand payments too late.

And yeah, let 'em sue me. I WANT them to take me to court!

[Guest pete_thomson]

Do not, whatever you do, go back to Orange. I'm trying to get a MAC code out of those conniving, lying, blood-pressure-raising blood-sucking bleeders at the moment. Their customer service sucks, and frankly the last payment I have to make to them will be one thousand payments too late.

And yeah, let 'em sue me. I WANT them to take me to court!

MAC code suggests you decided to use their broadband. The guys at work get it for free and even they don't want it!!

I've never really had any problems with Orange, customer services always been OK with me and the small issue I did have in regards to accessing my account online got me a gold number for free as an apology (which I hold on to for dear life!)

[Guest G1LIW]

Pete, you must be one of the few; I've had myriad problems, primarily with broadband, but also with their customer disservice people. Such is the extent and rudeness of those folks that I'm attempting to take my business elsewhere. I've got a Broadband "migration activation code" I believe it stands for - coming in the post. THAT was the easy part, for once.

I've been attempting to get the other MAC for my phone, but they keep telling me I have two months to run on the contract, when I have documentary evidence to the effect that my contract expired three months ago. Frankly, I do not care for their bully-boy style sales tactics one jot, and the sooner I'm out of there, the happier I'll be. I will not, out of good manners, say what I truly think of them, but you can rest assured that this is one man who will never, ever, recommend their service, or even return to them, at all.

Frankly, they have one final chance to do the decent thing, and admit they're wrong and give me the MAC code, and that will be on Tuesday, since they're likely to be on holiday over this weekend, and I do not fancy raising my blood pressure over the holiday weekend in any case.

Come Tuesday, however, I plan to take the least possible amount of my time over them. Failure on their part means that I cease using their SIM card in my sim-free phone, they get my final Direct Debit payment at the end of the month (and you can be certain I'll be checking with the bank that they took the same amount as they claim in the bill this month), for the completed month to the last statement date, whereupon I cancel the Direct Debit, check the billable charges to that point, and send them a cheque in full and final settlement to their Chairmen with a covering letter explaining why. They want any more from me, they can issue a summons, and to hell with them.

That's how steamingly angry I am with those morons at Orange.

Hope that makes things clear :D

Edited March 21, 2008 by G1LIW

[Guest pete_thomson]

Blimey, sounds like you've been going through it a fair bit.

My ex housemate had a issue with a bill that went repeatedly unresolved for months, despite hiim calling and writing and being assured it would sorted.

After several months of getting nowhere he wrote a stinking letter to Hans Snook directly not expecting to even get an acknowledgement.......but he did.

Whilst it was from his office rather than him directly it was full of apologies, he got a gold number out of it and has not paid line rental since - and this was a fair few years ago no.

A letter to the top can sometimes work.

[Guest Confucious]

I've been attempting to get the other MAC for my phone,

You'll be lucky! :D

A MAC is for B/B - for your phone you need a PAC (Porting Authority Code IIRC), which, provided your contract is up, you should have no problems getting.

[Guest G1LIW]

Blimey, sounds like you've been going through it a fair bit.

(SNIP)

Yeah. Doesn't help that I had a heart attack two months back, or by heck, they'd know just how annoying a furious punter can be!

Interesting about the letter to the top. I've never heard of a Gold Key before - what on earth is one of those?

You'll be lucky! :D

A MAC is for B/B - for your phone you need a PAC (Porting Authority Code IIRC), which, provided your contract is up, you should have no problems getting.

Ah, so :( I sit corrected :( Thanks!

[Guest Confucious]

Relax, enjoy the w/e and good luck on Tuesday!

[Guest WearTheFoxHat]

You made a good choice with T-Mo, great pricing scheme, seem in touch with what the customer want, have a personal touch with their customer service and their "can-do" attitude.

Orange ... dont even get me started on them! They can shove their animals up their ar53 !

[Guest pete_thomson]

Gold number, not a Gold key.

Not sure if they still do them but the details are here:

http://www2.orange.co.uk/servlet/Satellite...d=1137070318933

I've spoken to T-mobile twice on the phone, once to Sales and then to Customer Services who put me through to Sales Support.

I was very impressed indeed with all of the depts. The customers services guy had a "nordic" sounding name and accent - are they abroad somewhere or is CS in Hatfield? I used to work on the site behind when their massive offices were being built on the business park.

Edited March 22, 2008 by pete_thomson