Mobile phone / 3G coverage

[Tiger 1057]

I've been using the 3 One Plan for a couple of years, tethering my iPhone to either my laptop or iPad and it works a treat. I've had both running at once but never tried more than 2 devices.

For what its worth same here. Use the Ipad tethered to the phone and watch Sky Go.

[Psycloud]

Well I can hopefully reassure the sceptics that OH's phone arrived this morning and I am now posting with my laptop tethered to her phone.

 

Presumably you have 7 days to change your mind if it doesn't perform as expected?

 

Thanks

 

David

[carlt]

I notice earlier she didnt go for cashback, but a better phone. Which phone did she get in the end? Does she pay the £22 per month to "3" directly, or to Affordable Mobiles? I'm assuming "3" directly from what you've said.

 

Clearly The One Plan plus a phone for £22 per month is a really good deal!

Yes she decided that she wanted the same phone as me (Experia Arc S) rather than the basic Galaxy.

 

From what I've read cashbacks are a bit hit and miss. I got £110 gash back promptly when I got my phone but that was with an established company (Dial-a-phone, a subsidiary of phones-4-U).

 

The £22 is paid directly to 3.

 

Presumably you have 7 days to change your mind if it doesn't perform as expected?

 

Yes but the phone works, the tariff is definitely The One Plan, it tethers easily and the speed is comparable to my Virgin Broadband, on a busy day, so I doubt she'll be sending it back.

 

The only downside is that because she is moving from one 3 plan to another, through a third party rather than upgrading, they've told her she can't keep her old number.

[Psycloud]

 

Yes but the phone works, the tariff is definitely The One Plan, it tethers easily and the speed is comparable to my Virgin Broadband, on a busy day, so I doubt she'll be sending it back.

 

The only downside is that because she is moving from one 3 plan to another, through a third party rather than upgrading, they've told her she can't keep her old number.

 

I was only thinking in case the reception was terrible in the area we will be moored. I once cancelled a new Vodafone contract because I couldn't get a signal at all in our house (and that was 6 years ago and people who come here still struggle) despite them telling me reception would be very good.

[carlt]

I was only thinking in case the reception was terrible in the area we will be moored.

Oh I see.

 

I'll examine the agreement closely to check for loopholes but it does mention a 7 day "cooling off period".

[Theo]

I set up a contract with 3 in December 2007. I have renewed ever since and now have 300minutes 5000 texts and 500MB for £10/month. the last phone that they gave me is a Samsung Galaxy i50000 or some such. It's a bottom of the range smart phone but it functions all right.

 

Which seems a good deal to me.

 

N

[Roger Gunkel]

The 7 day cancellation agreements can be a bit of a minefield and vary between providers.

 

Before settling for the one plan, I took out a contract with Vodaphone on the understanding that I could cancel within 7 days even if I used the phone. I set it up and tested both the internet connection and the phone signal. As it was very poor and very slow,they allowed me to cancel over the phone and charged me for the service that I had used, which was minimal.

 

3 on the other hand said that if I activated the phone and used it online or made calls, that I would be breaking their cancellation clause which only allows you 7 days to cancel the contract if you change your mind and don't use it. I pointed out the circumstances that I needed it for and they said that I could charge the phone and turn it on to test the signal. If I had a couple of bars showing and an 'H' icon above, that meant that I had a high speed data connection. I could also ring 303 to contact customer services to test the quality of the phone connection. If I made any calls to other phones or accessed the internet, then the cancellation clause was void.

 

I did as described and as the signal was good, went on line and have been very satisfied since.

 

Roger

[carlt]

It may well be worth getting someone with a 3 phone to test the signal on your mooring.

 

One of the reasons I switched to O2 was because there was absolutely no 3 signal in the boatyard where my boat is but a strong O2 signal and also a BTOpenzone hotspot which I can use without limit.

[john6767]

The only downside is that because she is moving from one 3 plan to another, through a third party rather than upgrading, they've told her she can't keep her old number.

A bit off topic, but this is one area of mobile phones that I don't understand.

 

When our daughter was moving abroad, she wanted to switch her Orange contract to PAYG, as she would be putting a local SIM in the phone when abroad, and only using Orange when in the UK. They would not do it. She could of course just get a new PAYG SIM from them but could not keep her number. Orange's recommendation was they they give her a PAC code and she should get a PAYG from another provider and move here number to them. So why do they want to loose you business rather than allowing you to keep you number?

[carlt]

She could of course just get a new PAYG SIM from them but could not keep her number. Orange's recommendation was they they give her a PAC code and she should get a PAYG from another provider and move here number to them. So why do they want to loose you business rather than allowing you to keep you number?

This is pretty much what 3 said so I wondered if a reasonable work-around would be to transfer the number to a PAYG from another provider then transfer it back to the new 3 account but the OH doesn't seem bothered so I won't either.

[Guest]

A bit off topic, but this is one area of mobile phones that I don't understand.

 

When our daughter was moving abroad, she wanted to switch her Orange contract to PAYG, as she would be putting a local SIM in the phone when abroad, and only using Orange when in the UK. They would not do it. She could of course just get a new PAYG SIM from them but could not keep her number. Orange's recommendation was they they give her a PAC code and she should get a PAYG from another provider and move here number to them. So why do they want to loose you business rather than allowing you to keep you number?

 

Queer one this...

 

Jan is just in the process of switching her Orange contract number to an Orange PAYG Sim card. They were a bit retisecent about it but there was no refusal to do it.

 

They advised that when she activates the new PAYG Sim it will de-activate the contract one.

 

She is at the end of her contract though.

 

Mobile phone companies and their contracts and regulations seem to me to be a minefield of confusion.

[His Misses]

I don't think you'll need to move to Everything Everywhere as that's the new branding for T-Mobile and Orange together.

 

My set up is a T-Mobile (soon to be EE) pointer device coupled to an external aerial (TS9 connection - spent hours trying to find out what it was). This gives me WiFi throughout the boat (60') for up to 5 devices. The aerial uses the ground plane of the roof to enhance the signal and I've never not got a 3G (soon to be 4G) signal anywhere including places which seem very isolated such as the Oxford summit. The latest T-Mobile pointers are 4G enabled. I am very happy with the setup I have.

 

 

I also have a Pointer with T-Mobile(contract), and an outside aerial. I got this so both my husband and I could use our laptops at the same time. This was not successful, and he has changed to a pay-as-u-go 3 dongle, which he is happy with ish.

I have not been happy with the pointer as the port the aerial goes into is damaged due to pulling it in and out when I go on line. I have now 'fiddled' with it and with the aid of a lump of sticky tape it now is working well.

I like the pointer as it does enable me to use my wi-fi printer and 4 other wi-fi items. We have only traveled the Thames, but I do now, thanks to the 'band-aid' get a decent 3G signal.

One thing I would like to add, the guys in the T-Mobile shop in Windsor were extremely helpful, unlike the Orange shop.