Mobile Phone Providers

[awec]

First post, so here goes.

I'm moving to Dublin at the end of May as I have a job down there for a year or so (might tag along to some Bohs games or something, hence me joining this forum). I currently live in Northern Ireland, and so my phone provider is O2 UK.

Anyway, my contract expires on April 16th with O2 UK and obviously as I'll be living in Dublin for a year I won't be renewing. Been looking around on the O2 Ireland site, but it seems very expensive? :confused: I mean, when I do conversions from Euros to Pounds I am getting a LOT less for my money down there than I am getting up here.

I have no clue what the other Irish phone providers are or which ones are best. Kind of hoping that o2 ireland are just a lot more expensive than the rest.

I'd obviously want a contract/phone/whatever that doesn't charge me premiums to text/phone people in Northern Ireland. Actually, is that even possible?

Anyone know of good deals or anything like that?

Apologies in advance if this is in the wrong forum.

Cheers

[pete]

Mobile phone costs are dearer here plus converting from sterling is only going to make it worse given the current exchange rate.

Don't know what the prices are for mobile packages these days.

You can check official regulator site (http://www.callcosts.ie/mobile_phones/Mobile_Calculator.123.LE.asp) for price differences.

[awec]

Cheers!


(And apologies for putting this in the wrong place).

[dahamsta]

No need to apologise, just trying to make sure people are aware of the forum.

[awec]

How come phone charges are so much more expensive down there?!

[oscar]

because this country is a rip off:mad:

[awec]

Wonderful! Just what I wanted to hear! :D

So are o2, vodafone, meteor and 3 the big ones?

[sligoman]

So are o2, vodafone, meteor and 3 the big ones?The only ones, afaik.

[awec]

Feck me, it's like stepping back in time! :p

[oscar]

welcome to hell:p

[awec]

My phone bills up here are £90. Fecking going to need a mortgage to pay them down there!

[EAFC_rdfl]

tesco also provide mobile phone service now. im sure they should be more reasonable than the higher charges. but they are all rip-offs no matter how they dress it up :mad:

[sligoman]

tesco also provide mobile phone service now. im sure they should be more reasonable than the higher charges. but they are all rip-offs no matter how they dress it up :mad:Here's there price plan (http://www.tescomobile.ie/OurPricePlans.aspx).

And there phone (http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/wp-content/phoneimages/2007/11/tesco.jpg):D

[thischarmingman]

I'd obviously want a contract/phone/whatever that doesn't charge me premiums to text/phone people in Northern Ireland. Actually, is that even possible?



Ha, good luck with that one. I've been down here 4/5 years and have never managed that one. :p

I've found that the best network is the one most of your mates (down South) are on. I was on Meteor while at college and had free calls and texts to fellow Meteor customers plus I could get a Meteor reception in Derry so it worked out well for me but I'm actually changing to o2 on Tuesday because I know a lot fewer on Meteor these days and more on o2. This all only relates to pay-as-you-go phone though, I'm not going on bill pay anymore after Three took me for all I was worth last year :(

[awec]

Ack damn, this isn't looking good!

[paul_oshea]

i thought they were bringing in a thing where if you were 02 in NI you could get free roaming in ROI?! That obviously hasn't come in yet then...?!

[pete]

EU report on irish phone charges (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0326/1224243450383.html)



Ireland did fare well on mobile call charges, with the cost of a mobile phone call in Ireland, at €0.11 per minute, being cheaper than the EU average of €0.23. Ireland also fared well on the ability of customers to switch between mobile operators, with the process taking just one day against the EU average of 8.5 days and 38 days in Poland.

[crc]

The only thing I'll add is that O2 have an unpublicised deal where calls (and possibly texts) made in the UK to UK or ROI numbers are taken out of your monthly allowance rather than treated as roaming minutes. I don't know about calls ROI > UK. You have to call Customer Care to request it. I saw it on the O2 Forums, but can't remember which thread, sorry.

[awec]

I think I have it sorted. I was talking to a guy who lived down there last year and he says that the network 3 operates as if there is no border (so no UK and Ireland difference).

Excellent stuff.

[dahamsta]

Just be advised that 3 is an awful provider, the very worst of a very bad lot in the Republic. There's a 100 page thread about their "broadband" service on Boards.ie, might be worth deliving into for the general skinny on how they operate.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055115306

adam

[Magicme]

Ha, good luck with that one. I've been down here 4/5 years and have never managed that one. :p

I've found that the best network is the one most of your mates (down South) are on. I was on Meteor while at college and had free calls and texts to fellow Meteor customers plus I could get a Meteor reception in Derry so it worked out well for me but I'm actually changing to o2 on Tuesday because I know a lot fewer on Meteor these days and more on o2. This all only relates to pay-as-you-go phone though, I'm not going on bill pay anymore after Three took me for all I was worth last year :(


Why dont you sign up for the free texts to any network with Meteor. €20 a month to keep them so you just pay for calls. Learn to be scabby and just text your mates!

[awec]

Just be advised that 3 is an awful provider, the very worst of a very bad lot in the Republic. There's a 100 page thread about their "broadband" service on Boards.ie, might be worth deliving into for the general skinny on how they operate.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055115306

adam
Cheers for the heads up.

[Aberdonian Stu]

I would disagree on Three being an awful provider dahamsta. I'd concur on the broadband but I have no problem with them on the phone front and the rates are quite reasonable.

[dahamsta]

I'm not a customer Stu, and they're all bad in Ireland, I'm just saying that I wouldn't become a customer of Three based on the feedback I've read on the net. Broadband is the key issue as you say, but their responsiveness to the complaints suggests a major problem with customer service, which is a key factor for me.

[Aberdonian Stu]

Well I'd have customer service issues with all providers so the deciding factors for me are how good the network is and the value for money. They come out fine in the first instance and quite well in the second.