Mobile from Plusnet (EE) versus Vodafone

[Clariman]

I have been with Vodafone for years and, until recently, was fairly happy with pricing. I don't tend to take the latest/greatest phone from them but either take a previous level or buy my own phone and go SIM-only. Am currently SIM only which costs a silly amount IMHO. I've just been sent some excellent Plusnet deals which offer me more than Vodafone for half the price.

The last time I nearly left Vodafone for Plusnet, Vodafone gave me some F.U.D. about Plusnet would get a lesser service because they a re-badged version of EE who would favour their own customers.

Any experience here of Plusnet Mobile? Is it as good service as with a main operator?

I have a funny feeling I asked this question last time I got a good deal from Plusnet!!

Thanks
Clariman

[Howard]

I made the change from Vodafone to Plusnet more than a year ago. I'm a very light user (no friends ) so have a £5 a month deal, SIMM only, and have never got near the limit. Only extra cost has been calling a mobile registered outside the EU which has been a few pence.

Reception in my home is better too. And from many years with Plusnet internet their customer service is very good.

regards

Howard

[Infrasonic]

BT own Plusnet and EE, so make of that what you will wrt badging et al. I've never seen any specific comments online about bandwidth limiting issues with them, there are other MVNO's where that has definitely been reported as a problem, but maybe Vodafone are stretching it a bit there with their Plusnet claims.

Vodafone have their own 'cheapie' MVNO too...https://talkmobile.co.uk/

I've got a Three SIM only contract and a Vodafone one, I'm looking at switching away from Vodafone too, their deals just aren't that good for what is essentially a secondary account for me.

If you live in a city or major town then Three are great. Out in the countryside less so (lack of 2G), which is why I keep a Vodafone SIM going.
EE are appealing to me the most at the moment, there's occasions where I have no 3 or VF signal and others on EE have, so coverage seems pretty good and their 4G infrastructure is highly regarded for performance.

[AF62]

Vodafone gave me some F.U.D. about Plusnet would get a lesser service because they a re-badged version of EE who would favour their own customers.

My understanding it is not wholly untrue as Plusnet customers don't get to use the 800 MHz 4G band which gives better coverage over distance and inside buildings. You only get to use the 800 MHz 4G band if you buy a phone on contract with EE.

[Stompa]

Mrs S has been with Plusnet for a few years, and they've generally been pretty good. For most of that time she was using an old 3g mobile. However, when she recently updated to a newer mobile, we found she was not receiving incoming calls, and the only solution we've found to this had been to switch from 4g down to 3g. There seem to be others who have this issue, for example:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=plusn ... g+calls%22

You should also be aware that they don't support SMS short codes.

[SalvorHardin]

As Plusnet uses ee's network you should have decent coverage, though you may not get superfast 4G. I've been with ee for years and have rarely had problems with coverage or speed at home. SIM only, £20-ish per month for 25GB.

They have much cheaper deals for less data (I use a lot of mobile data watching cricket in the pub, as I am as I type this!).

Because I live in the sticks, coverage is patchy or non-existent in some places. So I carry an O2 PAYG dumbphone as a backup when not at home.

EE usually have an offer giving you BT Sport for a lot less than going direct. Worth considering for sports viewers, especially for rugby, tennis and champions league.

[Infrasonic]

Vodafone gave me some F.U.D. about Plusnet would get a lesser service because they a re-badged version of EE who would favour their own customers.

My understanding it is not wholly untrue as Plusnet customers don't get to use the 800 MHz 4G band which gives better coverage over distance and inside buildings. You only get to use the 800 MHz 4G band if you buy a phone on contract with EE.

Seems lack of 800MHz on Plusnet is true...https://community.plus.net/t5/Mobile/Do ... -p/1533809
A bit of a weird omission as other MVNO's cover it...https://www.4g.co.uk/4g-frequencies-uk-need-know/
You'd need to check that your phone has it too (band 20/800MHz).
EE it is then...

[AF62]

A bit of a weird omission as other MVNO's cover it...https://www.4g.co.uk/4g-frequencies-uk-need-know/
You'd need to check that your phone has it too (band 20/800MHz).

Even if they offer it they may not offer it if you didn't buy the phone from them.

For example Three offer it, but only if you buy your phone from them. If (like me) you have a sim only contract with the sim fitted into a sim-free phone which supports band 20, it won't use band 20.

[Infrasonic]

A bit of a weird omission as other MVNO's cover it...https://www.4g.co.uk/4g-frequencies-uk-need-know/
You'd need to check that your phone has it too (band 20/800MHz).

Even if they offer it they may not offer it if you didn't buy the phone from them.

For example Three offer it, but only if you buy your phone from them. If (like me) you have a sim only contract with the sim fitted into a sim-free phone which supports band 20, it won't use band 20.

Thanks for the heads up, I'll have to check that out as I bought my Nexus 5 outright unlocked from Google, and that's on a Three SIM only contract.
Never even occurred to me that there might be those sort of shenanigans going on...

It would explain why Three 4G coverage is so cr*p for me in the sticks...

[AF62]

It would explain why Three 4G coverage is so cr*p for me in the sticks...

Tell me about it!

If you want to see what band your phone is using there are various apps which will do that. I use the pro version from this company which cost a few pence - https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Wilysis

[Infrasonic]

This restriction seems like prime fodder for the CMA...https://www.gov.uk/government/organisat ... -authority

[Infrasonic]

It would explain why Three 4G coverage is so cr*p for me in the sticks...

Tell me about it!

If you want to see what band your phone is using there are various apps which will do that. I use the pro version from this company which cost a few pence - https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Wilysis

I'm just installing the freebie version as it shows which band the phone is on.
Everyday is a school day...

[Infrasonic]

I suppose the networks could argue that as bandwidth is in short supply at that frequency (800MHz) then they have to actively manage the contention ratios, so direct phone/SIM customers get priority. Still dodgy though...

[AF62]

A bit of a weird omission as other MVNO's cover it...https://www.4g.co.uk/4g-frequencies-uk-need-know/
You'd need to check that your phone has it too (band 20/800MHz).

Even if they offer it they may not offer it if you didn't buy the phone from them.

For example Three offer it, but only if you buy your phone from them. If (like me) you have a sim only contract with the sim fitted into a sim-free phone which supports band 20, it won't use band 20.

I forgot to mention, the exception to the 'sim only' restriction with Three is if you own an Apple phone and then wherever you bought it you get to use band 20.

http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/network/4G-Supervoice

[quelquod]

I’ve been with Plusnet mobile since they started up. As I’m a Plusnet broadband user I get a very good deal. The service has been faultless though a browse through the users’ forum shows that’s not true for everyone.

Aside from the non availability of the 800MHz band (which hasn’t affected me noticeably) their main shortcoming is that they don’t accept short codes for texts. This can be a real headache sometimes as you can’t easily (sometimes at all) reply to contacts who use them. For instance my bank uses them so replying to them has sometimes involved a separate call to confirm a simple option. Lots of organisations use short codes.

[Clariman]

Thanks all.

What is "short code for texts ". Not sure if it is a problem or not.

[Breelander]

What is "short code for texts "...

Short codes, or short numbers, are short digit sequences, significantly shorter than telephone numbers, that are used to address messages in the Multimedia Messaging System (MMS) and short message service (SMS) systems of mobile network operators...

...Short codes are widely used for value-added services such as charity donations, mobile services, ordering ringtones, and television program voting...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_code

[Clariman]

Ah I see. I know the sort of thing. That means I would have to curb my habit of entering ITV's fabulous daily competitions!

[Infrasonic]

There's probably short code SMS services available on the web, low usage accounts might even be free.

[Clariman]

An update on this. Back in February I stayed with Vodafone on a reduced price SIM only deal. However, I have got utterly fed up with them for a number of reasons. They kept deactivating my Vodafone Sure-Signal (their mini-cell that uses MY WiFi signal to make up for their deficient one in the locale), reactivating it after I call to complain then immediately deactivating it again. I went round this loop 3 times before raising a formal complaint after which I got one holding phone call and no further call back. However, perhaps the biggest issue from a customer service perspective is that they treat each support chat or phone-call as a separate thing rather than as an ongoing issue i.e. they have no case management system.

So I have moved my mobile to a plusnet deal at half the price for more data. When I requested my PAC code online, a chat window popped up asking if I wanted to talk about it. I thought I'd take the opportunity to tell them why I was leaving, but it turned out I was speaking to a chat-bot. I then asked to be put through to a human who ignored everything I had typed and proceeded to try to sell me an additional SIM only card. When I said I wanted to explain why I was leaving they simply closed off the chat.

So, if you cannot get a response to a genuine complaint and you cannot even inform them WHY you are leaving, what are you to do? Well for me, I have decided to cut all ties with Vodafone, so have since also moved my phone/broadband to Plusnet and will move my wife's mobile once she is happy with the service and signal that I get from Plusnet. I can then dump the Sure-Signals which I have spent over £300 on since being with Vodafone (3 properties, a few replacements).

Sorry for the rant. If anyone works for Vodafone or is a Vodafone shareholder please feel free to tell them why I am leaving!

Clariman