Crap Phone

[Horus]

I am really getting P****d off with my service provider Vodaphone. Since retiring I no longer have my phone on contract and swapped the sim for a pay as you go which was OK with my old phone, just top up as and when required. To be honest I rarely use it and carry it for emergencies like if I fall down a ditch or I may need to phone someone if for example (heaven forbid) than Annie got injured in any way and I needed help. Although I don’t use it to call people very often I do get quite a few texts, so this used the necessitate lots of annoying button pressing in order to reply, so I invested in a new touch screen phone. It is locked to their network so was really very cheap to buy and I am OK with that, the first problem I found was that unless it is continually on for Wi-Fi all the times and dates go to pot, next although it has a ‘lock’ symbol that comes on after just a few seconds of inactivity I can wipe it across my shirt and it comes live! Whereas it can take a few finger swipes to do the normal unlock routine, very annoying. So to counter any accidental dialling I invested in a nice cover with a flap that covers the screen and also the on off button at the side, it is rarely in my pocket unless I go out and usually sits on the table.

The next irritation was when shopping last Thursday I asked the girl on the till to include for VODAPHONE top up card, which along with all the numerous roll of till receipts you get from Tesco I shoved in my bags. Saturday evening arrives and in comes a text from Vodaphone saying my credit was very low, so I remembered my top up voucher and proceeded with complicated press this, press that ritual, but all to no avail. Finally in utter frustration I took the voucher in my kitchen under a strong light and starred at the code number to see I was reading it correctly. It was then that I spotted amongst all the bold Tesco advertising and other garbage the word ‘ORANGE’ the stupid woman had given me the wrong provider.

It would be some time next week before I get to attempt a refund for my useless voucher, but as it was weekend I decided to use my credit card to top up over the phone. All seemed to go well and a call to the customer service number gave me my new credit as being correct, so I put the phone away again. I have not made any calls or texts since, but did get the usual annoying text from Vodaphone to say “Don’t forget to use your bonus points” These texts keep coming regardless of how often you ignore their offer, so I decided to use the (here we go again) ‘option’ to text stop to their service number. I was about to do so when another text message told me my credit was almost at zero! What? So now I have a useless phone and I am not risking putting any more on it until I get to the bottom of it. Of course I do not rule out that my new phone is a pile of crap and during the night has dialled up Julian Assange in the Bolivian Embassy or wherever he is hiding.

Next step is to try and contact Vodaphone, but of course everything is automated with stupid little menus, none of which say “You thieving bunch of ******** have just screwed me for X pounds and I want it back” So scrolling through the many options (not) I decided a live chat may be in order, well maybe it is, but only until 8pm ……………… ********!!!!!!!!!!
Watch this space, next step involves said ‘Smart’ phone, lets see how smart it is in ducking a lump hammer.

[Grandad]

I have been with Giffgaff for several years. Didn't have to change my number and I have set up auto credit when my PAYG credit gets down to £3. Texts and calls are very competitive and, like you H, I must make sure it is just on wifi otherwise I get high data charges.
Withn Giffgaff there is an option for monthly 'Goody Bags' of £10 £15 £20 that give you loads of call time, texts and data but as my usage is much like yours, I have not gone down that route.
BTW, my recent new phone is a Samsung S3 that I like a lot. I also got a case from Amazon that protects and prevents unintentional actions.
Hope you get things sorted with Vodaphone but like all service providers, that provide communication systems, the one thing they don't provide is an easy way to communicate with them.

[Ruby Slippers]

Up until a couple of years ago, I was with Virgin PAYG but they were getting more and more expensive. I had to buy a new mobile phone so went for a Samsung Galaxy Y which I get on with very well. It was set up with Virgin until I found that they were charging me £1 a day for Internet use, whether I used it or not! Slightly defeats the object of PAYG! Anyway, I changed over to Three 321 which is 3ppm talktime; 2p per text and 1p per mgb internet usage. I only use the Internet occasionally if I'm at home and tether it through my router. Topping up is simple and I buy a voucher from the local newsagent which is literally yards away from my house, and then register the top-up online by going to the Three site and logging in. Simples!

[LovelyLadyLux]

I have two cell phones. I is specific to Canada only and I pay $100 once per year for about 100 minutes of talk time but the $100 also ensures they won't turn the phone off even if I go over the 100 minutes. Unused minutes roll over. I've had it for about 3 yrs and I think I have something like 150 minutes left. I can get text message on this.

My cell phone in the USA is $15/month and I get 100 minutes per month. After 15 yrs I have something like 7000+ minutes on it. This phone allows me to call anywhere in the USA and text all I want at 7 pennies per text.

So many plans and so many options - drives ya crazy.

Can definitely appreciate your scenario H. I might be tempted to use the 'sledge' cure

[Robbo70]

I switched to Tesco mobile a few years back. While i was flitting between UK and Luxor, i had their pay as you go, as my time in the UK meant lots of usage, calls and texts. I enjoyed their top up bonus of free minutes when you top up. When we came back full time, I switched over to their contract. I pay £17.50 a month but that is for a high call use, high internet use and more texts than i could send. They have some very cheap monthly sim only deals. Their coverage is great too, as they piggyback O2 towers who have the best signals in most areas.

[Horus]

Update:
Sitting here this morning and getting ready to give someone loads of grief. I navigated the totally user UNFRIENDLY customer NONE service, then at one point I was asked to enter the number of the phone I was calling about, which I did, "You have X amount of credit remaining" came the reply and it was exactly the amount it should have been after I had topped up days before So as we were discussing swearing the other day I replied "What the F***" and slammed the phone down, you really do have to wonder what is going on with these people.
Grandad, I believe the GiffGaff is very good, my techie mate swears by them and you can make up your own Goody Bags he tells me.

[Grandad]

Grandad, I believe the GiffGaff is very good, my techie mate swears by them and you can make up your own Goody Bags he tells me.

Yes H, it does have some limitations but for my usage it is fine. It runs on the O2 platform so the service is good everywhere. I like the auto top up because if I am out of the country I have no worries...

[Kiya]

I got a new smart after Xmas..........well new to me, my daughter's hand me down when she got a new one.

I'm still trying to find my way around it all especially the very light touch to scroll up/down anything really !

She bought a new sim card for me & now I'm using her old number, the card came with a £10 package pmonth, I rarely use the phone so I'm not liking them to dictate to me how much I should spend PM so I changed it to " pay as you go ".

I always top up online in the ee site with my desktop, I see better with my desktop what I'm doing with the bigger screen, once I've topped up I also receive a text on phone showing my top up & by how much.

[Horus]

Oh that sensitive touchscreen is another annoyance, I am always screaming at mine "I didn't bloody well want you to do that!"
I reckon that now they have stopped deducting a charge for P.A.Y.G. it is a better option if you do not use your phone a lot, just remember that you usually have to make 1 call within each 90 day period to keep the number active.

[Grandad]

My phone whistles at me if I have a text

Something I DO use is the Ultra Power Saving Mode. This shuts down everything except your telephone function. In that mode a full charge last for ages, and it is simple to just switch back to full functioning.

[Horus]

I have programmed mine to play a short section of a BeeGees record, so when I get a text it sings out "I just gotta get a message to you, hold on, hold on"

[Grandad]

Like it!

[Horus]

It does turn a few heads in Tesco and even more so when it plays 'The Ride of the Valkyries' for an incomming phone call

[Ruby Slippers]

I love hearing people's choice of ringtones! DH calls my text message notification 'budgie' because it whistles like a bird, but my ringtone is 'Axel F'.

[Horus]

I create my own RS

[LovelyLadyLux]

I just have a plain old fashioned ring tone - the bell that rings.... My phone is so old I swear the Company hates me as I signed up for a double minutes offer and as along as I have the phone they have to honour that. Going on close to 15 yrs now and thinking about it they really MUST hate me! I've collected up well in excess of 7000 minutes (which is way more than I'd ever use but it is cheap service and I really rarely do use a cell phone - or any phone for that matter)