[Q] UK - Best network to take phone on - Galaxy S II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi all - just looking for some feedback from UK members. Im out of contract on o2 now and interested in what people think of 'other' networks and their performance (especially data). I live north of London, will be moving on from Sim free HTC desire from cpwh. Kinda fancy vodafone over going with o2 again, not sure why! maybe because all this o2 advertising saying I can get a 12 month contract, yes I can, but I pay for the handset, thanks for the 8 years, £45 a month spend eh!!
Given a choice, what would you do and why??
Thanks in advance

birdbox said:
Hi all - just looking for some feedback from UK members. Im out of contract on o2 now and interested in what people think of 'other' networks and their performance (especially data). I live north of London, will be moving on from Sim free HTC desire from cpwh. Kinda fancy vodafone over going with o2 again, not sure why! maybe because all this o2 advertising saying I can get a 12 month contract, yes I can, but I pay for the handset, thanks for the 8 years, £45 a month spend eh!!
Given a choice, what would you do and why??
Thanks in advance
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Click to collapse
If your looking for high speed data go for 3. If your looking the best overall reception go for tmobile/orange they now share their networks. Then again I suspect you wont have many connection issues with 3 if you live in London.
just my 2 cents

rocketpaul said:
If your looking for high speed data go for 3. If your looking the best overall reception go for tmobile/orange they now share their networks. Then again I suspect you wont have many connection issues with 3 if you live in London.
just my 2 cents
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Click to collapse
im on orange the orange/tmob is a pain in the butt!!! i get constant drops in signal as the fone determines which is the better signal, drops from orange finds tmob( but only gives u 2g tmob!!!) the drops and goes back to orange) since all the crap ive been havin ive manually set my fone to stay on orange, too much hassle and tmob isnt good coverage where i live (north west)

StickyGeko said:
im on orange the orange/tmob is a pain in the butt!!! i get constant drops in signal as the fone determines which is the better signal, drops from orange finds tmob( but only gives u 2g tmob!!!) the drops and goes back to orange) since all the crap ive been havin ive manually set my fone to stay on orange, too much hassle and tmob isnt good coverage where i live (north west)
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Yeah, currently the T-mobile/Orange roaming is 2g only, hopefully though later this year they will bring out full 3g data roaming too, or even better join both networks under the same APN (which should prevent any problems with phones trying to jump between roaming and non-roaming).
Assuming il have my SGS for the next 18/24 months this prospect is one of the few things making me consider staying with T-Mobile.

cheers
Thanks guys, any one on vodafone to rate their data speeds?
I was in town this afternoon and dropped into the o2 shop, they had the advertising in the window, phone all powered up on display, went to the counter and asked if they had any in stock and after a few taps on the keyboard the assistant told me "no".....didnt offer any other info than "no"!! didnt offer up when they might have them, enquire to whether I wanted it sim free or new contract, just a "no" and went back to staring into the distance...one day I will meet a mobile phone salesperson who is actually bothered about their job and finding out what the person standing in front of them wants!

O2 PAYG £399 Network will be Giffgaff payg as it suits my needs .
jje

birdbox said:
Hi all - just looking for some feedback from UK members. Im out of contract on o2 now and interested in what people think of 'other' networks and their performance (especially data). I live north of London, will be moving on from Sim free HTC desire from cpwh. Kinda fancy vodafone over going with o2 again, not sure why! maybe because all this o2 advertising saying I can get a 12 month contract, yes I can, but I pay for the handset, thanks for the 8 years, £45 a month spend eh!!
Given a choice, what would you do and why??
Thanks in advance
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Click to collapse
Check out my recent thread, where I tested some of the UK networks for data transfer
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1054255

I just moved to Vodafone after being on o2 for the last 18 months. I have been with vodafone before, and round by me their coverage is the best by far.
As for data, your probs best going with 3 for their unlimted data plans, though I have heard their reception is pretty ropey. It all depends on whats best round where you live/work or spend most of your time.
I also heard that o2 throttle the data speeds, whereas Voda and 3 dont.

birdbox said:
Hi all - just looking for some feedback from UK members. Im out of contract on o2 now and interested in what people think of 'other' networks and their performance (especially data). I live north of London, will be moving on from Sim free HTC desire from cpwh. Kinda fancy vodafone over going with o2 again, not sure why! maybe because all this o2 advertising saying I can get a 12 month contract, yes I can, but I pay for the handset, thanks for the 8 years, £45 a month spend eh!!
Given a choice, what would you do and why??
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
whats the dealio with 12mth contract? what did they offer you? ive just gone for 1200 mins 500mb with o2 for £42... (£5 off online deal)
im on orange and can get a cheaper deal for the same package £35 at p4u... but every1 i know who has bought thru them have bad stories so steering clear and orange near me has recently gone down the pan... would have gone to 3 as their signal and speeds are awesome from the payngo i tried... but was declined, yet o2 accepted straight away... hey ho

Shaady said:
I just moved to Vodafone after being on o2 for the last 18 months. I have been with vodafone before, and round by me their coverage is the best by far.
As for data, your probs best going with 3 for their unlimted data plans, though I have heard their reception is pretty ropey. It all depends on whats best round where you live/work or spend most of your time.
I also heard that o2 throttle the data speeds, whereas Voda and 3 dont.
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Click to collapse
have voda released the sgs2 yet? aint seen it on voda other than cpw/mobs.co

Related

[Q] Not available til JUNE with Orange!!

I just spoke to Orange upgrades, and after being fobbed off all week they were finally able to tell me that the Galaxy S2 won't be available with them til start of June, as they do extra testing on the devices that other companies don't!
I now have a bit of a dilemma as I would rather stay with Orange directly as they should be able to offer me a good contract to stay with them, but I could go to Phones 4 u or even switch to O2 and get the phone now!
Anyone else in this situation, or have any advice?!
You can get it on orange via phones4u - even as an upgrade.
Sent from my Galaxy S II using XDA App
Well that's ridiculous, by "extra testing" they probably mean "figure out how to slow the device to an absolute crawl with bloatware that no one wants"
I was told that too. I ended up cancelling my contract and taking a new one out with Phones4u whose phones are unlocked and free from bloatware.
Got a better deal than Orange could offer me too.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
I see, thanks. Is it better to go into the P4U store or order off the website, or are they the same deals?
mwilson1987 said:
I see, thanks. Is it better to go into the P4U store or order off the website, or are they the same deals?
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Get it off the net!
For £25.53/m (tmob - 24m), 600mins, 500texts, 1GB, Phone price is:
£29.99 on't net
£149.99 in store
You decide which one you want
I second this, it's exactly what I did. The phone is great but what amazes me more is the amount of time my battery lasts on my HTC Hero now it's been left alone in the shadows of my GS2. It's on its 4th day without charge!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
hey vinokirk
Yh thats the contract Ive ordered, plus I get a free 8GB micro SD card aswell
Im not sure that this contract has 1GB of data, even though you can have unlimited internet from the booster.
According to T mobiles internet policy, unlimited internet is cap to 500mb.
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/services/uk/fairuse/
Bit wary of T Mobile, what is their customer service/network coverage like?
mwilson1987 said:
Bit wary of T Mobile, what is their customer service/network coverage like?
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would love to jump on tmob as they seem to have the best offers, but theres normally a reason for it, its shocking signal where i am so no point at all in me going down that route
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/services/coverage/street-check/
Probably our normal "checks" as you say. Sorry, haven't been in work this week to check up on product updates. The last I saw it was scheduled for 2nd week in May!
That T-Mo deal is bloody good! I went in store and got the phone a day early.
Orange
£35/mth
1200mins
Unlimited texts
500mb internet
24mth contract
Free phone
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Tmobile gives me the second best signal at home and work, the first best being 3. The only thing is, if you buy tmobile via a 3rd party then your data speeds are throttled at 350kbps and you have to pay an extra £5/month to get their full 1.8mbps(i believe 1.8mb is their max). So im waiting till tmobile stock the SGS2 to see what deal theyll give me... a load of crap i bet. Tmobile are crap when it comes to giving the customer a good deal! Good network but bad deals
I wish they spent all that extra time trying to improve their reception.
Phones4u is your best bet mate, though last I heard they were out of stock for online orders.
vinokirk said:
Tmobile gives me the second best signal at home and work, the first best being 3. The only thing is, if you buy tmobile via a 3rd party then your data speeds are throttled at 350kbps and you have to pay an extra £5/month to get their full 1.8mbps(i believe 1.8mb is their max). So im waiting till tmobile stock the SGS2 to see what deal theyll give me... a load of crap i bet. Tmobile are crap when it comes to giving the customer a good deal! Good network but bad deals
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Click to collapse
my t-mobile contract is through e2save and i can tell u now it isnt throttled.
T-mobile and Orange can share networks, so if your t-mobile, you can use the orange network to get better signal and it works the other way too, im orange and with this im very very rarely without signal
The signal sharing is only on 2g. Data connections are still separate.
I would have moved to Orange if data was shared too, it would have been perfect.
Edit: I know the discussion was mainly on call reception, but I thought it worth mentioning that it's not a fully-shared deal. Hopefully that will change.
Sent from my Galaxy S II using XDA App
LarcusMywood said:
Well that's ridiculous, by "extra testing" they probably mean "figure out how to slow the device to an absolute crawl with bloatware that no one wants"
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Click to collapse
I second that view. That and their s**t signal in my area is what puts me off orange completely. They are the only network that madly brands the phones in the UK. Why don't they leave it alone, or at least leave the box the nornal goddam colour and not have their own special box!!!!!!!!!!!
steve228uk said:
That T-Mo deal is bloody good! I went in store and got the phone a day early.
Orange
£35/mth
1200mins
Unlimited texts
500mb internet
24mth contract
Free phone
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty much what they tried to push me into getting today. In fact, even after picking up their sheet of paper with all the contracts on and actually pointing out the ones that I was after they kept trying to push for the above with comments like "Yeah, but we're saving you money this way and you can downgrade next year..."
Just not interested in the hassle of juggling my number though.
Jazazze said:
Pretty much what they tried to push me into getting today. In fact, even after picking up their sheet of paper with all the contracts on and actually pointing out the ones that I was after they kept trying to push for the above with comments like "Yeah, but we're saving you money this way and you can downgrade next year..."
Just not interested in the hassle of juggling my number though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I managed to keep the same number but only thanks to an awesome guy at Orange who just cancelled my contract that released the number and then moved it over to my new SIM. The number port took 2 minutes

[Q] Which contract?

Hey guys, i wanted to ask your opinions on my current position, for choosing what contract and network provider i should go with.
Ok so heres what happenend:
I was going to go for the t mobile contract, which is 500 mins, 600 text, an option to choose a booster (which in this case I would choose the internet booster for unlimited internet) and a free 8 micro SD card. Also i have to pay about £30 up front. This is from phones4u online.
Now when I was going to cancel my current contract with orange, but they actually offered me a really good deal!! with the same minutes, with unlimited text, and 1GB of internet! plus give the phone free.
But they said the phone would available in a few weeks, which presume is June, as some of you guys already called orange and asked them already.
Now im not sure which contract to go with?
plus im not sure wat the mobile 3g internet is like with orange compared to to t-mobile.
thanks in regards
They are the same company now, but apparently T-mobile sucks for data, but peeps on here are actually rating orange, I recently did a test across differing networks for data, unfortunately I did not test T-Orange
Although after my test I concluded Voda was best but have ended up spending my money with 3 as they are the best hybrid of value for money and network performance.

[Q] Any AT&T Users?

As the topic states, I'm looking for feedback from anyone with AT&T who has bought an SGSII, mainly where did you get it (I'm looking at Amazon right now, shipping from Worldwide Distributors), how your WiFi is performing (I saw the topic on WiFi issues), and overall how you feel about the device on the AT&T network!
I'm normally REALLY impulsive with phones, but I'm trying to make a very patient and informed decision before I spend $800 on a phone that Amazon describes as having no warranty.
sliderocket22 said:
As the topic states, I'm looking for feedback from anyone with AT&T who has bought an SGSII, mainly where did you get it (I'm looking at Amazon right now, shipping from Worldwide Distributors), how your WiFi is performing (I saw the topic on WiFi issues), and overall how you feel about the device on the AT&T network!
I'm normally REALLY impulsive with phones, but I'm trying to make a very patient and informed decision before I spend $800 on a phone that Amazon describes as having no warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Howdy, I bought mine from Clove (http://www.clove.co.uk) and am very happy with it so far. The WiFi works perfectly for me - haven't had any of the issues others are claiming. For what it's worth as well, for every 1 person that *****es/moans/complains (valid problem or not), there are usually 9 people that are happy as pie... something to always keep in mind.
The device is great and functions very well on A&T. I had a Nexus One before and even though it was AT&T 3G banded, I couldn't leave it on 3G when at my office. I was missing a lot of calls and was forced to put it on Edge.
Prior to getting my SGS2, I picked up an Atrix which didn't have an option to jump down to the Edge network. Yet, the device had no problem maintaining reception in my office. I was worried after the positive experience (and learning that my N1 just had reception issues), that my SGS2 would be forced to live on Edge but it's a champ. I leave it on 3G all the time and don't miss any calls. I think the plastic body actually helps with reception as it's not impeding signal strength. I have a theory that the aluminum body of HTC phones does degrade the signal some. Yes, just my theory, but I noticed it when I had a Desire Z as well (and why I sold it).
So, I know my response got a bit long-winded, but it's a fantastic device. Like everyone says, the build quality is very nice (no creaking, very solid feeling). I too had reservations regarding spending $750 on a device but I couldn't be happier. It's scary going without a warranty but again, you only live once. If the $750 won't kill you, then I say go for it. If it will put you in the red, I'd say hold off.
Lastly, http://www.handtec.co.uk has them as well for a little cheaper and is just as reputable. Clove ships via DHL and I wasn't charged any duty fees (unless they plan to bill me later in the mail).
Mines running great on att with h+ working on demand. absolutely no issues here with wifi. I ordered from handtec the day of release and been using for 3 weeks now. Nothing comes close plus tegra 2 games are starting to work on the sgs2.
I got mine from handtec on the release day as well. I have no issues with wifi, gps, or battery life whatsoever. I'm however experiencing audio player issue since the update and i'm sure it will get addressed. Also i'm in NYC so it would be hard to say how well it's performing but i've hit 6+Mbps downstream once
Buy it from an authorized dealer in the UK and the 2-year global warranty will be intact. Expansys USA will ship the phone back to their UK office on your behalf preserving its warranty. There's been a few hardware issues (screen, internal memory, radio) so if you have a defect when it arrives you'd want to buy it from someone who will work with you.
BarryH_GEG said:
Buy it from an authorized dealer in the UK and the 2-year global warranty will be intact. Expansys USA will ship the phone back to their UK office on your behalf preserving its warranty. There's been a few hardware issues (screen, internal memory, radio) so if you have a defect when it arrives you'd want to buy it from someone who will work with you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for this info. Great to know for the future and I'm now inquiring with Clove to see what their policy is in the event that I have an issue.
BarryH_GEG said:
Buy it from an authorized dealer in the UK and the 2-year global warranty will be intact. Expansys USA will ship the phone back to their UK office on your behalf preserving its warranty. There's been a few hardware issues (screen, internal memory, radio) so if you have a defect when it arrives you'd want to buy it from someone who will work with you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is perfect, and Expansys has it for $749.99 instead of the $824.99 that Amazon has it for. The wait time will be longer, but I can hold off on the instant gratification if that means I'll have a warranty. Thanks!
Got mine from expansys works great no issues.. super fast on at&t network.. nothing but great things so far..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
TheKenAnthony said:
Got mine from expansys works great no issues.. super fast on at&t network.. nothing but great things so far..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How long did yours take to ship? Expansys says 8 days, but I have the option to do faster shipping...I wonder if the $30 is worth it to have it come quicker. Random question as well: are these phones unbranded, or just UK carrier phones that are unlocked?
Well it's ordered! I went ahead and did the next day shipping, for when it does process, cuz I ended up saving a lot of money getting it through eXpansys. Thanks guys for all the info, now comes the hardest part, the wait!
sliderocket22 said:
Well it's ordered! I went ahead and did the next day shipping, for when it does process, cuz I ended up saving a lot of money getting it through eXpansys. Thanks guys for all the info, now comes the hardest part, the wait!
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Click to collapse
Woohoo! Let us know what you think when you get it!
Mine from expansys is unbranded.. only Samsung on top and rear of phone.. no carrier boot animation either just Samsung and galaxy s symbol..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
yeah, got mine from expansys-usa. you never know they may ship is faster then stated. the website is not accurate. plus they give you the free US AC adapter.
Hey
the international versions: do they automatically access ATT"s top (21M) 4G network, or does ATT have to make that adjustment when branding it???
Thanks
rockky said:
Hey
the international versions: do they automatically access ATT"s top (21M) 4G network, or does ATT have to make that adjustment when branding it???
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is capable of HSUPA (4G) so no need to fear! It's represented by H+ for the phones data connection, and it'll switch to it when data is being accessed if you're in a "4G" area.
Got mine today; using it on AT&T in NE suburbs of Atlanta. Ran speedtest.net on UMTS & HSPA; got 212/337kbps down/up on UMTS, but only 133/434 kbps on HSPA. I've seen the H+ icon a couple times, including during the HSPA speedtest, so it looks like we have some HSPA+, which I don't recall seeing on AT&T's coverage maps.
Dude...aren't even good 2G speeds!
3waygeek said:
Got mine today; using it on AT&T in NE suburbs of Atlanta. Ran speedtest.net on UMTS & HSPA; got 212/337kbps down/up on UMTS, but only 133/434 kbps on HSPA. I've seen the H+ icon a couple times, including during the HSPA speedtest, so it looks like we have some HSPA+, which I don't recall seeing on AT&T's coverage maps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone using the Media Net plan? If so, does H+ work?
3waygeek said:
Got mine today; using it on AT&T in NE suburbs of Atlanta. Ran speedtest.net on UMTS & HSPA; got 212/337kbps down/up on UMTS, but only 133/434 kbps on HSPA. I've seen the H+ icon a couple times, including during the HSPA speedtest, so it looks like we have some HSPA+, which I don't recall seeing on AT&T's coverage maps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure its Kbps? I get usually around 2.1Mbps d/l and 1.6Mbps u/l speeds on my iPhone 4 on 3G. As someone above said, those are like EDGE speeds! You'd think Atlanta would be a great market for AT&T, seeing as how their Mobility headquarters is located there.
The anticipation behind this phone is killing me, I've never imported a device before, it's so exciting!
Oat23 said:
Anyone using the Media Net plan? If so, does H+ work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

going to France looking for some advice

hey guys, I'm gonna be visiting France for a month (I'm from the usa) so what's I'm wondering is what I can do for phone/data over there? what options does someone visiting for a month have? I know the airport will sell you a $.01/KB dataplan, that'll rape you after 5 minutes of web browsing.. are there any real options available in France?
I'm just looking for a sim
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
soraxd said:
hey guys, I'm gonna be visiting France for a month (I'm from the usa) so what's I'm wondering is what I can do for phone/data over there? what options does someone visiting for a month have? I know the airport will sell you a $.01/KB dataplan, that'll rape you after 5 minutes of web browsing.. are there any real options available in France?
I'm just looking for a sim
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course! Look for O2 or Orange. I believe both offer pre-paid SIMs with 500MB of data for only about $13(USD or ~10€). There will be loads of pre-paid plans to choose from, although they might charge 10€ for the SIM. If 500MBs not enough, you can always top it up (recharge or reload your plan). You can get them in almost any kiosk in any commercial district anywhere. It probably won't be enough to tether, and Skype home with video everyday but it should be plenty to check email/FB/XDA. Hell, it might even be enough to Skype a few times per week. Basically, the $.01/KB is a joke...steer clear, but you won't have a problem finding a reasonable prepay when you get to a major city.
What's your normal monthly data consumption like?
sean is here. said:
Of course! Look for O2 or Orange. I believe both offer pre-paid SIMs with 500MB of data for only about $13(USD or ~10€). There will be loads of pre-paid plans to choose from, although they might charge 10€ for the SIM. If 500MBs not enough, you can always top it up (recharge or reload your plan). You can get them in almost any kiosk in any commercial district anywhere. It probably won't be enough to tether, and Skype home with video everyday but it should be plenty to check email/FB/XDA. Hell, it might even be enough to Skype a few times per week. Basically, the $.01/KB is a joke...steer clear, but you won't have a problem finding a reasonable prepay when you get to a major city.
What's your normal monthly data consumption like?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks so much for the info
I want to be as minimal as possible on the trip, so I plan to only use data for Google maps, and maybe looking up hostels. I will do a little bit of phone calling, to a friend ill be staying with (very very little, only if we get separated), and probably no texting.
is there roaming in France?
soraxd said:
thanks so much for the info
I want to be as minimal as possible on the trip, so I plan to only use data for Google maps, and maybe looking up hostels. I will do a little bit of phone calling, to a friend ill be staying with (very very little, only if we get separated), and probably no texting.
is there roaming in France?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes there is roamimg in france.
Just avoid Orange and SFR, as they just are real crooks.
Try this : http://www.free.fr/adsl/index.html
They just started yesterday as the third national provider, and they really are cheaper. Do not hesitate, go FREE.
soraxd said:
thanks so much for the info
I want to be as minimal as possible on the trip, so I plan to only use data for Google maps, and maybe looking up hostels. I will do a little bit of phone calling, to a friend ill be staying with (very very little, only if we get separated), and probably no texting.
is there roaming in France?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem. There is roaming, but if you're staying in city centers it shouldn't be a problem. I have an SGS2 as well, just set it to not use data on the roam. If you buy an app called "GrooveIP" (I think it's like $3 or sth) you'll be able to make calls over your gVoice account via wifi or data, if you have one. I've been living in Germany for about 4 years (until a few months back, now I'm in the UK) and I still have a US landline so I can call mom in FL and sis in OR. You might also check for "What's App". It lets you send SMSs over the internet. So you'll be able to text back home for almost nothing.

Verizon refuses to activate international Service on Nexus 6P

My wife was planning a trip abroad and we called Verizon to activate international service on Nexus 6P. The first person we talked to didn't know how to do it, so she connected us to the international department to activate the service. After nearly an hour, this guy said everything was setup for international service to work; however when she arrived first in Mexico, then South America, international calling was not working, so my wife called Verizon and was told that it was impossible for them to activate international calling on her phone, because it was not in their computer system. However, the computer system allows them to bill you for international service that doesn't exist. I have been a Verizon customer for 18 years; but now they treat their customers with pure contempt. So glad we bought new phones that aren't locked into a single carrier.
Can't wait to say "adios" for good to Big Red!
Pure contempt? You've gotta be kidding. It's clearly a technical issue with their system. If you're smart enough to buy a Nexus you should be smart enough to pick up a SIM when traveling anyway and not pay through the nose.
mdmogren said:
Pure contempt? You've gotta be kidding. It's clearly a technical issue with their system. If you're smart enough to buy a Nexus you should be smart enough to pick up a SIM when traveling anyway and not pay through the nose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
She got a SIM from a local carrier a few days after arriving in her final destination country. Verizon's treatment of customers is utterly contemptible. If international service really can not be activated, then she should have been told that from the beginning. The international service expert from the international calling department simply lied; because he clearly did not know what else to do, or say. That is what I call "contempt".
VZW employees arent the brightest bulb. I would skip the. International service and just pick up a local carrier SIM card. In the UK, it will cost $40/month for 100MB, 100SMS, and 100 minutes meanwhile a local SIM at $25 will give me 3GB, and 500 local minutes and 1000 SMS or something. And if I went with a $40 SIM card, then it would of been like 7GB and double minutes and SMS.
PrevailNow said:
She got a SIM from a local carrier a few days after arriving in her final destination country. Verizon's treatment of customers is utterly contemptible. If international service really can not be activated, then she should have been told that from the beginning. The international service expert from the international calling department simply lied; because he clearly did not know what else to do, or say. That is what I call "contempt".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
entitled much? seriously the guys on the other end are limited to the tools and resources they have on hand. there's a high probability that they had not been asked to enable international roaming on this device (or at least the people who were part of this call) and they attempted to make do with what was available.
so they tried, they thought they had it working and it didn't. it sounds to me like the second go-around with the "impossible" conversation was worse than the first. at least they tried. i'm betting the second rep didn't even bother.
your wife did the right thing and in most cases, she would have had to do this with any other carrier anyway.
I would always opt to pick up a local sim card (language may be an issue, but they should activate it for you). When I went to Italy, I just got a local SIM, which is much cheaper, easier and you can get data with the plan.
if you had team mobile this wouldnt be an issue
In September i went to Spain, France and UK and worked just as here in states... not single problem.... as a matter of fact, i even got texts from TMo when crossing borders saying welcome to "X" country.
The fact he had this issues, clearly shows that the VZW wasnt willing to remediate the immediate issue this customer had while away. People tell u to pick a local sim card, but that is simply not the best option nowadays. If u get one at local airport is wayyyyyy too expensive. If you are there already, how can you get proper information on where to go get one besides there. Waste of time, money and resources.
Its like currency exchange.. people tell you to get it done locally, WRONG, it averages 30% fee on top of the current rate.
Fact remains, customer was proactive, was traveling on expectations that no issues should arise, and when the issue did presented itself, no real solution was provided. Switch to TMo or some other carrier.
chaco81 said:
if you had team mobile this wouldnt be an issue
In September i went to Spain, France and UK and worked just as here in states... not single problem.... as a matter of fact, i even got texts from TMo when crossing borders saying welcome to "X" country.
The fact he had this issues, clearly shows that the VZW wasnt willing to remediate the immediate issue this customer had while away. People tell u to pick a local sim card, but that is simply not the best option nowadays. If u get one at local airport is wayyyyyy too expensive. If you are there already, how can you get proper information on where to go get one besides there. Waste of time, money and resources.
Its like currency exchange.. people tell you to get it done locally, WRONG, it averages 30% fee on top of the current rate.
Fact remains, customer was proactive, was traveling on expectations that no issues should arise, and when the issue did presented itself, no real solution was provided. Switch to TMo or some other carrier.
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WHY YOU HAS MY PICTURE?! haha jk jk
The Stig 04 said:
WHY YOU HAS MY PICTURE?! haha jk jk
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you have mines, you are the 4th Stig!
lol
mdmogren said:
If you're smart enough to buy a Nexus you should be smart enough to pick up a SIM when traveling anyway and not pay through the nose.
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Local SIMs are overrated. In some countries the red tape to get a local SIM is not trivial and can be a big hassle. You also have to figure out what the best deals are, stores to go and all that. Also, if you are in the country for just a couple of days it's just too much work. The way to go is crearly that your home carrier offered reasonable roaming charges, which is starting to happen.
I've used Project Fi while roaming internationally with the 6P and it's amazing to do country hopping without even thinking about this stuff. You just turn your phone wherever you are, and it works.
I left Verizon due to the horrible customer service. I'm a person, not a rock in your boot that you step on all day long. It's like pulling teeth with them.
Every call is a struggle. They're literally the Comcast of the mobile phone world. I dreaded having to call big red. Like you have to mentally prepare yourself for whatever's about to happen.
Now I'm with T-Mobile and they have great customer service. I just have 1 dead spot on the way to work. Front start to finish I'm without service for about 8 seconds flat. Besides that? No real difference. Besides the lower bill, and all the fun stuff that T-Mobile does for customers now.
RHChan84 said:
VZW employees arent the brightest bulb. I would skip the. International service and just pick up a local carrier SIM card. In the UK, it will cost $40/month for 100MB, 100SMS, and 100 minutes meanwhile a local SIM at $25 will give me 3GB, and 500 local minutes and 1000 SMS or something. And if I went with a $40 SIM card, then it would of been like 7GB and double minutes and SMS.
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Exactly. The UK is great and so is Japan. I was shocked at the 4G data speeds in the UK on EE. Sim cost like $20-$30 for 3gb of data and fast data at that. We get ripped a new one on cell service here. I think Canada gets ripped even more.
bartolo5 said:
Local SIMs are overrated. In some countries the red tape to get a local SIM is not trivial and can be a big hassle. You also have to figure out what the best deals are, stores to go and all that. Also, if you are in the country for just a couple of days it's just too much work. The way to go is crearly that your home carrier offered reasonable roaming charges, which is starting to happen.
I've used Project Fi while roaming internationally with the 6P and it's amazing to do country hopping without even thinking about this stuff. You just turn your phone wherever you are, and it works.
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Project Fi or T-mobile look nice for international, however, I strongly disagree with your statement that Local SIMs are overrated. IIRC speeds are capped at 256kbps which is fine for e-mail and light browsing but that is slooooowww.
I have gotten local SIMs in Argentina, Spain, Japan, and the UK in the recent past and I am so happy I did. Speeds were fantastic and it was cheaper if not the same price as Fi would have been.
The only upsides to Fi are if you are country hopping and/or only overseas for a day or so.
Doing research on who is the best carrier for the price in X country takes a minute or two.
EE speedtest in the UK attached.
But I do wish it was supposed for VZW and the 6P since I do quick trips like Mexico where I'm not going to venture off go look for a SIM for two days. And it's a company meeting so I will be busy those days.
joderme said:
Exactly. The UK is great and so is Japan. I was shocked at the 4G data speeds in the UK on EE. Sim cost like $20-$30 for 3gb of data and fast data at that. We get ripped a new one on cell service here. I think Canada gets ripped even more.
Project Fi or T-mobile look nice for international, however, I strongly disagree with your statement that Local SIMs are overrated. IIRC speeds are capped at 256kbps which is fine for e-mail and light browsing but that is slooooowww.
I have gotten local SIMs in Argentina, Spain, Japan, and the UK in the recent past and I am so happy I did. Speeds were fantastic and it was cheaper if not the same price as Fi would have been.
The only upsides to Fi are if you are country hopping and/or only overseas for a day or so.
Doing research on who is the best carrier for the price in X country takes a minute or two.
EE speedtest in the UK attached.
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Click to collapse
Don't get me wrong, I go the local SIM route often, but only if I'm going to stay more than 5 days in a place. I do country hopping often, 2-3 days and moving on, and it's just not worth the hassle for me. 256kbps is slow indeed, but better than nothing. The verizon deal of $10/day and use your data looks good to me in those scenarios where you are just going to be a few days in a country although their country list at the moment is fairly limited.

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