Vodafone Red...

[RobbieW]

Looking at options as my mobile contract is up for renewal shortly. Has anyone used Vodafone Red for roaming ? They currently have a deal for 5Gb UK / 2Gb Roaming at £15/month but I wonder if there are restrictions (like 3) which a cursory search of Voda's website hasnt uncovered.

 

[maby]

Both my wife and I have it although we have never actually roamed with it. We looked at the contract and could not see any unacceptable conditions.

 

[Forty_Two]

Its at the very bottom of the t&c's pdf. 30 days max without being used in the UK otherwise they disable roaming

 

[RobbieW]

Its at the very bottom of the t&c's pdf. 30 days max without being used in the UK otherwise they disable roaming

Thanks, looks like I'll be sticking with O2 for flexibility without compromising long term roaming. O2Travel is useful in that it can be turned on or off to suit the trip

 

[Chris_Robb]

Thanks, looks like I'll be sticking with O2 for flexibility without compromising long term roaming. O2Travel is useful in that it can be turned on or off to suit the trip

I tried using )2 travel Data in Greece roaming on Cosmote which gives a pretty good 3G data coverage. The first day it was good, the next it was slow and became unusable. Asking the boat next door - who had a local cosmote sim - they had good speed. 02 said that they throttle back the speed on their fair usage policy. Asking at what point they did that and why did it not pick up after leaving it for a few days - they could not/would not tell me. Has any one experienced this slowing down of the speed?

From June 1st 2017 ALL roaming rates go, and it then just costs us our standard UK package. I have written to the office of the CEO at O2 as the idiots at customer services have no idea, to ask just what we will be getting especially the throttling back of the speed for data we have paid for. If the answer is not satisfactory I would suggest we start a campaign here (better on PBO - more people) to kick the arse of the regulator.

By the time we get an answer we will have Brexited :sleeping:

 

[laika]

Just about all the vodafone stores seem to be offering a "manager's special" of the 20GB/month, 12months, sim only, thing. I've seen it at £22 most places. I got it for £20 in february. I don't recall a roaming limit when I signed up but the blackboards outside shops are saying 4GB roaming. Also includes netflix (no point for me as I don't have unlimited broadband) or spotify premium (which has been fabulous). I've noticed my Three 4G mifi thingy has got much, much worse in the past 6 months or so. Used to be pretty good. Is now mediocre in the UK and almost unusable roaming. Tethered through the vodafone phone has consistently been much better.

 

[RobbieW]

I tried using )2 travel Data in Greece roaming on Cosmote which gives a pretty good 3G data coverage. The first day it was good, the next it was slow and became unusable...

At £1.99/day for roaming I wouldnt be using O2 for data or call/text roaming (I use very little call time when away) for a trip above a week or so. I buy a local sim (or use a 3UK sim for under 2 months) for data which goes in the MiFi. On short trips to places in Europe the £1.99/day is reasonable.

I used O2 in France and the CIs earlier this year and didnt notice it slowing down more than I might due to signal variations but I wasnt looking for a problem. I did notice with a 3 UK data sim in Spain last month that it was pretty much unusable for download/streaming but regular browsing was fast enough - that was mostly camped on to a Movistar signal.

 

[charles_reed]

It appears all the UK "roaming" packages have a condition which makes it impossible to use for a period abroad of more than 30 days and it appears that local mobile companies frequently run a "least-favoured" service on UK-based data packages.
I found in Greece, my standard giffgaff phone, tethered to Cosmote, had extremely good bandwidth until I tried to use any conference calling.
It so happens that a €15/month for 5Gb on Cosmote was the best buy - the only upset being Microsoft/Kaspersky horrid habit of automatic downloads, coupled with far more 4G transmissions than expected.
Next year I'll up my allowance to 10Gb for €20/month.
Can't speak for France but the last mobile package I had was from Bouygues, about 50% of the SFR and Orange offers.

 

[Chris_Robb]

It appears all the UK "roaming" packages have a condition which makes it impossible to use for a period abroad of more than 30 days and it appears that local mobile companies frequently run a "least-favoured" service on UK-based data packages.
I found in Greece, my standard giffgaff phone, tethered to Cosmote, had extremely good bandwidth until I tried to use any conference calling.
It so happens that a €15/month for 5Gb on Cosmote was the best buy - the only upset being Microsoft/Kaspersky horrid habit of automatic downloads, coupled with far more 4G transmissions than expected.
Next year I'll up my allowance to 10Gb for €20/month.
Can't speak for France but the last mobile package I had was from Bouygues, about 50% of the SFR and Orange offers.

Having asked the CEO's office whether we get the same download rate a local sim owners, I await their answer. It this is the case that we are on a third teir of speed, then we should be told. That is a breech of the new sales of goods act or what ever its called now.

We are moving this year from Turkey through Greece up past Croatia to Monfalcone. If we had a Cosmote card for one month or more- does this roam when you get to Croatia? Or will it be a new sim all the way through? Thats why I am hoping that O2 with the new June 1st Regs - no roaming charges- will be suitable.
Pigs might fly!

 

[RobbieW]

...Thats why I am hoping that O2 with the new June 1st Regs - no roaming charges- will be suitable.
Pigs might fly!

Lets hope that, if that does come to pass, O2 dont block the SIM if you stay out of the home country for too long - 30 days or whatever thier commercial judgement is. Right now one of the benefits of O2, even though it makes it more expensive, is that I can choose whether to have a roaming deal enabled and when I dont to pay the standard charge (now very cheap in the EU) for calls/texts. That option does not seem available for other suppliers with inclusive roaming who have a nasty habit of disconnecting when one overstays - as the typical cruiser usually does!