vodafone signal - Bristol

toasterman

Hi everyone.
I got a new job 3 months ago and where I work there is no signal on Orange (my then-provider). I borrowed a PAYG Vodafone phone and tested it in my office to make sure there was signal. No less than 3 bars throughout the office, so it seemed good. I didn't make any calls with it though (this maybe relevant).

I then bought a contract mobile phone online from Vodafone (ordered 29/06, received about 4th July). A Samsung E900. This phone had a fault where the predictive text would turn itself off after each message. Vodafone say its "just the way the phone works" but online reviews say it IS Vodafone's software that causes it to do it, and that the phone from another provider does not do this.
Vodafone have a 14 day returns option on all phones. I returned the phone, and got a different model handset. A Sony Ericsson K800i (and the 3.2mp camera is superb, if anyone was wondering).

Last Thursday my new..new...phone...arrived.
All this mucking about with handsets means I've only just got a chance to actually use the phone, and now I have a different fault.
At work, I have signal. I dropped someone home after work and a friend called me (they're on virgin mobile). It was repeatedly cutting out and I couldn't really make them out.
Then another friend called me (they're on o2). Again, repeated cutting out and couldn't make them out.
All the while I had acceptable signal showing.

Then I went to the house of the virgin mobile person. Called them as their doorbell is broken - and they answered - again, it is cutting out and I can't hear them.

I had the same fault with my old job (they were on Vodafone for their phones), but at the time I assumed it was the crashtastic phones.

I have also tested this at home, calling my friend on o2 at their house - with them stating they could not hear me.

My questions are these
Firstly: Anyone on here using Vodafone in central Bristol, and how is it working for you? Can you regularly make calls?

And more importantly: Anyone know if I can return the phone and cancel my contract on the basis that the network is rubbish and I can't seem to make an audible call anywhere?

Thanks for any help anyone can give on this one.

-Ben-

cowboy

I think it could be the phone, so you should request to change the handset. I use to live in Bristol and never had any problems as you've mentioned with my Vodafone PAYG....