Vectone Mobile Alert 5 April 2010 at 12:01PM edited 30 November -1 at 1:00AM in Mobiles 18 replies 10K views

Kio

At the moment vectone mobile is advertising intensively in my area as it's very multicultural on it's 1p a minute weekend international calls. You get a free sim but have to spend a fiver on credit and then you have to top up your phone again in order to qualify for the deal. It's a bit of a cumbersome process but should be worth it if you have family abroad that you ring regularly.

I went through the process but was still being charged about 17p a minute so I tried to ring customer services - the number is an 0207 number that costs 5p a minute. I was put on hold and the automatic voice predicted with accuracy that I would be on hold for 11 minutes. On the 11th minute I heard a muffled voice that seemed to say hello and then the call cut off. I was too annoyed to ring back and be put on hold again so I sent an email. They responded with a day or two to apologise for any inconvenience but to say that you only get 1p a minute calls if you top up a minimum of £5 in the preceding week which is on their website. I emailed back to say that I'd topped up on the day I made the calls but still hadn't been charged 1p a minute and they just never replied.

The quality of the line is also very poor so vectone mobile if generally best avoided really. What a rip off!

Blue_Max

check out
http://www.vectonemobile.co.uk/onlineoffer/vmukgglindia.aspx

Free calls to India until 2011
Absolutely no top-up or any other payments required for
= 10 free minutes calls to India, everyday
= 10 MB free mobile web, every day

However, top up is required for making calls to UK numbers
UK landlines: 1p per min
UK Mobiles: 10p per min

As with all mobile contracts, make sure to read and understand their charges before topping up

nadologist

I bought a sim today from a temporary stall in the shopping centre, and the person selling said i could have a sim but at a cost of £5 top up. He then keyed in some numbers on the mobile and sold me the sim.

I then got home and tried to use the sim to make an overseas call only to find out that there was no credit. I just put it down to a mistake and tried to ring their customer service only to be hung-up on twice.

I doubt i'll find the person at the stall again, and im not too convinced of the customer service so far. I will try and email them to see if I can get a response, but im not holding up any hope. Im so far uncertain if I should top up further because I do need to make regular overseas calls to east asia.

Id definately approach with care. The top up vouchers that sell in supermarkets etc (tesco is one but its not exactly cheap), may well be hassle to make to calls, but its certainly guaranteed you wont get ripped off in this way.

neil40

You will be lucky to ever talk to someone on the Vectone customer service number!.I think it severely under staffed.Good deal if it works though.

Neil

cletus1

I am off to Cuba in a few days and was going to use the Vectone sim whilst away as incoming texts are free and outgoing texts are less than £0.1p also incoming calls are only 40p pm

What is the catch ? Outgoing calls are £5.33 pm Ouch!

After reading the posts I think it may be a good idea to take my contract phone with me lol

Will update on my return to let you know if it worked !

thor

I know a few people who have had vectone sims of one knid or another and without exception all found they were deceived in some fashion. Most of all special offers were hardly ever fully honoured.

cletus1

Well time will tell !

This does not appear to be a special offer but the normal rate …

If it does not deliver what it says on the tin I will complain to ofcom


i will update when i get back

cletus1

Surprise, surprise! It didn't work!

It did however manage to eat in to the pre-paid balance

It logs on to the local network and it lets you send texts the cost of which was around 70p that is instantly deducted from your balance however they never arrive!

It did let me ring the UK and it did charge £5 per min for the privilege so all in all it was a rip off

bowang

I think Vectone is more for people calling overseas a lot. Don't know about their UK rates, but like their China Unlimited bundle a lot! I'm calling my bf everyday and still have lots of credits left.

I think I'll keep Vectone only for alling overseas, and would like to try Delight 5p/min to any UK network. Would share how it works later

MerilynK

I am calling my girlfriend to Poland and we talk and talk so much everyday...and I still have enough credit...not even remember when last time did a topup...i also send many texts in uk, so i am happy...good network, good rates and a good overall experience:) no problems occured so far...no need to handle with customer service...:)

Tony5101

That's at least 3 noobs that have joined today to praise Vectone....call me a cynic, but I think I smell :spam: