Vodafone in Eastbourne / Brighton, and a generally lousy system

JSUK_2

I started a Vodafone contract recently, £21 a month via Phones4U, and foolishly believed the Coverage Checker on the website stating that I would have decent coverage throughout my home town of Eastbourne. By the time I found that the checker is lies (and not even legally enforceable) and the signal outside the town centre is extremely patchy (and let's not go into the problem those poor folks in Brighton have had for the last 11 months - how silly of me to think I'd get 3G (or even reliable 2G) in a large tech-savvy young city when other networks can provide 4G), the 14 day return period had passed. Admittedly I should have used the phone more inside those 14 days, but in one location I did notice a poor signal and was fobbed off with 'we're doing some work, it'll be fine soon', which of course it isn't. All I can do now is pay the Early Termination Fee of almost £400, or accept that my phone will be little more than calls and texts outside the town centre, and maybe not even that in the nearest city.

I know technically they are within their legal rights, but isn't this a lousy system? Only guaranteeing 2G even though 2G-only contracts aren't available - imagine ordering a whole lobster with a side of chips and only getting the chips? They can give you whatever reported coverage they want, and if you don't visit a particular location within the 2 weeks, you're stuffed if the checker is lies. And if they lie and you foolishly believe them, you're stuffed. And what if you move house after 2 months? Regulators with too many friends in the networks?

[Deleted User]

Just a thought - have you checked that the phone itself is working OK as it is possible that you may have been sold a "deaf" phone. This sometimes happens with radios in the amateur radio world and a change of equipment is the answer if this is the case.
A quick check with another phone on the same network could give you the answer to any phone sensitivity questions.

JSUK_2

Good idea, not sure I know anyone else who is on Vodafone. I guess the store (either Vodafone or Phones4U) could check though? From what others have said I very much doubt that it's the phone (Motorola Moto X as it happens), but who knows.

JSUK_2

Finally got around to popping into the Vodafone shop - the staff member I spoke to was certain that changing the phone and SIM card would not help, she seem as used to people complaining about the signal as anyway.

Frozen_up_north

I have a Kindle 3G, which I understand uses Vodafone in the UK. The 3G coverage is awful on the Kindle, mostly it's a dreadfully slow GPRS connection... Just as well I can tether it to my iPhone on Three.

Checking the Brighton area with the Rootmetrics App, the Vodafone data coverage is virtually non existent. Three and EE look fine.

Unfortunately, it looks like you have been sucked in with the glossy sales pitch from Vodafone.

JSUK_2

Precisely. Any thoughts Mr. Lewis? Strikes me as legalised theft.

JJ_Egan

I would be looking at a different network and try a number of sims rule out the phone first .

JSUK_2

Vodafone's own staff seem pretty sure it's not that. Should I pay £20 to unlock the phone just to see if they're wrong?

JJ_Egan

Point is how are you going to move forward .
I cannot see Phones 4 U the vendor being responsible for misleading info when they state >>>Phones 4u don't have access to network coverage information

Based upon the root metrics info Eastbourne is fair to poor .Brighton good with fair and poor patches .