MSE Recommends GifGaf but Are They Any Good?

briesmith

MSE includes GiffGaff - alongwith Virgin and Tesco - in its best mobile sim only deals category but reading some of the various forums their reputation isn't, at first glance, very good.
TrustPilot particularly includes many, many quite vitriolic posts about the company and its service.
There is no point in going with a company because it's cheap if you don't actually get what you are paying for; as MSE would say there is no dearer deal than one with a company that doesn't deliver. You are simply wasting your money and nothing is more expensive than that.
So I wondered what people here on MSE think about GiffGaff. It's not practical to use their forum, not because they censor it or anything because they don't as far as I know but because GiffGaff pays money to people who effectively promote their brand so their forum is full of people trying to earn/save money rather than giving the unvarnished truth.
I'd be grateful for any MSE members' views.

grumbler

briesmith wrote: »

...reading some of the various forums their reputation isn't, at first glance, very good.
...
So I wondered what people here on MSE think about GigGaf.
...
I'd be grateful for any MSE members' views.

Why can't you just search this board for 'giffgaff'?
You'll get 12 pages of results. Use Advanced search to either search the titles only or to exclude the shortest threads.

The longest one with more than 550 posts is giffgaff mobile network

macman

They've just come top in a Which? PAYG survey, followed by Tesco Mobile. I can't fault giffgaff, but if you need your hand holding, then a conventional CS system may suit you better.
Interesting in this survey that all the 'real' operators come last-the MNVO's all come above them.

JJ_Egan

As above re the hand holding or lack of ability to carry out basic tasks and read faqs .

briesmith

Sorry but I did ask a very specific question; I did search the forums first and I've been reading (and writing) FAQs for a living for years. (Why do people bother to reply to posts they've no sympathy with or don't like? Might as well "save their breath" so to speak surely?)
Anyway, as I mentioned some of my research threw up forums with multiple generally unflattering posts about GiffGaff especially the fact that it seems to be a poor relation to O2. Posters seem to suspect that GiffGaff is generally throttled by O2 so that direct O2 customers get better response.
It was this issue - the performance - that I wanted specific feedback on.
Most forums I could find on GiffGaff are "polluted" - even here - by the presence of people who make some money out of promoting GiffGaff. I wanted comment from people using GiffGaff who don't do that.

grumbler

I don't see any specific questions in the OP.
Was it "Are They Any Good?"?

If so, and if you did search the board, how have you missed this thread?:

Is Giff Gaff any good?

balletshoes

performance-wise, as a giffgaff customer, I have no issues (my £12 goodybag is on an automatic renew every month, and is used in an iphone 5s). No problems with calls connecting, sending texts, or using data, and no issue with data speed (but we are in a good O2 coverage area anyway).

I haven't used their forum-based customer services as I've had no need to - the set-up etc is all explained very clearly on their website. I get monthly emails advising my usage and checking that I'm on the correct goodybag tarrif etc.

I don't think theres any mobile service provider out there in the UK these days which has perfect customer service, so until I come across a problem with giffgaff which gives me serious cause to want to move away from them, I'm happy to stay a giffgaff customer (my giffgaff sim replaced a t-mobile one, and I'm overjoyed to be away from EE).

JJ_Egan

I find them good also a number of other users i know find them good including two data only customers .One user i know has left them as he does not read faqs and guides and failed to understand that the CS is community driven . But i understand as his current user has gone bust he has returned to giffgaff .
OP if you don't like this reply ignore it .

pepdavies

Giffgaff are fine. You get the same coverage as O2 for less money. They're not the cheapest or the most expensive network. Only you can decide if they suit your needs. For a specific amount of minutes, texts and data, in a specific part of the country, they can't be beaten!

Herongull

Their tarrifs make them one the most expensive PAYG Virtual mobile operators.

10p per minute, 6 per text, data 20p per day (up to 20mb then 20p per mb)

Compare with Three 3 2 1 where calls are 3p per minute, texts 2p per minute, data 1p per mb.

Or

White mobile calls 3p per minute to landlines, 6p to other mobiles, texts 5p, data 2.5p per mb.

If one of their bundles suits your needs may be worth considering but too expensive otherwise.

ZhugeEX

Giff Gaff have now been beaten by another O2 MVNO.

Whilst Giff Gaff fans will rush to their defence there is no denying that Lyca Mobile now offer a much much better plan with low international call rates as well.

Lyca offer 500 Minutes, 5000 Texts and Unlimited data (5GB with 4G/3G speeds and 2G speeds after).

Compare this to Giff Gaff who offer 1GB of 4G for £10pm and 2p a mb after you exceed 1GB.

http://www.lycamobile.co.uk/en/Unlimited-4G-Data