T-Mobile / EE Upgrade Dilemma

snit_girl

Hello all, I am currently on T-Mobile and I'm due an upgrade on 23/11. I really need to change my contract as my data allowance is way too low for my usage.

Anyway, here's my problem. I can get an upgrade through a friend who works for EE and he will put me on the friends and family 40% off discount, but, I was in the EE shop looking at handsets and when telling the girl in there I was almost due an upgrade she advised me to cancel my T-Mobile contract and switch to Vodafone as that what she was doing the first chance she got! We live in the same area and she told me the 4Gee was terrible there and EE are just generally horrible (although she had handed in her notice the previous week so may be slightly biased).

I've been with T-Mobile for 15 years and never had a problem with them before. The reception in my home town is pretty bad sometimes but I work in a large city where this shouldn't be a problem. I also think that the customer service side of things can be pretty awful for any service provider.

So ... do I go for the upgrade with 40% off or do I start to look around at other networks, potentially paying more but with a better service?

grumbler

snit_girl wrote: »

...the girl ... advised me to cancel my T-Mobile contract and switch to Vodafone as ...EE are just generally horrible ....

... I also think that the customer service side of things can be pretty awful for any service provider.

So ... do I go for the upgrade with 40% off or do I start to look around at other networks, potentially paying more but with a better service?

If you are really concerned about the CS, then avoid both EE and Vodafone. Vodafone was the worst for years and remains bad, but EE overtook them recently and are even worse now.

That said, you can be lucky to keep getting services for years without any need to contact the CS.

Also, "due an upgrade" is a delusion as the new phone is never 'free'. If your "data allowance is way too low", no way does this mean that you have to upgrade. You can switch to an appropriate sim-only (or PAYG) tariff with the same or another network and keep your phone.

Anoneemoose

If you move to EE, calls and text quality will remain exactly the same as the network infrastructure is the same for Orange, T-Mobile and EE. Contrary to many of the "I moved to EE and reception went bad" stories, the ONLY difference is that on the masts they have additional cells on them ONLY for 4G data traffic.

If your calls and texts are currently fine, this shouldn't change but it might be worth getting a pay as you go sim to try first.

kittykat17

If you want to stay with TM you could always ask them to increase your package to include more data - you then don't have to upgrade (and, therefore, move to EE) unless you want to change your handset at the same time.


As Anoneemoose said all 3 co's use the same infrastructure although 4gee is only available on EE - if you want or need it!

diamonds

kittykat17 wrote: »

If you want to stay with TM you could always ask them to increase your package to include more data - you then don't have to upgrade (and, therefore, move to EE) unless you want to change your handset at the same time.


As Anoneemoose said all 3 co's use the same infrastructure although 4gee is only available on EE - if you want or need it!

OP,


EE4G is just the old T-Mobile 3G backhaul, rebranded as 4GEE, and some old Orange stations moved into it with new 4G transmitters.


Orange/T-Mobile share sites with 3, I left my 4GEE contract early as the data was terrible and I had to hang out the window to make poor quality calls, 3 is much improved but still problematic, that's using both a Sony Xperia SP and Nokia 1320, the latter being better.


EE knew about my poor signal as I used Orange Signalboost (UMA) but they still kept me in a 4G EE contract for 13 months knowing the signal was horrendously poor, denying all knowledge, I took a PAC and will be going to CISAS for arbitration on the final day I can submit it to recover the out of contract cancellation charge and damage to my credit file and its default removal