choosing cheap second mobile service provider

teleaddict

Due to terrible customer service from vodafone, we changed to three just over a year ago and changed to PAYG (as we didn't feel we were benefiting from a monthly package).
Although it's worked out cheaper, mobile signal is a bit hit & miss in our area, so I'm looking for a secondary sim on another network to provide alternative network coverage. I'm currently trialling delight mobile in my daughters phone and it seems to offer much better coverage for the same price as three.
Recently I've seen 1p mobile mentioned,which is also makes use of the EE network, but for cheaper. Can anybody offer advice on what their service is like or offer their experiences to assist in my decision making
TVM

AndyPK

Talk mobile I think uses Vodafone

MattTheMoneyGuru

In terms of coverage, network experience is very much location specific.

I'd refer to Ofcom's coverage map on their site for network performance. Even this should be a guide.

Then if you want better service, virtual network providers such as GiffGaff, tesco etc tend to perform better than the major networks for customer service. Probably because they don't have to manage, update and maintain a network.

preecey

Be very careful with Delight and 1p Mobile.

Credit with Delight only lasts 90 days, so if you top up by £10 and only use the phone a couple of times, the rest of the credit will disappear with no way to get it back.

1p Mobile, although offering great rates, has a credit validity period that's even worse - just 30 days. Any unused credit with them will disappear after 30 days.

I'd highly recommend O2, specifically their Classic Pay As You Go SIMs. 5p per minute, text or MB of data, and the credit lasts forever as long you you either make a chargeable call or send a chargeable texts at least once every 180 days.

However it must be said that O2 and Vodafone generally have similar coverage, so if Vodafone doesn't work well for you then O2 might not either.

alanwsg

I ordered a 1pMobile SIM when they launched, it all works fine but they give the impression of being a bunch of amateurs - the SIM arrived in a letter with my address hand written and with the stamp stuck on wonky. When you put the SIM in a phone it says it's 'Club Mobile' which is a Pakistani mobile company so I guess they got a job-lot of SIMs from somewhere. I suspect the company is being run from someone's bedroom!

I switched to LifeMobile who were very professional but they almost immediately became PlusnetMobile, they've had some initial problems but seem to be OK now. I already had Plusnet broadband so their 'Mates rates' offer suited me fine and they gave me 4G service.

Interestingly enough I've got the 1pMobile SIM in an old phone. It still provides 3G data access (1pMobile don't do 4G) even though I haven't paid them for two months. I suspect they haven't got any procedures to stop it.

d123

alanwsg wrote: »

It still provides 3G data access (1pMobile don't do 4G)

They say they do on their website.

Benefits of 1pMobile

No confusing bundles
Keep your existing number
Use your top-up how you like
3G and 4G at the same price
Manage your account online
UK-based customer service

https://www.1pmobile.com