EE -> Vodafone.

mrchagle

Hi All,

My EE contract is ending in January. Obviously it'll roll to a 30 day rolling contract which I get, but it'll be at the higher price as I had a retention deal previously.

Vodafone have some amazing cash back deals (mobiles.co.uk for example) which include the entertainment package, i.e. Spotify.

Over the years, there's been a lot of negative feedback about VF - Obviously, we only hear the bad. Their latest blog etc. states "they are learning from their mistakes"..

So I wanted to learn, mainly from currently VF users -- Are they good? How do you rate them compared to other networks, assuming you have been on other networks previous to VF.

Obviously signal wise is based on your location. But are Customer Services better? Are they Apps, online portal good/useful?

I also have an Apple Watch which I need a Data Tariff for. EE and Vodafone are the only networks that appear to support this.

Just would like a little feedback?

Thanks.

mobilejunkie

It's Mobiles.co that provides cashback - not Vodafone, who have nothing to do with that. You will have two separate contracts; one normal one with Vodafone and one with Mobiles.co, for the cashback (and any phone provided). If you understood cashback contracts you'd understand that, but I suspect you don't.

Both companies can be immensely intolerable to deal with. I recently took out a cashback deal for the first time in a few years with Mobiles.co (have been using another dealer but have taken out hundreds through Mobiles.co and other CPW dealers over more than 10 years for others as well as myself). Mobiles.co declined my first cashback claim for an absolutley false reason. Within two days of an immediate and firm response from me(where I refused to "resubmit") they reversed that, but others may get caught out. I will always get paid provided CPW don't go bust because I follow the groundrules (mine, disregarding theirs which they are apt to try to reinvent as they go along sometimes) and am always ready, willing and able to sue as soon as they start playing games. I have a long, battle-hardened history dealing with CPW.

If you follow the ground rules on cashback and don't take prisoners should they try to play silly games you will get the cashback provided they're still around. As far as Vodafone are concerned, I have a recent contract with them (same transaction) and they have been ok since I have little to do with them - though they will try to charge you for "free" trail add-ons you don't ask for when signing up unless you firmly cancel them within the trial period. In past years, however, they were abysmal - getting everything wrong from from billing, direct debits and many other things - and without the WRT I would never have sorted out any of the endless problems they caused.

My preference is Mobiles.co purely because I don't need a WRT to make them pay - and rather enjoy putting them to the sword when they require that. Vodafone were worse and impossible to deal with - except for the WRT.

Cashback is irrelevant as far as the network is concerned (as explained). I have had run-ins with EE too over the years (and taken them to the Ombudsman twice, though that was for historic Orange contracts). I would rate them better than Vodafone - but only because Vodafone were so unimaginably terrible.

mrchagle

Thanks for the info. I did have cash back deals before with mobilephonesdirect.co.uk -- They were pretty good actually.

As for Vodafone vs EE -- I think both have their flaws. I do like EE, then again that's all I've used for a while. They CS are pretty OK, it's a bit of a gamble who you get on the other end of the phone, like many companies. I'm sure VF are the same, hopefully improving.

I might see what retentions have to offer me next month (9th of January).

Thanks for the good advice though, it's very much appreciated.

thegoodman

I have also taken many cashback offers with mobiles.co.uk without any problems. You can also submit invoices online, this makes it very easy to do and what invoices are required.

I have upgraded on Vodafone and the customer service have been very good.