Mobile phone plans what a joke

[RuddyCrazy]

G'day Guys,
First sorry to say I have been that busy at work my HB has gone on the way side and I gave a plumber mate $100 to get me a 18m roll of annealed 3/8" copper pipe so i can finally get my reflux still going. Honestly since I changed careers drinking beer has gone on the way side and thinking back on those first brews I distilled which tasted so good I'm going to go into moonshine HB. Now that brew I did of Canadian Blonde did taste better thru the pot still and watered down to 28% than the longnecks did 4 months later too....

Now onto mobile phones, it does seem all phone providers offer only a 2 year contract and lock you into it. I did buy a smart phone finally and found it to buggy as hell and the mobile coverage of it was terrible to say the least. Well today I rang the telco and asked why they can't provide mobile service and well after over an hour of talking I got to cancelling my 2 year contract with no penalty. They did say I was a valued customer and offered 3 months free mobile but hell if your out of range what good is a mobile and when one is in small business missed calls are missed jobs......

I did say I was a small business customer and they took it in consideration so for consumers it may take a gang to get together.

Anyway guys I did it and well going back to telsux which I sweared off after they cut the isdn off and I got the NBN maybe they may be the best for mobiles, I did say to them well if the coverage isn't there so bye.

I can't mention the service provider but gang up as guys here I've told are doing so...

Cheers

[lob]

You can by the Nexus 4 directly from Google for $349AU.

That's what I'll be doing in the future when I want a new phone. With top-of-the-range phones at this price, there's no need to be locked into a 2 year contract.

https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_4_8gb&feature=microsite&hl=en

[Oliver]

I don't think there's any argument that Telstra's coverage is superior. Given you're in the Adelaide Hills that's probably the best option for you. Even in some inner-city areas the other networks are nowhere near as good and there will be (more) black spots than Telstra. I'm with Telstra and the little lady is with Optus. She's forever cursing the coverage if we venture out of the big smoke and she's forced to use my BlackBerry on the Telstra network!

You'll probably find plenty of animated discussion about phone plans and network coverage across at the Whirlpool forums.

Good luck with it.

Oliver

[big dave]

Same here in rural Vic. I am a Paramedic, and use my phone a fair bit at work. I hate Telstra with a passion, but no other provider had coverage out here. Got a Nokia Lumia blue tick phone, and coverage is decent.

Anyone know about the Aldi or Kogan plans? Apparently they use the Telstra network. I have been meaning to do some research, but haven't go round to it.

[drsmurto]

Adelaide Hills resident.

Telstra is only good for coverage. That's it. And even then they are only a few % better than optus. There are quite a few black spots in the hills which no phone company provides a service (although none will admit it).

Telstra - horribly overpriced and customer service is not something they have even the slightest grasp of.

I'm with Virgin for mobile phone (+ my partner) and the wireless broadband. Costs a fraction of Telstra, coverage where we live is every bit as good and I use 1/3 of my phone plan each month if I don't make a few international calls. No landline.

Couldn't be happier.

But can I convince my parents to ditch their landline and sign up to anyone other than Telstra? Is that a flying pig?

[jello]

I'm also with Virgin. Have been for years. Very rarely am I without coverage.

Telstra can go to hell.

[RuddyCrazy]

Anyway guy's got another call off optass asking if I had changed my mind and my reply off yea right out of 8 calls today only one was clear all others either cutout or the speech both end was garbled to say the best. That samsung S2 is going back to them as soon as the satchel arrives and in the next day or so the Kogan sim card will arrive.

Never heard of Kogan well they use the G3 telsux network with unlimited calls, sms and 6 gig of data a month and 3 months is only $99, even cheaper is 12 months @ $399. Yes one can port their own number over too.

For a laugh I walked into telsux and asked about the iphone4 and yes i have a ABN, I was told 2 year contract and $80 a month and no other offer, i asked well I did talk online and was told I could get a phone and $60 a month with an agreed phone payback plan on the new NO contract there are advertising but no way could I get any sense.

[big dave]

Keep us appraised of how you fare Crazyman. I am sick to the back teeth of Telstra, but can't go without the coverage.

[RuddyCrazy]

Hi guy's,
Well went down to the local shop yesterday morning and both the optass envelope and the Kogan SIM card was there. So rang optass and told them I am porting my number over to Kogan now and if you try and stop the porting a TIO complain will cost you a 5 figure sum. Within 1/2 an hour of activating the SIM with me buying 90 days for $79 and getting an extra month thrown in my SIM was right to go.

Now I went into Mt Barker to $$$$$ Converters and bought a iphone 4S 16 gig for close to $400 and they did say it was an unlocked phone. When I put the SIM in the phone the phone went into recovery mode and after close to a full day I have proved it is carrier locked.

I put the SIM card into my old Nokia 5140 phone and telsux came on the screen I made a call to my mate so it did prove the SIM is up and working. Anyway the iphone is going back for a replacement and this time i will put the SIM card in to prove it is unlocked.

Well now i have an unlimited phone plan for the next 90-120 days I'll road test it out and then if happy I'll go for the full year at a cost of $299.

Cheers Bryan

[big dave]

Hey Bryan, checking how you went with porting your number. All good?

Dave

[RuddyCrazy]

Hey Bryan, checking how you went with porting your number. All good?

Dave

Hi Dave,
First I rang to make sure they would allow the porting to be done and had them on the phone when I registered with Kogan. It went through OK and 1/2 an hour later the Kogan SIM was up and going with my original number.

I took that iphone back to $$$$$$ converters last monday and swapped it with one that was unlocked only to find the home button and touch screen was on the way out so took it back yesterday and got a full refund. I found optass had the cheapest new iphone so bought one and after I told them about the cancelling of the contract they were nice as pie to me and gave me a decent discount on the defender phone cover.

Where before I had to leave my phone outside just to get signal incase of a call now I can have the phone in the house and I still got one to two bars of coverage.

Cheers Bryan