You are comparing a PAYG package of one company with a contract package of another it seems.

And also if you are not already a customer with BT you will not get that same 20GB of data for 20 quid per month, and you can only get it on a contract with BT.

Wavejock, how is O2 in Glasgow?

Depending on how much time people have, I believe EE will be offering its new SIM only tariffs pretty soon (as in before anyone is automatically changed to a new plan). Maybe that could help decide whether to negotiate with Three or port.

Do you have any details yet on the pricing Jon? Any ideas when?

I went to ID Mobile originally, which uses the Three network and will also allow 4G where available. 2000 minutes, 5000 texts and 10GB of Data (Handset only) for £20 / month, Sim Only.

http://www.idmobile.co.uk/shop/plans/sim-only

Then one of Three's masts developed a fault which lasted for 6 months, and this, together with their poor 3G data speeds and lack of 4G throughout my local area was enough to finally get me off the whole '3' network altogether.

I now use Giff Gaff for phone use (Yes, I know! but even their non priority data throughput is about four times faster than 3 in parts of Cheshire and they give me the 4G that 3 can't). I use about 2 minutes of calls a month and send 0 texts, so its cheap and largely only for Emergency use and reading the online papers at lunchtime. Being PAYG if something better comes along I can move to it.

For Data, I use EE in a mifi, I have a Mobile Broadband sim which gives 15GB a month, but largely i've been using the EE 100GB promotional Sims for most of last year and into this year

Its a shame Three is so crap around here, since ID Mobile have quite a few double data promotions on at the moment, with 500 minutes, 5000 texts and 4GB of Data per month for £10 - or 500 minutes, 5000 texts and 6GB of Data for £12.50 both on 30 day contracts which would be tempting if Three could at least bring High Speed 3G to the Town.

For anyone who wants to check deals compared to their usage try www.billmonitor.com

Was told by an EE employee that new SIM only tariff are due out in around end of March/start of April. However I wouldn't take that as a cast iron promise.

Does anybody have any experience of Carphone Warehouse's new virtual network 'iD'?

I was considering switching over to them when I get my letter from Three booting me off The One Plan; their 30 day sim offers seem very competitively priced.

However, the vast majority of the reviews I've read about them are absolutely terrible, which has completely put me off giving them a go.

If you are talking about ID Mobile, see my earlier post - three posts above yours.

My only reasons for leaving ID were purely down to Three's network problems with a failed mast wiping out half of the area (which took 6 months to fix), their poor 3G speeds (0.3mbps) and continued lack of any sign of 4G, or even DC-HSDPA in some Towns.

If you have a decent data speed and coverage from Three in the area(s) where you intend to use the service, then you won't have any problems with an ID Sim, it is no different in my opinion to being on the Three network (other than loss of Three based features such as feel at home and Three in Touch). There is no tethering allowed on ID Mobile though, on any plans, which for some users, may be their biggest negative.

From a Business point of view, I found them to be OK, I moved to them and then left some months after without any issues or the usual stalling tactics and run around to get me to stay. Their 30 day contracts are good in this respect. As with everything in life, reviews tend to always be negatively biased on anything as a lot of consumers only go to the effort of writing stuff when they have an axe to grind.

If Three ever managed to sort themselves out and bring even a usable 3G service to the area, i'd happily return to ID Mobile.

I think ID does offer something similar on some plans

"Our TakeAway plans give you the freedom to spread your wings. You can roam for free in the following 29 countries, and keep in touch with family and friends in the UK without racking up huge costs. No shocks, no surprises... no excuses NOT to call home:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and USA.

So when you’re in any one of these countries, you’ll be able to use your data, and make calls or send texts to UK mobile numbers and landlines.

Calls to foreign numbers (even when you’re in the same country) aren’t included.

You can read more about our TakeAway plans on this page."

They do seem to have widened their offering now, but it wasn't as comprehensive a list of Countries when I was with them.

To be honest I don't use Wifi based Calling apps and I don't Holiday abroad, so they aren't features that I personally pay attention to, or would pay extra to get (The take away plans seem to be higher priced). But yes, they do seem to offer something similar.

I'm surprised Three hasn't increased its Feel at Home destinations to at least match iD Mobile. I'm off to Germany today and would have to pay £5 a day, making it cheaper on Vodafone, and free on iD.

I called Three again to try my luck and the best they could offer was 4gb unlimited calls and texts £14. When i told them that i wasn't interested and that Vodafone were better value she did go on to say about the Feel at Home and there are 18 destinations that i could use i replied but Vodafone has 39. The only part im not sure on is if the Eurotraveler Plus is included at no extra cost in there sim only Red value deals.

I did have a voice mail from Three which when i looked online seems to be there upgrade team but haven't had the chance to call them back once i do i'll update with what was said.

Edit: just seen that BT Mobile are offering there 20gb plan for £16 if you have BT broadband or £21 without this also offers a £10 iTunes or Amazon gift card as well runs out on 15th Feb

Roaming on Three is messy. I've roamed 3 times in the past year and it hasn't worked properly on all occasions, either limiting me to Edge data or redirecting me to a Three portal. Their bundles are also expensive. It's great if you just want to use a load of data in less than 24 hours but most don't so other networks balanced approach of some data, minutes and SMS works better for most.

Feel at Home is not groundbreaking anymore, look at iD mobile. The destinations are mostly Hutchison owned networks so imagine they're getting a good deal. Outside of those networks the others I view mostly as marketing ploys with large and popular destinations albeit it's useful functionality. In my years of being with Three I haven't used it.

Germany was in the pipeline.

But then it just didn't happen.

I'm now paying £16 a month for the 600 mins, 2gb price plan on Three. I'm still on a contract with the additional £12 charge for my phone so I assume i'll be able to go even lower when that runs out (I make almost no calls and send about 30 texts a month).

I noticed when in Rome last week that my internet speed was pretty poor. Maybe i'd just got used to the 4g network here but it was frustrating. Though not having to pay an extra penny for it was a bonus - it beats the days of when I was checking for a wifi signal in ever place I stopped

It sounds like either Three have toughened their stance, or possibly you didn't insist on a PAC code, I got the deal you mention at £11 pm a couple of weeks ago. I have read others have got it for £9 pm.

Be polite but persistent, don't forget if you get a PAC code, you don't have to use it, it expires after a month anyway. I asked for a PAC code in November with the view of switching to Vodafone, but it all went **** up, so the code wasn't used. Three rang me a couple of days after me requesting it with other offers.

You have to play the game..

Patrick

Thanks for this.

I am now undecided between 3 options....

A. Sign up with ID mobile
B. Sign up for the BT £16 offer
C. Wait to see what EE's new plans are like

I'm at an event in Germany right now and Three is here! Haven't spoken much so far!

Don't forget there's upto £40 cash back on Quidco for BT Mobile and ID sales.

Has anyone had any luck trying to get a deal through web-chat? After going through many different options that were pretty much the same as those offered online I said I had seen better from other companies. He asked which company, I answered EE to which he challenged me saying none of their offers matched what I was asking Three to provide (unlimited data, 600mins, unlimited texts and 12gb tethering). I said it was through a re-seller which set him off copy/pasting warnings saying they do not recommend using re-sellers and that they stopped doing business with Carphone Warehouse because of their treatment to customers.

Anyway I asked one more time if he could honour the tariff I'd asked for for the price I wanted but he said no. I asked for my PAC which he provided within minutes. Have I lost my last bargaining method now that they have willingly given out the PAC so quickly?

No you have done the right thing requesting the PAC. You don't have to use it but it seems this puts you in a stronger position usually.

I will also register a complaint that you are not happy which can help with the callback from the customer relations team.

After I kept rejecting them but letting them know what I wanted and throught was fair they finally gave in.

I requested unlimited mins and data with 12gb tethering at £20 and this is what they offered in the end.

Just an update to my earlier post Three called back me.

Was first offered unlimited mins/texts and 4gb for £9. Considering my usage was around 3gb i said no.

I was then offered 8gb with unlimited mins/texts for £12. I asked for unlimited Data due to BT Mobile offering it for £4 more, in the end they offered me what i wanted which was.

Unlimited mins/texts/data with 12gb tethering for £20 it's an extra £5 than what i was paying but i can live with that. Overall i'm happy enough

Thanks. That's exactly the deal I want to get too. Did you send a written complaint or phone it through?

I got the deal as well for £20pm in for AYCE data, texts, mins and 12gb tether. Took a call from me and three calls from detentions to deal. Immediately requested my pac quoting two tarrifs that beat theirs and dismissed their objection handling and held my ground. Glad sroted in end than having to switch, but gutted to be spending another £60 on phone bill. Had AYCE data, 600mins, 500txt to £15 previous.