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New Giffgaff tariffs brings in new data restrictions


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Old 01-09-2015, 16:22
Everything Goes
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If you are on Giffgaff then perhaps you will be used to getting the short end of the stick well you can expect even more restrictions on already throttled to within an inch of their life's tariffs.

Mobile operator giffgaff, which makes use of the Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) platform from O2 UK, will tomorrow revamp its range of 4G and Tethering friendly mobile tariffs (goodybags) to include bigger Internet data allowances and more choice. Now say goodbye to the “unlimited” plan.


At present customers can pick from a selection of three 4G and three 3G based mobile plans (goodybags). The bad news is that their “unlimited” usage 3G plan at £20 per month will be coming to an end in January 2016 and their £12 plan will follow a little later (closing March 2016). On top of that the 3G plan for £15 has today also been removed.

In place of those giffgaff appear to be centralising around 4G tariffs, which can of course still drop back to 3G when the new service is not available. For existing 4G customers the new plans mean an extra 1GB of data on top of their existing allowances and double the free minutes for those who take giffgaff’s £15 and £18 plans.

Sadly those who subscribe to the old 3G goodybag plans will actually see a loss of 1GB from their data allowances at the same price point (e.g. the £12 plan use to have 3GB of data, but now it only comes with 2GB), although some of these plans also benefit from double the free calling minutes (i.e. the £15 and £20 goodybags). All of the new plans also include the usual free giffgaff to giffgaff calls.

GiffGaffs New Goodybag Tariffs

£5 per month
100 UK minutes
300 UK texts
100MB UK data

£7.50 per month
250 UK minutes
Unlimited UK texts
500MB UK data

£10 per month
500 UK minutes
Unlimited UK texts
1GB UK data

£12 per month
500 UK minutes
Unlimited UK texts
2GB UK data

£15 per month
1000 UK minutes
Unlimited UK texts
4GB UK data

£18 per month
2000 UK minutes
Unlimited UK texts
6GB UK data

£20 per month
Unlimited UK minutes
Unlimited UK texts
Always On UK data

The eagle eyed will have noticed that the new £20 plan, which previously promoted “unlimited” data usage, now touts the somewhat more ambiguous sounding “always on” UK data. We’re told that this Always On goodybag offers members 4G speeds on the first 6GB of data used and then access to unlimited data at a restricted speed (256Kbps) from 8am until midnight.
http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php...ited-data.html
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Old 01-09-2015, 22:19
sdduk
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If you are on Giffgaff then perhaps you will be used to getting the short end of the stick well you can expect even more restrictions on already throttled to within an inch of their life's tariffs.



http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php...ited-data.html
They should be shut down and not aloud to do business with anyone.
they treat there customers really bad with their non existent signal most of the time.
No proper custom service only on a forum that only answer if they know the answer
if not they don't reply.
the list goes on and on why they should be shut down.
As for o2 they should be ashamed of themselves allowing such a abiball service to run.
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Old 01-09-2015, 22:33
Thine Wonk
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I think I posted about this about a month ago http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2096750

Shocking really, admittedly you wouldn't have found it from the thread title.
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Old 01-09-2015, 22:56
Mass Corona
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UGG! I just hate business BS speak like "Always On" - It means nothing and doesn't make the blindest bit of sense.
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Old 01-09-2015, 22:59
noise747
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My mate uses Giff Gaff, he is happy enough with them, but I suppose it depends on how you use your phone.
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Old 01-09-2015, 23:49
Zee_Bukhari
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What the hell does always on mean? Throttle to less than dial up? I'm glad I ditched them for BT Mobile for my business phone. Only good use is if you just use call and text, data just don't go there, sake with o2 with the smallest amount of spectrum of al networks
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Old 02-09-2015, 00:15
mupet0000
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Giffgaff has been useless for big data users for some time now. The network is severely throttled, it's not even worth being on giffgaff if you are a big data user.

I've always liked their £10 a month deal. Years ago they used to do unlimited data for £10, I used them back then. Now though, you get 1GB of data, 500 mins and unlimited texts. That's a tariff that you don't see much anymore. It's either 500mb or 2GB for some reason.

1GB is often the sweet spot, where 500mb (why 500mb 4G plans even exist in 2015 is beyond me) is too little and 2GB is too much, but the majority of the networks have decided to ignore this just to force people onto more expensive 2GB plans.
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Old 02-09-2015, 00:46
d123
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What the hell does always on mean? Throttle to less than dial up?


Where did you live where dial up was faster than 256Kbps?

Always On goodybag offers members 4G speeds on the first 6GB of data used and then access to unlimited data at a restricted speed (256Kbps) from 8am until midnight.
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Old 02-09-2015, 03:50
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Giffgaff is exceptionally good value for money and it's owned by a trusted company.
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Old 02-09-2015, 08:35
noise747
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Giffgaff is exceptionally good value for money and it's owned by a trusted company.
Trusted? I would not go that far. Soon it will belong to three.
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Old 02-09-2015, 09:34
moox
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In a way it's a shame that they're cracking down. It'll drive all the cheapskate moaners (the ones who claim to run multi million pound businesses on a £10 PAYG SIM) to superior networks and drag the experience down for the rest of us
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Old 02-09-2015, 11:37
sdduk
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Giffgaff is exceptionally good value for money and it's owned by a trusted company.
Trusted where did you pull that one from?
If they were trusted then they wouldn't let their parent company NIFFNAFF tuck up there customers with crap service and network like a lot of people on here say you lucky to get dial up speeds don't know where they get the 4G from.
They are a third class on O2 spectrum they come last at the bottom even Tesco goes above them for their network which runs of O2

The quicker Three take over the better and hopefully close NiffNaff down or make it a better service.
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Old 02-09-2015, 11:58
Glawster2002
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Trusted where did you pull that one from?
If they were trusted then they wouldn't let their parent company NIFFNAFF tuck up there customers with crap service and network like a lot of people on here say you lucky to get dial up speeds don't know where they get the 4G from.
They are a third class on O2 spectrum they come last at the bottom even Tesco goes above them for their network which runs of O2

The quicker Three take over the better and hopefully close NiffNaff down or make it a better service.
But that is the great thing about choice... If you don't like them you can go elsewhere. Why should they be shut down because you seem to have a bee in your bonnet about them?

I have used them for a while and for what I need a mobile phone for their service is more than good enough. I don't use 2 GB of data a month and less than a hour of the 500 minutes so the £12 goodybag is perfect for me. And as the goodybag is effectively a monthly pay as you go basis, if I want to cancel a month I can without penalty.

As for offering no "proper" customer service, that is how their business model works and is very clearly stated on their website, it is no secret. In all the time I have used them I have never had a problem so, again, that is no issue for me.

But then again, the "proper" customer service from the likes of Vodafone, O2, EE, etc, is hardly a bastion of glowing reviews and helpfulness, is it?
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Old 02-09-2015, 12:16
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Always on lol, who thought up that load of sheet!
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Old 02-09-2015, 13:07
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Giffgaff has been useless for big data users for some time now. The network is severely throttled, it's not even worth being on giffgaff if you are a big data user.

I've always liked their £10 a month deal. Years ago they used to do unlimited data for £10, I used them back then. Now though, you get 1GB of data, 500 mins and unlimited texts. That's a tariff that you don't see much anymore. It's either 500mb or 2GB for some reason..
Couldn't agree more, it struggles with voice a bit too to be perfectly honest - a friend here, when fleeing Vodafone, tried giffgaff out for a time and discovered that calls on it would drop more than an apple in autumn. (He's now on The People's Operator).

Shame really, as increasingly tightening data limits aside, the new bundles aren't actually too bad (for anyone who uses their phone to make calls anyway) but as it's giffgaff and runs on the O2 network it's a bit of a non starter - at least for me.

1GB is often the sweet spot, where 500mb (why 500mb 4G plans even exist in 2015 is beyond me) is too little and 2GB is too much, but the majority of the networks have decided to ignore this just to force people onto more expensive 2GB plans.
Yep, agree, 500MB of 4G is just... why? What's the point?

As for 2GB, well, while I do see your point, if it's about spending £10 a month, just go on these lot; 500 minutes, unlimited (well, 3000) text and 2GB data - £10 a month. Comes with £10 'free' credit too due to their double top up credit thing, and runs on EE (but doesn't do 4G quite yet, as is the case with most EE MVNOs).
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Old 02-09-2015, 14:03
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Yep, agree, 500MB of 4G is just... why? What's the point?
I certainly know people whose mobile data usage is minimal (or rather the volume of their usage is minimal - e.g. text based email), and for whom 500MB is more than adequate.
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Old 02-09-2015, 14:36
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From what I hear, Sky are going to seriously shake things up next year when they enter the quad play market.
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Old 02-09-2015, 15:08
Glawster2002
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From what I hear, Sky are going to seriously shake things up next year when they enter the quad play market.
Not forgetting BT as well, of course....
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Old 03-09-2015, 11:48
sdduk
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But that is the great thing about choice... If you don't like them you can go elsewhere. Why should they be shut down because you seem to have a bee in your bonnet about them?

I have used them for a while and for what I need a mobile phone for their service is more than good enough. I don't use 2 GB of data a month and less than a hour of the 500 minutes so the £12 goodybag is perfect for me. And as the goodybag is effectively a monthly pay as you go basis, if I want to cancel a month I can without penalty.

As for offering no "proper" customer service, that is how their business model works and is very clearly stated on their website, it is no secret. In all the time I have used them I have never had a problem so, again, that is no issue for me.

But then again, the "proper" customer service from the likes of Vodafone, O2, EE, etc, is hardly a bastion of glowing reviews and helpfulness, is it?
You are 1 in 1000 that is happy with them and has you say you don't use a lot of data
But for the ones that do use a lot it's a bad service so i will stick to my original post and say O2 needs to be ashamed of themselves for the bad service most of there customers get from NiffNaff.
As for leaving yes you are right but i bet there is a lot of customers don't know how to leave and port their number to another network and that's why they stick to them.
I know that all the networks have there problems but O2 could make that part of their business much better.

Hopefully if Three take over they will improve things.
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Old 03-09-2015, 11:55
sdduk
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From what I hear, Sky are going to seriously shake things up next year when they enter the quad play market.
Can't see that happening being they are going with Vodafone
They may change their mind again because they were going to O2.
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Old 03-09-2015, 12:16
alanwarwic
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....1GB is often the sweet spot, where 500mb (why 500mb 4G plans even exist in 2015 is beyond me) is too little and 2GB is too much, but the majority of the networks have decided to ignore this just to force people onto more expensive 2GB plans.
You answered your own question. But giving the customer what they want only partly works, and many people then get protective of lesser services, politicising the issue.

Gifgaff, owned by O2 is doing what others seem to be doing, limiting competition.
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Old 03-09-2015, 18:11
preecey
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Giffgaff is exceptionally good value for money and it's owned by a trusted company.
Hahahahahahaha!
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Old 04-09-2015, 10:17
Glawster2002
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You are 1 in 1000 that is happy with them and has you say you don't use a lot of data
But for the ones that do use a lot it's a bad service so i will stick to my original post and say O2 needs to be ashamed of themselves for the bad service most of there customers get from NiffNaff.
As for leaving yes you are right but i bet there is a lot of customers don't know how to leave and port their number to another network and that's why they stick to them.
I know that all the networks have there problems but O2 could make that part of their business much better.

Hopefully if Three take over they will improve things.
However Giffgaff, according to plenty of media reports, have a subscriber base of over 1 million and that number continues to rise and they have won a "Best Buy" award from Which? for the last two years, so they seem to be doing something right.
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Old 04-09-2015, 10:25
moox
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However Giffgaff, according to plenty of media reports, have a subscriber base of over 1 million and that number continues to rise and they have won a "Best Buy" award from Which? for the last two years, so they seem to be doing something right.
Popularity doesn't mean quality. Why is TalkTalk one of the largest ISPs in the country? Why does X Factor achieve such high ratings?

The other problem is that people don't seem to know any better. I've lost count of the number of times I've seen people on a train struggle to do anything with their O2 phone, while I'm sitting next to them streaming Netflix flawlessly on a superior network. A lot of people seem to think "they're all the same" when it just isn't true.

GG has a unique brand of cheapskate. The one that moves to them to save a couple of quid a month and then wants massive compensation when it inevitably goes wrong
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Old 04-09-2015, 10:31
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When I switched from o2 Pay Monthly to giffgaff, there was no difference in any way to the call quality, signal strength, the coverage or speed at which my messages arrived. The only difference was the huge savings I made.
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