As part of my testing and trying out some new networks before I purchase the new iPhone4 I decided to try Vodafone. I asked around what networks people used and which they found to be reliable and very helpful in sorting out any issues they have ever had.
Monday
First on my list to try out was Vodafone. I received my PAC code from O2 and signed up online to a SIM only 30day contract. In what I thought would be my error I purchased a £20 a month sim only deal, thinking that this is a sim only contract and is the same size sim that I use in my iPhone 3G. I then realised that there was iPhone specific SIM only contracts. This was to be the start of what is proving to be a very difficult few days that now leaves me with not phone signal.
Tuesday
My First contact was to email over to the email address on the confirmation email and I sent an email to info@v-store.co.uk on the Tuesday asking if the SIM would still work as normal in my 3G iPhone.
Wednesday
Half way through Wednesday and no reply I thought I would twitter a message to @vodafoneuk who asked me to complete an online form to confirm the status of my order. So I went online and completed the online email submission form.
I also decided to pop to a shop to ask and they told me it will be fine and would only need to upgrade my contract if I needed the extra inclusive items on the ‘iPhone plans’
Thursday
It was now Thursday and I had still not had a reply, so I sent a twitter again to @vodafoneuk to see what was happening. Within 10 minuets I had two email replies, one saying yes it will work and one saying no I will need to go to a shop to collect a new SIM. Nothing much I could to today, as I was off at home.
The new SIM was delivered to me and I also received a text message saying that it will all be swapped over on Friday 2nd July by 4pm. So I thought fantastic it will all be ok.
Just to make sure I replied to both emails, asking them to confirm, as one had said it would be ok and the other said no it will not. (I’m yet to receive a reply).
Friday
Today is the day and my phone was working on the O2 SIM at the start of the day. About 10:30 I noticed that the 3G had gone off on my O2, so I switched the phone off and back on and it said No Service. I then put in my Vodafone SIM expecting it to now work, but nothing. I left it a few hours, as they did say it would not be fully working until 4PM. 4PM came and passed and I finished work and walked down to the shop. In the shop they told me that it had been activated and I was now on Vodafone, but it would take a bit longer for the SIM to be working. Again I asked the sales assistant if the £20 a month SIM only deal would work and they assured me that it would be fine.
I got home and it was still not working. I tried to call the customer service centre, but refuse to hold for more than 10 minuets to speak to a monkey that doesn’t have a clue, so I hung up and sent a twitter again to @vodafoneuk
Its now close to midnight and after turning my phone on and off every hour for most of the day it is still not working. Someone in Vodafone is going to get a rather angry customer phone them first thing in the morning.
The saga continues. But my experience of Vodafone so far is not a good one and one that I don’t recommend anyone repeats. My number one tip is to make sure that the phone you are putting the new sim in is unlocked.
Saturday
I awoke on Saturday morning to find that my phone still want connected to the Vodafone network. After a trip in to town and having a really helpful sales assistant in Vodafone try a number of different things I am happy to report that after all the problems I have relate to O2 not giving me the correct information. A customer service person at O2 told me that every phone was unlocked on O2, so there is no need to do anything apart from put the new sim in my phone. This was wrong and now thanks to O2 I am without a phone for 2 weeks.
I just hope now that when I finally get the Vodafone chip working in my iPhone that I get a decent signal and it works well.
Or try Orange through
