My brother has just given our dad his old 2G iphone after upgrading to the 3G one. Initially I thought he would have to pay £35 a month for the iPhone tariff, but it turns out that you can use the old iPhones with any o2 tariff.
There are a number of sim-only Simplicity tariffs, that have short term 30 day contracts, and these start from £15 per month. You can then pay £7.50 extra a month for unlimited data, or £10 a month for unlimited data + wifi.
In the end he opted for the Online 15 tariff with the web+wifi bolt on. This gives him:
- 200 minutes
- 400 texts
- Unlimited O2 to O2 calls
- Free voicemail
- Unlimited data + wifi
The only thing he doesn’t get his visual voicemail, but not bad for £25 a month.
I have an old 2G iPhone on an (even older) tariff. I’m not currently getting any picture messaging notifications (you know the “you’ve received a picture message, visit O2 to view it”, and O2 are telling me it’s because I’m not on an iPhone tariff (which they won;t let me upgrade to, but that’s another story).
So my question is – if someone sends your Dad an MMS, does he get the notification or not?
Cheers
i cant find the unlimited data and wifi for £10 i can only find them each for £7.50.
O2 have told me today that their SIMplicity tariff (with unlimited data bolt-on) won’t be compatible with the iPhone for data, though calls and texts will still work.
However, I’ve read elsewhere that other people are using it this way with no problems, but i haven’t found any recent posts that can verify if this is still possible, or if the iPhone can somehow now tell the difference between a standard o2 SIM and an iPhone-enabled one.
Any ideas?
I went to my local O2 store last weekend and asked the assistant the exact same question, her response was that the iPhone will work on a Simplicity tarriff, along with the free data bolt on. I’m still not convinced though, as like you said you’ve been told different from O2. I guess the only way to find out is to pop along to your local O2 store and ask to put your sim in a demo iPhone and test the data connection, then check your online bill in a few days to see if there are any charges?.. will try this and post the outcome this week.
just read on a forum someone has bought an iphone 3G for £400 from O2 store along with a simplicity sim, works fine! The assistant even helped him set it up!
hi.
ive also had the same problem.
ive been into numerous stores and some tell me yes it does work, and others have told me it doesnt.
i have also rung up o2 and they also say different things.
i dont know who to trust!
I have a work mate who is sitting next to me with a PAYG iphone, and his Simplicty 30 tariff working fine it and has been for a number of months. O2 helped whim set it up and has no issues with it at all.
Well to add to your woes, the new Iphone 3G S will be out shortly this month!
I work for o2 and have a 3g iphone on a £20 simo with free data bolt on and it’s fine and has been for the last 8 months I activly encourage people to do it if they get a handset from elsewhere!! So it’s fine trust me!
Recent compaint letter to Carphone Warehouse…
I have written this complaint letter in the format of a drama because my recent experience with the Carphone Warehouse was exactly that and I thought it appropriate.
The exact details have been abbreviated…
Title: CARPHONE WAREHOUSE CUSTOMER SERVICE
Cast of Characters
ME: A loyal Carphone Warehouse customer of 4 years (as long as they have been in the UK)
CW ADVISOR#1: Carphone Warehouse Customer Service Representative (CW CSR)
CW ADVISOR#2: CW CSR
02 ADVISOR#1: 02 Customer Service Representative (02 CSR)
CW ADVISOR#3: CW CSR
02 ADVISOR#2: 02 CSR
CW ADVISOR#4: CW CSR
CW ADVISOR#5: CW CSR
CW ADVISOR#6: CW CSR
CW ADVISOR#7: CW CSR
Props:
Carphone Warehouse Customer service line: 0870 087 0168
Tuesday June 9, 2009
Cue: The customers’ contract is ending and they’re eligible for an upgrade. They are contacted by a carphone warehouse customer service representitive who is providing upgrade advice to them.
CW ADVISOR#1: You’re now eligible to upgrade (usual spiel).
ME: !’d like to move to the 02 £20 Simplicity plan sim with data bolt-on in anticipation of purchasing an Apple iphone outright on June 19. Can I do that?
CW ADVISOR#1: Yes, you can use your Simplicity sim/plan with data bolt-on in the new Apple iphone.
ME: OK, great! Perfect, sign me up!
CW ADVISOR#1: Done! £19.99 will be charged and you’ll be able to start using your new 02 Simplicity plan from 13 June.
Saturday June 13, 2009
Cue: The customer starts using the new 02 Simplicity Plan and is a ‘happy camper’ on their existing Sony Ericsson handset, which they received as part of their previous £X 18 month contract.
Saturday June 20, 2009
Cue: The customer is happy about his new simplicity plan and excited about being able to buy the new Apple 16GB Black iPhone today to with go it. A visit to the Carphone Warehouse in Stratford London….
CW ADVISOR#2: Sorry, but we don’t have any Apple 16GB Black iPhone in stock but we have the 32GB Black.
ME: No problem. I’ll check if the nearby 02 store has the 16GB.
Cue: The customer is impatient and pays a visit to the 02 store in the nearby Stratford Shopping Mall, London.
02 ADVISOR#1: Yes, we have the Apple 16GB Black iPhone in stock but you’ll need to cancel your Carphone Warehouse contract first and provide us with your PUK code. We also don’t have your details in our system.
ME: No details in the system!? But I’m on an 02 plan?!
Cue: The customer calls the Carphone Warehouse customer support line to cancel contract and switch to 02. Now this is where all the real trouble starts….
CW ADVISOR#3: Sorry, but you can’t cancel your contract unless you pay out the remaining two months and the Simplicity data bolt-on won’t actually work on the iPhone, you’ll have to take out a PAYG iPhone plan. Sorry, but you’ll need to pay out £X to end your current contract and switch to an iPhone plan. I’m with another customer is it ok if I call you back in 15 minutes to sort this out?
ME: OK, call me back, but what the!? I just paid out for a £20 sim (Simplicity plan) to switch to a plan I could use the new iPhone on? I think I’ll just pay my CW contract out and go direct with 02 (seriously).
In the meantime customer calls 02 to confirm…
02 ADVISOR#2: Yes, I’m sorry but you were misinformed. Your 02 Simplicity data bolt-on won’t work on the iPhone.
Cue: CWH ADVISOR#3 calls the customer back…
ME: Not happy I was told I could use my 02 Simplicity plan with data bolt-on with the iPhone and I can’t.
CW ADVISOR#3; I’ve got some good news, and I’ve got some bad news. The good news is, I can switch you to the iPhone plan and deduct £20 off the cost of the handset for the Simplicity plan sim. The bad news is, I can’t get the iPhone to you until Tuesday (23/6).
ME: OK, Sounds reasonable. I’m happy with that!
Cue: CW ADVISOR#3 runs customer through the contract spiel etc, etc. and all is agreed between both parties, debit card details are shared.
Customer happy! At LAST, some good news! iPhone arriving Tuesday..WOOOHHOO!!
Tuesday 23 June 2009
Cue: Customer eagerly awaiting delivery of new Iphone at work till 5:30pm and nothing arrives. Customer calls CW Customer Support at 5:30pm for an update.
CW ADVISOR#4; I’m sorry, but there’s no record of your iPhone order.
ME: What the!!!!?? (second time around)
Cue: 25 minutes later after it’s determined ‘the records show’ CW ADVISOR#3 apparently passed the order on to someone else that never processed it or called customer.
CW ADVISOR#4: I can check if any stores have them in stock if you like but most close at 6pm?…Brixton store has 3 in stock and closes at 7pm but I can’t get through to reserve one.
ME: OK, I’ll risk it.
Cue: 6:10pm, customer leaves his bike at work and heads to Highbury and Islington station to catch the Victoria line tube to Brixton. Just in case once again tries calling Brixton store but ends up getting put through to Kensington High Street store….
CW ADVISOR#5: I’m sorry but there’s no stock available in Brixton. The only store that has stock of the Apple 16GB Black iPhone is Loughton (47 miles away).
ME: What the!!!!?? (third time around). Ends call in frustration.
Cue: customer spends some time pondering his options then calls CW Customer Support to find out the ACTUAL options for getting hold of the new Apple 16GB Black iPhone.
CW ADVISOR#6: I’m sorry but I can’t give you an ETA on the Apple 16GB Black iPhone. I could only say it’s possible we’ll have stock by the end of next week.
Cue: Customer gives up and ends call with lovely and polite CW ADVISOR#6. Left in the lurch customer finds his way home, dejected.
Wednesday 24 June 2009
Cue: Customer calls CFW to confirm stock availability of Apple 16GB Black iPhone.
CW ADVISOR#7: I’m sorry, but the Apple 16GB Black iPhone is out of stock until the end of JULY as is the 32GB. There’s none in stock in the whole country.
Cue: Five days later, still no iPhone, customer gives up in frustration, not even sure which contract they’re still on but appeased by the fact the new iPhone won’t be in stock until the END OF JULY…not long before their contract with Carphone Warehouse ends and they can switch to 02.
THE END
Yes, as the saying goes, and lessons learned….’patience is a virtue’……
Perhaps I had too much time on my hands ‘penning’ this you say? But I’d like to thank the Carphone Warehouse for one thing. Writing about this ‘drama’ has given me the chance to vent, cool down and make the rational decision to see out the end of my Carphone Warehouse contract and switch providers.
So in reading this forum:
1. You’re all lying (unlikely)
2. I got screwed over big time by the CW! (highly likely!)
just rang 02 cust services and asked about using my o2 simplicity sim card in the iphone, and he guaranteed me it will work but did mention something about downloading apps for it.
Stumbled to this article as I was looking for this new PAYG tariff 3GS I want to buy. I have found one with TESCO but not really sure if I want to have them as my provider. Not sure who they use as their provider. I had 3 for a couple of years and they have an OK coverage but strangely enough I cannot send or receive sms messages to/from certain countries.