Fone Forum

Hi

I have 2 contracts- one with O2 direct and another with vodafone. I have taken the vodafone contract about 3 months back and I am bit unhappy with the online billing system in vodafone. It sometimes takes upto 2 days to update my unbilled calls and texts take almost 3 days to update. I also noticed that parts of their online account like adding/removing packages, changing priceplans etc are almost non functional for the past 3 months citing a "system upgrade". Their method of showing the remaining balance is also very confusing for me.

On the other hand I have found O2 online billing system as perfect for past 2 years that I have been using it for and the only time I found a downtime was couple of months back when they took it off for 15 days or something.

Do people share my views or am I not reading stuff off the vodafone billing account properly?

Regards
Nik

I've never used vodafone but would agree with you about O2.

I have to agree with you nixforfun.

I used to have a vodafone contract and hardly ever used online services as it was too slow to update.

o2 on the other hand is excellent. Most calls and texts are updated within a couple of hours and international calls/text within 24 hours.

The remaining balances are very clear and even though there is not much you can do with altering services or adding services i like the fact you can send SMS from your pc.

I haven't used vodafone online services for a long time so unless it's changed o2 wins hands down.

It would be good to hear from people who use T-Mobile/Virgin/Orange online services and what their experiences are like.

moonandstar.

I have never used Vodafone online billing, even in the years I had contracts with them, so you may well be right in saying O2 beat them.

But please don't go over the top on O2 guys: they are at best a very poor 3rd!

'3' operate an almost immediate update online; T-Mobile / Virgin etc. manage to update within 30 minutes; and O2 are hopelessly slow in comparison.

There is no doubt at all in my mind that a rotten Orange come 5th, so that makes Vodafone 4th by my calculation.

GUYS...........

3g wins this discussion without doubt. Its always an immediate update Online on 3g as soon as you disconnect the call. Also gets updated on the automated line(333) as well as soon as the call is ended. So you are always in command of your usage.

Are other Networks reading this ???? Wake up ???

Cheers  :D

Er No its not - it can take up to 30 mins to be updated !  Nevertheless, that is still significantly better than around 2 days for 02...

In my humble experience I have found virgin to be the best for balance update rapidity...

Hi

In my experience, I have found that O2 have got faster since their last upgrade and it takes anywhere from 30 mins to 2 hours to get the balance updated. As people mentioned, that might still be slower than what we have with 3 or T-mobile but still way better than vodafone which are the 2 contracts I have.

O2 also clearly provides through its 21202 balance check service the remaining minutes. That's where vodafone lacks completely, the message they send with their balance check contains how many minutes/texts you have used and not the ones remaining. The message formatting is also pathetic. I would rather be interested in knowing how many minutes/texts that are left rather than knowing what I have used and then deduct it from my contracted mins... ???

Regards
Nik

Being about 100 miles away from my home for the weekend, I find myself enjoying the luxury of a library internet service that allows me to access this forum and make a post !        ;D
( Alas I don't know if I shall be able to when back home next week ).        :'(

Thanks Nik for starting this thread, and making your contributions to it.

There seems to be consensus about the relative merits of Vodafone and O2.        :)

Orange undoubtedly deserve the 'booby prize': even on contract you can view nothing online except for your statement details after it has been produced.  No online call or text records, and certainly no unbilled charges.        ???
( The future isn't getting brighter; the Orange is just getting rotten right through ! )        :o

The difference in opinion about the relative rankings of the first two is interesting.  My own experience on the contract side was that '3' were faster to update than Virgin.  On the pay & go side, Virgin are both better and worse than '3'.  Virgin ( T-Mobile ) are alone among the networks in allowing their pay & go customers full online account details, which is a big plus.  However, if you are on direct debit with them, you cannot get an account balance by dialing 789.  Just imagine the inconvenience of having to go online each time that you wish to check how your last call was charged !        ???
The ability to know your balance by dialing 333 makes it vastly superior in this respect.       :)

So, from my personal perspective, I would rank '3' above Virgin, whilst still admitting the strengths of the latter, especially for full online details for their pay & go customers.  But at the end of the day, you "pays your money and takes your choice" !        :o

I have been with 3 for nearly 3 years now and never had a problem in getting the min. or texts updated. I have also used voda, o2, t-mobile and even orange earlier and none matched the speed of 3 for sure.

I guess its the vested interests of the networks cause if you are not in command of your usage you are more likely to go over your regular allowance and pay them the charges  :-\
And if its updated instantly then you can almost always make an informed decision about the extra usage.

Well said !

It is clearly in the interest of the networks to have a slow update on usage/balance.  I am sure that the networks factor in people going over their allowance to be able to offer the non-linear number of minutes offered.  ie 200 mins for £10, 600 mins for £20 and say 1200 mins for £30 - this is a non-linear scale.  Perhaps people get use to calling a lot and will easily go over their allowance as they dont accurately know their usage.  And also, some people not using many of their allocated minutes.

When I have been waiting around in some of the local phone stores, some of the bills I have seen/heard make me cringe.  Some people will have bills of £50+ and they have a contract with the provider as well.

Also, on the theme of getting updates, as there may be several means for each network, I think it would be interesting to know how people got their updates.  Perhaps, members could benefit from finding a better method for their provider

For the services I use, I have stated below, the network, how obtained and typical age of usage/allowance data :

* O2 CPW, SMS through Fresh 0800 no, 2 days approx
* Virgin Contract, 789, typically up-to-date
* Three, Planet 3 usage, between up-to-date and 30 mins old

From comments on here, I have a feeling now that 333 is a more rapid service than using Planet 3 usage !

Nik's OP was about comparing Vodafone and O2 contracts, but it seems strange to me that nobody so far has remarked on how their pay & go sides outshine their contracts in some ways.
What I am thinking about is the tremendous advantage of being able to get your balance freely when abroad.   :o

The availability of getting your balance on your screen, without charge, via free short network instructions - *#1345# on Vodafone, and *#10# on O2 - is one area in which these networks outshine all the others, including Virgin.  However '3' are an exception to that because, although they don't have a short instruction set as far as I know, they do give free browsing abroad to view 'My 3', so your balance is available for free abroad - on both their contracts and Pre-Pay sides.   :)

 

HiPD's post has left me thinking.. why can't Operators use the on screen balance check feature for contract customers as well? It would be much easier and globally free method to view balances realtime. I do understand the limitation of not being able to have instant balance updation in some of the older billing systems but using the shortcodes like *# should be straight forward.

Are networks watching?

Regards
Nik

I believe you are making a somewhat charitable assumption Nik!   :o

The networks do not give realtime billing to their pay & go customers to serve them: it is rather to protect themselves from being ripped off by them!   ???

In comparison they don't care about contract customers: they can claw back any overspend because there is a contract that is legally enforceable (and direct debits arrangements in most cases too)!   ???

Comprendi?

Dave, there were two things in what I proposed- yes instant balance updation was one and I can see the point you are trying to make, but the other one really was the method of display. The current way to get your "updated" balance in Vodafone is by calling a number and in O2 through a text. None of these would be free while roaming; so why can't operators have a service like pay as you go balance check for contract customers as well

Regards
Nik

It is abundantly clear to me what you want, but apparently it is not clear to you that it isn't going to happen.

The problem is actually confined to Orange contracts and pay & go, and to Vodafone contracts.  Neither of these show any signs of budging over this.

'3' give free browsing to 'My 3' in the UK and abroad.  O2 give *#10# to pay & go, and 21202 to contracts.  T-Mobile give a free text to 150 with BALANCE to get your information.  Virgin do likewise through 789 I believe.  Vodafone only give *#1345# to their pay &go customers.

The deplorable logic for Orange, and Vodafone contracts, is why give a free service if you can charge for it - especially if you can charge roaming rates to those abroad?

If you don't like their policies, just steer well clear of the rotten Orange and Vodafone suits!

I have a CPW o2 contract and just tried calling 21202 and was told (by a rather stern, patronizing toned lady) that the no is not recognized.  Is 21202 a voice no or a no to send an sms request ?

TIA..

You need to send a blank SMS to 21202 to get back a text with your balance. This works for a sure on O2 direct connections- not sure if that would be the case with CPW O2 as well..

I can confirm that nixforfun is right.  The procedure on O2 Direct is that you send a blank text to 21202, and get your balance and remaining allowances sent back to you almost immediately by return text(s).  It works extremely well.  If you go to the O2 website and input 21202 into the search tool it will take you to the details straight away.  The only thing which it does not tell you is whether you can use it abroad?  In the UK texts to 21202 are free.

I can also confirm that, sadly, CPW have NOT updated their systems to integrate this service for their customers.  It does NOT work on CPW O2 therefore.

I agree with all the information that mobileman gave.  However I should just like to add to it a little.

In my experience of using 21202, its information lags behind that shown on the O2 website a little, so it is still better to look online when you are able to do so.  This is the reverse of the situation on '3', where the balance on 333 updates immediately, ahead of the website display.

For anyone wanting accurate information fast, both Orange and Vodafone contracts  rule themselves out of the running, and thoroughly deserve to be shunned.

I have noticed that Vodafone online billing speed has improved recently. Earlier as reported it was taking days, but I have noticed for past 3-4 days that information about calls is getting updated in approx 3-4 hours and messages get updated next morning. Although this is still pathetically slow compared to 3 and others, but still some improvements from the past.  :)

Regards
Nik