Moved from XT to Vodafone and regret it.

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › Moved from XT to Vodafone and regret it.

samdouglas

203 posts

Master Geek

#70463 24-Oct-2010 13:19

I recently switched over from Telecom XT to Vodafone, mostly because the iphone plan on voda seemed better.

I bitterly regret it now and wish I hadnt bothered (but now locked into a 24 month plan :( )

I live in Raumati on the Kapiti Coast just outside Wellington,
have been on XT on my iphone for over a year now and used it constantly - the wife drives me in to work and I use the iphone for the 60 min drive to Wellington every morning while she uses it for the hour drive back where I drive.

So have obviously used it a lot the past year - and on XT I had no problems with the signal, always had mostly full bars of signal strength and the internet etc was always pretty fast (comparable to the internet speed on my home broadband on wireless).

Fast forward a year - I just moved to Vodafone this past week as it was $20 a month cheaper and now I am constantly getting 'network not available' errors and the internet speeds range from good to absolutely nothing. Using it on the drive to Wellington results in about 3-4 dropped network error messages and I get sick of waiting for pages to load so just turn off the phone now.

At home in Raumati on XT I always had full signal bars. Now depending on the room I am in I can get 1 bar (which it is right now) or 4 bars where I had 5 on XT.

For the TLDR (Too Long, Didnt Read) crowd:

- If you live on the Kapiti Coast and are on XT and thinking of switching to Voda - dont bother.

Is there any way I can get out of the 24 month contract now - due to inadequate service or anything? I am guessing not?
I am very mad at myself for not testing it more on prepay before switching my iphone and the wifes Sony Ericsson over from XT :(

I wish I hadnt tried to save money by moving to Voda now and just kept the XT plan even though it was about $20 a month more...

A disgruntled (new) Vodafone Customer.

1 | 2 | 3

1363 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#395214 24-Oct-2010 13:53

I take it you have a Iphone 3gs? Not a new Iphone 4? If so...

The Iphone 3gs works on vodafones '3g network', which is very limited around raumati. Vodafone do have a better 'extended 3g network' in raumati, but your iphone 3gs wont work with that.

You can go and buy an Iphone 4, which has 'extended 3g', and you coverage should be heaps better.

www.vodafone.co.nz/coverage

Telecom provide an Iphone 3gs friendly network all over NZ.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79298 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#395227 24-Oct-2010 14:15

I have deleted all unrelated replies.

johnr

19282 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#395232 24-Oct-2010 14:25

Hi Sam

What Model iphone are you using?

3G / 3Gs / 4

Thanks John

John2010

532 posts

Ultimate Geek

#395255 24-Oct-2010 16:11

Hi Sam

I live at Paraparaumu Beach and have no problem with Vodafone at home and have never noticed any driving around the whole Kapiti area nor on the drive into Wellington for any of the 14 or so years we have lived here.

That is currently with a 3G Nokia phone however, but even my wife's around 10 years old GSM phone works fine as did my own previous ones.

So would seem to me that it is maybe a phone problem you have.

Another, but less informed :-), John

samdouglas

203 posts

Master Geek

#395395 25-Oct-2010 06:25

Actually I am on an iPhone 4 - and the wife is on a sony ericsson W805 or something and she has noticed her signal has dropped way down from full bars most of the time to lucky if she gets 2.

its got so bad with the dropped network messages i am searching forums for ways to disable the message because it's bugging me so much :(

johnr

19282 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#395406 25-Oct-2010 08:12

It looks like you live in what we could call a in door coverage blackspot (I am not sure what the coverage is like outside your house)

The Telecom XT cell site must be closer to your house than the Vodafone NZ cell

John

codyc1515

1598 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#395413 25-Oct-2010 09:00

I just went to go do a speedtest to show vodafone is not that bad, and got this: https://www.speedtest.net/iphone/67858436.png

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

Glazza

279 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#395423 25-Oct-2010 09:46

Coverage and performance of both networks is interesting.

We have been testing both networks here in Hawkes Bay (due to our companys contract term been up with Vodafone), and have found the XT Network to have a larger coverage foot print, and higher throughput.

Although not scientific, we have looked at common routes driven.

As an example, if traveling on the express way between Napier and Hastings, Telecom performs great, where Vodafone appears to freeze (around 10 seconds) a few times - I assume this is the network handing the session off to a different tower, or frequency?!

There is also a large difference in latency between the two networks - again Telecom appear to have lower latency (under 100ms).

Our other issue lies more with the 3G devices - we used to have limited issues with GSM devices, but now with the 3G devices people are complaining more and more that they do not get calls whilst in the office. When they leave, the get the txt message to inform them of missed calls etc. Having monitored this, it is very hit and miss. But I have had occurrences where the phone has never lost coverage, and upon leaving the site I am notified of missed calls etc.

Finally - and this been personal now, I live very close to the CDB of Napier - however on Vodafone (3G) if I receive a call when at home, I cant move... I get a replication of the issue outlined above - as do others living in Napier area.

Although I understand networks will have coverage at different places etc... I'm wondering what advantages XT have operating there entire network on the same frequency - besides the big downside on multiple day outages...

From my personal point of view - Vodafone GSM - excellent network, great coverage, appear to be rock solid. Vodafone 3G - good when you are in the right place, otherwise appears to be patchy.

PS: The devices used support both 900Mhz GSM, 900Mhz and 2100Mhz UMTS

HybridE506r

59 posts

Master Geek

#395434 25-Oct-2010 10:23

from my experience, vodafone and 2 degrees have a far lower quality signal coverage rate along the coastline along kapiti and up the coast past foxton beach. vodafone has very patchy areas, ended up having to go to XT just to get reliable coverage.

John2010

532 posts

Ultimate Geek

#395485 25-Oct-2010 15:21

Interesting comments about Kapiti Coast coverage which just seems so contrary to my own (lucky or phone related??) experience.

I have spoken with another user who gets all around Kapiti (in fact has just returned from Raumati) but who is with 2degrees and like myself with Vodafone has no problems either. But she did comment that at times her phone drops back to GSM. That may just be a 2degrees thing but it may occur with me too on Vodafone away from the house but I would never know as I never look unless using data which I only use at home or when travelling. But her comment prompted me to look at the coverage maps for the 3 modes

I have not compared the Vodafone coverage maps for the Kapiti area with real life but my experience in a few other places with them has been very good (uncannily so where coverage is mainly topology limited). So I had a look at the Kapiti coverage maps and for Raumati it does look as though 3G and 3.5G is pretty patchy whereas GSM (2G) coverage is complete.

Putting all the above together I wonder if those having problems with Vodafone coverage have not enabled their phones to fall back to GSM when 3G coverage is lost (e.g. "Multimode" setting in Nokia parlance). However, I would have thought the default setting of any 3G capable phone would be to allow fallback so that comment is a long shot. Not a problem at all for voice dropping back to GSM but would obviously be if it does so where one wanted to use data.

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#395490 25-Oct-2010 15:48

One of Vodafone's big limitations is their 2 sector site at Paekakariki. Vodafone coverage in Paekakariki is non existant and it's still amazing that after all these years they still have done nothing to resolve it.

blakamin

4431 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#395499 25-Oct-2010 16:37

Living in raumati and moving from rosetta to nearer the airport has got me 1 extra bar (3g) on my nokia POS phone (TCNZ through VFNZ). At rosetta the mrs had many problems with XT that have gone away since moving 1-2km north. The main problem with the south end of Kapiti is spotty reception, you can move 100m up the road and get full signal (WTF???). Even on Telecom cdma, the reception I used to get on my HTC Vogue (3 bars) was better in my lounge than in the bedrooms, where I could get none!

exportgoldman

1202 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#395519 25-Oct-2010 17:31

samdouglas:

I bitterly regret it now and wish I hadnt bothered (but now locked into a 24 month plan :( )

Is there any way I can get out of the 24 month contract now - due to inadequate service or anything? I am guessing not?

I wish I hadnt tried to save money by moving to Voda now and just kept the XT plan even though it was about $20 a month more....

I had the same problem when the original iPhone3G came out, what 2-3 years ago. I would ask Vodafone to cancel your contract due to you being in the 3% of where "New Zealander's Work, Live and Play" that don't get signal from Vodafone.

Keep all your correspondence, screenshots of dropouts (Home button and power button takes a screenshot) and log each fault with Vodafone. Knowing the helpdesk, they will break all the promises they make to you regarding returning calls or fault resolution. Make a note of these as well.

Then take them to small claims, and show the whole paper trail to the small claims person. Usually when you lodge a fair claim against Vodafone they will just bail on the contract and let you out.

Otherwise you will win the small claims case as the service you have received is not 'fit for the purpose', mainly being that of being able to reliabily use a iPhone without fault on their iPhone plan when you work, live and play.

I did and got out of my contact.

Tyler - Parnell Geek - iPhone 3G - Lenovo X301 - Kaseya - Great Western Steak House, these are some of my favourite things.

ajw

1932 posts

Uber Geek

#395520 25-Oct-2010 17:47

HybridE506r: from my experience, vodafone and 2 degrees have a far lower quality signal coverage rate along the coastline along kapiti and up the coast past foxton beach. vodafone has very patchy areas, ended up having to go to XT just to get reliable coverage.

The last 2 degrees cellsite is just north of Waikanae.From then on you roam on the Vfone network.

johnr

19282 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#395523 25-Oct-2010 17:56

exportgoldman:
samdouglas:

I bitterly regret it now and wish I hadnt bothered (but now locked into a 24 month plan :( )

Is there any way I can get out of the 24 month contract now - due to inadequate service or anything? I am guessing not?

I wish I hadnt tried to save money by moving to Voda now and just kept the XT plan even though it was about $20 a month more....

I had the same problem when the original iPhone3G came out, what 2-3 years ago. I would ask Vodafone to cancel your contract due to you being in the 3% of where "New Zealander's Work, Live and Play" that don't get signal from Vodafone.

Keep all your?correspondence, screenshots of dropouts (Home button and power button takes a screenshot) and log each fault with Vodafone. Knowing the helpdesk, they will break all the promises they make to you regarding returning calls or fault resolution. Make a note of these as well.

Then take them to small claims, and show the whole paper trail to the small claims person. Usually when you lodge a fair claim against Vodafone they will just bail on the contract and let you out.

Otherwise you will win the small claims case as the service you have?received?is not 'fit for the purpose', mainly being that of being able to reliabily use a iPhone without fault on their iPhone plan when you work, live and play.

?I did and got out of my contact.?

edit: I am going to get Paul B to comment here

1 | 2 | 3