Is it me or did EE just get really aggressive in pricing?

[dabotsonline]

... EE... work with me...

13 years of service [at EE]... Have my fingers in most pies there...

Myshra and BigBruiserAl, are you able to bring some clarity to all this? Thanks.

I've posted this in a different forum ('EE 2G/3G/4G Discussion Thread'):

Here is one theory from the EE website and the EE Brochure's 'Legal Stuff' on the back pages:

We're rolling out a new enhancement to our 4G network so average speeds will be twice as fast as today, to 20Mbps on average - and up to 60Mbps. Upload speeds will also be doubled to 11Mbps.

And best of all, it doesn't cost anything more...

Double speed 4GEE is available to new and existing customers. Twenty current 4G cities (including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Derby, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Nottingham and Sheffield) are covered, and we're planning to roll out the capability across our whole network, to cover 98% of the UK population by the end of 2014...

If you have a 4G-ready device, you don't need to do anything. Your phone will support our double speed 4GEE technology when available. There's no need to upgrade your device. There's no need to change any of your device settings. Our 4G service - including the double speed capability - is compatible with all existing 4G smartphones, tablets and dongles available on EE, including the range of Apple devices (iPhone 5, iPad with Retina display and iPad mini) that are only currently available on 4G with EE...

No, double speed 4GEE will be available free of charge to existing 4GEE customers. The service is compatible with all existing 4G smartphones, tablets and dongles.

[quote='Fill Up Your Car With The Internet' EE Brochure]
Issue 21 - p31 ('The Legal Stuff')

EE DATA (including mobile broadband): Plans with a monthly data allowance of 3GB or less offer speeds of up to 30Mb/s. Plans with an allowance of 4GB or more offer 4GEE speeds over 30Mb/s where double speed 4GEE is available.
[/quote]

Here is the counter-theory by jabbamk1, myromeo and, contradictorily, the EE Brochure's main pages:

That T&C refers to Data only SIM cards.

The tariffs are for phone.

Only 4GEE EXTRA tariffs support double speed 4G over 30Mbps.

4G sim only is normal speed EXCEPT the 4gb £22.99 (currently £19.99) sim only plan which does get double speed. I've got double speed on my sim only plan.

[quote='Fill Up Your Car With The Internet' EE Brochure]
Issue 21 - p18

EE REGULAR

From £29.99 - 5GB / Unltd mins

EE EXTRA

"Get the ultimate in speed...

From £32.99 - 10GB / Unltd mins

"Double speed 4GEE (where available)"
[/quote]

Here is kev's challenge of the counter-theory by jabbamk1, myromeo and the EE Brochure's main pages: in effect, a corroboration of the EE Brochure's 'Legal Stuff' on the back pages:

Not so sure you've got that right - I've got "EE Regular - 5GB" on my price plan and get 40mbps here (but never higher) in Nottingham (a double speed area), outside double speed areas it caps out at 30mbps.

But:

... existing EE customers were automatically upgraded to double speed. For new customers you need to be on a 4GEE EXTRA tariff to benefit from double speed.

Once again, those T&C are referring to data only tariffs.

A different query regarding the EE Extra 'Phone Plan' tariffs:

I was interested in whether the sharer would get the international roaming. It took 3 weeks of trying to get three answers that were the same - the answer was no.

Yes, the primary must be a phone plan, but don't assume the sharer has any extra features.

My brother Matt and his fiancee Heather live together and already have EE Broadband. They are both on Orange, have both completed the minimum terms of their contracts (in their own names and paid for separately) and are both now paying month-to-month. Heather works for the NHS, and her line rental is subsidised by 20% as part of the 'Orange Perk' or 'Perk Discount' scheme. My brother's line rental is also currently subsidised by his qualifying period comes to an end this month.

They want to sign to EE 4GEE once the Voice-over-WiFi service launches. Heather is looking at the EE Regular (24 month) £24 p/m tariff with 2GB data, unltd mins and a free Sony Xperia M2.

According to a tweet from the EE Letchworth store in July 2012 ( https://twitter.com/EELetchworth/status/220816129554268160 ), she would still be entitled to a 20% discount, bringing the cost down to £19.20. According to a tweet from the main EE account in March 2014 ( https://twitter.com/EE/status/445888740725370880 ), she would lose the discount if she were to sign to EE and it would only continue if she re-signed to Orange. Presumably the T&Cs have changed in the past two years?

Since she is an existing EE Broadband customer, her data allowance wouldn't be boosted from 2GB, right? That only applies when a customer starts a subscription to both EE Broadband and an EE Phone Plan (not SIM-only plan) at the same time: if the Phone Plan is under £46 p/m then the allowance will be boosted to 10GB and if it is over £46 p/m then it will be boosted to 20GB. If the Phone Plan is under £46 p/m but has an allowance of 10GB or greater, or if it is over £46 p/m but has an allowance of 20GB or greater, then there will be no boost.

Heather plans to assign her above 'Phone Plan' as a 'Leader' Tariff and add immediately add Matt as a £12 p/m 'Phone SIM' 'Sharer' (he will use a SIM-free 4G phone - probably a Moto G LTE as it is a similar physical size to his existing Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini). This will then assume the same 24-month contract duration. He will then port his number across from Orange, if necessary using a 'PAC Shuffle' with a pre-pay SIM from O2/Vodafone/Three etc.

It is indisputable that, even if the 20% discount still applies on the Leader Tariff, it won't apply to the Sharers.

Given that a 'Leader' must be a 'Phone Plan', there is confusion when on an EE Regular tariff and located in an EE double-speed area, whether it would receive single or double-speed.

There is also confusion whether the 'Sharer' on an EE Regular tariff, if located in an EE double-speed area, would receive single or double-speed, and whether this would be different if the Sharer were a Data SIM (£5 p/m), Phone SIM (£12 p/m), Data Plan (varies), Car WiFi Plan (£10 p/m) or Phone Plan (varies).

If Heather decides that Matt and her need a larger data allowance then she might instead choose the EE Extra (24-month) £33 p/m with 10GB data, unltd mins and a free HTC One mini 2.

The 'Leader' on this tariff, if located in an EE double-speed area, would indisputably receive double-speed. However, there is confusion whether the 'Sharer' on an EE Extra tariff, if located in an EE double-speed area, would receive single or double-speed, and whether this would be different if the Sharer were a Data SIM (£5 p/m), Phone SIM (£12 p/m), Data Plan (varies), Car WiFi Plan (£10 p/m) or Phone Plan (varies).

It is indisputable that the inclusive European roaming minutes and texts on an EE Extra tariff can only be used by the Leader. However, it is unclear if the European roaming calls and texts pass for £2 a day and European roaming data pass for £3 a day must be purchased by each individual Sharer or whether they can be shared.

I also have a query regarding the home phone package:

[quote='Fill Up Your Car With The Internet' EE Brochure]
Issue 21 - p31 ('The Legal Stuff')

EE Home Broadband

INCLUSIVE LANDLINE CALL PACKAGES:

£3/month Call Features Package: The package can only be applied to your account at the point you join or upgrade and will last for the duration of your broadband plan's minimum connection period or until you cancel your contract. Other terms apply.
[/quote]

Are these the 'other terms'?

[quote='Fill Up Your Car With The Internet' EE Brochure]
Issue 21 - p25

For an extra £3 a month you can get call waiting, call divert and anonymous call rejection when you take Anytime calls on your plan.
[/quote]

Does this mean that I can only add the Call Features Packages at £3 p/m if I also add the Anytime package at £5 p/m?

 

[Brenn47]

It's only SIM only, but yes, the EE prices were dire. I chose to stick with T-Mobile 3G because the EE prices were ridiculous.

 

[dabotsonline]

Mark, Store Manager at EE Leicester Gallowtree Gate, confirmed a few things for me last weekend (end of June 2014):

1. The tweet from the main EE account in March 2014 was ambiguous, and the tweet two years prior from the EE Letchworth store is still valid: that is, anyone who is currently benefitting from a 20% discount to their contract as part of the 'Orange Perk' (such as NHS employees) can maintain the same level of discount if they wish to sign to EE 4G, so long as this is processed in an EE retail store.

2. 'Sharer' contracts of any description - whether Data SIM (£5 p/m), Phone SIM (£12 p/m), Data Plan (varies), Car WiFi Plan (£10 p/m) or Phone Plan (varies) - will only connect at single-speed even if located in an EE double-speed area and connected to a 'Leader' Phone Plan that is EE Extra.

2. When roaming in Europe, each individual line (whether Leader or Sharer) must purchase their own, individual add-on of £2 a day unlimited calls & texts (unless the 'Leader' Phone Plan is EE Extra, in which case that is included) packages or the from £1 a day data (with these bundles: http://explore.ee.co.uk/roaming/ee/ ) package - that is, one allowance cannot be shared as it can in the UK.

3. If an imminent EE 4G customer is already a customer of EE Broadband, then their monthly mobile allowance will not be boosted to 10GB (for Phone Plans under £46 p/m) or 20GB (for Phone Plans over £46 p/m). The boost will only apply if the customer subscribes to EE Broadband at the same time or later than he or she signs to EE 4G.

4. The £3 p/m Call Features package can be applied to either the standard Landline call package (included free with the Line Rental charge that is mandatory for EE Broadband) or the Anytime call package that is £5 p/m dearer. However, the £3 p/m Call Features package must be applied at the point of joining or upgrading EE Broadband.