The CarPhone Warehouse Pro's & Con's

Andrew G · 8 Feb 2010 at 18:34

I have been waiting for what seems an age for the phone I want the N900 to become available on T-mobile since they have by fair the best standard data package. It seems all phones come with unlimited internet data but some are more unlimited than others. However the catch as I can see is the third party provider. I have heard/read a fair few bad thing about CarPhone Warehouse anyone agree with that point of view or do people have a good experience. I am typically more interested in anyone who had a problem but was sorted in good time and manner

many thanks

Andy

Mr Jones · 8 Feb 2010 at 20:31

I've recently got the opportunity to upgrade my Orange contract.
Decided that I didn't want any phone direct from Orange due to the locking and the stupid logo telling everyone it's an Orange (BB9700), I went into town to see what CPW had to offer.

Gave me a cracking deal and because I'm upgrading with 3 months left, it's possible to do it with CPH and they'll deal with all the stuff on their computer, all I needed to do was sign and enjoy the phone after reading the T&C.

Quick and pleasant experience.

My contract now is 1200mins, unlimited text, internet and BB services for £35inc VAT. Not too shabby considering my previous contract was £30 with no internet, half the mins and the phone was an Omnia. My BB9700 was free and it's unlocked to all networks.

Airax · 8 Feb 2010 at 20:58

Andrew G said:
I have been waiting for what seems an age for the phone I want the N900 to become available on T-mobile since they have by fair the best standard data package.

Andy

I would be careful of T-Mobile, for the sole reason that they actually differentiate between 3G data & HSDPA data. i.e you don't actually get full HSDPA speeds with the WnW bolton/booster or if its part of your tarrif. Its actually only enabled on Data Card device plans, or if you go for the top end bolt ons.

The website doesn't make this clear, refering to "full 3G" and not HSDPA. Big kick off on a few dedicated mobile forums about it.

CPW are one of the more "trusted" brands on the high street, better the P4U still I'd argue and they have reasonable CS, but sometimes you have to push them for it.

Andrew G · 8 Feb 2010 at 21:49

Airax said:
I would be careful of T-Mobile, for the sole reason that they actually differentiate between 3G data & HSDPA data. i.e you don't actually get full HSDPA speeds with the WnW bolton/booster or if its part of your tarrif. Its actually only enabled on Data Card device plans, or if you go for the top end bolt ons.

The website doesn't make this clear, refering to "full 3G" and not HSDPA. Big kick off on a few dedicated mobile forums about it.

CPW are one of the more "trusted" brands on the high street, better the P4U still I'd argue and they have reasonable CS, but sometimes you have to push them for it.

I watch with great interest the Orange/T-mobile merger rumour mill since I know Orange have good infrastructure I had no problems with data connections in my brief 6 month contract I had with them (Had a disappointing 6 months with bad customer service which ended when I won going through Cisas ombudsman).

I went into T-mobile today as well and ask if they have the N900 coming in the near future which the very nice man said he hadn't heard anything apart from the X6 and Satio. But he did add that T-mobile are sharing more of Oranges towers for better coverage both for voice and data. Maybe near future could be a better for free. I had read by 2012 Orange and T-mobile will (if merger goes through) become one brand with one of the brands disappearing. However these are the same websites who said back in OCT. the N900 will be out on O2 and T-mobile only for Vodafone seemingly having an exclusive deal until recent weeks.

Do you think they differentiate between 3G data & HSDPA data because most phones that they sell do not have HSDPA (3.5G?) or that when I try and connect to the net on the move the N900 will just not connect with HSDPA?

Andrew G · 8 Feb 2010 at 22:07

The deal I have seen is

£25 p/m
£49.99 one off for the phone

900mins p/m
500 texts p/m
And unlimited internet (1gb fair use)

The great thing if you do go over the 1gb you don't get data charges just a letter warning you that you may be traffic shaped. Only down side is it is a 24 month contract, contract worth £650 over 2 years IF no other charges apply sounds good to me, but do I embrace the suck that could be CPW?

Mr Jones · 8 Feb 2010 at 22:24

I really don't see what's wrong with CPW apart from buying and paying through them - and if the phone goes haywire within the year, they'll be happy to take it in and send it off for repairs...

Andrew G · 8 Feb 2010 at 22:28

Mr Jones said:
I really don't see what's wrong with CPW apart from buying and paying through them - and if the phone goes haywire within the year, they'll be happy to take it in and send it off for repairs...

It's just the horror stories I have read seem to vastly out number the good reviews. I want that phone and the CPW deal seems ace in all honesty but I guess since I have been burned once I want my next contract to go without any problems.

Mr Jones · 8 Feb 2010 at 22:30

That's fair enough but with the right staff who gives you the full details, I'm sure the service with them would go smoothly. It'll all boil down to T-Mobile services there after for the rest of the contract.

Rimsy · 9 Feb 2010 at 07:48

24 months is an awful long time to be stuck with the same phone (i know in reality it doesnt have to be 2 years but still....)

Airax · 9 Feb 2010 at 08:49

Andrew G said:
I

Do you think they differentiate between 3G data & HSDPA data because most phones that they sell do not have HSDPA (3.5G?) or that when I try and connect to the net on the move the N900 will just not connect with HSDPA?

Its nothing to do with the handsets, T-Mobile don't allow access to HSDPA unless your on a dedicated plan or pay for the larger data bundles, thats all. Plenty of 3G devices these days support HSDPA. Your device will show 3.5G, etc, etc but you won't actually get HSDPA speeds. I'm sure a speed test will confirm it.

I get around · 9 Feb 2010 at 10:21

Pros:
You get to talk to a real person

Cons:
9/10 that person is a complete tool and has no idea what they're on about
They'll always try rip you off
They're patronising

If you do go in, make sure you haggle forever, waste a good hour of their time and they'll give you a sweet deal.

jamief · 9 Feb 2010 at 10:41

Airax said:
Its nothing to do with the handsets, T-Mobile don't allow access to HSDPA unless your on a dedicated plan or pay for the larger data bundles, thats all. Plenty of 3G devices these days support HSDPA. Your device will show 3.5G, etc, etc but you won't actually get HSDPA speeds. I'm sure a speed test will confirm it.

Could you expand on this a little?

I've just taken out a Motorola Milestone contract, £30 per month with the free unlimited internet booster. I've noticed the internet speed is quite poor (seems to be on "G" a lot of the time, whereas in the same location on O2 I had 3G)...

krooton · 9 Feb 2010 at 10:56

Andrew G said:
It's just the horror stories I have read seem to vastly out number the good reviews. I want that phone and the CPW deal seems ace in all honesty but I guess since I have been burned once I want my next contract to go without any problems.

As with anything, people are more vocal about things that go wrong, people rarely comment that things went as expected.

The company is pretty good for a large company, there will be bad apples in any large organization, but they do put as much focus on the customer side of things as they can.

spaceman · 9 Feb 2010 at 13:42

jamief said:
Could you expand on this a little?

I've just taken out a Motorola Milestone contract, £30 per month with the free unlimited internet booster. I've noticed the internet speed is quite poor (seems to be on "G" a lot of the time, whereas in the same location on O2 I had 3G)...

call T-mobile and get them to enable HSDPA on your account, i had to do that a few years ago when i got my vario2 with web and walk.

jamief · 9 Feb 2010 at 15:07

spaceman said:
call T-mobile and get them to enable HSDPA on your account, i had to do that a few years ago when i got my vario2 with web and walk.

I don't think that is possible anymore unless you pay for an extra internet "plus" or "pro" upgrade. I think the standard unlimited internet booster that I have is non-hspda.

Airax · 9 Feb 2010 at 15:52

jamief said:
Could you expand on this a little?

I've just taken out a Motorola Milestone contract, £30 per month with the free unlimited internet booster. I've noticed the internet speed is quite poor (seems to be on "G" a lot of the time, whereas in the same location on O2 I had 3G)...

The G means GPRS (2G) I believe on the Milestone, so it means your in an area with 2G reception I think. Have you done a coverage check or tried it in a different location.

antijoke · 9 Feb 2010 at 16:24

I get around said:
Pros:
You get to talk to a real person

Cons:
9/10 that person is a complete tool and has no idea what they're on about
They'll always try rip you off
They're patronising

If you do go in, make sure you haggle forever, waste a good hour of their time and they'll give you a sweet deal.

That just seems to me to be a complete load of BS. I used to work for CPW in the stores.

How do you perceive they rip you off? And how do you expect to spend an hour haggling with them and then they give you a good deal, when the deals are set by head office?