EE, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile and Vodafone recorded the fewest complaints among mobile providers   Three of course now falls under Vodafone Three

Ofcom’s complaints data, covered January to March, and shows that complaint levels across mobile services remained broadly unchanged from the previous quarter. However, theseO2, Three and iD Mobile stood out for generating the highest levels of customer dissatisfaction.

O2 customers raised concerns about how their complaints were handled, while Three drew criticism over billing, pricing and charges. iD Mobile received the most complaints about faults, service issues and provisioning problems.

A Virgin Media O2 spokesperson said: 

“Six months after we drew a line in the sand and committed to improving our customer service, this data from the regulator shows real green shoots with overall complaints in the first quarter of 2025 down by 42 per cent year-on-year. Our more recent figures paint an even stronger picture, giving us confidence that our strategy of increased investment, simplification, upskilling agents and removing persistent pain points, is making a genuine and tangible difference in improving our customers’ experience with us. We’ll continue to make progress and get this right for good.”

Complaints about mobile services were steady compared to the previous quarter , in contrast to rising complaint volumes in the fixed broadband and pay-TV markets.

JO Hambro’s UK Equity fund holds 4.5 per cent  of Currys’ shares and sent out an investor letter stating, “The pressure will now be on the board to realize shareholder value, with our favored option being the sale of iD Mobile.

iD Mobile is currently valued at around £350 million. The Three-hosted MVNO was launched by Carphone Warehouse in 2015 and became a part of Currys’ operations following the merger of Carphone with Currys.

In January, iD Mobile signed a new multi-year extension with Three. iD Mobile first partnered with Three in 2015 and has claimed to be the fastest-growing post-pay MVNO in the UK, also being the first UK MVNO to launch Wi-Fi calling and VoLTE (voice over LTE calling).

The company has more than 1.5 million customers, up from 800,000 five years ago.

This milestone arrives eight years after iD Mobile’s launch through Carphone Warehouse, Dixons Carphone, Currys, and PC World stores, as well as online. iD Mobile initially partnered with Three in 2015 and claimed the titles of the fastest-growing post-pay MVNO and the first UK MVNO to introduce Wi-Fi calling and VoLTE.

“We are delighted to reach this milestone, which reflects the trust and loyalty our customers have placed in iD Mobile. Achieving 1.5 million subscriptions is more than just a number; it’s a testament to our team’s dedication and our customers’ belief in the value we provide,” said Rohit Vedi, iD Mobile’s Managing Director.

Trusted Reviews named iD the ‘Best Value Network’ in 2022, and its SIM-only offering was again endorsed as ‘Great Value’ by Which? in October 2023.”

O2 has the best subscriber perks says an analysis of network incentives by comparison site uSwitch

Opt for the O2 SIM only £6 per month 4GB deal and take advantage of all of the perks on offer, and the perks will be worth £1,102.44. This is a 665.58 per cent profit on the total contract amount over two years.

Unlike the UK’s other top providers,U USwitch says O2 customers can benefit from perks that renew each week says comparison site USwtch. These include a free weekly Greggs’s coffee, sausage roll and breakfast roll. You also get the chance to bag a free weekly Odeon cinema ticket throughout a contract.

Whilst free Apple TV and Peloton subscriptions are on offer in the first three months, there are larger perks available too.

Users can redeem a free 43″ £529 Bravia TV if they buy or take out a contract deal on a Sony Xperia 1 IV or 5 IV, this week with the TV. Whilst some perks require an initial spend, the return could still see consumers benefiting.

“The total value of all O2 perks is £2,135.67. Over 24 months, customers could be earning £699.23, once they’ve factored in contract costs and the cost required to redeem some of the perks”, says uSwitch.

*Cost of perks without weekly deals (e.g. O2 Greggs coffee)

O2 PERKS HOLD VALUE MORE THAN ANY OTHER NETWORK

Lebara, iD mobile and giffgaff offer a range of one-month rolling contracts and one-off perks that can be redeemed in the first month of a contract.

In the first month, a new user could be benefitting from perks worth 2335.3% of the cost of a Lebara SIM-only contract. But once the perks have been used, they depreciate, making contracts less profitable and, in some cases not profitable, over 24 months.

 Lebara’s perks amount to £92.24. So, in the first month, perks on offer for Lebara’s 1GB one-month plan for £3.95 a month are worth 2335.3 per cent more than the contract cost. After two years the contract cost will amount to £90.06, meaning perks will only be worth £2.18.

O2 offers a range of deals, including weekly, monthly and one-off, and customers’ perks are guaranteed to be valued at at least 130.3 per cent after two years, for higher priced contracts such as O2 SIM only unlimited contract for £35 a month. Lower priced contracts like O2 SIM only 15GB for £8 a month, value perks as much as 582.5 per cent after two years.  O2 customers are always guaranteed, over the length of their contract to make a profit from the perks on offer, says USwitch.

Three’s perks are worth £257.08 overall when factoring in the cost of the contract. Three offers several high-value deals to their customers which are mainly one-off perks, including 50 per cent off Moonpig, 30 per cent off Molton Brown and £10 off UberEats.

Perks after 12 months for Three’s SIM only 3GB £5 a month contract will be worth 549.8per cent of the contract cost. The perks included with the O2 SIM only £6 per month 4GB deal are worth over double that at 1,256.7 per cent of the cost of the O2 contract.

 Vodafone’s customers can earn up to £206.08 in their first month, Perks include a half-price Wine52 order, three months free Spotify Premium and £30 off a Haven Holiday, among many other deals.

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/o2-top-network-freebies-says-uswitch/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/currys-mvno-id-mobile-three-renew-contract/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/currys-mvno-id-mobile-three-renew-contract/#respond Wed, 18 Jan 2023 11:57:38 +0000 https://mncwp.tailrd.cloud/currys-mvno-id-mobile-three-renew-contract/ Seven-year partnership to continue

Seven-year partnership to continue

Currys’ MVNO ID Mobile has signed a new multi-year extension to its partnership with Three. 

iD Mobile first partnered with Three in 2015 and claimed to be the fastest-growing post-pay MVNO and the first UK MVNO to launch Wi-Fi calling and VoLTE (voice over LTE calling).

iD Mobile will continue to offer SIM Only and handset package plans and connectivity across Currys categories. Some of iD Mobile’s initiatives include Data Rollover and roaming in 50 counties on all plans at no extra cost.

“We can continue to offer customers highly competitive deals and data bundles and competitive options and remain the ‘home of value’’ said Currys’ chief commercial officer Ed Connolly.

Added iD Mobile MD Rohit Vedi “The contract extension will enable us to continue to offer highly competitive products and deals for customers, all whilst working alongside a leader of the 5G revolution”

Three’s chief financial officer Darren Ourkis commented. “iiD Mobile is an important part of Three UK’s wholesale strategy. We look forward to their continued success.”

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A survey of 2,000 British adults revealed that 14 per cent of parents are paying their adult children’s mobile phone bills.

It found that the average amount which parents are paying towards their adult children’s overall bills per month is £224.

Meanwhile, £307 is the average cost of unexpected mobile bills received due to the child’s over usage.

The reasons for parents supporting their adult children are because they love them (66pc) and because their children cannot afford it (50pc).

However, 40pc of parents find the extra cost a financial strain, but 16pc helped choose the mobile contract of their children as it helped control the monthly cost.

Unexpected roaming charges have hit 27 per cent of Brits when on holiday, with bills averaging £262 according to research carried out by iD Mobile.

Despite facing costs when roaming without an inclusive bundle, only 21pc say they consider roaming charges when looking for a new contract. 

For 60pc of Brits going abroad this year, 90pc of them will be taking their mobile phone but only 49pc are prepared for using their phone abroad freely. 

Operators like Three, Vodafone, EE and Sky are now charging for roaming, but switching to a network provider like iD Mobile includes roaming in 50 destinations on its phone and SIM only plans. 

Customers can save an average of £149 a year on phone deals compared to the major networks and iD mobile customers who want a SIM only option can save an average of £10 per month. 

iD Mobile head of customer and marketing Lewis Henry said: “At iD Mobile we are committed to providing the best value for our customers. 

“With so many of our competitors now charging for roaming, we’ve decided to continue providing our inclusive Roaming benefit for all new and existing customers to help ease the burden a little in these challenging times. 

Ofcom’s latest telecoms and pay-TV complaints league tables has been released, with EE performing the best across various metrics.

The quarterly report which focused on complaints made to Ofcom between July and September found that complaints across the board were at all time low levels, according to the regulator.

EE topped the list for least amount of complaints for broadband, mobile and landline complaints per 100,000 customers.

The operator recorded just four broadband complaints per 100,000, followed by Sky (five) and BT (nine).

EE, along with Sky was joint best for landline complaints with just three per 100,000, ahead of Vodafone (four).

And the operator was joint best for mobile complaints with Tesco Mobile, with just one complaint per 100,000, with both retaining this top spot.

Poor performers

However TalkTalk performed badly in the latest report, with the telco scoring the most complaints for broadband, with 17 per 100,000, seven above the industry average of 10. It held this position with Shell Energy.

The firm was also ranked the worst for landline complaints, registering 11, again well above the industry average of six.

As for mobile, MVNO iD Mobile was the worst performing of the bunch with four complaints per 100,000.

With the industry average rated at two, Vodafone, Three and Virgin Mobile (all three), also scored below par.

“Complaints have fallen to a record low, and we expect providers to keep working to achieve the highest standards,” said Ofcom consumer protection director Fergal Farragher.

“If you’re unhappy with your provider, it’s worth shopping around. We’ve made it easier than ever to switch, and you could end up with better customer service as well saving money.”

Virgin Mobile customers complain the most, while Tesco Mobile, BT Mobile, Sky Mobile and EE customers complain the least.

These findings were confirmed by Ofcom as part of its quarterly Telecoms and Pay-TV complaints report for the second quarter.

Ofcom found that during the period of April to June this year that Virgin Mobile with four complaints per 100,000 pay-monthly customers was the most complained operator.

Although the performance was a slight improvement for Q1, where complaints sat at five per 100,000, the MVNO remains bottom.

The industry average for complaints is two, which O2 and iD Mobile both recorded, while Vodafone and Three recorded three.

Meanwhile Tesco Mobile, BT Mobile, Sky Mobile and EE all reported just one complaint per 100,000 for joint top spot.

Tesco Mobile retained its position at the top following the first quarter during January to the end of March.

The main drivers for Virgin Mobile’s complaints were attributed to complaints handling (27 per cent), billing, pricing and charges (24pc) and faults, service and provisioning (22pc).

In a statement a Virgin Media spokesperson said: “We’re pleased to see improving trends in complaint levels across the board but recognise that we still have more work to do.

“We are continuing to invest in new customer service roles and digital tools and are reviewing our processes and policies to deliver the service and experience that our customers rightly expect from us.”

Broadband

As for the broadband complaints, EE performed the best with just four complaints per 100,000 during the quarter.

EE was closely followed by Sky, which reported five and then BT which reported 10 complaints.

However falling below the industry average of 12, was Vodafone (13), Plusnet (15), Virgin Media (17) and TalkTalk (19).

iD Mobile has today launched its 5G mobile service for customers in the UK.

The MVNO which runs on the Three network, has made the service available for new and existing pay monthly, SIM only and pay as you go.

Coverage of the 5G service is available in more than 265 locations across the UK.

An additional 1,500 active sites are due to be by Three later this year as part of the operator’s £2bn network and IT infrastructure network.

Commenting on the launch of the service, iD Mobile managing director Adam Dunlop said: “Our ambition is to be the best network for data in terms of value and flexibility and the 5G rollout plays a key part in making sure that we achieve that.

“Three UK are at the forefront of the 5G revolution, and our customers will benefit from the amazing speeds and connectivity offered by the network.”

Three UK chief financial officer Darren Purkis added: “iD are an integral part of our wholesale strategy and providing access to the latest network technology helps to underpin the future growth of our wholesale business. We look forward to growing our partnership, with 5G playing a key role.”