Pay & Go - how do people survive!?

[Saracen]

forcing ads

http://ovivomobile.com/about-us/

Uses Made of the Information
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- We may also use your data, to provide you with information about goods and services which may be of interest to you

By using the Service you consent to us using your information in this manner and if you disable any device to block receipt of such communication we shall be entitled to terminate the Service to you.

Well, if nothing else, they'd lose me right there.

These days, I use so little and it costs me so little that that cost is utterly irrelevant, but back in the days (and if it ever becomes the case again) where I was using a monthly contract, I'd rather pay a monthly contract than put up with adverts and under NO circumstances would I agree to that bit in bold.

So basically, it's pay for what you use, or get it ad-subsidised. I'd rather pay for what I use and ditch the adverts. But each to his or her own.

[Kumagoro]

correct me if I am wrong but ads are only when you surf the internet right? Can someone using ovivo confirm of you get ad texts and calls.

Personally if I got free calls and texts I would use it more, though that's because I'm poor rather than not really having the need.

[ZaO]

I think this ad based/data mining crap is the route a lot of companies are taking as people don't like to pay for anything these days. I'm getting sick of this stuff though so I'm getting rid of my phone that runs on a google os. I actually feel like an idiot for buying it in the first place. I'm not keen on the ad thing with ovivo either. But I definitely appreciate that they've made it somewhat clear what they're doing on their site without having to sift through endless small print to find the shady details. Will probably go back to an older basic phone and then maybe go for a linux os at a later date..

[Agent]

I think this ad based/data mining crap is the route a lot of companies are taking as people don't like to pay for anything these days. I'm getting sick of this stuff though so I'm getting rid of my phone that runs on a google os. I actually feel like an idiot for buying it in the first place.

Just don't have a Google account on the phone and don't use any Google apps (aka Gapps). You're not required to have or use either.

Android as an OS isn't really tied to Google - it's the apps that do that.

[TooNice]

I know Giffgaff got a bit of stick for that last year, but I find my ovivo SIM only really useful in the city.

In what sense? Data performance?

Prior going to Japan, I was on Giffgaff. Initially on their £10 plan (similar to the £12 now), but later moved to PAYG as unlimited internet was available on it, and I am a light mobile user.. Topping up was easily done online too. Well, I'd £5 would last me over a month, and the credit I got for referral or whatever it was for lasted me a long time too. The only time I would end up needing to top up more is when I am texting abroad, but it's not like the packages wouldn't helped.

One thing I would say, is that the UK is really good when it comes to the cost mobile phone ownership. Oh, I am sure you can get cheaper somewhere, but I've ended up in more places where it's significantly more expensive.

[Agent]

In what sense? Data performance?

Both calls and data -the signal seems to change a lot on ovivo. The one that really annoyed me was showing 4/5 bars -> make a call -> 1 bar with terrible quality voice.
I thought it was the phone, but after trying it on a few and not having issues on Giffgaff I decided to give them a miss.

There is also the question of sustainability. I'm not convinced that long term, they are going to stay free with the same offer. Time will tell I guess, but as more people go on it I'm not convinced they'll be around in a few years with the same deal.

I really don't mind the cost of Giffgaff for what I get, it's a very fair price IMO.

[Andrew McP]

I'm far from a heavy phone user, but there are periods where parental ill health requires a fair amount of travel and mobile communication, so I looked at Ovivo and the new three 3,2,1 sims.

Ovivo, so far, has been pretty hit & miss for data, with frequent 'hangs' while the initial ad tries to load. But so far (only a month!) the voice and text service hasn't let me down, even with a weak signal. And when data works, it works well, and the ads aren't too annoying. Overall it's a shame not to be able to rely on it for data, but I can probably live with this.

Three seems like a more solid deal overall, and is a darned sight cheaper than my old O2 payg sim, which I used to be wedded to for the broadband discount.

Now that link's gone O2 are history, and I was pleased to be able to charge my PS3 account with my £80 O2 credit. I don't spend much on the Playstation, but it bought Last of Us for me (a work of genius FWIW) and may be useful for a Netflix sub when winter returns.

However I'm straying somewhat OT now. To answer the OP properly... I've always been payg, and have never found payinng to be a problem. :-)

[ZaO]

Just don't have a Google account on the phone and don't use any Google apps (aka Gapps). You're not required to have or use either.

Android as an OS isn't really tied to Google - it's the apps that do that.

Well that is sorta an option. But what good is the phone without the apps.. May as well just go back to an old school phone. I still don't trust google to not be spying on me, whether I have an account logged in or not. Bye bye S3... I've got hold of an old Xperia X8 that used to be mine. I'm gonna use it as something to practice rooting the phone with and installing custom roms etc. I'll get a Linux OS on it if it can run one. I think that's the way forward..