Questions for HTC Hero Vodafone users/mobiles.co.uk buyers

UnWeave · Sep 18, 2009

I am seriously considering getting myself an HTC Hero, but I'm in no rush so I've spent some time looking for the best deals.

In the end, it would appear that one of the the Hero on Vodafone contracts from mobiles.co.uk would be best for me. I just wondered if, firstly, anyone's had any bad experiences buying with them? Online reviews seem to be completely polarized, either 5 stars or 1.

Also, since Vodafone don't officially support the Hero, has anyone with a Hero on Vodafone had any issues (other than those mentioned in the MMS thread, and non-network-related receiving SMS issues)?

Finally, am I to assume I will get an unlocked phone (but in brown, not the lovely SIM-free white), and thus installing official ROMs from HTC will be (or at least, should be) straight forward, unlike trying to install an official ROM onto an Orange branded phone?

Thanks!

G8D · Sep 18, 2009

UnWeave said:
I am seriously considering getting myself an HTC Hero, but I'm in no rush so I've spent some time looking for the best deals.

In the end, it would appear that one of the the Hero on Vodafone contracts from mobiles.co.uk would be best for me. I just wondered if, firstly, anyone's had any bad experiences buying with them? Online reviews seem to be completely polarized, either 5 stars or 1.

Also, since Vodafone don't officially support the Hero, has anyone with a Hero on Vodafone had any issues (other than those mentioned in the MMS thread, and non-network-related receiving SMS issues)?

Finally, am I to assume I will get an unlocked phone (but in brown, not the lovely SIM-free white), and thus installing official ROMs from HTC will be (or at least, should be) straight forward, unlike trying to install an official ROM onto an Orange branded phone?

Thanks!

I tried to order my Hero on Orange from mobiles.co.uk.. It didnt go well.
They got back to us saying that Orange declined our payment.. Bank and Orange said it was mobiles.co.uk.

Ended up just buying through Orange,

UnWeave · Sep 18, 2009

Ah right, thanks G8D. Having had a better look through online reviews, I am inclined to buy from somewhere else as you did.

I know people on here seem to have had generally good experiences (albeit slow deliveries) from mobiledirect.com, might try them instead.

One thing I was wondering, if anyone knows (seeing as I can't find anything about it on their site) is if you get one of the "11 months half price" type deals from one of these sites, but you decide to add-on something to your contract (I'd likely want

m1.carson · Sep 19, 2009

Hi,

Friend has one on Voda, really wanted it for sky tv, can't get it, and of course they don't support the Hero.

Saw a good deal on google, sorry but can't remember what Co, but it was a free hero on orange for 18mnth contract about

daffyduck · Sep 19, 2009

Hi, I am using my Hero on Vodafone - bought it unlocked from Expansys.com & have had no problems at all. Delivery was very quick (next day or 2 I think, but I did pay for speedier delivery).

Hyperlink attached - selling in white as well

Buy a HTC Hero with

tink22 · Sep 19, 2009

I got my Hero from mobilephonesdirect.co.uk in the beautiful white and on Vodafone. Its

zukini · Sep 19, 2009

Got mine on Vodafone 4 weeks ago and its been a dream. No issues really a couple of silly things that all users are getting (cant get into dictionary ect) but I have to say its the best phone i have ever had.
I don’t use vodafone live but apparently the music side isn’t compatible for android and the TV is done through an app the magic users have so I'm sure some bright spark will make it available at some point for all. The only real advantage you will get is Sky TV which the reception will have to be perfect for and the screen will be to annoying to watch Jeff Stelling on for and extended period of time.
As for details. I bought mine from the carphone warehouse, its brown which i think looks great, unlocked and was free as part of a vodafone upgrade. 35 squid a month with 600 mins unlimited texts and the mobile data (subject to the 500mb fair usage)

cheggerspop · Sep 19, 2009

I've also got a Hero via mobilephonesdirect.co.uk, but went with the 900min to other mobiles, unlimited text (it's actually capped at 3000 per month), unlimited landline calls (3000 mins per month) and unlimited web access (500mb per month) over 24 months and the handset was FREE!?!

It currently costs

UnWeave · Sep 19, 2009

Wow, well firstly thanks again for all the replies.

Seems like a few of you have had good purchases from mobilephonesdirect.co.uk, so I checked them out. It would be a bit more expensive than some of my other options (assuming I ever managed to get my "x months half price" cashback), but I'm willing to pay that for better service.

Noticed that mobiles.co.uk and mobilesdirect.com are both part of the Carphone Warehouse group, thus I'd expect bad reviews of one site to hold true for the other (not to mention the crap I've had from them directly, in the past).

On top of that, it's sexiest in white (IMO). I think it's a mobilephonesdirect.co.uk here I come.

cheggerspop · Sep 19, 2009

Just to confirm fella it's http://www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk, rather than mobilesdirect.co.uk.

Chegs.

UnWeave · Sep 19, 2009

Yeah thanks, literally just noticed that, edited, refreshed the page... then saw your post!

UnWeave · Sep 19, 2009

Sorry for the double post, just wondering if anyone has bought from mobiles.co.uk?

Basically just want to know if you've had any problems, and also what colour it's in (I am assuming brown - can always e-mail them about it)? Would be slightly cheaper than MPD, but IMO the brown is far less attractive, and most of the online reviews I've seen were, as I said in my first post, pretty poor.

Jason71 · Sep 20, 2009

I have an Orange hero from mobiles.co.UK. the only issue was that they insist on adding insurance and talk me through it (tmti) subscriptions. If you don't want it then you have to phone and cancel both separately or cancel the dd's. They don't set up the dd's for a month till they are about to take the cash so this is hard to do. Tmti were fine but despite canceling the insurance they still set up the dd for that but I caught it in time and cancelled it. It was a pain but I felt it was a good deal and so worth the hastle. Reviews are polarized because it is the cs after sales that are rubbish so people who don't need cs write good reviews. Those who need cs loose the will to live.

cheggerspop · Sep 20, 2009

Ah, forgot to add with mobilephonesdirect.co.uk, you also get three month mobile insurance free. After that it cost's about six quid a month, but all you need to do is call the insurance company a week before the first payment would be taken and they'll cancel the policy

TR21 · Sep 20, 2009

UnWeave said:
Sorry for the double post, just wondering if anyone has bought from mobiles.co.uk?

Basically just want to know if you've had any problems, and also what colour it's in (I am assuming brown - can always e-mail them about it)? Would be slightly cheaper than MPD, but IMO the brown is far less attractive, and most of the online reviews I've seen were, as I said in my first post, pretty poor.

I've bought 2 phones from mobiles.co.uk. The first was in February and was a Touch HD. Their site said it was instock and after ordering they decided to tell me it wasn't and i had to wait about 2 weeks. It came with 5 months 1/2 cashback and i've just redeemed the first payment.Had no problems doing this.

The second phone i ordered was a Hero on orange back in August. This was dispatched the day i ordered it and received the following day. I've had no problems with this order.

As mentioned phones from them come with the gadget help thing and insurance. Both can be cancelled online. With the gadget thing you'll get a letter a week or 2 after your phone that includes instructions to cancel online. For the insurance you get an email with the policy details. If you go on the carphone warehouse website and click contact us, then select insurance you can cancel it that way. I've done this for both phones i ordered and the process takes less than 5 minutes.

Overall i'd say mobiles.co.uk's customer service isn't the best, but for me the deals they were offering were. I'd recommend them and order from them again.

Also,if you do order from them go through quidco.co.uk, and you'll get

james · Sep 20, 2009

I bought my Hero on orange from mobiles.co.uk and had no problems. It came the next day, and its graphite i think, maybe the vodafone one is brown though I don't know.

UnWeave · Sep 20, 2009

Thanks for all the input! As it turns out, seems that Orange have way better reception in my area than Vodafone, so the colour isn't really an issue anymore.

Sort of a shame, since I love the white and a completely unlocked version is always a bonus, but I'll live.

I just have one last question, regarding contract length (since I've always been pay as you go until now): it seems that to get a decent deal you really need to go 18/24 months. I'm slightly reluctant to get stuck in the same place for 2 years, but once you've done 18 months what's another 6?

So anyway, I guess it largely goes on personal preference, but how do you feel about that? Prefer paying a bit more per year to be able to jump out/upgrade earlier, or rather take the better deal and stick with it for longer?

cheggerspop · Sep 20, 2009

I had my last mobile, a Nokia N95, on a 24 month contract and it really wasn't a great problem for me. The unit did all I want and more and having used the Hero heavily over the last few days, I know it's head and shoulders above my last unit, so rather than being concerned about having the same handset for the next two years, I sort of looking forward to it

Plus, I can see my N95 for about

TR21 · Sep 20, 2009

UnWeave said:
Thanks for all the input! As it turns out, seems that Orange have way better reception in my area than Vodafone, so the colour isn't really an issue anymore.

Sort of a shame, since I love the white and a completely unlocked version is always a bonus, but I'll live.

I just have one last question, regarding contract length (since I've always been pay as you go until now): it seems that to get a decent deal you really need to go 18/24 months. I'm slightly reluctant to get stuck in the same place for 2 years, but once you've done 18 months what's another 6?

So anyway, I guess it largely goes on personal preference, but how do you feel about that? Prefer paying a bit more per year to be able to jump out/upgrade earlier, or rather take the better deal and stick with it for longer?

Personally i could never go into a 24 month contract. I was used to having 12 months up until February when i entered into my first 18 month contract.

If your getting your hero on orange it might still be worth considering mobiles.co.uk. When i was shopping for one they worked out cheaper than orange after i'd factored in quidco and the cashback offered by mobiles.co.uk.

UnWeave · Sep 20, 2009

Well, I'm moving from an OLD Sony Ericsson Z600. I've had it for about 3 and a half years, and before that my dad had it for a year himself (at the time I seem to remember them being rather popular, now everyone laughs at its chunkyness when closed).

Like cheggerspop says - and I hadn't really thought of it that way until you did - about the N95, but to a greater extent, a Hero would be miles better than what I'm used to. For the first few months at the very least, I'll probably be too much in awe of it to care how long I've got it for.

As for mobiles.co.uk, TR21, while they do work out much cheaper than the competition, I am not so sure that it's worth it. Many of the online reviews (though by no means all) suggest I'd have a pretty big fight on my hands to get that cashback back. I'm not sure I want to take the risk of potentially not getting it. Obviously, people are far more likely to go online and write a review because of a bad experience than a good, but still, I'm reluctant.

Some of the 24m contracts actually work out only about

Polarskates · Sep 21, 2009

Bought my Hero from mobiles.co.uk on Vodafone a couple of weeks ago. Had no problems at all with them, phone came within two days. It is the brown version or bronze if you prefer, which i think looks very classy. Had absolutely no problems with the phone at all on Vodafone, i chose Vodafone as T-Mobile and Orange are pretty much useless up in Scotland bar the big towns. Haven't tried another network sim in it yet, so dont know if it's unlocked or not? And haven't updated it yet either as everything is working sweetly and don't want to cock that up!

Merago · Sep 21, 2009

I bought my Hero from mobilephonesdirect.co.uk. They do one offer where the handset costs

daveybaby · Sep 21, 2009

Got mine from mobilephonesdirect.co.uk too.

batooee · Sep 21, 2009

got my Hero from mobiles.co.uk......unlocked brown on Vodafone. No problems at all!

cheggerspop · Oct 14, 2009

The "three months half price line rental" cash (

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