I switched from Eir to Tesco recently and will now save €150 this year in mobile bills. I should have done it years ago.
An Eir customer for nearly 10 years
I started out as a sole trader offering business advice in 2010. I don’t mind admitting that money was tight at the time. I had been let go from a well paying public sector job after 4 years so the adjustment to the finances was not easy. This included having to pay for my mobile phone for business. In the beginning, I just used a Pay as You Go mobile. I was only spending €20 a month. I remember ringing O2 at the time asking to go on a paid plan. The iPhone was big at the time and they were giving away free phones but were looking for customers spending maybe €100 a month. The operator laughed when I said my ideal budget was €20-30 a month.
Business got better and I did sign up for the paid plan. Then Eir must have launched and had a great deal for anyone with a landline with Eircom. It was 50% off. All calls, texts and data for €34.50. That was June 2012, so I switched from O2, got a fairly modern Samsung phone and I have been with them since. In case anyone hasn’t heard of O2, they were bought by Three.
Eir has been fine. I signed up for direct debit. It would have been 10 years this June. The only issue is that the level of my bill didn’t qualify for great upgrades. Over the years I only got one new phone with Eir for free. It was a Samsung A model which was great. I didn’t want to pay hundreds for a new phone or to change from my bill plan. Last year, June 2021, I bought a refurbished Samsung Galaxy 9, being my 3rd handset since 2012. I like to use them for as long as possible for environmental reasons. Having to charge the battery is not an issue when working from home and the car. So it is only when they go really slow that I think about changing.
Why Switch now? The Trigger
On 21st January 2021, I got a non-personalised text from Eir saying that my legacy plan was being retired and that I was being moved to a specified plan from March, so plenty of notice. The price was going to be €34.99. A quick check online showed that this was a Sim-only plan.
I continued my quick check online and found that the equivalent plan was €20 with Tesco. I did check other operators who were cheaper but their TrustPilot reviews were terrible in terms of customer service. About two weeks later I went online and purchased a Sim-only plan with Tesco.
A very easy switch process
The Sim card arrived on the 14th of February, within the week as expected. I inserted the SIM, rang customer service and within an hour I have ported my existing number to Tesco – it is on the Three network so it seems I am back where I started.
When I moved to Eir, the price was right. The phone was great as it allowed me to create mobile hotspots when out and about so overall, it was good value and I was a satisfied customer. It was great having a fixed price every month. I suppose I realised about 5 years ago that the market had moved on and my package was not the most competitive but I didn’t switch – laziness really and being loyal to a supplier is also nice. I could also rationalise it by saying I didn’t have time and there was no burning need to make the switch.
But mobile phone service is a commodity. I am delighted to report that making the switch was easy. The saving of €150 euro in 2022 will be most welcome.
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