Information and settings about Vodafone Mobile and use of Vodafone mobile with QX Services

Vodafone Contract Mobile has the following features: [Information correct as of 4-Sep-06]

Anytime tariff which gives certain number of free minutes per month that can be used to ring Landline (i.e. number beginning with 01,02 only), other Vodafone, Orange, H3G, T Mobile (and its associated MVNO such as Virgin and Fresh)
An "evening and weekends" off peak tariff which is no longer available for new connection
A 'Stop The Clock' feature that can be attached to Anytime price plans (cost £5 per month for Anytime 75, Anytime 150 and can be selected as one of the free optional extra for higher price plan). During evening and weekends, the feature will stop the charging after the first 3 minutes when you make call to UK landline and other mobile network. (In Vodafone's word, speak for 60 minutes, pay for just 3). Free minutes will be deducted if they are available for those calls during the first 3 minutes, and when the clock 'restarts' after the call continue beyond 60 minutes. You can hangup and redial as many times as you wish. In the most ideal case, the feature multiplies your free minutes by 19 times.
Vodafone Passport which lets you use your UK free minute when receiving calls, making local calls or making calls back to UK when you go abroad and roam onto certain Vodafone networks in the Europe. A 75p/call connection charge applies for in-country calls that you make or any calls that you receive. (e.g. When you are in Germany and rings a Germany mobile, that is an in-country call). This feature is free to opt in on all Anytime and Business price plans.
Call to 0800, 0845 and 0870 numbers are charged at 15p/min or more.
Call to 0844, 0871 numbers are charged at 20p/min or more

Other Plan Features

Vodafone offers good value if you roam within Vodafone partner countries ( List of Vodafone Passport Countries ) and make lots of off peak calls which last about an hour (because of STC). Vodafone lower monthly line rental plans (<£30 does not appeared to be so attractive compared to other operator's offerings).

How to make cheap International Call

Therefore, using Vodafone with our 0844 / 0870 / 0871 dialling service would be UNSUITABLE.

The best way to make international calls from Vodafone would be to prepay and dial a 01/02xxx access numbers which then identify you via a PIN or by your mobile phone number (CLI) and then allow you to make the international call. The PIN can be obtained online by making a purchase/topup using credit/debit card.

Our QX Call product caters for this purpose and you can begin making/receiving call in just a few (<4) hours and in 3 simple steps.

Signup at http://www.qxtelecom.co.uk/qxcall
We will email you with your PIN number within 4 hours (during 8am-8pm or by 11.30am next day, including weekends). You can also specify phone numbers that we will use to auto-identify you with (if you make calls from these phone numbers, you will not be asked to enter the PIN)
You can then dial 01277 770 300 and then enter pin if appropriate and then press using your keypad 00xxxxxxxxx and wait to be connected.

The total cost you pay is what Vodafone charges you for ringing 01277 770 300 (free if within your free minutes allowance) and the international call charges that we make for carrying your call from our London Switching Center to the international destination.

For example: Calling China for 30 minutes during off peak hours (8pm), assuming that you have Vodafone Stop the Clock option enabled. Alternatively see the following table.

(i) Vodafone charges - free (your free minutes is reduced by 3 minutes and then Stop The Clock kicks in for the next 27 minute of the call)
(ii) QX Charges for carrying the call from UK to China - 30 x 2p = 60 pence.

For national calls, call to other mobiles, dialling directly from Vodafone mobile would be the best option for most cases, provided that you stay within the bundle minutes allowance.

Once you have enabled Vodafone Passport, making call via QX Call to a 3rd country from when you are roaming will also be cheaper. For example: Calling China for 30 minutes while you are in Germany. So, the charge will be:

(i) Vodafone charges - 75p per connection and 30 minutes from your free minutes bundle (within your free minutes allowance).
(ii) QX Charges for carrying the call from UK to China - 30 x 2p = 60 pence

How to send cheap International SMS

Vodafone charges 24p/message for sending SMS to international destinations.
It would be more cost effective to send an Internation SMS via QX SMS/VGSMail service at http://www.vgsmail.com. Cost to send an international SMS is currently 4.2p/msg and you can see the delivery status online !

How to Make cheap International call (and send international SMS) from Vodafone Prepay SmartStep and Smart Plus

*All Information Provided in Good Faith and you should verify the information independently*

Vodafone Prepay Mobile has the following features: [Information correct as of 4-Sep-06]

Link to Vodafone website regarding PAYT price plans or HERE.
SmartStep > For calls made to landline (01/02xx numbers) and other Vodafone, 30p/min for first 3 minute of the call and then 5p/min for any further calls made during the day. Call to 0870,0845 amd 0800 are always charged at 30p/min day and 5p/min off peak & weekends. SMS to other UK network is 12p/SMS for the first 3 SMS and then 9p/SMS. International SMS is charged at 24p/SMS
SmartPlus > For calls made to landline (01/02xx numbers) and other Vodafone, 30p/min during peak hours and then 5p/min for call made during off peak hours. Call to 0870,0845 amd 0800 are charged at 30p/min day and 10p/min off peak. SMS to other UK network is charged at 12p/SMS. International SMS is charged at 24p/SMS
Both SmartStep and Smartplus charges 35p/min to ring other mobile networkS (cross-net). Charges to 0844 / 0871 numbers are also 35p/min.
GPRS usage is charged at a whooping £7.50/Mb.
Peak (daytime) hours are Mon-Fri 7.30am - 7.30pm. Weekends are 0:00 Saturday to 23:59 Sunday. Evening is any other time.
Stop The Clock is available for SmartPlus only
Vodafone Passport is available for both SmartStep and SmartPlus
10% topup credit is given by Vodafone when one topup using credit/debit card via Vodafone website or by calling 2345 Vodafone topup line.
Free weekends text to UK mobile when you spend > £2.50 during Mon-Fri every week and Free weekends text and call to UK numbers when you spend > £5 during Mon-Fri.
Customer service can be reached by dialling 191 or 07836 191 191. There is a 25p per call charge if the call is put through to a human.
To register your phone, dial 17298 (automated recording function).

International Call

International call can be made cheaply via QX Call (our prepay service) on SmartStep and Smartplus. On SmartStep, one can also make international call by dialling 0870 119 0200 during off peak and weekends. See illustration in the table above.

International SMS

Using our www.vgsmail.com service, you can send international SMS online for just 4.2p/min.

- Found an error? Please Tell us at qxdial@qxtelecom.co.uk -

TARIFF SUMMARY

SmartPlus tariff (with stop the clock, free weekends call) to call China

	1st Min	2nd Min	3rd Min	4th Min	5th Min	...	Min 60	Min 61
During Peak hour (Weekdays 7.30am-7.30pm)
0870 437 0200	30p	30p	30p	30p	30p	...	30p	30p
01277770300 + QX Call	30+2p	30+2p	30+2p	30+2p	30+2p	...	30+2p	30+2p

During Off peak hour (Weekdays 7.30pm-7.30am)
0870 437 0200	10p	10p	10p	10p	10p	...	10p	10p
01277770300 + QX Call	10+2p	10+2p	10+2p	0+2p	0+2p	...	0+2p	10+2p
				Stop the clock after 3 mins for 1 hour.The clock will start after 1 hour
During Weekends	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
0870 437 0200	10p	10p	10p	10p	10p	...	10p	10p
01277770300 + QX Call	0+2p	0+2p	0+2p	0+2p	0+2p	...	0+2p	0+2p
	Free weekend calls (if spent £5 during the week)
01277770300 + QX Call	10+2p	10+2p	10+2p	2p	2p	...	2p	10+2p
	Stop the clock after 3 mins (if spent less than £5 during the week)

SMART STEP tariff (5p/min on 0870, free weekend call, stop the clock not available to this plan) to China						.
.	.	.	.	.	.	.
	Min 1	Min 2	Min 3	Min 4	Min 5	...
During Peak hour (Weekdays 7.30am-7.30pm)			.	.	.	.
0870 437 0200	30p	30p	30p	30p	30p	...
.	.	.	.	Smartstep reduced rate not applicable 08xx calls
01277770300 + QX Call	30+2p	30+2p	30+2p	5p+2p	5p+2p	...
.	.	.	.	Smartstep reduced rate kicks in		.
.	.	.	.	.	.	.
During Off peak hour (Weekdays 7.30pm-7.30am)			.	.	.	.
0870 437 0200	5p	5p	5p	5p	5p	.
.	.	.	.	Call to 0870 is charged at 5p/min flat
01277770300 + QX Call	30+2p	30+2p	30+2p	5p+2p	5p+2p
.	.	.	If you have made 3 minutes of call earlier in the day, those will count towards the 3 minute before reduced rate kicks in
.	.	.	.	.	.	.
During Weekends	.	.	.	.	.	.
0870 437 0200	5p	5p	5p	5p	5p	.
01277770300 + QX Call	0+2p	0+2p	0+2p	0+2p	0+2p	.
.	Free weekend calls (if spent £5 during the week)				.	.
.	.	.	.	.	.	.
01277770300 + QX Call	30+2p	30+2p	30+2p	5p+2p	5p+2p	.
.	.	.	.	Smartstep reduced rate kicks in		.

Vodafone Contract Anytime (with Stop The Clock) to call China
.	.	.	.	.	.	.
	Min 1	Min 2	Min 3	Min 4	Min 60	Min 61
During Peak hour (Weekdays 7pm and 8am)
0870 437 0200	15-18p	15-18p	15-18p	..	15-18p	15-18p
01277770300 + QX Call	Free minute+2p	Free minute+2p	Free minute+2p	..	Free minute+2p	Free minute+2p
.	.	.	.	Stop the clock does not apply to peak time calls.
.	.	.	.	.	.	.
During Off peak hour (Weekdays 7pm and 8am) AND Weekends				.	.	.
0870 437 0200	15-18p	15-18p	15-18p	.	.	.
01277770300 + QX Call	Free minute+2p	Free minute+2p	Free minute+2p	0p+2p	0p+2p	Free minute+2p
.	.	.	.	Stop the clock kicks in and call to 01277 is now free		Call to 01277 is now chargable again

SMS	To UK	International	.	QX VGS SMS Service
SmartStep	12p then 9p	24p	.	UK	4.2p
SmartPlus	12p	24p	.	International	4.2p
Contract / pay monthly	Usually included in free text bundle	24p	.	.	.

Other useful Vodafone FAQ

SIM Card
1. What is Vodafone Default SIM PIN ? [A] 0000
2. What is Vodafone FDN/PIN2? [A] Vodafone has PIN2/FDN disabled on the SIM cards.
3. If I have entered my SIM pin several times wrongly and it is now locked. What should I do? [A] You need to get a PUK code from Vodafone Customer Service. You do not appear to be able to unblock yourself via the online site just yet (as Orange let's you retrieve it online).
4. To get your own phone number, dial *#100# and press the green call button.
SMSC Number: +447785016005.
WAP and GPRS
1. Vodafone Contract APN: wap.vodafone.co.uk, internet
  You need to be provisioned for GPRS although all new connections now comes pre-provisioned with GPRS.
2. Vodafone prepay PAYT APN: pp.vodafone.co.uk
3. username: web, password: web
4. Session type: Continuous / permanent
5. Authentication: Normal
6. Security: Off
7. Port number: 8799
8. Email SMTP server: send.vodafone.net, SMTP server: smtp.vizzavi.co.uk
9. DNS: 212.183.137.012
10. wap.vodafone.co.uk and pp.vodafone.co.uk APNs both allow internet access. Internet APN allows a few more things such as VPN to be established over the GPRS/3G connection.
11. Or you can use Vodafone auto-OTA GPRS configurator at http://wapota.vizzavi.co.uk/
Topup and Credits
1. Check your prepay credit balance, dial *#1345# free from your mobile
2. Dial 2345 from prepay phone to topup
3. You can topup via ATM, eTopup Swipe Card, e-Voucher, Topup transfer from a contract phone or using credit/debit card via 2345 IVR or via www.vodafone.co.uk. Topup using credit/debit card > £15 currently attracts a 10% bonus.
4. You can topup any Vodafone PAYT (children, friends etc) from landline by dialling 08700 778899 and enter the PAYT phone number and then the voucher number. [Vodafone FAQ]
5. Vodafone eTopup swipe card does not need to be registered before you use them. You can hand over a brand new etopup swipe card to a retailer and purchase credit. To apply the credit to your phone, simply go to Vodafone website or dial 08700778899 or 2345 and then scratch off the panel in front of the etopup swipe card and enter the 12 digit PIN number. The credit will be applied and the etopup swipe card will also be linked to the mobile you just topup. The next time round, you simply need to hand over the etopup swipe card when you topup at a store, and credit will go to your mobile phone (Vodafone now remembers that the card is linked to your mobile).
6. You can have multiple etopup swipe card linked to a mobile phone. (I think the limit is 6 but have not verified that).
Customer Care
1. 191 for both contract and prepay users (overseas: +44 7836 191919). For prepay users, a 25p/call charge is applicable if the call is connected to a human customer care agent (unless you are sneaky and tried around registering a new credit card options and that will get you to a person also). Use 08700 776 655 to remote stolen handset.
2. Alternatively, you can email Vodafone by clicking HERE
Voicemail
1. Voicemail number: 121
2. Turning off voicemail: 1210; Turn on Voicemail: 1211;
3. Turn on All Call Divert to voicemail: 1212 (e.g. when you go away for holiday and don't want your phone to ring first before diverting to voicemail. This is because once your phone start ringing when you are abroad, and then you reject the call or the call goes to voicemail after some delay, you will be charged the cost of redirecting the call from the foreign country back to UK voicemail ), Dial 1213 to cancel.
4. Default Voicemail pin is 3333
5. To change voicemail notification, dial 121, and then press the number for "Mailbox Setting" (This is currently 7 if you have unified message enabled). You shall then select message notification and you can choose from one of the following methods:
  1. SMS Alert
  2. Voice Alert and deliver (i.e. Vodafone rings you back and play the voicemail message to you)
  3. Voice alert only.
Roaming
1. Vodafone prepaid (prepay) roaming charges - see www.vodafone.co.uk/abroad. Unless you are in Vodafone Passport roaming areas, the cost is likely to be prohibitive (in the region of 75p/min to receive call and £2/minute to ring from say, France to Germany).
2. Contract roaming - see www.vodafone.co.uk/abroad also. You need to get your roaming bar lifted before you go abroad and that is subject to credit checks.
3. If you roam in Vodafone Passport countries, you will benefit from far cheaper roaming rates (see above contract/SmartStep/Smartplus section)
4. Usage of Vodafone Live or Internet access is extremely costly when abroad (£10/mb for most non Vodafone partner country !) and should be avoided if possible.

Any other question? Try the FORUM and we / other member will try to answer you query.

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