giffgaff Reviews

3.6 /5

Company Name: giffgaff

Address: 11 Vine Street, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 1QE

Visit: www.giffgaff.com

Find The Best: giffgaff PAYG deals

giffgaff Reviews and Experiences

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Showing 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Lee
Lee

4 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"Excellent, in every sense"

When I first joined, my Samsung phone stopped working due to supposed water damage (in reality I used it once in the rain, so it shouldn't have happened) within 24hrs of it arriving. Giffgaff replaced it within a few days with absolutely zero hassle, and even provided a second sim for free. My £10 goodybag has also been upgraded with extra data twice within the first 6 months, once from low usage and the second time from unusually high usage. The latter was wonderfully timed, since I've recently moved house and had no internet for an extended period. Incredibly cheap, much better rates than my last provider and the account site is clean and easy to use. Highly recommended.

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A Dobinson
A Dobinson

4 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"No customer Service"

As far as their deals and signal go, it is spot on with no problems. Giff gaffs complete down fall is there is NO customer service, no one to speak to, or even assist you when there is an issue. Giffgaff have stolen £100 out of my account for a number that doesn't belong to me, never has (as have had the same number for years), I have written to them, tried contacting them but no one ever calls me to speak in person and sort this out, my last option is to now report them to Ofcom as this is fraudulent, taking money out my account without my consent and for a number that doesn't belong to me.

Now I found out they are sponsoring the Voice on TV, funny how they are able to arrange things like that but can't find the time to rectify an issue they have caused...

John Falkner
John Falkner

4 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"Giffgaff. Used to like & appreciate it. Not any more."

Been a GG PAYG user with minimal usage for several years.
GG recently emailed me to tell me that my PAYG texts, calls, data would nearly double in price.

I opened a Forum Topic about that. 'GG Nearly Doubling Prices'.
Then later I find that I cannot log into my GG account.
Banned! Error message when I try to log in. "Error code 15. This request was blocked by the security rules."

GG = Greedy Giffgaff IMO

Steve
Steve

4 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"Excellent"

Have been with Giffgaff for a couple of years now and never had a problem have bought 2 refurbished iPhone 5s from them without any problems. All for £6 a month

Matt R
Matt R

4 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"Poor communications and customer service"

The network itself is average and the prices are ok. If you're looking for a decent SIM Only contract on a flexible basis then go for it. My negative review is based upon there customer service and selling your phone service, which is shockingly bad. I was quoted £80 for an iPhone, sent it in and got a revised offer of £17. You have the option to reject the offer and retuen the phone, but if you want to do that (like I did) don't do it on a smartphone browser as in my experience it didn't register on giffgaff's central system - even though it appeared to go through ok my side - so I was suprised when I got an email 'congratulating' me on my £17 that was now in my bank account. I conplained about this and it took days to get a response and nobody seemed interested in my side of the story. So they have a iPhone to resell in a decent condition and I have some cash in my bank that is a fraction of what I should have.

Harry
Harry

4 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"Ideal for me"

Very happy with the service and I get a good signal most of the time. Much better than other services I have used in the past and for someone who is mainly using their phone on Wi-Fi I don't need lots of minutes, texts or data.

Ron
Ron

4 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"Very upset as Giffgaff deactivated my much needed mobile number."

Giffgaff have NO phone contact number or online live agents if you have any problems. Would not recommend

I am having to contact Ofcom because MY PHONE NUMBER OF MORE THAN FOUR YEARS HAS BEEN DEACTIVATED by giff gaff and they are refusing to reactivate it!

I am still using it on WhatsApp and have all my online services (including my bank) registered to it. The number has not yet been recycled but I fear it will. I have offered to top up as I had lapsed on my six-month top-up due to errors on their payment system when I had tried (which I did email them about at the time) but they just won’t have any of it. Why why why!

I am a student and I have autism and this is really stressing me out. It is at their discretion whether they reactivate the number, so why won’t they. Totally unreasonable company that you cannot contact by phone, they have no live agents online to talk with you. It’s a very medieval setup,

I definitely would NOT recommend.

Tony
Tony

5 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"Good value"

Good value. Good network. Can't ask for more. £20 a month for basically unlimited data.

Roland
Roland

5 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"Wont use them again."

Arriving in the UK late July I picked up a free sim from the local dealer then ordered a $22 (12 pound) service online to make local calls. I hardly used the service and did not renew it when I returned to Australia 2 weeks later. I have been charged again for the service (12 pounds) on the 23/8 on my credit card. As there is no way to email giffgaff, I have subsequently had to cancel my credit card in case they continue to charge me every month. Moral of the story, do not use giffgaff if you're a visitor to the UK.

Pete
Pete

5 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"Great company and community"

I’ve been with Giffgaff for over 3 years now and they have always had great service and have always suggested the best goody bag for me to purchase based on my usage rather than trying to extort more money from you as some other companies try. Best rolling monthly contract provider that has seen other companies follow suit.

Ben
Ben

5 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"Prices have gone up but still good"

They've just put their prices up which means I'm £1 worse off a month but still happy with the service. Good signal via o2 and happy to be not tied in to a contract.

Max
Max

5 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"Easy changeover"

Easy changeover. Good network coverage via o2. Excellent rates for my needs.

Recommended to me by a friend.

Steve
Steve

5 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"All good so far"

All good so far, good signal, easy to join and it's good for people with low usage on the £6 goody bag.

Christian
Christian

5 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"Great network"

No catches or tie ins, they offer superb value with their goody bags and I've received great help from members and community. Been with them for over 7 years and wouldn’t dream of a contract mobile now.

Matt
Matt

5 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"Best network in the UK"

I think giffgaff is the best Network in the UK. I have been with them for 2 years now you can it works perfectly all. Some problems recently as o2 as the provide the line and they were down but for the price I pay for a very good bundle, it's been great value for money.

Anne
Anne

5 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"Very flexible"

Had a sim only goody bag rolling monthly deal with giffgaff for over 18 months. Always works, easy to use and super flexible.

Phillip
Phillip

6 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"Happy customer of 2 years"

I've been with giffgaff for a couple of years now and their service has been fantastic. The no-frills non-contract approach is brilliant and a game changer for the industry.

The only flaw is getting help out of GiffGaff can be difficult. It's worth remembering that they try to focus on a community-led support (posting on their forums). This will not suit everyone. If you're used to just phoning customer support then this might be a shock for you but I support their decision as the prices are the best.

Signal just as strong as O2 too. Very happy customer.

Daniel
Daniel

6 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"Very pleased with giffgaff"

I've found giffgaff to be fantastic value for money. It took me a while to get my head around topping up and then buying a 'goodybag' (call/text/data package) but it works well. They use the O2 network and I get the 4G speed at home and work, never had a problem with the service.

Excellent customer support on their community forum which is different to how most companies do it but there are some helpful people on there. And if you participate in the forum's activities you even get a monthly payback which is a good idea.

Barry Saunders
Barry Saunders

6 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"Problems with Samsung Galaxy"

I purchased a Samsung Galaxy S8 from Giffgaff's website and have had nothing but problems since the day I bought it. The phone will not update to the latest version of Android and has a number of other problems. I tried using the online support through Giffgaff's website but their customer service representatives were useless. Not a good start.

Simon
Simon

6 years ago

Customer satisfaction
Customer service
Delivery

"Unlimited? Really?"

Shameful misuse of a word with a commonly accepted meaning. According to the Giffgaff dictionary, unlimited equals 6GB. Go over that and not only will your speed be violently choked to a bare minimum, you will have the pleasure of threatening communication.

Now I'm sure that the small print confirms that unlimited in fact means 6GB of data. I'm also sure that this is false advertising nonetheless. 6GB of data is hardly a difficult or impossible amount to get through, especially on Giffgaff's suspicious tariffs. When expressing your inevitable complaints, be sure to prepare yourself to speak to brick walls.

Thankfully I was able to escape swiftly, since Giffgaff seem to only offer short term plans.

Our In-Depth giffgaff Review - The Best and Worst Bits About giffgaff

GiffGaff are a low-cost pay as you go network. They’re unusual for a low-cost network in that they do offer plenty of extras. GiffGaff is a piggyback operator, meaning that they offer their own contracts but do not own their own mobile infrastructure. In order to provide service, GiffGaff instead leases mobile infrastructure from big operator O2.

The Pros and Cons of Using GiffGaff

As with everything, there are advantage and disadvantages to choosing GiffGaff as your provider. Before we look at GiffGaff in detail, here are the essential points that you should know:

Pros

  • Good big data deals, unusual for a low-cost operator
  • Very cheap prices when compared to other operators (GiffGaff is usually the cheapest options around)
  • Plenty of extras, again unusual for a low-cost operator

Cons

  • Whilst you won’t need to pass a credit check to get service, you will if you want to add a phone to your deal
  • Customer service is in person or by instant chat/email, there’s no customer service phone line if you run into problems (and if your service isn’t working meaning no mobile data this could be a problem)
  • GiffGaff does cap mobile data speeds on big data packages, so if you’re looking for lots of fast mobile data they might not be the best choice for you

Coverage with GiffGaff

Since GiffGaff uses O2’s infrastructure to provide mobile service you can expect the same coverage as O2 customers receive. Currently, that means 99% coverage across the UK for 2G service, 98% coverage for 3G and 97% coverage for 4G. This means that you should get decent reception pretty much everywhere. However, do double check coverage in your local area using the coverage checker map on GiffGaff’s website just to be sure!

Packages with GiffGaff

GiffGaff is a pay as you go operator, meaning that you always pay for service before you use it (so no phone bills, and no going over budget). They offer traditional pay as you go service with the following charges:

  • 25p per minute for calling (8p for voicemail calls), free calling to GiffGaff numbers
  • 10p per minute for texts (16p for MMS), free texting to GiffGaff numbers
  • Picture messages (MMS) 30p each
  • 5p per mb of mobile data

These pay as you go charges are relatively high when compared to those of other networks. However, GiffGaff offers PAYG bundles, known as Goodybags, which are far better deals. When you buy a Goodybag it is valid for 30 days and includes a set number of minutes, texts, and an amount of data. Again though, you will be paying before you use, so no phone bills or unexpected costs. The list of available Goodybags is:

  • Unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, 500 mb of mobile data for £6
  • Unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, 2 GB of mobile data for £8
  • Unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, 6 GB of mobile data for £10
  • Unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, 10 GB of mobile data for £12
  • Unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, 15 GB of mobile data for £15
  • Unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, 80 GB of mobile data for £20
  • Unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, always on data for £25

Do note that always-on data has speed restrictions. Once you have used 80 GB of data, your mobile data speeds will be throttled to 3G speeds (so no superfast 4G data).

In addition, once you have bought three Goodybags, you will receive an extra 1 GB of data with ever subsequent Goodybag purchase. Plus, GiffGaff will send you an email each month showing you your usage and recommending the best Goodybag for you to purchase next based on this usage. Finally, if you generally buy the same Goodybag you can set automatic payment (using a credit card or PayPal) so that GiffGaff can automatically send you a new Goodybag each month.

Credit Expiry

Goodbags expire every 30 days. However, PAYG credit does not expire with GiffGaff. You will need to use your phone at least once every 6 months to keep your SIM card active though, otherwise, your account will be closed and your phone will no longer work.

Extras and Features

Surprisingly for a low-cost operator, GiffGaff offers a fair few extras. Here are the things you should know about:

International Calling:

GiffGaff offers special cheap rates for international calling. Text messages to international numbers are 8p, whilst per minute calling charges run from 1p a minute, depending on which country you’re calling.

Free GiffGaff Calls and Texts:

As long as you top up with credit at least once every three months you’ll get free calling and texting to other GiffGaff numbers. This is a big money saver if many of your friends and family use GiffGaff too.

Payback Rewards:

GiffGaff offers a reward system where you can earn cash in your account or free credit for introducing new customers to the network, for answering survey questions or helping people on GiffGaff’s community support website, or for voting for new ideas on GiffGaff’s website.

Comparison to Other Networks

GiffGaff is generally the cheapest operator around. All of their Goodybag bundles buy you more data (and nearly always more calling minutes and texts) than comparably priced bundles from other networks. However, their simple pay as you go prices are far higher than other networks. The bottom line is that if you’re willing to buy bundles, then GiffGaff is a great budget choice. If you simply want to use PAYG then you might be better off with another, cheaper network.

Handsets with GiffGaff

Whilst GiffGaff don’t technically let you get a phone on contract (since they don’t offer contracts, this is understandable), you can get a phone through GiffGaff’s Phone Store. This phone will also come with a monthly Goodybag (you can choose which one), which will renew automatically for as long as you’re still paying monthly payments on the phone.

You have the option of buying your phone immediately, or of financing your handset. Financing is available on contracts from six months up to 24 months, with the interest rate depending on the cost of the phone and the length of the contract. You will need to pass a credit check in order to get a phone.

Wifi Calling and WiFi Hotspots

GiffGaff does not currently offer WiFi calling, so you’ll need to have good phone reception in order to make calls. You do, however, get access to O2’s WiFi hotspots. This means that if you’re within range of an O2 WiFi hotspot you can connect and get free internet. There are currently over 15,000 O2 WiFi hotspots across the UK.

Mobile Tethering

Last, but not least, GiffGaff does allow mobile tethering. So if you want to use your mobile data to get another device (such as a tablet) online, you’re free to do so.

Bottom Line

If you’re looking for a solid, budget-friendly pay as you go mobile plan, then GiffGaff is an excellent choice. Cheap prices, plenty of extras, this is a great network for those that are price-conscious. If you’re looking for the dependability of a contract, however, then you’ll need to look elsewhere, since GiffGaff has no contract options. And if you’re just looking for PAYG, with no bundles, then you’ll certainly save money with a different operator.