Tag Archives: minutes

giffgaff launches all new £25 goodybag

This was news some time ago – I know – but I’ve been really behind on GEEK! posts lately and wanted to catch up a bit.

giffgaff, O2’s increasingly popular MVNO, has recently extended it’s range of “goodybags” available to customers to add a brand new £25 goodybag.

The network initially introduced an all-inclusive £30 goodybag with unlimited minutes, calls and texts. However, it soon became clear that this idea was a long way from profitable and was removed from the site a few months after launch.

However, giffgaff has replaced the £30 goodybag with a very competitive alternative. For £25, you get 1500 minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited data (which truly is unlimited providing your use of it is legitimate). That may not be unlimited, but I happen to that the offer is a decent alternative that will suit many.

This is in addition to the other goodybags giffgaff offer – ranging from £5 for unlimited texts all the way up to £25.

Skype introduces new fixed minute monthly plans but hikes up prices at the same time

Skype, the giant VoIP network, has recently launched their new subscriptions which mean you can now by monthly subscriptions which give you a certain amount of minutes per month. This supposedly makes the service cheaper for users who don’t get through many minutes in a month.

You can also get plans with unlimited minutes (subject to fair usage) but these seem to have heavily increased in price.

Anyway, for the UK, the fixed minute plans actually seem to be very good value. The 100 minute per month plan to UK landlines costs just £1.19 per month (ex vat) and seems very practical. For 400 minutes, you’ll be paying £2.99 per month (ex vat) which also seems to be very good. However, you have to consider that this is a substantial price increase, as you used to be able to get unlimited (FUP of 10,000) minutes per month for £2.95 per month (excluding vat), so eBay (the company behind Skype) are obviously trying to make more money.

As for the mobile minutes plans, I’m very disappointed. In the UK, 60 minutes per month to UK mobiles costs a whopping £6.99 per month (ex vat). You might be thinking big whoop, £6.99 isn’t much – but when you consider that with giffgaff I get 100 minutes to any number + unlimited texts + unlimited calls/texts to people on the same network for just £10 a month, it matches Skype and has the added convenience of being mobile.

So overall, I’m pretty uninspired by the price increases. I think it’s just increased prices broken down into new plans, but I suppose some people will like the new plans which could be better value for people only using Skype casually for PSTN calls.

Oh and by the way, if you currently have one of Skype’s old subscriptions (such as the unlimited calls to UK landlines for £2.95 per month ex vat), don’t cancel it. You can keep paying the old, cheaper rate if you keep your subscription. However, as soon as you cancel it or miss a payment, you are subject to the new rates.