chipie

Threads on mobile phone plans look a little old so wondered if anyone had any preferences between Du and Etisalat? My company will pay the contract fee but wanted to get the best benefit I can in terms of data and international calls.

Also, was looking for the best/cheapest way for my family in UK to contact me so was considering a simple PAYG UK sim for that; is that generally what other people do in similar situation (given VOIP is limited)? If so do you have a separate phone or go for the dual sim variants?

Brains1983

Du and Etisalat are both shit. For me, Etisalat have slightly better coverage (have both), pricing was pretty much the same last time I checked.

For your family contacting you - stick to skype. If they need to contact you immediately for something they can SMS you or cough up for a phone-call.

You'll get plenty international minutes as part of your home phone here to call them. It's cheaper to take a package that includes phone and internet than just internet for some 'tarded reason.

Pongo

I have a 300 minutes to anywhere plan, they ring me and end the call, I call them back....cheap for them and I never get to the 300 minutes. Skype when I need to see them!

scrubbedexpat141

If your company pay the contract then just ring the family back home or skype them.

My work pay my phone bill and I always use it for international calls.

Millhouse

I don't think I've paid for a phone call since 2001.

chipie

Has the ban on VOIP been lifted now on mobile devices in UAE which allows voice and video calls through WhatsApp and Skype?

jam25mack

Du and Etisalat are basically the same company apparently. Du were only started as people were complaining that Etisalat had a monopoly. On paper its a different company, in reality the owners etc are the same for both.

scrubbedexpat141

One of them cut off the mrs on Thursday as she hadn't given them copy of Emirates ID....her fault for not doing it sooner.

We went in yesterday, got ****ed around by an idiot with the ticket machine, ignored, then managed to get one, waited, got seen by comfortably the rudest woman on planet earth whit the most disgustingly long and creepy finger nails imaginable, who barely looked at either of us whilst talking, demanded stuff, snatched things from us (only to be just put on the desk in front of an open hand when returning), chewing gum non stop and the general attitude of someone looking for a slap. Confirmed all sorted, everything done...which was confirmed half a dozen times by here through rolled eyes, sighs, shrugs and frustrated groans.

Full on list of reasons to complain to someone there and then but what's the point, nothing will change, she won't and she's clearly incapable of improving. Just a generally awful experience and added some weight to the shit bucket here because there is no recourse, no other option but shutting up and taking it.

Still, it was sorted and done and blood pressure calmed slightly.

Pulled into car park when home. She rang.

"Please come back it's not done. Come back now so I can finish. You must come back now"

None of you have any idea the levels of 'double self control'.

1. Self control from going apoplectic down the phone pointing out what a useless waste of sperm this human had become.
2. Self control from going back there and doing this in person and causing a scene.

Now, I've done both of these before, to a well known key cutting / general repair company here in Dubai.
Only the latter can ever be successful but by way of wasting more of your own time. Lose lose.

Neither were done in this case, it was just politely pointed out (not by me) that everything had been given and she was to reactivate the phone immediately.

Complete refusal, it won't work, still doesn't. Have to go back to her specifically because she started the process and can't go elsewhere and and and and and.

I hate this place and the awful, hateful, pathetic excuses of humans they employ in companies and the way these organisations limit the morons they employ to binary responses, zero flexibility and no way of escalating anything at any point within any sensible timescales without maximum effort and hassle required by the person who is meant to be the ****ing customer.



Good god. I'd put that misery to the back of my mind until just then.

*****.

mohammadmarria

I find Etisalat gives better coverage. On many occasions, my friends on Etisalat would be able to connect to data almost instantly, while me on du would struggle to even get an Edge connection.
The only reason why I am on du is because their data plan is pretty solid and Etisalat doesn't provide it for that price point. For AED 135, I get everything 135 each: national call mins, international call mins, SMS, and data.
If Etisalat offers a similar package, I will jump ship in a heart beat!