Giffgaff


Giffgaff is a mobile telephone network running as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator using O2's British network. Owned by O2’s owners Telefónica, Giffgaff was launched on 25 November 2009.

Products and services

At launch, the first product was a prepaid SIM card providing all standard 2G and 3G mobile phone services, charged on a pay as you use basis. After launch, bundles of minutes, texts and data, called "goodybags", were introduced. The idea for bundles emerged from the community forums.
In June 2012 it was announced that customers would be able to set goodybags to renew automatically once a debit or credit card and subsequently when a PayPal account was saved on their platform payment profile. Voucher payments are accepted for manually purchased goodybags.
In 2011, Giffgaff added data-only tethering plans called gigabags to their lineup of product plans. Giffgaff have since retired gigabags, as their goodybag plans now allow members to tether to other devices, within their data allowances without tethering restriction.
In March 2014 Giffgaff announced that it would add a line of 4G LTE goodybags available for purchase from April 2014. All 2020 goodybags now include unlimited minutes and texts to standard UK numbers. Full speed data allowances, range from 500MB to 80GB+. Prices listed are between £6 - £25 per month and are reviewed periodically.
In May 2014 Giffgaff announced that they were now an official Apple carrier, which was closely followed by another announcement that they would soon be stocking iPhones in their online shop – this would unlock options on iPhones that would have normally been locked for users, including tethering and voicemail options. iPhone devices went on sale from 4 June 2014, to accompany a wide range of manufacturers including Samsung handsets. Refurbished devices have become a purchase option, with a giffgaff 12 month warranty included. Ratesetter, the peer to peer lenders, have teamed up to offer phone purchase loans to eligible giffgaff members.

Customer service

Giffgaff has no customer service phone lines. Non-account specific problems are raised via an online community system and are answered by other Giffgaff members in exchange for "payback points". Account-specific queries are directed to "agents", who are contracted by Giffgaff Ltd. to administer account matters. If neither of these avenues resolve the issues, there is a dedicated complaint team, who respond to complaints by email and a dedicated voicemail phone number, written replies can take up to five working days to receive.

Payback

Giffgaff offer payback points to members who recruit other members, suggest ideas on their crowdsourcing platform, as well as those who provide customer service on the giffgaff community. Payback points can be exchanged for real money, airtime credit, or donated to five charities nominated by members and paid out biannually in June and December. Giffgaff promise to match their members charitable donations, pound for pound. Giffgaff is an old scottish word for 'mutual giving' and the company maintains that ethos, as much as possible.

Super Recruiters

After Giffgaff members recruit 15 new members to join the network, they become super recruiters, earning potentially larger rewards depending on recruit's 2nd or more payments to giffgaff and their sim retention. Super recruiters also eligible to receive other benefits, such as dedicated email support, marketing materials, phone calls with employees, and visits to Giffgaff's HQ.

Network service and infrastructure

4G

As of September 2015, all of giffgaff's 'goodybags' come with 4G data included at no extra cost. If the user doesn't have a 4G ready device or is not in a 4G area, the device will connect to O2's 3G or 2G network instead.

5G

Giffgaff are looking to implement a member trial shortly to prepare for their 5G rollout. Existing 4G-compatible Giffgaff SIMs will work in their 5G rollout. O2 rolled out their 5G network access to customers in October 2019, however Giffgaff have stated that they won't have 5G until much later.

Awards

In November 2010, Giffgaff won the Forrester Groundswell Award and was later nominated for the 'Marketing Society's Brand of the Year', losing to the department store John Lewis In December 2010, Giffgaff won the 'Most Innovative Community Award' at the Social CRM Customer Excellence Awards.
In June 2012 Giffgaff was named the Best MVNO at the Mobile Industry Awards.
In 2014 and 2015 Giffgaff won the Which? best telecom services provider award. In 2018, Giffgaff were a runner-up in the Best Utilities Provider of the Year.
In 2019, Giffgaff rated the best network by mobile network customers.
Since 2016, Giffgaff has won the uSwitch Network of the Year, for 4 consecutive years. They also won three other uSwitch awards in 2019 for: Best SIM Only Network, Best Network for Data, and Best PAYG Network.

Controversies

Unlimited internet

After goodybags with unlimited internet allowance were introduced, complaints were made to the Advertising Standards Authority from customers who were refused further sale of unlimited plans. The reason given by Giffgaff for their disconnection was a clause in the terms and conditions stating " if you do anything... which we reasonably think adversely impacts the service to other Giffgaff customers or may adversely affect the Network". The complaint was not upheld by the ASA who concluded that unlimited internet was advertised correctly. Giffgaff noted that their customer service agents had used the clause above incorrectly and promised to rectify this.
Giffgaff have since removed the goodybags in question and replaced their unlimited internet allowance with an "Always On" data allowance. This means that users will get 80 GB of full speed data usage but after these 80 GB, will be speed-limited to 385 kbps between 8 am and midnight every day.

Advertising campaigns

In May 2013 Giffgaff ran an online and television advertising campaign with the strapline "Don't be scared" which featured zombies converging on a village. Although the television advert appeared after the 9pm watershed, the ASA received 105 complaints. The ASA did not uphold the complaints, stating that it was not in breach of any BCAP rules.
In October 2013 Giffgaff ran two adverts in an online campaign with the strapline "Different takes guts". The advert featured a crowd of people dressed in white in an empty swimming pool throwing guts at each other. The ASA upheld the complaints that the content was in violation of BCAP rules for harm and offence and also BCAP rule 5.2 because the advert was not suitably age rated. It was recommended that the advert not appear again in its current form.
In August 2014, Giffgaff ran three adverts in an online campaign with the strapline "At home with your parents you're not the boss" which featured siblings being subjected to awkward situations with their parents, one of which was reported to the ASA and featured an adult son walking in on his parents as they were engaged in sexual intercourse. The ASA upheld the complaint that the content was in violation of BCAP rule 4.1 for harm and offence and recommended that the advert not appear again in its current form.