**Introduction**

Giffgaff are part of the 02 Network and was launched on launched on 25 November 2009. It was founded by Gav Thompson, the head of brand strategy at O2. The Gigggaff offices are based in Slough and employ around 20 people. They have won a couple of industry awards for their brand. The biggest thing about the Giffgaff network that separates it from it's competitors is that it's a little different from other more well known networks in that users of the service may also participate in certain aspects of the company's operation, e.g. sales, customer service and marketing for this they offer a payback system which allows users to receive free minutes and even cash via paypal.

**Joining**

It's really easy to join the network, you can either receive one from a friend or relative who is already on the Giffgaff network or if not all you need to do is request a sim card from the website and when your card has arrived you need to register it online and top up with your debit or credit card or a top up voucher like any other network. I had a slight problem joining though as they were having problems but it was soon rectified and you then have the option whether you want to change your number to bring your old number to the sim. That took ages for me and I ended up being sent a new sim and it was then sorted out and they gave me some free credit as a goodwill gesture. I thought this was particularly good.

**The Signal**

I recently moved to Ilminster from Taunton and the signal with my Orange sim card was very bad, so much so that I had to stand at the window to be able to make a call or use the mobile internet. My Dad who also lives in Ilminster mentioned that O2 was pretty good here so as I had a Giffgaff sim Card I decided to register it as I knew it was on the 02 network. The signal is very good and although there are moments of cut outs for a few seconds it is much better than the signal I had. If you live in a strong mobile signal area then the sim card will really come into it's own with the goody bags which I will go into more detail about next.

**The Goodybags**

If you are on a Pay as You Go Sim I'm sure you will be receiving free minutes, texts or internet every month with your top up. Well with the Goodybag's that is basically what you get and more. The Goodybags range from £5 up to £25 and last a month. For example with a £10 goodybag which I have got you get 250 minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited mobile internet plus free giffgaff to giffgaff calls. These are excellent deals and are some of the best pay as you go deals that I have seen around. You can find more minutes individually but you'd struggle to find the Total Package like this. The Goodybags last a month from the day you top up with one. The £25 Goodybag gives an amazing 1,500 minutes which will be enough for pretty much everyone. You can also buy goodybags for ipads, Laptops and PCs for use with mobile broadband dongles etc.

**Customer Service**

The network has no Customer Service phone number so all queries and problems are dealt with online which can be a bit difficult sometimes. You send a message on the website with your problem and they will reply with a response within a day or two. It can take a while when you are waiting for a message back when if they had a call centre it could usually have been sorted within a few minutes. There is a community page where users can comment and recommend what to do about a problem someone may have with the service. For their help they can receive payback points which they can use for cash via paypal or airtime or charity. Giffgaff has paid out over £700,000 to its customers as part of the payback scheme.

**The Website**

This is the hub of your Giffgaff experience and everything you need to know will be on here. As I mentioned earlier this is where you will need to go to sign up and also if you have any issue with the service or want to change something. I have found the Website to be helpful and since I have properly been up and running I haven't needed to contact them again about anything. You can view all the data plans and goodybags here as well as all the information needed if you just want to use it as a pay as you go sim without a monthly goodybag. If you choose to do that you will be able to view your balance and everything on your profile page.

**Overall**

I was a little sceptical about the network after I experienced some problems when I first signed up but after that period it has been absolutely fine and I am now enjoying a decent signal and a fantastic deal on the Goodybag which I will continue to purchase every month. I would recommend the network for anyone looking for more from their phone credit but don't want to be tied down to a contract as with the goodybags you purchase them when you need to and won't be charged every month whether or not you update. Giffgaff has it's faults but thankfully they are not as serious as they might be and can be sorted out relatively quickly. Just be aware of the possibility of problems with transferring your number as I was left without use for a week or so, looking back it wasn't really necessary that I transferred my number. The good far outweighs the bad though and the Giffgaff network represents great value for their customers.