# Blackberry - Etisalat or DU



## jagatr (Feb 27, 2011)

Which provider should I go with for Blackberry services....Etisalat or DU?

Tried to compare packages on the web but ended up thoroughly confused!

Looking for some user feedback please...


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## zin (Oct 28, 2010)

DU is cheaper, but customer service is bad. Etisalat is more expensive, but customer service is poor.


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## jagatr (Feb 27, 2011)

zin said:


> DU is cheaper, but customer service is bad. Etisalat is more expensive, but customer service is poor.


So its the 'tween a Rock and a Hard Place scenario, eh?

Which one do you use - the 'bad' or the 'poor' ?


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## zin (Oct 28, 2010)

I use both. Personal and work. Reception with DU is awful at work and excellent at home. Reception with Etisalat is perfect at work but poor at home. 

Getting anything done with either provider, correcting their mistakes is a pain in the ass, a bit less with Etisalat as they are the bigger company of the two and therefore more easily accessible around Dubai. It really depends whether you land on a rep with half a brain or one which is just a robot. I've heard plenty of horror stories with DU, less so with Etisalat. 

At the end of the day it's selecting a piece of crap over a turd. Find out which one has better reception for you and just go with them. If both are the same then decide whether you want to pay Etisalat a little bit more or not. I suspect Etisalat have more agreements worldwide thus better coverage than DU if international roaming is important for you. If you are on Pay as you go you will need to get on a contract and pay 2000 dirhams deposit to get your phone working abroad with Etisalat, not sure what the cost is with Du.


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

zin said:


> I use both. Personal and work. Reception with DU is awful at work and excellent at home. Reception with Etisalat is perfect at work but poor at home.
> 
> Getting anything done with either provider, correcting their mistakes is a pain in the ass, a bit less with Etisalat as they are the bigger company of the two and therefore more easily accessible around Dubai. It really depends whether you land on a rep with half a brain or one which is just a robot. I've heard plenty of horror stories with DU, less so with Etisalat.
> 
> At the end of the day it's selecting a piece of crap over a turd. Find out which one has better reception for you and just go with them. If both are the same then decide whether you want to pay Etisalat a little bit more or not. I suspect Etisalat have more agreements worldwide thus better coverage than DU if international roaming is important for you. If you are on Pay as you go you will need to get on a contract and pay 2000 dirhams deposit to get your phone working abroad with Etisalat, not sure what the cost is with Du.


I laughed involuntarily!! Comical yet a fairly correct assessment.


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## Jumeirah Jim (Jan 24, 2011)

Etisalat are slightly less painful to deal with than Du but more expensive especially for data. Du's cheaper but coverage for calls often isn't great.


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## DUS (Feb 5, 2011)

Perfect topic! Just thought today to sign up for a 12-months-plan with DU, after spending too much money on Etisalat prepaid... 

I am doubting a bit about "painful to deal with"... when do you have to deal with them? I mean, you sign up with them, you phone, they charge, and thats it, isnt it?
Anyone got some examples?

Thanks!


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## ipshi (Jul 23, 2010)

use both here too... one for work and one my own... and i prefer Du. Hands down no complaints other than the omnipresent bad customer service that is the trademark of dubai.

du is much cheaper (data package costs less lumpsum than etisalat) the coverage is better in most parts of dubai... the biggest problem with etisalat is that the network just shuts down randomly and i have to restart my bb... and it is not a model problem... hav tried switching handsets and the problem persists.

the global roaming with du only requires a 1500 deposit and they r rather fast about getting it working in comparison with etisalat. let me know if there are any specific questions you have.


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## zin (Oct 28, 2010)

ipshi said:


> the biggest problem with etisalat is that the network just shuts down randomly and i have to restart my bb... and it is not a model problem... hav tried switching handsets and the problem persists.


Try changing your SIM card, we have 20 blackberry handsets here and none exhibit what you describe so pretty sure that's not an Etisalat wide issue. 



> the global roaming with du only requires a 1500 deposit and they r rather fast about getting it working in comparison with etisalat. let me know if there are any specific questions you have.


I had my blackberry enabled within 20 minutes of leaving the Etisalat shop 

As with everything in Dubai you get different experiences. We realised after a few months that DU were overcharging us and owed us 30k AED because they had us under the wrong plan. It took about half a year to get that back in credit because it had to be signed off by the vice-president of DU. I find that scary. Just make sure everything you apply for you have a copy of your request as once they make a mistake it's a mission getting refunded.


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## zin (Oct 28, 2010)

Here's the roaming rates as well by the way and the agreements they have with international providers.

traveling abroad?

http://www.etisalat.ae/assets/downloads/Rates/Roaminglist.pdf


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## ipshi (Jul 23, 2010)

zin said:


> As with everything in Dubai you get different experiences.



Nothing more truer than that right there!!
:clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:


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## DUS (Feb 5, 2011)

Thanks guys!


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## remaaz (Apr 5, 2011)

I've worked for Etisalat, they are big liers and I believe that Du is their younger brother.
Etisalat & Du have so many hidden fees (not about BB particularly), Just watch out for Term & Conditions.

Finally, choose your favorite lier


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## hellchap (Jan 12, 2011)

DU is better in a way that they do not block access to Meebo or nimbuzz (which can giv u access to facebook chat) and their unlimited package is cheaper than Etisalat

Etisalat has different type of packages unlike DU which has only 1.
They have the Chat only, Email only, Unlimited, Chat and E-mail but with a data restriction


About customer services every1 else has informed already .. LOL!!


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