These were recently on sale for $9 but the deal is expired. I just saw them advertised for $9 at Glendale (NSW) Coles. I bought one (it scanned at $9 so doesn't seem to be an old/expired advertisement). Activated it and am using the 3GB data as we speak.
Not sure if it is nation wide. Coles website states they are $19.
Funny how your link to the last time this was posted only got 40 votes.
How many have you bought all up now?
Only 9 - all at end of August deal - that's all I need for a while. With the better $1 Telstra Starter Pack deal, I'm set for phone and data. For me that's stacks ;-)
These have been posted quite a few times. I put links in that linked deal to some other deals. People become a little tired of them. Surprised it's popular now.
what do you plan to do with the used devices when the data's used up? would like to have the device if possible. Please let me know if you are interested in selling it! thanks
Was thinking of an offering to the gods, or a sculpture of a thousand armed Avalokiteśvara to provide assistance to OzBargainers.
cant find it anywhere…i am afraid no chance to get it
Just picked up 2 from blacktown coles :D
THANKS !!!
You forgot to upvote the deal
done
and good luck with ya hunting
I'll look tomorrow, I'll be able to check both VIC and NSW stores (I live on the border) and report back tomorrow - unless the first store I goes to can sell me 4 and then I won't keep checking lol.
Got 2 from Coles Rundle Place SA yesterday, they still had a couple left. Cheers!
ooh
had a quick look at marion and they were still $19
Did you ask to scan them? Shelf price is sometimes different.
Sounds Australia wide then, dependent on store availability.
In August advertised deal, stores did restock before end of deal. I bought on last day of that sale, with so many left at the service counter at end of deal.
Has been this price many times I've checked over the last 4 months.
I'm guessing the answer is no, but do these data packs include access to any useful free sites? I know the Telstra one includes AFL etc free, or at least you can use those sites before otherwise activating the sim.
For general use 3GB/30 days has me completely covered, however if I was to start uploading photos/videos to my cloud for family access, that's when it'll chew up. Might reserve that activity for the final days of the month when I'm otherwise going to forfeit data anyway.
Works in Victoria too
Thanks op i found a coles with 5 left got her to hold them for me.
They made me fill out 5 forms with name address etc, i thought it was only for mobile phones you need to do this.
Anything with a SIM.
No forms for me :)
Got 1. Wanted 3, but this guy told me 1 per customer.
BUT I am not sure if it includes 3gb data
The lady that served me said it didn't come with any data.. She was wrong, it doesn't say on the box but it does come with 3gb when you activate it.
it only states Vodafone USB 3G. :(
it does as expected include 3gb data.
Got 1. Wanted 3, but this guy told me 1 per customer.
Damn, suddenly my hardship seems pale in comparison to this.
lol. Make an effort
Strange, I had no problem picking up 3 at new farm Coles.
Tell him he's a lyin' douche. Went to a few stores for grabbing sticks for myself and family and neither put any limit.
Coles managers have said all mobile devices (including these) have limit of 1 per customer. Policy is often included in catalogs. It's up to individual staff to enforce that. Few stores I have bought these at in the past would sell more than 1 at a time. So staff member was correct & you were lucky ;-)
Thanks Bruce, you might be right except one of the stores I went to, the lady explicicitly stated that the manager knew of the special and had enforced no limit, so we could grab as many as we wanted.
@spy:
These have been on special so many times, the manager is probably glad to clear stock.
I bought 4 in 1 store in August, because staff didn't want to deal with questions about them. Next stores enforced the 1 per customer policy. Got around that at 1 store by making 3 individual purchases.
It's up to each manager to make the call, but some staff like being the ones in control.
Got one today (bendigo VIC 3550), Moved house 2 weeks ago and ISP is having issues with Telstra connecting the house up. this 3GB will save me a lot on my phone bill as I've been tethering my android phone! THANK YOU SO MUCH :D :D
i am in exactly same situation. it really sucks.
Also worth pointing out, these devices are not locked to Vodafone - so you can use then with another carrier if desired.
3G 900/2100, with 21.6 Mbps down.
I disagree, technically you are right and the device is not Sim locked. However, most settings and hardcoded and I wasnt able to change them to make it work with activated Telstra service.
I've just tested it by throwing a Lycamobile SIM card in and was able to get to the config screen and enter the custom APN settings required to get Lyca to work.
Telstra frequencies are slightly different so it will not work effectively, if at all.
got the last one at burwood east vic
Thx jesmone,just grabbed 4 of these at coles , st marys….thx again
Just picked up 2 from Balcatta, WA - last two left! This is cheaper than the iinet mobile data I use with on the Optus network, thanks for the post :-)
Vodafone Pocket Wi-Fi Extreme 3G+ with 3GB Data for $19 (Normally $59.99) @ Coles may interest some for $10 more at Coles. A much better modem, good battery life, unlocked, supports at least 5 WiFi devices.
Got two at Coles Pines Shopping Ctr. Would have much preferred the Wifi Extreme but they didn't have any. However they did have the Telstra Wifi (1Gb) MP60 for $15 which i think is half price..
Oops. That is correct. MF60… But not a bad combo with the free unlocking and the Vodafone sims :)
Free Unlocking can be a bit tricky, but link in the MF60 link above. I've unlocked the Telstra MF91, which seems to use a similar method.
Considering the Vodafone Pocket WiFi Extreme comes with more data & already unlocked, it's worth looking for.
Must be a different Pines Shopping Centre - your profile shows Melbourne?
The Pines was my local when I lived up the Currumbin Valley growing umm… fruit ;-)
just pickup 2 at West End in QLD :-)
Westfield Doncaster was all out :-\
Thanks for deal, just picked up 2 from Lutwyche QLD!
Just picked up 5 at Concord, NSW. There was 10+ left
Got 3 today! Thanks for the op for the deal.
Can the sim and included data be used in an ipad
Yes, but just swap the SIM at Vodafone store to correct size.
Decided to buy a couple, instead of just commenting on the deal. My local Coles (Carindale) had 3 when I entered the store. Decided to buy with the groceries for extra benefit. But after a short shop - none left. Bugger ;-)
Apparently they will be $9.00 @Target on the 8th Jan.
You are so kind to give me a personal invitation to a deal. I'm touched ;-)
I wonder where you saw it?
Hmmm, yes I wonder also.
No props in the description so he must of found it all on his own.
@Jesmon:
And it was in a comment here, later withdrawn ;-) That's the reason I was checking stock at Target before you posted deal.
As I bought 9 in August deal & have only used 1 data SIM & 0 modems, I was not devastated by the lack of stock ;-)
Rather I was trying to work out why I needed any more. It was a relief there was no more to buy!
I had just discovered HN has an order of 9 $30 Telstra Starter Packs I bought from Tokyo in November at $8each!! Trouble is those expire April & June 15. As I've just returned, I'm catching up on OzBargain deals made while overseas. (HN said I can cancel order.)
So I'm certainly not short of modems, or data / phone SIMs ;-) I've still got 2 $10 Telstra Starter Packs from 2013 (expiring April)!
And now another opportunity to buy these devices… I'm going back on holiday ;-)
Today explained my great sadness in not buying the 3 USB Extreme modems, and same store sold me 3, despite 1 per customer policy ;-)
I was only allowed to get two and had to fill in forms ;p
Are these actually 3G+ modems? It only say 3G on the box.
Spec said HSPA+ 21.6Mbps/5.76Mbps.
Whereas the one I got from Kmart K4606 actually said 3G+ and 31.6Mbps peak rate.
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/157587
It's the + in HSPA+ that makes them 3G+. Faster than 3G data.
so this usb came with a sim card with 3GB which i can use the sim card with my pocket wifi or its just usb with 3GB of data and once that used up i have to "top up" for more data or just activate another usb?
Answered in first comment
thanks.
I have read that post prior to posting just want to make sure i interprete it correctly.
"I use the SIM in a Pocket WiFi or 4G phone on data only."
so i can just stock up heaps of these and take out the sim card included in the usb and put into the pocket wifi i already have so other devices can connect to it as well meaning people who don't have pocket wifi should just buy the $19 deal then stock up heaps on the $9 deals to use for data rather than waiting for the $30 telstra starter sim pack to be on sale?
Precisely. I just store the modems in a box unopened, as I only want the data.
SIM is separate to the sealed modem box, within outer box.
I use the Data SIM in a 4G phone, posting on it now. Otherwise in the Vodafone Pocket WiFi without needing to change settings.
Of course the $30 Telstra Starter Packs were just on special for as low as $1 which was cheaper data at 50c/GB.
@brucefromaustralia:
is the activation painless? so when 1 sim expired i just pop a new one in the pocket wifi and use it as normal modem? by the way, does the sim in the usb modem has an expiry date? how long i can keep it for before activating it?
@3ah3ah:
Easy activation, online or by phone (I pop new SIM into modem & old Vodafone SIM into a phone & ring 1555 to activate if I have no internet - because it just ran out!) All in the guide with modem.
No expiry date as I posted at start of deal. I have activated over 2 years after purchase - also posted in one of these current deals.
@3ah3ah:
Keep those old SIMs - they are sometimes useful…
From my comments on Telstra SIMs
After 6 months or so after credit expires, SIM no longer works.
those SIMs can serve as disposable numbers when a site says you must give a phone number, when selling on Gumtree (incoming calls & SMS only, turn off after sale), or for recent free music download deal (I got 18 free albums on 9 SIMs last week), etc ;-)
Hi Bruce i just grabbed a couple of these yesterday from coles and activated via the same unactivated Vodafone sim
…so i guess it matters not that you have data yet- as long as the Modem get a signal.
@snappy1234:
Yes, Activate online after inserting SIM or by phone on Vodafone SIM. Pretty easy.
I am used to activating the Telstra Starter Packs as data by phone, so they go on my Telstra MyAccount, which won't happen with an inactive Telstra SIM.
@brucefromaustralia:
You can extend the life of the old Telstra SIM by changing the prepaid offer before the 6 months is up. No need to recharge. The credit expiry date is updated to today's date giving you another 6 months.
@jackofspade:
I must try that - thanks. MAKES sense.
Do you want to add that helpful tip to the Telstra Starter Pack Wiki under Managing all those SIMs?
I needed a few of these to cover me on some trips when my phone and iPad data could run out.
I bought the Vodafone USB 3G modem as advertised at the first Coles but the guy refused to sell me more.
At the next Coles down the road I was able to receive two modems, but they are USB Extreme 3G+.
What's the difference and do the 3G+ modems come with the 3 Gb of data?
Please see other bargains and read closely (like I didn't).
Our Coles has two different versions of the USB 3G:
"Vodafone USB 3G" - a smaller box (bit longer and bit slimmer than cigarette pack), which HSPA+ on the back (dual band). I opened it and it has USB Modem K4203 and Vodafone Prepaid Mobile Broadband Starter SIM (manufacture 11/2014).
"Vodafone Prepaid Mobile Broadband" and "USB Modem" on box, with HSDPA (dual band) on back - USB Modem + Prepared Starter Kit with SIM + Start up Data and TXT. I opened it and it has older version of (1.) plus "Prepaid Mobile Broadband Prepaid SIM starter pack" inside.
The latter seems quite old. Both are $9 but the former would seem to be the better deal.
Can someone please confirm if the older version (2.) has 3GB of data?
@ mrhatken
Can someone please confirm if the older version (2.) has 3GB of data?
Yes i had both and activated the old version first and recd. 3GB
Thanks for that.
Quite happy with the deal.
Went to both Coles in ADELAIDE CBD - both did not scan as $9
The shop attendants said the deal ended.
This was from a month ago so I am not suprised it's no longer valid. I have updated the deal to 'expired'. Cheers.
A good deal just for the data at $3/GB. Time to stock up if you can find at this price.
Previous deal
Coles broadband device prices shows $19
I previously bought a stack of these as there is effectively no expiry date, just 30 days to use 3GB. Just insert next SIM when it expires. SIM operates on 4G, but modem is 3G+, which is fast enough for most uses. Device is unlocked.
Stores usually limit sale to 1 per customer, but may sell more or allow multiple single purchases. May ask for ID.
I use the SIM in a Pocket WiFi or 4G phone on data only.
Make sure your area has good reception & speeds. For my Brisbane location, speed seems as good on 3G+ as Telstra 4G.