Worth knowing if you have a mobile phone on a contract

[Moscow Mule]

I've been working abroad before and have run up bills of over £250 easily. I was quite perturbed when O2 stopped my service and I had to ring them up from a landline to get another £500 of calls, which I had to pay for there and then as they weren't prepared to give me the credit.

It seems voda are a bit more lax with their credit control...

[lilelvis2000]

Must be something to it. I knew some guys that sold phones contracted to deceased people. (Surely that would show up somewhere?)

Presumably the same scenario occurs. £Ks of pounds of calls to some foreign numbers are made until months later the debt collectors realise the contractee was dead all along.

[Bumfluff]

Its always been like this, in 2004 I ended up leaving my mobile in a coffee shop in amsterdam on a Friday eve, didnt realise it was gone until checkout of hotel on a Sunday, I ended up with £400 bill for calls it was a local who nicked it so was calling all his dam mates hence classed as 'international' calls. Moral of the story is always set a pin code on you handset and sim so even if its nicked they shouldnt be able to get into it, and oh yeah don't get so stoned you don't notice your mobile missing for 3 days.

[BoredBloke]

Once when I was working in the US I ran up a bill of £250. At the time I was with t-mobile and they called ne to tell me that I had breached the amount that I was allowed to and that I should pay now to reduce the amount outstanding and that all calls would be blocked from that point onwards. I can't see why this isn't implemented everywhere.

[Sysman]

Pay as You Go anyone? I've been on that for years. Never put more than £10 on it at any time and buy simfree phones.

I got turned off these mobile phone companies when I had a discussion with someone at Orange...I was told "I could care less about you, as long as Orange is paying my mortgage that's all I care about" - I knew what tulipe I was dealing with.

I've been on PAYG ever since.

I've heard too many stories of folks cancelling contracts and the telco still invoicing to trust 'em.

PAYG for a dozen years here. When the last phone packed up I got a subsidised one which had a SIM card and a two year lockin with the same telco (they have the best reception in my area), and found that my old SIM card worked on the new phone. Quids in and kept my old number

The only snag came when I forgot my power up password and after 3 attempts it wanted the PUK. I needed to put the later SIM card in to unlock the phone, but once unlocked I could put the old SIM back in.

[Sysman]

I had one of those electric 'keys' many years ago in a place that I rented. As I was only going to be there a short while I didn't squeal about it. It was nice not having a bill, but a pain in the asre getting it charged.

Ditto, but when I was away for 6 weeks or so, the bugger had run out, even though everything was switched off. "To cover the standing charge" they claimed...

Fortunately I found a post office which would sell top-ups on a Saturday afternoon, even though the PO bit was officially closed. The owner claimed they did a roaring trade, and I found it easy to believe when no less than 3 taxis pulled up during my short visit.

[Sysman]

I'd been on PAYG for years as I made next to no calls, usually being at client offices. I moved to a contract when I got my last gig which was 95% work from home.

Food for thought about it being unlimited liability on a contract.

I'd forgotten another advantage my PAYG scheme has. When calling family in the UK from the mainland it cuts out after about 20 minutes. This prompts 'em to call back from their landlines and share the cost