Reply to: Worth knowing if you have a mobile phone on a contract

[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

[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]

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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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...

[TykeMerc]

I recently had my phone nicked (from client co ) called orange as soon as I realised, they put a block on and sent me out a new phone.
I have no idea if anyone used it to make calls, all i know is I wasn't charged for any if they did.
Cant understand why that chap was liable for all those calls and if he didn't report the phone as stolen, then he's a twit.

Maybe it was nicked from home and he was out or on holiday or on business with his company phone? That's about the only reason I can think of to not notice it's gone.

Of course he could just be a bonehead and didn't bother to report the loss.

[Pogle]

I recently had my phone nicked (from client co ) called orange as soon as I realised, they put a block on and sent me out a new phone.
I have no idea if anyone used it to make calls, all i know is I wasn't charged for any if they did.
Cant understand why that chap was liable for all those calls and if he didn't report the phone as stolen, then he's a twit.

[OwlHoot]

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.

WHS - I've always had PAYG.

It's crazy to lock yourself into *any* contract that you don't absolutely have to (like a mortgage), even if for mobile contracts the rates are slightly cheaper and you may not have to pay for the phone.

edit: Can't people on mobile contracts specify a credit upper limit, to avoid overdoing the calls or encountering just such a problem as this?

[xoggoth]

He has to put pound coins into the side of his mobile phone when the time runs out.

Seriously, PAYG is much safer, and cheaper unless you make lots of calls.

[Pondlife]

O2 offered me a European Traveller bolt on for free which means I don't pay to receive calls in most of Europe. I also pay 25% less when calling UK numbers when abroad.
Strange thing is, I didn't call them and threaten to leave to get it, they called me and offered it when they realised I was spending about 50% of my time in Europe.

I have the same bolt on and it saves me a fortune.

[Spacecadet]

I get 1 call a day, say 1 hour long, from my partner. I generally work in another country: on my O2 contract, it costs me 35p to receive. Not per minute, per call. It costs my partner just some "included" minutes to make the call.

How does that work on PAYG? Any good deals that cost about the same?

O2 offered me a European Traveller bolt on for free which means I don't pay to receive calls in most of Europe. I also pay 25% less when calling UK numbers when abroad.
Strange thing is, I didn't call them and threaten to leave to get it, they called me and offered it when they realised I was spending about 50% of my time in Europe.

[Ignis Fatuus]

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 get 1 call a day, say 1 hour long, from my partner. I generally work in another country: on my O2 contract, it costs me 35p to receive. Not per minute, per call. It costs my partner just some "included" minutes to make the call.

How does that work on PAYG? Any good deals that cost about the same?

[Clippy]

Mobile phone companies have systems in place for spotting unusual call patterns. Obviously Vodafone just use them for their own protection not their customers!

I was with Vodafone in the past, found them to be absolute ***** of the highest order and really act as if they are a law unto themselves.

In this case
1. the customer told vodafone that the phone was missing
2. Vodafone should have blocked the sim card once the call volume and cost broke what might be considered a reasonable amount.

If I was the punter, I would initiate legal proceedings.

I can guarantee that vodafone have screwed with his credit rating as well, which he'll also have to go through the courts to sort out.

Oh no, the geniuses used them in this instance too: How mobile phone companies profit from handset loss.

In Jensen's case it emerged that a text questioning whether he was making these calls was sent to his handset. Unsurprisingly, the thief failed to respond and the account remained open with the bill mounting up and up.