Tariff expert advice required please >>>

EXPAT_2

I live in the Isle of Man, it is not classed as part of the UK.

I want a tariff where I can still use my UK number cheaply. I realise this may involve having a UK provider contract.

I need about 200-300 minutes per month & maybe a couple of hundred texts.

What is my best option?

Thanks in advance.

PS Can be pay as you go, or contract (but must be priced sensibly).

DUTR

I think O2 are inclusive to IOM
http://forum.o2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=67147

grumbler

I think the OP meant using it over there, not calling to IOM from UK.
Using it in IOM is likely to count as roaming and the link you posted seems to confirm this.

JDC14

I think your best bet in this case would be to individually contact major providers (E.G. Orange, O2, Vodafone) as well as a couple of independents (Dialaphone, Carphone Warehouse) And see what they can offer you, they may have some favourable deals for people in your position, I doubt you're the only one there with a mobile phone.

EXPAT_2

Thanks, & just to confirm I will be using a uk mobile number in the IOM.

Currently it's a number on 02 paygo & they cannot port it across.

grumbler

I'd suggest a dual SIM phone. Use, say, Orange £5.10 bundle for receiving [STRIKE]unlimited [/STRIKE] 200 minutes of calls from UK.

Buzby

You will certainly be treated as a UK Roamer by Manx Telecom if you use the handset on the island, and landline/Manx calls will be charged at higher rates when calling from the mainland. It really is a mess (along with the Channel Islands) and OFCOM are happy for this situation to contnue unchallenged.

redux

I don't think there's any point in you having a UK contract, unless you regularly visit the UK and need to use minutes then.

You need an IoM network deal for making calls while you are in the IoM, as any UK or other non-IoM netowrk treats this as roaming. You can probably find deals with Manx or Sure that include UK landlines and mobiles and perhaps also Irish numbers in bundles of minutes.

I an see why you wish to have a UK number while there, as some UK networks include IoM in their minute bundles, but not all do this, and 3 T-mobile and Vodafone charge up to 50 pence a minute, not conducing to maintainug friendship with the people calling you.

So for receiving calls on a UK network while you're there, I's suggest 2 choices. Either carry two phones and just answer the UK one as it rings, and you are charged 11 pence a minute for incoming calls.

Or to avoid having 2 phones I'd suggest move to giffgaff for your UK service, porting your number from O2 if you wish to keep it. It's an mvno on O2, and although call diversion is rare on payg, they have it. Thus you can divert a giffgaff number to the IoM number for 10 pence a minute, or perhaps add their Hokey Cokey bundle if you will receive more than 50 minutes of calls a month. This costs £5, and you receive an outgoing minute for each completed minute of calls, and for you the the call forwarding comes from that float of minutes and cancels out.

There isn't much difference in cost doing this, so it's really a matter of whether you prefer two phones or one. If you want to send and receive text messages using the UK number then that would definitely point you towards the two phones method, as you can't automatically forward text messages like you can with calls.