They have cancelled the phone number

whaylock

Can anyone help me with some advice. I need a pay-as-you-go mobile provider who will not cancel a number or steal the cash on it if the user doesn’t use it.

Last year I bought a mobile phone for my 85 year old husband. It is especially designed for elderly people with an emergency button on the back - if he presses it, a text messages is sent to my mobile to alert me. He has mild dementia and is deaf so he cannot use the phone for any other purpose.

We bought an ASDA Sim Card and put the minimum £10.00 on it. I make sure it is charged and we have tested the system from time to time. However, last week I went to check it, only to find that, without any warning, the SIM card has been revoked and unless I get another one, he cannot use the phone. I phoned ASDA who said they would try to re- instate the number but that we couldn’t have the £10 back. Of course they haven’t done so and now the phone is useless until I can find a new provider.

I cannot be the only person with this problem so how are mobile phone operators allowed to get a way with doing this without, at least, sending a warning!

Wendy

Buzby

It is an OFCOM requirement that all connected PAYG mobiles must be in use - and they decree that this equals a chargeable event every 6 months. The amount of credit is never an issue - but a call, text or other chargeable event must decrement the credit every 26 weeks, or the systems will automatically remove the active status and any credit lost.

Just make a note to use it for 1 text every 180 days and there will not be a problem.

It was brought in to prevent networks inflating their connection figures by counting mobiles there were not being used.

macman

Not ADSA Mobile's fault. You have failed to check the term of the PAYG SIM, common to all operators.
Since the number retention presumably doesn't matter under these circumstances, just get a new SIM and remember to make the required call or text for your husband every 6 months.

whaylock

It is the lack of warning which is the problem. Their T&Cs don't say they wont warn you. If you are a full time carer it isn't always possible to remember everything.

Wendy

Silk

whaylock wrote: »

It is the lack of warning which is the problem. Their T&Cs don't say they wont warn you. If you are a full time carer it isn't always possible to remember everything.

Wendy

AFAIK non of the networks warn you it's not just Asda to blame here.

grumbler

I believe Giffgaff is now the only remaining provider where incoming calls or texts are sufficient for keeping the sim alive.

whaylock

I'll try Giff Gaff if there is no other Company that will provide a reasonable service for people in this position. I will also contact Help The Aged or one of the other charities to see if they know of any system which works for this situation. There are now thousands of people depending on this kind of service, who don't realise that their service can be discontinued without warning.

Wendy

stugib

whaylock wrote: »

I will also contact Help The Aged or one of the other charities to see if they know of any system which works for this situation.

A diary/calendar?

Silk

whaylock wrote: »

Last year I bought a mobile phone for my 85 year old husband. It is especially designed for elderly people with an emergency button on the back - if he presses it, a text messages is sent to my mobile to alert me. He has mild dementia and is deaf so he cannot use the phone for any other purpose.

To be honest I would have thought it would have been a regular precaution to check it worked every so often in which case a chargeable text would have been sent once a month or so ???

The other thing to consider if swapping networks is to make sure there is coverage for the network. Theres no point in choosing one that does not have a signal in the location in the event of an emergency

Viberduo

This is what happened to my PAYG sim for mobile broadband last year, 3 months of credit unused as I did not want to activate till summer then found out as the sim was manufactured 13 months ago it needed activating within 12 months so I lost the credit

macman

whaylock wrote: »

I'll try Giff Gaff if there is no other Company that will provide a reasonable service for people in this position. I will also contact Help The Aged or one of the other charities to see if they know of any system which works for this situation. There are now thousands of people depending on this kind of service, who don't realise that their service can be discontinued without warning.

Wendy

There is no 'position'. PAYG has always worked on this basis. Help The Aged can't change that. All you need to do is get a new SIM with the minimum top up and make a note to text/call every 6 months.
The phone will still be usable for emergency calls otherwise.
The problem with giffgaff is that the call credit expires on a monthly basis, so you need to set it to do a monthly goodybag auto-top up, which will cost you a fiver minimum each time (£60pa). Which is a lot for a phone that may never be used.