Best solution for couples phone contracts?

Biggiesmalls

Hi MSE forum,

My wife and I need to find the cheapest solution to our phone usage. Basically, I work away a lot so spend a huge amount of time speaking to each other on the phone so atleast one of us needs practically unlimited minutes. On top of that atleast one of us needs to use a phone for various errands and sorting things out etc.. Neither of us use data and very rarely, if ever, text.

Our solution so far has been that we both have O2 cheap nokia handsets, with my wife having a ~£20/month contract for 12months at a time that gives unlimited minutes plus some data and texts we don't use. Meanwhile, I have a Pay as you go contract with the idea being that I organise/phone virtually no one and when I want to talk to her, just drop call and then she will use her unlimited minutes.

The problem we are having at the moment is I am getting through credit rapidly. Mostly this is because sometimes when I attempt to drop call and she has her phone off or out of signal, I get a "person you have called is unavailable" and subsequently get charged for a call. Also, on occasion I need to make a call and it ends up being longer than I thought and ridiculously expensive.

Any ideas of a cheaper, superior set up?

What about getting rid of being charged when it doesn't connect? Is there any way around that?

Thanks in advance MSE!

MikeBrown123

Hey!

I would recommend using an MVNO sim only contract. an MVNO is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator, basically a company like Sainsburys, Giffgaff, Asda etc pay to use the network of Vodafone, EE, O2 etc but brand it as their own.
you can get SIM only deals so you use your current phones for about £10-£15 a month which will definitely be cheaper and more reliable than your current deal.

Have a look at this list, and then go to each website and see their deals, im sure you will find the right one!


Brand Host network
Asda Mobile EE
BT Mobile Vodafone
Co-operative Mobile EE
Delight Mobile EE
Dialog Vizz Vodafone
Family Mobile EE
Giffgaff O2
Lebara Mobile Vodafone
LIFE Mobile EE
LycaMobile O2
Mobile by Sainsbury's Vodafone
Now Payg EE
SELECT Vodafone
Shebang Three
Talkmobile Vodafone
TalkTalk Mobile Vodafone
Telecom Plus EE
Telfoni Three
Tesco Mobile O2
Truphone Vodafone
Vectone Mobile EE
Virgin Mobile EE
Talk Home Mobile EE
The Co-operative Food EE

espresso

Biggiesmalls wrote: »

Hi MSE forum,

My wife and I need to find the cheapest solution to our phone usage. Basically, I work away a lot so spend a huge amount of time speaking to each other on the phone so atleast one of us needs practically unlimited minutes. On top of that atleast one of us needs to use a phone for various errands and sorting things out etc.. Neither of us use data and very rarely, if ever, text.
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Any ideas of a cheaper, superior set up?

Neither of you actually need a monthly contract with inclusive minutes or even a SIM only monthly contract for your stated usage.

No regular payments are required, although you could set up an auto top up when your credit balance drops to a predetermined level.

You could get the following from MVNO operator White Mobile (not mentioned above) running on the EE network:

FREE White Mobile to White Mobile UK Calls

FREE White Mobile to White Mobile UK Text

FREE Voicemail

Calls to UK Landlines - 3p

Other UK Mobiles - 6p

Competitive international rates if ever needed.

See here - get yourself some FREE SIM's and then port your numbers across when convenient.

No brainer!

Herongull

Yes White Mobile sounds ideal for your needs. It would probably work at a few £ per month for the pair of you taking account of the extra calls your wife makes. PAYG so you don't have the stress and hassle of a contract and you can leave anytime.

You can port your numbers across.

Your wife's £20 per month contract was definitely unsuitable. No one pays anything like that these days unless you are getting an expensive phone.

Many virtual operators are free within network.