Mobile PAYG - Voucher doesn't expire

costalotta

I hope someone may be able to help me (and my Mum) with somemobile phone advice.



My Mums BT line is currently down with no scheduled repairdate. I would like to get her a mobile phone with a PAYG SIM. All it will be isan emergency and very basic phone.

I have searched the Carphone Warehouse site and found basicphones, i.e. £0.99p or £9.95, which is fine. However their deals state thatregardless of provider that their top up vouchers (£20) expire in 30 days.



Is there a way to get a voucher that never expires, or lastsa lot longer than 30 days? £20 will not get used at all in 30 days as it isreally just for emergencies.



Thanks for any advice.



Regards,

James

mobilejunkie

Get the phone, then another sim which doesn't expire provided you make a call every 180 days. It's also possible at present to get a cashback deal with a basic phone on a 24 month contract which provides 100 minutes and plenty of texts for £1.50 a month after cashback - with a basic phone.

costalotta

Thanks for the reply. With regards the comment below. Do you know where I can get one of them from please?

"then another sim which doesn't expire provided you make a call every 180 days."

Thanks,
James

Herongull

Unless you buy a bundle, the credit on PAYG sims does not expire as long as you make one call or one text every 60 days or every 90 days or whatever it says in the fine print.

Avoid the CPW deals if they only have bundles and go elsewhere.

As you as you mum can get a signal with EE and you get an unlocked phone, get her a White Mobile sim: calls 3p/6p per minute to landlines/mobiles (cheaper than using a landline because there is no set up charge for each call), and texts are 5p. Unlimited free calls and texts within network, so you get yourself a cheap second phone and pop in your own white mobile sim, you and your mum can always talk for free.

Free voicemail with white mobile too

mobilejunkie

If you order today you can get a (or several) Sainsbury's sims which you can activate up to 30 days from today and will give a free £15 bundle for 30 days. It's free and will take you up until the end of November, also giving plenty of time to source another PAYG sim.

d123

costalotta wrote: »

I hope someone may be able to help me (and my Mum) with somemobile phone advice.



My Mums BT line is currently down with no scheduled repairdate. I would like to get her a mobile phone with a PAYG SIM. All it will be isan emergency and very basic phone.

I have searched the Carphone Warehouse site and found basicphones, i.e. £0.99p or £9.95, which is fine. However their deals state thatregardless of provider that their top up vouchers (£20) expire in 30 days.



Is there a way to get a voucher that never expires, or lastsa lot longer than 30 days? £20 will not get used at all in 30 days as it isreally just for emergencies.



Thanks for any advice.



Regards,

James

You are misreading the CPW website, the credit you buy with the PAYG phone does not expire in 30 days.

Most networks have a term that you need to make a chargeable action every 3-6 months (depending on network) to keep the service live, that means (putting it very simply) making a call or sending a text at least once in that time period.

SailorSam

I'm with Tesco Payg, and use the phone very little, it's more or less just emergencies. I'm sure there's no time limit for me to use 'minutes'. Check it out. Can't remember what the phone cost but would have been less than a tenner.

Tyler_Du

Doesn't the three 3-2-1 sim allow the credit to be used without a 30 days expiry (unless you buy a bundle)

Frozen_up_north

I use a 3 PAYG SIM card in a remote alarm installation. The cost of the calls is 3p per minute for voice (3p per min for voice mail too), 2p per text and 1p per MB for data. A top up lasts indefinitely, provided you make a call before 180 days has passed since your last call or text.

http://www.three.co.uk/Store/Pay_As_You_Go_Price_Plans

You can pick up a SIM card in their stores for free, or order on-line for free. A £10 top up voucher from a corner shop will last a long time if you only make the odd call. Don't forget the number will cease if you don't make a call in 180 days.

Inner_Zone

Tyler_Durden_UK wrote: »

Doesn't the three 3-2-1 sim allow the credit to be used without a 30 days expiry (unless you buy a bundle)

Yes, as do all the networks.

d123

SailorSam wrote: »

I'm with Tesco Payg, and use the phone very little, it's more or less just emergencies. I'm sure there's no time limit for me to use 'minutes'. Check it out. Can't remember what the phone cost but would have been less than a tenner.

5.4 of the Tesco PAYG terms:

5.4 If you do not use your Mobile Phone for six months we will disconnect you and you will lose your Credits and Mobile Phone number. If your Mobile Phone is disconnected and you would like to reconnect it, you must call Customer Care. If we agree to reconnect you, you must pay a reconnection fee. Details of the current reconnection fee are available by calling Customer Care.

As I said in post #2, all networks have a minimum use clause, none have a policy of credit expiry if you do use the phone at least once in that period.