Best Sim-only Deals guide Discussion

Frozen_up_north

amicuspro said:

I'm out of contract on a SIM-only deal but with loyalty bonuses attached.

<SNIP>

Cost in March '25 - both will likely go up by CPI+3.9% unless the Ofcom ruling affects current/out of contract mobiles

Could they (with notice) just increase the price by more than that as I'm out of contract?

Any thoughts?

The CPI+3.9% annual penalty charge is a way to penalise those who want to stick with a contract once it reaches the end of the fixed term. Some of the old deals with 3 (virtually unlimited everything deals) were ceased leaving the customer either automatically moved to a new 30 day contract (if they didn't pick an alternative) or they had to ditch 3 and move to another network.

It is so easy to switch networks by texting PAC to 65075 and give the PAC details to a new provider. The switch takes place on the next working day, or a day you pick (the earliest is the following Tuesday if giving details over the weekend). Details https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/switching-provider/switching-mobile-phone-provider.

Check out GiffGaff (uses O2 network), or 1p Mobile (uses EE network). Both offer 30 day rolling SIM deals, GG is highly rated by users and Which? magazine, 1p has WiFi calling and includes the Channel Islands and Isle of Man as part of EU roaming. Overseas call charges from the UK vary between these two, if that matters to you. With both it is fairly easy to adjust your data bundle on a month by month basis, or with 1p you can "top up" just your data for a slightly lower cost than adding the calls/text part as well. Neither increase charges every March.

css

Anyone upgraded or used uswitch to stay with vodafone.

Im with voda and uswitch deals are better than voda direct - will it class as an upgrade with no porting if i go through uswitch??

mrspixie_2

Hi I am with o2 and my contract ended, I have checked deals on here and am currently looking at new deal. Just for clarity I said keep my current sim, so before I go ahead will it keep my same number and just change contract?

savergrant

mrspixie_2 said:

Hi I am with o2 and my contract ended, I have checked deals on here and am currently looking at new deal. Just for clarity I said keep my current sim, so before I go ahead will it keep my same number and just change contract?

If you choose 'upgrade' or 'existing customer' then it should apply the deal to your current sim.

missile

My two year EE contract ends 23rd November. I am not a big data user & 5GB is enough for me. From my research Lebara via U Switch seems to offer me the best deal: 5GB £1.48 for 3 months then £4.95 with no fixed contract and no price increases.

Any advice?

oscarward

I’ve been with Lebara for a sim to use in a mobile Wi-Fi device which has holiday time use.  Yes it works ok but the download speeds seem to be slower. Using a 3 card in the 5g mobile Wi-Fi hotspot I can get 300mb + download speed using which magazine speed checker. The Lebara sim only seems to get 40-60mb download speed .

 On a similar note I have a Sky mobile sim in my phone but never seem to be able to get a 5g signal with them , putting the 3 card in gets 5g.  I’m thinking I wil have to switch to 3. 🤞

Momoshirl

Hi there 

I wonder if anyone might be able to offer me some advice/insight.
I am currently with EE. Last month I was caught in a pinch for data and the purchase of additional meant (to my mind) very unreasonable costs. This caused me to shop around. 

My understanding is that 1pMobile offer a package (calls texts and 25GB - which is more than 3 times the amount of data EE are giving me for £10.90).
I contacted EE to see if they would like to retain my loyal 7yrs of custom by meeting this - which they could not. 

My understanding is that 1pMobile piggyback the EE network (I’m in a poor service area, so keeping that the same was important to me). 

However - I have been scared by the EE adviser who informed me that “we do not deal with any third party providers. If you want you can go for it however, we are the only provider of our network”
I (at this point) stated that I obviously needed to do a bit more research. The reply I then received was as follows
”No worries. I have already offered you the lowest cost possible without the broadband. . . However, researching does include directly consulting the main provider and I have already informed you that we do not deal with the third party providers. So I believe that should conclude it? Though it’s your choice of course.”

Could someone tell me for certain that 1pMobile uses the EE network and/or whether I’ve been gaslit by some kind of linguistic trickery. 

Also - how do folks feel about 1pMobile.
Thank you

missile

EE high handed / condescending attitude and shockingly high charges for extra data and use in EU is why I ditched EE and chose Lebara. So far so good, much lower charges and if I don't like I can easily switch at the end of the month.

jbrassy

I think EE are expensive and it sounds like they've tried to use scare tactics with you. 1p mobile do use the EE network so coverage should be fine. Another one to consider is SPUSU which use the EE network. They do 30gb for £9.90, or they offer 25gb for £12.90 (which drops to £9.90 after three months) which also includes EU roaming. 

robatwork

Just so you know there are differences between the MVNOs (like 1p mobile) and an EE sim. I live in a signal blackspot, and tested several sim cards in the same phone. Vanilla EE was better than 1p. I did some research and EE do use part of the spectrum that they don't release to their MVNOs. If you're interested I can look for more details.