PAYG provider change and handset change

bigelpresidente

I would be grateful for some advice as I'm a pensioner who is not very savvy when it comes to mobile phones and networks.

When I retired 9 years ago I purchased a Nokia no frills mobile (non-smart phone) from an Orange shop on a PAYGO basis. I previously had a company paid mobile. I do not use the phone very much - probably spend £2 per month but more when I am on holiday abroad. I mainly use it to receive calls and texts over here.

I would like to purchase a smart phone as my old Nokia is on its last legs. But I want to change provider as Orange/EE network reception is dreadful at home.

I have about £50 credit on my PAYG at the moment.

Can I change to another provider and keep my credit and phone number? or can I ask for a refund from Orange/EE?

What is the best plan of action with regards to a PAYG smart phone bearing in mind I would not use it to make many calls but I may use it for emails or aps?

I would be grateful for some advice.

Thanks in advance

DCFC79

I could be wrong but I don't believe you can get a refund for the credit you have.

You can certainly port your number to a new network.

Can you not make some long phone calls to use up the money, when not at home but where the signal is good.

What kind of budget were you thinking of ?

As for networks that could have a decent signal where you live, look at 02, Three, Vodafone, then there's Giff Gaff and Tesco which use the 02 network, just some of the examples.

JJ_Egan

Buy an unlocked smartphone .
Use your current pay as you go credit until you are out of credit .
Then find out the networks that give you a better connection .

Frozen_up_north

If your holidays abroad are to Europe, there are a couple of interesting options... Three have "feel at home" for cheap calls in Europe, USA, etc. On Three's PAYG, calls within the U.K. are 3p/min, texts 2p each.

O2 charge a lot for calls in the U.K., but are 1p per text in Europe and no charge to receive calls, and that's without any roaming package. You can send a 1p text and have someone in the UK to call you from their bundle of free mins. We call relatives in Spain who are on O2, it costs virtually nothing to keep in touch with them.

Herongull

You can always donate your credit to charity if you are switching providers rather than wasting it.

Neil_Jones

bigelpresidente wrote: »

I have about £50 credit on my PAYG at the moment.

Can I change to another provider and keep my credit and phone number? or can I ask for a refund from Orange/EE?

What is the best plan of action with regards to a PAYG smart phone bearing in mind I would not use it to make many calls but I may use it for emails or aps?

The easiest solution in the short term is to, as stated above, get an unlocked Smartphone - all that basically means is it's not tied to any specific network - and put your SIM card in there. You can then keep the phone number, use the credit up and port your number to another network when most of the credit's gone and keep the phone by swapping the SIM.

There is no provision as I understand it to transfer outstanding PAYG credit from network to network, so you'll have to either use it or lose it.

pappa_golf

agreed with the above , very possible that a newer phone may get a better signal , have you any friends with a more modern unlocked smartphone you can try your sim card in?

macman

I don't quite follow how you've been on EE/Horange for 9 years with 'dreadful' reception, but haven't found the need to switch provider until now?
There's no way to transfer PAYG credit, so you'll either have to use it up first or lose it. How did you come to have as much as £50 on it if you only use £24 per year?
Subject to satisfactory reception, 3's 321 is the obvious PAYG tariff for a low user like yourself. However you'll need a 3G handset (which any smartphone will be). Your old Nokia is almost certainly 2G only and won't run on 3.