Free texts - O2 Online PAYG SIMs

GlennTheBaker

I've got a stack of the free SIM cards that O2 give away every so often and thought I really ought to ge rid of some on Ebay. From doing a little research, I found that ones with numbers beginning "07843" were much in demand as you can allegedly put it in your phone and send text messages without topping up.

Out of sheer curiosity, I randomly picked out one of my SIMs and stuck it in my phone (note - it did not start with 07843). I got a couple of messages containing WAP and MMS settings from O2 which I saved. Checked my balance which was obviously £0.00 as I hadn't topped up. I sent a text to my partner's phone as a test and it worked! "Balance £0.00" appeared on my screen but the message definitely got delivered. Since then I've sent about 30 messages and the same thing happens.

I don't know how long it will last and I haven't tried making any voice calls but if you've got a spare handset and one of these SIMs, it might be worth a try!

Edinburghlass_2

Funny I was just reading one last night as I am sending someone one and I read on the pack that you had to register by topping up by the £10. Had you registered the simcard you tried?

pricefighter

YES. I just tried it with a spare one i had on 07724 xxxxxx it allowed me to send a free text without topping up.or registering it. It also allowed me to make a voice call although it said my balance was low.(ZILCH TO BE PRECISE) Another O2 c--k up.Or perhaps each card allows a small amount of overdrawing,and they claw it back when/if you top up.

monomer

There have been random results with these SIM cards, and sometimes you get lucky and it works. Other cards don't at first, and then magically let you make calls/texts.

It's been documented in a thread on a different discussion forum I stumbled across and is an interesting read.

http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=217993

[Note the link is to a discussion site unrelated to this one, so remember to reply to this thread, not that one!]

xsammix

yeah my spare one did the same... but they barred it so couldnt even receive calls/texts never mind make calls/text then i rang up and they unbarred it after arguing for 15 minutes.
But a couple of days ago they barred it again and I had only just topped up £10 and they wont unbar it either, as they say i have changed the settings in the phone etc to get free texts. tut.

My advice is dont use it even its free for now cos theyll bar it, then if you do ever topup on that simcard theyll take your money!

GlennTheBaker

Edinburghlass wrote:

Funny I was just reading one last night as I am sending someone one and I read on the pack that you had to register by topping up by the £10. Had you registered the simcard you tried?

I neither registered the SIM nor topped it up. I just accepted the 'settings' messages and sent a message.

*EDIT* Just tried to make a call but instead I got the O2 top-up line. I hung up and tried to send a text and it still works - still got a balance of £0.00.

pricefighter

The only danger here is that if the system is abused,they might just ban the whole batch that they sent to each individual.

xsammix

yep well im sure o2 are onto it cos they barred my smcard with £10 credit on it

Karma67

ooo i have 13 'new' o2 cards.......

just tried spare one in......prefix 07704, and sent a text without top up

thanks for the 'tip' :j