Cheapest Mobile Article Discussion

MrGumby

costnowt wrote: »

...how do I go about just purchasing a sim card?

Thanks

http://www.asda-phones.co.uk/StaticOffers/offers1.aspx

MrGumby

geoffW wrote: »

I would say that on some of the topups Tesco works out cheaper than ASDA apart from the data (web browsing) part. ASDA 20p per MB, Tesco £4.00 per MB divided by 2 or 3,depending on how much you top up.
Geoff

Not as simple as that...BEWARE...the free extra credit you get when you pay for credit (pay for £10 and get extra £10 free, pay for £15 and get £30 free) expires after 30 days. Worse, you use paid-for credit before free credit, so must use the entire credit within 30 days, if you want to avoid losing any of it. If you're spending that much, you should consider a contract.

There's a lot to be said for Asda's straightforward tariff; as far as I can see, there are no traps for the unwary. I rejected Tesco on principle, because of their devious tactics - they don't deserve my business. They don't deserve yours either!

linge289

bribel wrote: »

I'm in the USA visiting family and called into a local phone supply store where the Apple IPhone 3G 8mg is selling for $199 (128 UK pounds).

Contacted UK suppliers with a view to purchase on my return next week...guess what? Yes! ...the EXACT same IPhone is priced at $503...wow!

Asked the UK supplier why (by e-mail) and was told "this is the UK not the USA, we price accordingly".

Rip off Britain eh? I wonder what Martin makes of this?

Lancastrian

Not sure what supplier you talk to, but you can buy an 8gb iPhone on o2's website for £342.50 on pay as you go AND you get free internet for a year.....AT&T (the only network with the iPhone in america) dont sell iphone on pay as you go but plan to this year for $599 (£412.48)

the $199 pound price you saw in america was for a contract, you pay $199 and then have to pay about $69 (£45, thats the minimum!) a month, and its a two year contract, in contrast o2 offer the 8gb iphone for FREE on some contracts AND its only an 18 month contract! or if you go on the £30 (the lowest) contract the 8gb is only £99!

Oh and also its a brilliant phone =] although once android gets a decent handset i think its going to have some tough competition

TheHustler

Few phones reduced currently

http://www.play.com/Mobiles/Mobile/4-/8241383/-/Product.html - Sagem My220X Gold/Black on t - mobile - £7.99 was £24.99

and this

http://www.play.com/Mobiles/Mobile/-/529/686/-/7523984/Samsung-B130-T-Mobile-Pre-Pay-Mobile-Phone/Product.html?searchtype=genre - Samsung B130 - t mobile - Black £8.99 was £19.99

http://shop.orange.co.uk/shop/show/handset/orange_new_york/detail/pay_as_you_go To the lady above this looks a pretty good deal not the cheapest but good in terms of features to price. Orange New York 3g, 2mp cam and fm radio for £24.99 or £34.99 if you include the £10 airtime.

geoffW

MrGumby wrote: »

Not as simple as that...BEWARE...the free extra credit you get when you pay for credit (pay for £10 and get extra £10 free, pay for £15 and get £30 free) expires after 30 days. Worse, you use paid-for credit before free credit,

This is incorrect. Tesco payg free credit is used up first.

MrGumby

geoffW wrote: »

This is incorrect. Tesco payg free credit is used up first.

My apologies. I just called Tesco again to check, and you're right. I got a different story this time - the free credit is indeed used first. The paid-for credit doesn't expire, except that the sim card may be locked and all credit lost, if the card is not used for 6 months.

Nevertheless, for low-use customers (and high-use customers should not be on PAYG), the free credit is still of limited value. Getting £45 credit when you only pay for £15 sounds great, but is pointless unless £30 of it is used within 30 days.

smith1975

3 mobile £9.00 per month 300 minutes 3 mobile to 3 mobile. 100 minutes calls or text 100.

we spent between the two of us 120.00 per year on mobile and then 120.00 on home telephone. cancelled home tell and use mobile only have saved 192.00 per year if we stick to free minutes. thats a gas or water bill

suepeta

When trying to sort out what to do about my mobile yesterday I found, either on this site or one of its links, a table showing a comparison of the various PAYG tariffs. I’ve hunted for hours today and can’t find it anywhere. Please can anyone point me in the right direction?
Many thanks

bluebridge_2

suepeta asked:
....a comparison of the various PAYG tariffs...?

Carphone warehouse have a PAYG tariff comparison table at:
http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/commerce/servlet/gben-server-PageServer?ARTICLE=MAIN.UK.INTERNET.STATIC.PAYGSIMCARD.PAYGTARIFFS

However, beware! I've found that many of these mobile-phone resellers don't have up-to-date info on their websites.
For example, three T-mobile tariffs are shown on the above link - the Everyone tariff is 15p/min calls and 10p texts. On T-mobile's own website, as far as I can make out, these tariffs seem to have been reduced to just one (most similar to the Everyone tariff) at 20p/min calls for the first 2 mins per day and then 10p/min subsequently, with a weekend £10 bonus if you top up by £10 during the week.
Good luck.

bluebridge_2

mikegahan wrote: »

Carphone Warehouse are offering the Motorola W180 at £4.95 plus a complulsory £10 Orange top-up. However the phone is NOT locked to Orange. The salesman told me this plus the one I bought works with O2. ....

I've noticed comments on several sites that PAYG phones purchased at carphone warehouse have not been locked, although you have to buy them with a compulsory (£10 typically) top-up. Does anyone know if this is generally the case with CPW? I can see that when they offer a handset with 4 different network options it might be a pain to stock differently locked phones separately.
I'm interested in the very basic Sony-Ericsson J132 which is available unlocked on eBay PayNow for £19.99 + p&p. It's available from the T-Mobile shop (locked to them, I assume!!) for £9.98 in the new silver-blue colour. But CPW have it available (in black) for £4.98 + compulsory £10 Orange top-up. If this is unlocked....
Any advice appreciated.