Sim card pay as you go for vulnerable elderly that doesn't cut you off or take unused credit

Bemahan

Does anyone know of a sim card/service provider for my 87 year old mum's emergency mobile phone that won't cut off her service or take her credit if she doesn't use it for a long time, please?

Currently she has/had a Vodafone Sim in her Doro phone but Vodafone took (or stole, as many people would call it) back her unused credit (£30 in most cases) if she didn't make a call in 3 months. 

And, even worse, they now seem to have cut her off completely (not even emergency calls only).

 So I'm trying to find a better option for vulnerable people to have reliable and constant access to the use of their mobile phone.

Thank you in advance!

flaneurs_lobster

Vodafone is a very bad place for low-usage PAYG punters (£1/call/text, 90 day deadline on cutoff).

If the Vodafone signal is good then go with ASDA mobile PAYG (4p/min/text, £5 min top-up, needs 1 call/text every 180 days). 

Search on here for "Three Data Reward SIM" or "RWG Mobile" for even cheaper options.

glennevis

I have an RWG Mobile SIM in a spare phone, it's on the EE network and they have a free plan. You get a small allowance of mins/texts and data each month. The Three free Data Reward SIM only has free data per month so less useful in an emergency.

Due to Ofcom rules mobile service providers recycle unused numbers. The maximum period is after six months non-use.

In any case it would be sensible, even if number recycling wasn't in place, to regularly test your mum's SIM is working more frequently than that.

cx6

You could by an EE PAYG SIM - they come with pre-installed 'bundles'.. Buy eg a £10 SIM with a £10 bundle. When you get it, text 'STOP PACK' to 150 and it will revert to a 'normal' PAYG. Use it at least every 6 months though as above.

EE_PAYG_Terms_FINAL_21_03_2016.pdf

flaneurs_lobster

EE's Price Guide https://ee.co.uk/content/dam/ee-help/help-pdfs/price-plans/payg/pay-as-you-go-standard-price-guide-180821.pdf 

dave_dph

flaneurs_lobster said:

Vodafone is a very bad place for low-usage PAYG punters (£1/call/text, 90 day deadline on cutoff).

If the Vodafone signal is good then go with ASDA mobile PAYG (4p/min/text, £5 min top-up, needs 1 call/text every 180 days). 

Search on here for "Three Data Reward SIM" or "RWG Mobile" for even cheaper options.

Asda are more generous than most when it comes to removing credit. You can actually go up to 269 days before they remove credit. Between 180 and 269 days they restrict the sim but the credit remains. A simple call to customer services reactivates the service, and you continue with your credit balance. At 270 days of none use they remove the credit.

https://mobile.asda.com/help/topping-up/top-up-expire

Bemahan

Thank you everyone! 

elsien

I’m not sure that signing up to a deal that includes terms and conditions about unused credit being lost constitutes theft when the credit goes because the terms aren’t being met. 

cx6

If you are willing to pay £30 a year this might suit

1pMobile - Change of Terms — MoneySavingExpert Forum

sdduk

Check out Rwg Mobile like said above they do a free Sim with 50mins talk or text every month and 250mb data.
if she doesn't use a lot of mins then that would be fine also they do add-ons that you can pay for it she runs out of mins.

The thing is all networks you have to make or receive a phone call round about every 6mths there is not a sim that is for life you have to use it at some point.

https://rwgmobile.wales/rates/

PS May be you could set a date on your phone calendar to let her know she has to make a phone call you only have to talk for a couple of seconds and then hang up.

Bemahan

Just coming back to say that I went with ASDA.
Thank you to everyone for your help!