RWG Mobile review first impressions

mnbvcxz

Summary: Seem a slightly ropey operation technically, but does basically work which makes it a crude bargain, bit of a gamble on them surviving though.


I signed an elderly relative up as the three 321 sim was getting very expensive and she kept running out of credit... I suggested £30 for a year of 1pmobile but she was shocked at such extravagance.

We went for the £15 on off topup giving 100mins 100texts and 750mb data a month. I paid £15 up front.

The sim came within a few days, with no credit and instructions to activate it online. This did not actually appear to be possible. I called the top up number and got Now mobile with a terrible line quality indian gentleman who said they don't deal with RWG mobile but did remind me of their number. I called their number which just had a recorded message saying they were not answering at the moment and to email.

So I emailed and in fairness they responded very quickly and set up the sim card with the plan and £15 credit. Mysteriously £14.80 by the time it was activated. But  by the next day back to £15?

I had trouble that the credit appeared to melt away but again they fixed it quickly by email. It turns out that if you text "info ukrwg1 " you get details of your allowances but if you text just "ukrwg1" you sign up for a new package repeatedly, despite already being on a package? But they did fix it quickly.

You can register an account on their website but all this does is take you name, email and telephone number. Nothing else. All it does is repeat back to you those details? It doesn't seem linked to your sim card really?

You can download an app that has a card for RWG mobile but again doesn't really do anything. It just has links back to the relevant webpages on their website with no actual support or interactivity.

As such you can't check you balance online or really manage your account at all. You have to have your mobile and send texts from it or email RWG Mobile. What happens if you lose you mobile? Will they know who you are to send you a new sim with your number. The text messages to check your allowances and balance are a bit fiddly to type too. 

I'm a little dissapointed they never seemed to be answering the telephone? Though the email support was admittedly helpful and swift.

But it does now seem to be working with a good EE network signal... If it keeps working for a couple of years it will be a bargain and keep my relative contactable with an ample allowance for her usuage. If it goes bust by Christmas less so, especially if its difficult to get your number back. 

So not sure if it was the best idea, still wonder if I should have topped up a 1pmobile with £30 and lied about the cost. At least with them you can see all your calls and balance itemised online. But fingers crossed may yet work out. Hopefully they will alter the deal and fade away with time to leave rather than spectacularly imploding in a mess...

So yes we got the £15 credit and the allowance and so far seem to be keeping the credit and the free allowance every month. If I did it again I would ask for the free empty sim card and buy a package on their website once the sim arrived, which I think would have negated needing to have them set it up for me.

Murmansk

I too found it a little unclear at first but you now seem to have reached the stage where you've got your SIM set up and you'll get the free calls, texts and data each month and if you use any more than that it'll come off your £15 at the price stated.

There's another thread on RWG that you might like to read.

SpanishBlue

Another day, another RWG thread! - Not sure why this wasn't added to the ongoing thread https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6373947/rwg/p1 , perhaps a Mod could merge the two?

Anyway, I will repeat my early RWG experience from what I wrote on the other thread.....

It was all very simple for me.

I ordered the £5 sim which gives me 50 minutes, 50 texts & 250mb of data free each month.

The next day before the sim had even arrived I received an email informing me that my sim had now been activated.

The following day the sim arrived & it worked straight away with no further top up required.

All calls etc come out of my free bundle, and my balance remains at £5.

The following week I ported over my number seamlessly.

It's hard to see how they could make the process any more straight forward, it was all so simple.