Tesco Mobile pay-as-you-go customer? Be prepared: it may push you to buy a bundle

PHK

MindEcho said:

Not saying you're wrong; it's impossible to know given the conflicting information.

Also on Tesco's website:

That is to do with the 3G switch off and not the migration to Essentials. Because it predates Essentials. 

 (But even that says that it will be for connecting emergency calls and machine to machine)

Edit:

If you look at the official Tesco FAQ

https://www.tescomobile.com/help/usage-and-top-up/pay-as-you-go/pay-as-you-go-tariffs#accordion-a7fbe92d85-item-24de7af70c

Under "Will any phone work" It clearly states that a 4g or 5G phone will be needed. 

Detail_Merchant

squidgysponge said:

Which in my view means to use your mobile on Essential you need to top up every 30 days.

Incorrect.

The Tesco mobile website says "Without an active bundle, any calls you make, texts you send or data you use will be charged at our standard rates.""

MindEcho

@PHK thanks for that!  I've gone back to Tesco, as the response I posted before was to a direct Essentials question. Their customer service (if you can call it that) is worse than useless and I had to raise a new "complaint" via the hidden PAYG complaint form as they'd decided to close the earlier one.

I'm on Essentials now so will run a few tests and post back anything interesting.

MindEcho

Unsurprisingly no response has been forthcoming from Tesco - every little helps,eh.

Instead I took my essentials SIM and put it into a 3G Nokia dumb-phone. Calls and texts work as expected, at least for now, so I won't be rusing out to buy anything at this stage.

To touch on a remark made earlier, you do need to be careful as 2/3G phones are still being sold. As well as Argos, I've found them at Asda.  Check the connectivity thoroughly and beware of overly cheap offers.