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Thread: UK PAYG SIM that won't steal your money if you forget to pay in?

  1. #1
    Grand Master markrlondon's Avatar
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    Question UK PAYG SIM that won't steal your money if you forget to pay in?

    Can anyone recommend a UK PAYG SIM that will not steal your money and drop the phone number if you forget to pay them money or use the SIM for a few months?

    This is for a phone that will be used once in a blue moon but needs to be working when picked up and will receive the occasional call.

  2. #2
    Grand Master MartynJC (UK)'s Avatar
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    You could go for a low cost pay monthly plan - some are £5/month which is not a lot in the scheme of things, to get what you are wanting - rather than PAYG

  3. #3
    Grand Master markrlondon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MartynJC (UK) View Post
    You could go for a low cost pay monthly plan - some are £5/month which is not a lot in the scheme of things, to get what you are wanting - rather than PAYG
    Quite possibly so, although even that irks me if you see what I mean. ;-)

  4. #4
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    Three PAYG Sims never expire. Just need a call, text or use some data once every 6 months to keep active.

    https://www.three.co.uk/Store/SIM/Pay_As_You_Go

  5. #5
    Grand Master markrlondon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by KingKitega View Post
    Three PAYG Sims never expire. Just need a call, text or use some data once every 6 months to keep active.

    https://www.three.co.uk/Store/SIM/Pay_As_You_Go
    Thanks. Every 6 months is better than most, from what I've seen.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by markrlondon View Post

    This is for a phone that will be used once in a blue moon but needs to be working when picked up and will receive the occasional call.
    Are you Jason Bourne?

  7. #7
    Grand Master markrlondon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by demonloop View Post
    Are you Jason Bourne?
    I can't remember.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by markrlondon View Post
    Can anyone recommend a UK PAYG SIM that will not steal your money and drop the phone number if you forget to pay them money or use the SIM for a few months?

    This is for a phone that will be used once in a blue moon but needs to be working when picked up and will receive the occasional call.

    I have one on giffgaff, two on 3 and one on Virgin (it's a long story).

    One call every six months - it's quite easy to manage. No expiry.

    B

  9. #9
    Grand Master markrlondon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian View Post
    I have one on giffgaff, two on 3 and one on Virgin (it's a long story).

    One call every six months - it's quite easy to manage. No expiry.
    Thanks.

  10. #10
    Craftsman
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    I use Giff Gaff for 3 SMS only applications at my house and as long as a call or message is sent every couple of months, the system stays live. Two of the systems do this automatically in the settings but one I have to interrogate it to get a (charge) reply to ensure the sim doesn't expire. It's probably a fairly reasonable rule from the mobile providers so that old unused numbers are freed up.

  11. #11
    Grand Master markrlondon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by broxie View Post
    I use Giff Gaff for 3 SMS only applications at my house and as long as a call or message is sent every couple of months, the system stays live. Two of the systems do this automatically in the settings but one I have to interrogate it to get a (charge) reply to ensure the sim doesn't expire.
    Thanks.

    Quote Originally Posted by broxie View Post
    It's probably a fairly reasonable rule from the mobile providers so that old unused numbers are freed up.
    If they have money then I do not think that it is reasonable. There is no shortage of available number space (there are one billion numbers in the UK mobile number space, although not all can be used for organisational reasons) so, if money has been paid and the account is in credit, there is no good reason to terminate a service except for money-grubbing greed.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by markrlondon View Post
    Thanks.



    If they have money then I do not think that it is reasonable. There is no shortage of available number space (there are one billion numbers in the UK mobile number space, although not all can be used for organisational reasons) so, if money has been paid and the account is in credit, there is no good reason to terminate a service except for money-grubbing greed.
    There’s probably a (small) ongoing cost in keeping a number ‘live’.

  13. #13
    Grand Master markrlondon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kingstepper View Post
    There’s probably a (small) ongoing cost in keeping a number ‘live’.
    Well, fractions of a penny per year perhaps, taking total aggregated systems management and maintenance into account divided across all issued numbers with cash paid in. I.e. It does not even remotely justify closing an account with more than, say, 1p in it.

    The only justification that telcos have for closing accounts that are in credit is that (a) they can (because idiot customers agree to it) and (b) it naturally suits them to take money for providing nothing whatsoever in return.
    Last edited by markrlondon; 14th September 2019 at 12:29.

  14. #14
    have had a tesco mobile sim PAYG for about ten years, still works keep it in an old mobile in the draw, I honestly can't remember the last time I topped it up
    Last edited by Xantiagib; 18th September 2019 at 10:21.

  15. #15
    Grand Master markrlondon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Xantiagib View Post
    had a tesco mobile sim PAYG for about ten years, still works keep it in an old mobile in the draw, I honestly can't remember the last time I topped it up
    Interesting, thanks.

  16. #16
    Master Templogin's Avatar
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    I set a monthly task to ring one phone from the other and vice versa. The hardship is not too onerous.

  17. #17
    Grand Master markrlondon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Templogin View Post
    I set a monthly task to ring one phone from the other and vice versa. The hardship is not too onerous.
    To be brief, that is not a reliable process for this application. :-)

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by markrlondon View Post
    Interesting, thanks.
    checked it just now - has 20p in credit and I got it well over 10 years ago - I used to use it whenever I went to UK and topped it up then - then when the level playing field EU roaming was introduced I stopped using it.
    Though now with brexit it may see a revival.

  19. #19
    Grand Master markrlondon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Xantiagib View Post
    checked it just now - has 20p in credit and I got it well over 10 years ago - I used to use it whenever I went to UK and topped it up then
    Very useful, thank you for that.

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