Really, I mean REALLY !!!

[Dezi]

I have the same set up but just call the tracker occasionally it then texts back its location so in use.

Dezi yes was aware of it has always been the same as far as I remember use it or lose it

I thought they were talking about something else.

Dezi

 

[GeoffL]

In the late 1990s, I had an O2 contract phone while I was a freelancer. I ended up with a freelance job in an area where there was no O2 service and so I bought a Vodafone PAYG, which cost me £140. I put £20 of credit on it, which almost dissappeared in a month, and so I bought a further £50 credit. I then was given the option to work from home and so I never used the £50+ of credit remaining. I fastidiously kept that handset charged and connected to the Vodafone network but, not knowing about the recycling issue, didn't make any calls (although I did carry the phone around with me just in case I needed it and had received calls on it). Somewhere between nine months and a year after last making a call, I found myself in an O2 blackspot and tried to make a call using the Vodafone PAYG only to discover that my credit had gone. I phoned Voda Customer Service to be told that, as specified in my contract, my number had been recycled and all my credit was forfeit as I hadn't made a chargeable call in over six months -- apparently, receiving calls didn't count. As the phone was locked to Vodafone, they'd effectively robbed me of nearly £200.

 

[harrow]

In the late 1990s, I had an O2 contract phone while I was a freelancer. I ended up with a freelance job in an area where there was no O2 service and so I bought a Vodafone PAYG, which cost me £140. I put £20 of credit on it, which almost dissappeared in a month, and so I bought a further £50 credit. I then was given the option to work from home and so I never used the £50+ of credit remaining. I fastidiously kept that handset charged and connected to the Vodafone network but, not knowing about the recycling issue, didn't make any calls (although I did carry the phone around with me just in case I needed it and had received calls on it). Somewhere between nine months and a year after last making a call, I found myself in an O2 blackspot and tried to make a call using the Vodafone PAYG only to discover that my credit had gone. I phoned Voda Customer Service to be told that, as specified in my contract, my number had been recycled and all my credit was forfeit as I hadn't made a chargeable call in over six months -- apparently, receiving calls didn't count. As the phone was locked to Vodafone, they'd effectively robbed me of nearly £200.

If anyone still has a locked Vodafone mobile phone voda carry call traffic for,

Lebara Mobile
Talk Mobile
Cortel Telephone
Glemnet
Highnet
Ownfone
Zest4 Mobile

So you could try one of these sim cards in the phone, some of these firms will send you a free sim card and I think Lebara has a free £1 credit on it to try it out.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

I do aot of travelling all over the UK and I don't recall being in a y places where there was no signal at all on any of the networks. Not rare for there to be no signal on any I can use, but (geek thAt I am) whenever I find a place with no signal, I search to see if other networks are available. There ALWAYS has been at least one. Sometimes just a 2G one, sometimes just a 4G one, but not ever have there been none at all.

As a geek that might be true for you, but most of us just want one reliable service, and that seems to be impossible, or at least very difficult, in some parts of the UK.

I'm willing to be shot down on this one, but if something works for me I have a tendency to stick with it. I belong to the school of 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'. I don't like being dictated to by technology companies either, i.e being forced to upgrade or change service just for the sake of it.

Down at the meet at the Winking Man near Leek the other week, for example, those of us stayed behind an extra day all had dreadful phone reception even though everyone was signed up to different phone networks. There was no wifi at all in the vicinity as the pub closes on Mondays & switches the wifi service off, so communication with the rest of the world was pretty much zero.

As for numbers running out because so many people have ditched their PAYG phones, well I'm sure the industry will find a way forward. In fact I'd lay a very large wager that they'll find a way forward!

Going back to the original poster of this thread, who was annoyed at losing 'credit' on their PAYG phone, whether there are network black spots or not is kind of a side issue.

The phone service providers ARE robbing people by taking their pre-paid service away from them if they don't regularly use a PAYG phone.

In fact, this happened to my 84 year old m-i-l not so long ago and could have had adverse consequences. She had a flat tyre on the motorway and pulled over onto the slip road. When she came to use her PAYG phone to call for help she discovered that her £20 credit had disappeared because she only uses the phone for emergencies exactly like the one she was experiencing. Fortunately a nice chap stopped and changed the tyre for her, but what would have happened if he hadn't?! Apply this to lots of other situations, some of which might be far more serious that just a flat tyre!

I have always had a contract mobile phone, so I'm not overly bothered about this issue, but it is quite simply THEFT and Ofcom should be asked to put a stop to it asap. End of.

 

[colinm]

I do a lot of travelling all over the UK and I don't recall being in any places where there was no signal at all on any of the networks. Not rare for there to be no signal on any I can use, but (geek that I am) whenever I find a place with no signal, I search to see if other networks are available. There ALWAYS has been at least one. Sometimes just a 2G one, sometimes just a 4G one, but not ever have there been none at all.

Here's a map for you to look at, you will note outside of towns it's mainly 'weak' signal, from knowledge of my area this translates to very much a hit or miss as to if you get any signal inside a house, and sometimes can't even get a signal outside.

Mobile phone coverage map - Which?

 

[trevskoda]

In the late 1990s, I had an O2 contract phone while I was a freelancer. I ended up with a freelance job in an area where there was no O2 service and so I bought a Vodafone PAYG, which cost me £140. I put £20 of credit on it, which almost dissappeared in a month, and so I bought a further £50 credit. I then was given the option to work from home and so I never used the £50+ of credit remaining. I fastidiously kept that handset charged and connected to the Vodafone network but, not knowing about the recycling issue, didn't make any calls (although I did carry the phone around with me just in case I needed it and had received calls on it). Somewhere between nine months and a year after last making a call, I found myself in an O2 blackspot and tried to make a call using the Vodafone PAYG only to discover that my credit had gone. I phoned Voda Customer Service to be told that, as specified in my contract, my number had been recycled and all my credit was forfeit as I hadn't made a chargeable call in over six months -- apparently, receiving calls didn't count. As the phone was locked to Vodafone, they'd effectively robbed me of nearly £200.

You can get them unlocked for £10,voda are the worst sys to buy into,plenty of new unlocked units now on fleebay from £35 up.

 

[trevskoda]

As a geek that might be true for you, but most of us just want one reliable service, and that seems to be impossible, or at least very difficult, in some parts of the UK.

I'm willing to be shot down on this one, but if something works for me I have a tendency to stick with it. I belong to the school of 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'. I don't like being dictated to by technology companies either, i.e being forced to upgrade or change service just for the sake of it.

Down at the meet at the Winking Man near Leek the other week, for example, those of us stayed behind an extra day all had dreadful phone reception even though everyone was signed up to different phone networks. There was no wifi at all in the vicinity as the pub closes on Mondays & switches the wifi service off, so communication with the rest of the world was pretty much zero.

As for numbers running out because so many people have ditched their PAYG phones, well I'm sure the industry will find a way forward. In fact I'd lay a very large wager that they'll find a way forward!

Going back to the original poster of this thread, who was annoyed at losing 'credit' on their PAYG phone, whether there are network black spots or not is kind of a side issue.

The phone service providers ARE robbing people by taking their pre-paid service away from them if they don't regularly use a PAYG phone.

In fact, this happened to my 84 year old m-i-l not so long ago and could have had adverse consequences. She had a flat tyre on the motorway and pulled over onto the slip road. When she came to use her PAYG phone to call for help she discovered that her £20 credit had disappeared because she only uses the phone for emergencies exactly like the one she was experiencing. Fortunately a nice chap stopped and changed the tyre for her, but what would have happened if he hadn't?! Apply this to lots of other situations, some of which might be far more serious that just a flat tyre!

I have always had a contract mobile phone, so I'm not overly bothered about this issue, but it is quite simply THEFT and Ofcom should be asked to put a stop to it asap. End of.

I bought my orange sim outright many moons back,it is mine for life and never switched of but the down side is calls are 50p a minute,ut its my biz phone and most folk only call me,if i have to call back i let it ring twice and hang up then they ring me back.:banana: