Pay as You Go, for my mum

[Zak33]

Lo dudes

My mum and dad dont need a mobile, but tbh I'd like them to have one with my number on, and my sis and a few neighbours.

They've got a good old Nokia indestructable beasty, waiting for a SIM card.

Question: Which Pay as You Go deal can you activate some credit, and then it last until you use it? Do such things exist? Do you need to use the credit up in a set time, or is it indefinite?

Cos they had an Orange £20 credit from several years ago, used it once when Mum broke down in the car, and after 12 months...it was gone. Phone wouldn't connect to network anymore.

So I guess they're all time limited, yes?

What's the way around this dya think?

Cheers for any help

[Lee H]

Most phone providers now have time limits on the credit to stop this kind of thing as they don't make much profit out of them if they are in the glove compartment for emergency uses only.

[finlay666]

I thought the condition was that the phone made a call/sent a text or similar once in 6 months or so I think

Probably down to each company though

[handscombmp]

Don't know. Your probaly best to ask the networks and see what they say.

[matty-hodgson]

surely you could just send 1 text from their phone every 6 months or so?
i know you might forget to do it after such a long time, but i'm pretty sure all the major providers will have some kind of expiry date on the calltime credit.

do Vodafone still allow you to top up only £5?

[Lee H]

do Vodafone still allow you to top up only £5?

Yes and they give you free evening texts as well with that 5 pounds.

Do you ever see adverts at all ? Tele's bombarded with voda adverts atm of the girl flicking her dominoes

[Ferral]

Payg works like this!!! :

You have to make at least one outgoing call (not text) in a 3 month period and the call has to connect. If you don't then the number will go into a dormant state. To lift it out of the dormant state you have to top up and make an outgoing call. You won't lose your call credit with this one.

After the 3 months is up, if the phone is in a dormant state. From the day it goes dormant you have 6 months to top up and lift it out. If you don't do this then the number is disconnected at the end of the 6 months nd you lose the credit that was on there.

So to keep it active if its not going to be used a lot I always tell my payg customers to make 1 outgoing call once per month. Even if it just calling the speaking clock or calling the home landline and picking up for a few seconds to keep it active. At least this way you won't get disconnected and won't lose your credit.

[Zak33]

Payg works like this!!! :

You have to make at least one outgoing call (not text) in a 3 month period and the call has to connect. If you don't then the number will go into a dormant state. To lift it out of the dormant state you have to top up and make an outgoing call. You won't lose your call credit with this one.

After the 3 months is up, if the phone is in a dormant state. From the day it goes dormant you have 6 months to top up and lift it out. If you don't do this then the number is disconnected at the end of the 6 months nd you lose the credit that was on there.

So to keep it active if its not going to be used a lot I always tell my payg customers to make 1 outgoing call once per month. Even if it just calling the speaking clock or calling the home landline and picking up for a few seconds to keep it active. At least this way you won't get disconnected and won't lose your credit.

you're the master

[hsncool]

try blyk.
they arnt your normal pay as you go.
the idea is, they send u adverts as texts and picture msgs now and then, and its free to reply with any feedback, or visit web links from the texts.
in exchange of veiwing adverts, you get 40-odd any network minutes, and over 200 texts for free!!! every month!
you can top up if u wish for more talktime, bt u dont have to.
and u dont have to reply to any texts...

basically, im sayin, if the phone is kept off, texts sent to it will expire in a week or so, so u wont recieve that many when u turn it on a year later. (maybe 3 or 4)
you arn't required to top it up, so it wont expire like that.
and ive had it used it for like a week, and then took the sim out. the sim hasnt seen a phone in over 6 months, and i still get an email once a month saying my mins and texts have been "refilled".

only down sides are, u will need to have an mms compatable fone.
you need to be aged 16-24, bt im sure that can be faked.

[Zak33]

you need to be aged 16-24, bt im sure that can be faked.

not sure that's the way forward, but thanks for thinking of it!