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myotis
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That sounds pretty good for a low level user.
EE PAYG charges could do with some urgent help
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Box Brownie
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I certainly recall topping up my 3 SIM using my credit card but, now you remind me, forgot it is IIRC an industry 'standard' to be able top up another number SIM.After following up your post, what is much more interesting is
Can I top up someone else's phone?
Yes. You can top up anyone's EE pay as you go phone. You'll need their number and a debit or credit card.
How to top up your EE pay as you go mobile | Mobile Help | EE
Easily top up your EE pay as you go mobile online, by text, phone, or voucher. Step-by-step instructions for the UK and abroad. Fast, secure, and flexible top up options.ee.co.uk
Top up someone else's phone online
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myotis
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It certainly seems to resolve my immediate problem. I can top up my wife's phone for her.
If she gets home tomorrow I won't need to,
But if she doesn't get home tomorrow, it will be because she needs to have another operation on Monday and I will definitely need to top it up.
Box Brownie
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When I looked into 1p Mobile a while back, it struck me that if you are a very low usage user you could potentially build up a credit balance which I do not think is refundable should wish leave 1p for another provider.
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myotis
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The problem with lots of choice, is that the pros and cons become very complex to compare.
Another smarty user here £6 a month unlimited calls and text, 6gb data and on the 3 network. As I understand it there are never any price rises (well mine not gone up in 5 years at least, they just increased the data allowance at one point from 4 to 6gb )
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myotis
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Thanks, it 's all useful to hear.
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I was on EE and if I didn't use my phone for something chargeable every so often they used to take all my money and I had to start again. Your wife must be on a slightly different PAYG deal or if not she's somehow making just enough chargeable calls or texts to stay active.
I use Lebara now and it costs me £4.99 a month for unlimited calls and texts which makes it cheaper than using our land line. I'd add to the voices recommending changing to a cheap contract. Yes, even a cheap contract is more expensive but at lest you'll be able to text and call each other to your hearts content.
Which ever way you go, good luck with it.
I use Lebara now and it costs me £4.99 a month for unlimited calls and texts which makes it cheaper than using our land line. I'd add to the voices recommending changing to a cheap contract. Yes, even a cheap contract is more expensive but at lest you'll be able to text and call each other to your hearts content.
Which ever way you go, good luck with it.
ecoleman
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That’s the price of PAYG. Not sure why you would expect any sort of refund. I challenge you to find any other PAYG for £2.50/month that only charges 1p per min/text/mb
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myotis
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I'm not sure about the details, but I don't think she has had to start again.
I agree with the freedom of a contract, and maybe is she had one we would make more use of our phones,but neither of us use our mobiles all that often. This partcular situation, I hope is a one off, but we are both obviously getting older.
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I got my first mobile phone when I was driving a lot as one day two girls in a Golf went up the back of my Lotus and that would have been me stranded mid way between the NE and Berkshire but luckily one of them had a phone. From that day I've wanted a phone when going out for the piece of mind. One thing with a PAYG is that potentially one call could take all your credit. I hope you and your Mrs never have an emergency but personally I'd plan for needing a phone which wont run out of credit when you most need it and I do think that as we get older the need for the safety blanket of a phone increases.
Mrs WW is still on a PAYG but once her credit is whittled down I'll get a cheap contract for her too.
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myotis
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I've always had a contract , but my phone has been primarily for my business, and Moira had her PAYG before I had any mobile (I had one as an employee, but not one of my own).
For a long time now, I would have preferred she had a contract, at least in part for the reasons you suggest..
redhed17
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Something else to keep in mind, depending on the age of your wife's phone, is the changing of the networks coverage and availability over time. The 2G and 3G networks are starting to be phased out, and there will be apparently no 2G or 3G signals past 2033. If the phone one has is not capable of 4G or 5G, the experience will start to deteriorate to the point of not working.
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myotis
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It is very old, which is one of the reasons she likes it, as it has a proper keyboard (but no 4g or 5g). I'm hoping a new contract/payg bundle will also be the trigger for a new phone.
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I don't dispute the low cost per 'unit' and no I would not expect a refund.
And I can see that potentially in @myotis and his wife's cases who it seems are ultra low users of their mobile phones might make sense.
However, should they update where a decent but not huge data element would useful IMO at around a £5 pm for unlimited calls & texts with perhaps 5GB data could be beneficial?
Why, well I do use my phone for the likes of this forum but right now I am on my home WiFi but when I am out and about......I use data to check the weather, shop opening times, watch the odd short YouTube video such as wildlife tutorials NB I rarely use up my 5GB pm of data but do quite often use around 3.5GB
Everyone's personal situation is unique to them.
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PAYG is a bit of a nightmare because you are just at the whim of old contracts and changes in charges,
you are best off just migrating to a low cost 30day sim only deal like 1pmobile or others
you are best off just migrating to a low cost 30day sim only deal like 1pmobile or others
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myotis
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Yes, as I've said, I agree, and if it was up to me, it would have happened a long time ago.
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Just had a thought.
Depending on how tech minded you are could something like Whatsapp be an option? Mrs WW is in Thailand and we message and talk every day on Whatsapp for zero cost. You can even very easily send pictures taken with your phone, again for no cost. Could something like this be an option?
Depending on how tech minded you are could something like Whatsapp be an option? Mrs WW is in Thailand and we message and talk every day on Whatsapp for zero cost. You can even very easily send pictures taken with your phone, again for no cost. Could something like this be an option?
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myotis
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For many (most?) people this would be a good suggestion, but in this particular case, maybe not :-(
swanseamale47
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I use Giffgaff. Brilliant, I'm paying £6 a month, free text and free calls and use a fair bit of data all in. Been with them for a few years, wont be changing anytime soon
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what is the problem? you seem to be unable to just help your wife move to a different mobile contract
its not a big deal? my wife is nice and independent but we chat about s*** and each others advice is auctioned upon
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myotis
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Because, until this week it hasn't really been much of an issue.
She likes the phone she has, and it costs her about £25 a year to do everything she wants to do with it..
Although, I, and my sister have discussed with her, several times, but not obsessively, the benefits of a low cost contract or a PAYG bundle, her logic, as I have explained earlier, is that she sees no reason to pay more money to get features she doesn't want.. She could easily afford to pay the £6 - £10 a month, but just sees it as a waste of money.
Yes, she agrees it would be nice to be able to "very occasionally" collect email, or browse the web, or take photographs, and have a phone that would allow some apps to be installed (she can't really do any of this with her current phone/contract) but it's not important enough to her to pay the extra money.
Even the issue this week was resolved (with the help of @Box Brownie ) as I discovered EE had an online facility that allowed me to add credit to her phone, which I've now done, as she is still in hospital.
I'm not sure, if the issue this week will change her mind, as it's highlighted some of the limitations of both her phone and contract, or whether now we have discovered an easy way to top up her credit, she just carries on as before.
Either way, I am happy to respect her views, even though it;'s not what I would do, and I just don't see it as a big deal or problem.
JonathanRyan
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This would be my suggestion. If her phone supports it then WhatsApp is very similar to texting but free. It also supports voice and video calls for roughly free.
(free: It uses data. The amount for text messages is immeasurably small. Video calls use more but on free WiFi they are free)
gramps
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Good for you
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myotis
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Thanks, and I agree, but I fear we are wandering well away from my OP, on asking how much texts are charged at..
I appreciate the benefits of WhatsApp, and although it has potentially obvious value in this sort of situation, had my wifes "day" surgery not ended up, unexpectedly, as now nearly a week in hospital, the issue would have never (or unlikely to) have arisen.
Apart from her phone being unlikely to support WhatsApp, and the lack of any data* allowance on her phone, it's not something I can see us making any use of it day to day.
* actually, that might be wrong, as it may be possible the PAYG has a data allowance now, but she has never had the need/desire to find out.