Re: Cheapest PAYG Mobile? 1p

I am not talking about contracts. Mine is month to month it ceases, or I can change plan or provider any time I like, unless you are foolish enough to buy a phone (or rather get a "free" phone) off a telco there are no contracts nowadays it's all pay as you go.

Re: Cheapest PAYG Mobile? 1p

I would like to comment regarding this new 1p mobile because I'm not so sure it's as good as people are making out. Let me explain. I was with EE PAYG but it was costing a lot for calls. I never used data and had this switched off. I decided to switch to 1p Mobile as it seemed like a good deal and I would still be using EE and I was happy with their coverage. THe first thing I noticed was that the best signal strength I could get at home was two bars whereas before it was usually four bars. Then I found a bigger problem. When the phone is not being used money is being removed from my credits. It's done in such a way that if you are using your phone on a daily basis you probably wouldn't notice. I usually find 1p or 2p being removed every day. Now that may not seem like much but if it is happening to everyone they must be making a fortune over a year. Basically it's theft. I have contacted 1p Mobile regarding this and been told that it's a problem with EE which to be honest I don't believe. I think their system is deliberately set up to remove small amounts from customers accounts. So if you have a 1p mobile account and can afford to not use it for a few days can I suggest that you go to their website and take a note of your balance and then check it every day over a few days. Make sure you have mobile data switched on and wi-fi switched on so your phone is using your broadband whilst at home. If you don't use your phone for a few days and yet your credits are dropping ask why!

Re: Cheapest PAYG Mobile? 1p

This seems a highly unlikely situation TBH but I will happily get repeated account balances using the 150 phone number to check.

I don't personally use data as my phone is not a smart phone and I have no need to use a phone for connecting to the internet. I have a netbook for that.

What seems far more likely to me is that people with smart phone install no end of silly apps on their phones and just like with software on computers, many of those apps have settings which allow the app to be automatically updated.

When PC/laptop users connect to payable broadband services which operate on a per MB usage rate (such as on some cruise ships) this becomes vitally important. Naive unsavvy users will switch their laptops on and connect and before they know it, before they even start using the machine, the antivirus has gone off to the internet to look for and dowload all the latest virus definitions and a whole raft of other software applications have similarly used the connections to see if there are any software updates available and will go download those too. Windows itself will check for updates and download those too if you have your computer settings set that way.

Thus on a cruise ship, you learn to DISABLE absolutely everything before you ever start using their WiFi service.

I don't have a smart phone, but I am confiden that all those apps will work in a similar way. Many will be automatically looking for updates, others will be sending data back to base and so on.

Unless you diligently and rather ruthlessly disable all those update aspects, then you phone is going to be constantly using your data allowance in the background and probably without you realising it.

Re: Cheapest PAYG Mobile? 1p

Unlikely though it may be 1p Mobile have admitted that it is happening. this is the reply I got from them today;
Hi,

"It is a problem that, as far as I understand, EE are to blame for. I am still waiting for my superiors to get to the bottom of it. I agree; it is baffling. I hope to discover what the cause is too. I’m amazed its taking so long."

Kind regards,

Penny.

I have already had credits refunded on several occasions because they know the problem exists and have known since day one. I have quite a few apps on my iPhone 6s but none of them are of the silly variety. If they are not useful they are not on it. I also have them switched off so that they can only be updated manually or at home using wi-fi rather than my mobile credits. On my laptop everything is set not to update automatically. Basically that is because I don't trust Windows. I prefer to know what is being updated and have control over it.

So there certainly is a problem with 1p Mobile which they are blaming on EE, and which is happening to all users probably but in such small amounts they won't notice, unless like me they don't take anything at face value!

Re: Cheapest PAYG Mobile? 1p

If they are saying EE is to blame then you have every right to demand a refund of the monies lost. Your contract is with 1pMobile, not EE. It's up to them to resolve the issue they have with EE.

Re: Cheapest PAYG Mobile? 1p

This is the latest reply I have got from 1p mobile which I think is nonsense to be honest. I have had mobile data turned off for days and the money is still dribbling out of my credits!

Hi,

We have finally had a response from EE regarding the daily data usage you have questioned. We can confirm that every day a mobile phone with data capability will attempt to register and synchronise it’s data settings with the network. This is a very small amount of data, but if you are not using data for any other reason this will register as a 1p charge.

Kind regards,

Penny.

Re: Cheapest PAYG Mobile? 1p

So pretty much as I said then. Handshake, updates using data, same as a PC/Laptop.

Re: Cheapest PAYG Mobile? 1p

Here is someone who really doesn't have a clue about mobile phones, except how to text, call someone, take photos and download apps such as the one that holds my shopping lists etc.

I am thinking of looking for a better deal when our dual mobile contracts with EE ends in March 2018. We have paid £20 per phone for years. I know it is far too much, I love texting on my phone so pleased have so many free texts. Our bill is always only for the rental with no bills for texts/calls.

He who must obey is retiring in November. At work he always uses his work mobile, which not allowed for personal calls, hence always has two phones with him. He feels he no longer has any need for his mobile after November though and we can share my phone. His reasoning is that if either of us is out, we can phone the other on the BT landline which we have anytime free calls 7 days a week.

I am pondering on whether to just take out a pay-as-you-go rather than a monthly contract when I renew (as long as I can get free calls and texts on a pay-as-you-go) or should I look elsewhere other than BT. (Have our TV and Broadband with BT as well) and of course, they have just bought out EE with whom we are with.

the only problem is that I don't know whether I will use up more in topping it up than it costs for the £20 currently paying for a monthly contract, I have never had a pay-as-you-go phone before.

Any tips please on which is best? Is pay-as-you-go good value or would you recommend a monthly contract?
I haven't been able to ask anyone as all family members are on monthly contracts,which makes me wonder if pay-as-you-go is good value??.

Re: Cheapest PAYG Mobile? 1p

It's a tricky one to answer accurately without knowing exactly what you use and what you need (a need being for example a new phone upon renewal of contracts etc.). Network coverage where you are is a major factor in any decision too.

My better half for example has a sim-only contract with Virgin Mobile; that uses the EE network which you currently use so reception should be the same.
£9/month gives her unlimited texts, 25 hours worth of voice calls and 4GB of data - which is TBH more than enough but suits her needs. All this on a rolling monthly plan which is easy to manage online too.
If you don't use mobile data (much; only a 300MB allowance with this one) they do a £6 plan with 5 hours of chat & unlimited texts.
As I said earlier though - it does depend upon what you use.

Personally there is no way would I be without a mobile as your hubby suggests, and I'm not a lover of the darned things.
For low users there's a lot of choice which can cost quite literally pennies per month if you're not a regular user, all PAYG rather than contract AFAIK.
It's not as easy as it used to be but (again, just for example) Asda Mobile uses EE as their carrier & rates aren't bad; not the best, but not bad.
If O2 coverage is good there's Giffgaff, or Three's rate of 3/2/1 is pretty good, indeed probably the best just now if their coverage is good where you are.


HTH

Re: Cheapest PAYG Mobile? 1p

Errr how is Three's rate 3/2/1 better than 1pMobile's 1/1/1 ?

There is (afaik) no cheaper PAYG deal at the moment than 1pMobile which is why I started this thread.

1p per text
1p per min calls
1p per mb data

Only commitment is a topup of at least £10 every 4 months so £30 per year.

Much depends on whether a person wants to use a smart phone or a trusty old style phone with real buttons like the Nokias.