Opinions Please On This Sim Deal

[barry1010]

My elderly neighbour is now living alone and wants a very basic mobile phone for phone calls only. We have found a suitable phone but we are now searching for a SIM card. She doesn't intend using the phone often, but will be reassured to have it with her when she is in the garden, in bed, out and about in case of emergencies.
I have found this which seems reasonable especially as it says "Your credit lasts as long as your account is active, with no credit expiry period."

Is it the perfect SIM for her needs?

[THECORBYLOON]

Without knowing the tariff, it's not possible to say since the costs of calls and texts are not not known.

[ladybirder]

This is the best place to check barry.
https://www.techradar.com/sim-only/sim-only-deals

[Atheist]

I've got a very cheap non-smart phone and an EE SIM pay as you go (which rarely needs topping up as I hardly use the phone). But from time to time I get a text from EE saying that I haven't used phone, text, or data for some time and I should do so soon or my deal will be terminated. So I send Mrs A a text and then I'm OK till next time. I don't find this much of a nuisance.
I top up a tenner when necessary, but it's so seldom that I always forget how to do it. I think the last time I bought a bit of paper from the local corner shop and then had to send a text to EE with a hideous long code number, which I found v difficult on my phone: maybe this can now be done online which is easier because I have a proper keyboard on my desktop.

I'm sure someone else here will chip in with some good advice.

[barry1010]

I forgot the link! https://www.1pmobile.com/1year-SIM.taf

[ubasses]

The only drawback that jumps out is that after the first year a top up of £10 has to be made every 120 days. Is she going to be able to use that, otherwise her credit will just keep building and rolling over.

[THECORBYLOON]

It's confusing since it states there is no contract yet refers to no need for a top-up in the first year. The first year of what?

There's no contract so do the terms and conditions requiring £10 top-ups each 120 day apply after that first year?

[barry1010]

Corby, you don't need to top up in the first year because you pay £30 for a year's worth of credit.
I am confused, too

[THECORBYLOON]

I know about the £30 in the first year but when the one year period runs out, what happens? Is a contract then needed?

You might need to 'phone the provider to clarify what happens after twelve month.

[ubasses]

I read it that in the 1st year no top up's are required but after that every 120 days. The other thing is that 'you keep your credit as long as the account is active' and I ssume that means she will have to make a call every so often.

[Buenchico]

All that 1p Mobile are really saying is that you need to top up the phone with a tenner's worth of credit every 4 months but, to save you forgetting to do it the first couple of times, you can pay three lots of £10 (=£30) all at once, so that the credit will last for 12 months instead. (In my opinion, that actually makes it more likely that you'll forget to top it up at the end of the 12 months!).

1p per minute might not sound much but if, say, your neighbours uses the phone a few times to call her GP's surgery, and gets stuck in an hour long queue each time, her credit could get used up surprisingly quickly. There's also the risk that she might forget to top up the phone just before she needs it for something really important.

If she can afford it, I'd suggest that she should pay a fiver per month (which isn't really a lot for peace of mind) to one of the phone providers that offers unlimited UK calls for that amount as part of a 'bundle', with things set up so that the fiver is automatically taken from her bank account each month. Then
(a) she won't have to worry about whether her phone is topped up or not ; and
(b) as well as having the phone available in emergencies, she'll be able to natter on for hours to her sister in Plymouth, her daughter in Edinburgh and her old school friend in Swansea without paying a penny more to do so.

This thread, from yesterday, might be relevant here:
https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Technology/Question1828277.html

[barry1010]

Thanks, Buenchico, we'll keep on looking. I think this might be the one https://mobile.asda.com/bundles/talk-and-text

[Buenchico]

Thanks for your reply, Barry. I'm now wondering why I couldn't find that link when I looked on the Asda Mobile website yesterday! (I'll copy it across to yesterday's thread, so thanks for that!).

As I wrote on the other thread, I'm with Asda Mobile (which uses the Vodafone network) myself and I'm perfectly happy with their service.

[barry1010]

Thanks for your help, everyone, she has decided on the £4 a month Asda one. Her new phone is 2G so that will be perfect. She does know that 2G will be turned off in ten years or so.