Can someone explain this?

[Ian]

I have a spare smartphone which I normally keep in the car, for emergencies. It's got a PAYG sim from Leclerc, with some credit on it.

Yesterday, I had to meet my beloved wife at St Pierre des Corps station, and I used the spare phone to call her on the train. After two rings, a pleasant english voice said "You don't have enough credit to make this call. Press 7 to top up"

Wow! How did Leclerc know that I speak english? So, I pressed "7" and another english voice said "Welcome to Virgin Mobile, how can I help you?"

Hmmm. I know Leclerc has a "virtual" network, maybe they've outsourced payment systems as well (I didn't really believe this, but it's the only explanation I could come up with...). I explained I wanted to top up my french Leclerc account balance. Naturally, he was baffled - "we only deal with Virgin Mobile UK accounts". We parted company at that point.

This morning, despite switching the phone on and off several times, I think it still has its knickers in a twist, as it's showing SFR as the network, not Leclerc.

Any ideas, folks?

[Chancer]

Dual sim phone with another card in it?

 

Are you sure it has the Leclerc sim Inside?

[Pierre ZFP]

Try selecting Settings/network/select network  (ie not Auto) to force it onto LeClerc. (your menu options may be different but you get the idea)

I've had my phone do a funny like that when it was in a weak signal area of my preferred provider and strong signal for another

[suein56]

Ian said : This morning, despite switching the phone on and off several times, I think it still has its knickers in a twist, as it's showing SFR as the network, not Leclerc.

LeClerc mobile does not have its own network so uses SFR's.

You pay LeClerc and they pay SFR for the use of their network.

Your crossed 'line' I cannot explain, but Pierre's idea sounds about right.

Sue

[Ian]

@Chancer

No.

Yes.

[Ian]

@ Suein56

I seem to remember that, whichever network they use, it still shows "Leclerc" as the network? (I might be wrong, though).

[Ian]

@ PierreZFP

Just tried that - the Leclerc network is not available - only SFR, Bytel and Orange

[YCCMB]

I'm not holding out much hope, but sometimes a hard reboot: taking the battery out and putting it back in again can help.

The other thing worth checking is whether your phone is showing a little "R" ( for roaming) at the top. If so, that might be your problem, especially if it's originally a UK phone ( I know you've got a French SIM in it, but the poor thing might be confused) Worth making sure and in any case disabling roaming.

[YCCMB]

Just found this, which seems similar

https://communaute.virginmobile.fr/t5/Le-r%C3%A9seau-4G-Virgin-Mobile/Alerte-roaming/td-p/187313#

It seems to imply that if your phone is from the UK and old, the original operator is no longer doing equivalence updates, hence it won't automatically find the correct network.

I won't elaborate, because I don't completely understand what I'm saying...but the basic premise seems logical.

[Ian]

@

You can call me Betty

Sorry, no "R". Mind, we have a poor signal here.

By the way, it's not ex-UK or French, it's ex-Swedish. Confused? I certainly am!

[Ian]

[quote user="You can call me Betty"]Just found this, which seems similar

https://communaute.virginmobile.fr/t5/Le-r%C3%A9seau-4G-Virgin-Mobile/Alerte-roaming/td-p/187313#

It seems to imply that if your phone is from the UK and old, the original operator is no longer doing equivalence updates, hence it won't automatically find the correct network.

I won't elaborate, because I don't completely understand what I'm saying...but the basic premise seems logical.[/quote]

I tried Google Translate on that thread, YCCMB. I think it applies to eg UK mobiles which are roaming abroad - because of "technical difficulties" it may not see the no-charge foreign network chosen as partner, so may try and register with another network, and this may cost. Hence the question.

Just to muddy the waters more, I once had a Virgin.fr sim card for that phone, which I cancelled two years ago. I wonder if the phone has a VERY long memory. Or maybe it's False Memory Syndrome?

Cheers

[Ian]

Well, I tried it with a UK "Three" sim card I had spare - that worked (and showed the "R" for roaming).

So I replaced the "Leclerc" sim card and tried again. This time, as soon as it powered up, it asked me to activate/initiate (something like that..) the sim, by choosing from a long list of names (all virtual network operators, I guess). Selecting "leclerc" gave me a working phone (no "R" for roaming), but still showing SFR as the network.

Just to check, I tried calling my wife's phone, and got through - no diversion to Virgin Mobile this time.

I dunno - is it me?

[Pierre ZFP]

Yes - yes it is.......[:(]

[YCCMB]

Acksherly, no, it doesn't apply to UK mobiles which are roaming abroad. It applies to older mobiles, originally configured for another country. The OP clearly says that someone bough their daughter a phone at Leclerc..which is in France. It's the origin of the phone which might be key..because, as they go on to explain (and I understand the French, if not the science) if a phone is bought in another country, the original network to which it was configured will programme it to "recognise" other networks when it's roaming. After a certain time, when the model is no longer supported, updates will no longer be done, hence the phone may revert to searching for a network which is no longer current.

In the case I linked to, the phone was a model not commonly sold in France, so probably originally configured to and by a UK network operator.

Anyway, you seem to have solved your problem all by yourself, so good for you.

[Ian]

Sorry for the error. I had to try Google translate and, I confess, skimmed through it a bit.

Mea culpa

Cheers