chirpy Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 I have a mobile phone mainly for emergency use which I bought in the uk a pay and go sim card -now called O2 and when in france i replace it with an SFR sim card.the uk card had to be used every 6 months or number is deleted.I find now the phone states no network detected in france where I live.COULD THIS BE DUE TO ME NOT USING IT IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS?Second question is can i use the french sfr card in the uk and is this as cheap as using an o2 card? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecossais Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Hi AB,If it’s more than 6 months since you last made a chargeable call on your O2 Pay As You Go SIM, the network has probably switched the number off. Depending on how long it is since they switched the number off, it may be possible to reactivate it – call O2 on (UK) 08705 678678 to find out the status of your number.If the number is not important to you it might be easier / cheaper just to buy another PAYG SIM the next time you are in the UK. SIMs cost £5 - £10. Make sure you make a chargeable call once every 3 months to keep the number active. A quick call when you are in France will keep it active.Using a SFR SIM (or any foreign SIM in the UK) is the most expensive way of making phone calls when abroad as you will incur roaming charges. You pay to receive calls as well as make calls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shimble Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 your credit on you pay as you go needs to be used every month or six weeks ( ie the credit will only be valid for a period of time after you bought the credit) go to buy another credit and test it in the shop if you go sfr theyll suss it out dont bother using it inthe uk swap sim cards to uk provider Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juswundrin Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 I believe credit on the "NRJ mobile" service doesn't expire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 This is true. Cheapest pay as you go I have found with no catches about topping up on a regular basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juswundrin Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 Just noticed they're giving themselves a letout clause, though:"Vous pourrez émettre et recevoir des appels pendant une durée de 6 mois à compter de tout appel émis facturé. Si, après cette période, vous n'avez émis aucun appel facturé, NRJ mobile se réserve le droit de résilier votre ligne." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 It's still a good deal better than the deal I used to have with Orange. There I bought, say 10 euros worth of calls. After a month, if I hadn't used them up, the euros would just disappear unless I booked another month's calls. By the time I finally gave Orange up, I had accumulated over 150 euros worth of credit which I had never used. One call every six months seems like a good deal to somebody like me who rarely uses a mobile to call out. When I go back to the UK, I exchange it for my Tesco mobile SIM. I find it is then cheaper to call French numbers with the NRJ phone and English numbers on the Tesco one. The reverse seems to be true here, but to be honest, I haven't really made any serious calculations on that one. The charges (for internal and international calls) are available on both companies' websites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 Go to Orange UK home page ...........go to special offers..........you will find Orange sim cards for £1.....sorry to say they have gone up.....a couple of weeks ago they were free ! get loads of free texts as well.............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecossais Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 AB’s question was about his O2 UK SIM - One of the key differences between how UK and French PAYG mobiles (excluding NRJ) work is that the calling credit on a UK PAYG mobile never expires.All that you need to do is make sure that the number / SIM remains active on the network.It varies by network, but so long as a quick chargeable outgoing call is made at least once every 3 months, the number will not be disconnected and the credit will remain intact.If a number is disconnected through lack of use, the credit is lost.As Frederick highlights you can often get PAYG SIMs free on the network websites – you’ll need to give a UK friend’s name and address for delivery. There’s no catches with these free SIMs, they’re the same ones you buy in the shops – the networks give them away to boost their subscriber numbers in the ratings war!Orange SIMs need to be activated via their website or by calling a UK 0800 number (you need to give name / address / handset IMEI details), the others are ready to go out the box (once you’ve bought credit). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 [quote user="Ecossais"]AB’s question was about his O2 UK SIM - One of the key differences between how UK and French PAYG mobiles (excluding NRJ) work is that the calling credit on a UK PAYG mobile never expires.All that you need to do is make sure that the number / SIM remains active on the network.It varies by network, but so long as a quick chargeable outgoing call is made at least once every 3 months, the number will not be disconnected and the credit will remain intact.If a number is disconnected through lack of use, the credit is lost.As Frederick highlights you can often get PAYG SIMs free on the network websites – you’ll need to give a UK friend’s name and address for delivery. There’s no catches with these free SIMs, they’re the same ones you buy in the shops – the networks give them away to boost their subscriber numbers in the ratings war!Orange SIMs need to be activated via their website or by calling a UK 0800 number (you need to give name / address / handset IMEI details), the others are ready to go out the box (once you’ve bought credit).[/quote]I'm pretty sure that a text would work equally well to keep your contract "alive" wouldn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecossais Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 Hi Cooperlola,Good question! I think it would be worthwhile checking with one’s network – O2’s PAYG t&c’s (http://www.o2.co.uk/termsconditions/tariffsandboltons0153) states:Our Rights to Bar or Disconnect Your Mobile Phone 7.1 If you do not make or receive a chargeable call at least once in any 6 month period your Mobile Phone will be disconnected and any credits left on your Account will be forfeited. So it looks as if a text message wouldn’t count in the case of O2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 My husband has a SFR payg sim card and he has not topped it up for about 6 months, maybe longer. However I have a SFR monthly account and I have free calls to 3 SFR numbers, one of which is hubbys. Of course these calls are not free if he is in the UK, but as soon as he is in France I an call him for free.Maybe this has helped him not to have to top it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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