difficult without a Smartphone in today’s world

[Greg.]

Prompted by Fred’s post, I took a look at Vodafone pay as you go. This looks like a good deal for you, Colin. Although call charges are higher than 1pmobile, there doesn’t appear to be any compulsory top up requirement. All Vodafone requires is you use the phone for a chargeable service (making a call) just once in every 180 days in order to keep your account open and to retain your dedicated number. You only need to top up when you need fresh credit. The SIM card is free. Your only charge is the advance payment for credit that you choose to make.

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/mobile/pa...RoCRfsQAvD_BwE

[colin.hepburn]

Hi Greg
Yes, that looks more suited to me thanks for your time look, Greg. I will investigate into It seems to be closed to that I wanted. Just to get a Smartphone somewhere in the budget range I have that Richard pointed me to and be able to get a sum card I can use at my rate till it runs out and then just simply buy another card. Without hidden charges and being tied into a contracts
Colin

[Greg.]

Just to emphasise, Colin, once you have your SIM card and related number, there will not be any need to get further SIM cards in the future. To keep the account alive you need to make a call once within every 180 days. If your credit (which you uploaded at the time you got the SIM card) starts to run low, you simply upload new credit by money transfer as and when you need to do so. Load it with £15 at the beginning and from what you say about anticipated usage, it’ll be a long time before you need to add new money.

[pre65]

Originally Posted by Greg.

To keep the account alive you need to make a call once within every 180 days. If your credit (which you uploaded at the time you got the SIM card) starts to run low, you simply upload new credit by money transfer as and when you need to do so. Load it with £15 at the beginning and from what you say about anticipated usage, it’ll be a long time before you need to add new money.

That's what I do.

[Richard]

Yes my first phone was the size of half a brick in 1995 and I ran it on Vodafone pay as you go. It was a good service and you kept the number so long as you made a call every so often (6 months?). £20 lasted months as usually it was just a call home to say what was happening.

This was all good up to the Moto flip phone and Nokia mars bar era which were tiny phones easily slipped in a pocket and just made calls/texts.

Pay as you go doesn't go far with Smart phones though. It's almost pointless buying a decent smartphone and running it on pay as you go. A monthly sim card will give much better value. Check the way Pay as you go works here,
https://www.vodafone.co.uk/terms-and...ay-as-you-go1/

[pre65]

I first got a Doro because my old phone used to dial numbers when in my pocket. The Doro, being a clamshell type does not suffer that problem.

I've got a new Doro 6520, without SIM, but it's linked to Tesco. Comes boxed with USB charger cable. Got it for my Mum but she declined the offer.

Check Tesco SIM deals, and if there is one you like the phone is yours for £20 inc postage.

I have got an unlock code from Tesco but it won't work for me.

https://3g.co.uk/reviews/doro-6520-r...plicity-itself

[colin.hepburn]

HI/All
Thanks All
For you input and help with this phone thing but it has just got to complicated .I want to be in control of my call costs and most if not all sim cards offers seem to have fixed deal or hidden cost of some sort or other making a monthly cost much higher than my average landline costs

So I am not going to do that as my calls are very low in volume and seem to be under the basic sim card deals limits out there without having time limits of some sort or offering you more data at more cost which I don’t need or want I want to keep my call cost at the same sort of leaves. I have know and I have no use for text messaging I have enough problems typing on here with my dyslexia well you all know that and I do appreciate you all taking the time to read and work out what the hell I am going on about most of the time I am trying to explain something

But for now at least I am staying with landline only. It is a shame that today’s tech is starting to push the older person out with the newer technology in fact I think they may have won on that one with me now.
Sorry all just my rant on how I see it going
Again thank you all for your help on this thread.
Colin

[Richard]

I understand the frustration Col. Have you had a mobile before? Going for a good mid range smart phone is fine if you have a use for it and a leaning towards tech but I'd find it daunting if I'd not had mobiles before.

If you have little need for a mobile other than emergency calls and banking why not just go for a basic calls/text moble and a £10 pay as you go sim?

You could get this Nokia and a £10 pay as you go sim for less than £30 and see if you find the whole thing worthwhile,

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4637...phone:13:718:1

[pre65]

As a Vodafone pay as you go user I have to make at least one chargeable call (or text) within a certain time (can't remember what time) to retain my credit.

I've just had a text from Vodafone to say the period is being reduced to 180 days, but they will send a text after 90 days to remind users.

So, having to use ones phone once every 6 months is not that onerous, is it ?