Hi All. Off topic but there is so much knowledge here ....

93 year old Mum goes in to hospital on Sunday. Sim free mobile (Doro 332)
is on its way.

Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

I am having a lot of difficulty finding out how long credit and sim lasts
if unused.

Anyone got any recommendations please?

Hospital has reception problems with t-mobile and orange but 02 and
Vodafone based networks are OK

TIA for any replies.

On Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:17:56 -0000, Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:

Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

It *might* be worth seeing what the hospital bedside phone/TV system
has to offer. Noticed in the Cumberland Royal Infirmary the other day
that they now include free 01, 02, 03 calls when you buy a package of
phone/TV. The poster didn't say how much those packages where
though...

--
Cheers
Dave.

Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:17:56 -0000, Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:

Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

It *might* be worth seeing what the hospital bedside phone/TV system
has to offer. Noticed in the Cumberland Royal Infirmary the other day
that they now include free 01, 02, 03 calls when you buy a package of
phone/TV.



The poster didn't say how much those packages where
though...

Unless things have changed in the last few years then a mobile phone would
be the cheaper option.

--
Adam

In article op.v6ddf6pagtk8fg@admin-pc, Hugh - Was Invisible
writes
Hi All. Off topic but there is so much knowledge here ....

93 year old Mum goes in to hospital on Sunday. Sim free mobile (Doro 332)
is on its way.

Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

I am having a lot of difficulty finding out how long credit and sim lasts
if unused.

Anyone got any recommendations please?

Hospital has reception problems with t-mobile and orange but 02 and
Vodafone based networks are OK

Asda mobile, vodafone based 10ppm flat at all times, non expiring credit
but recommended to make a call (even just to connect to her own landline
for 30s) once every 3mths or so to keep the sim alive. Sim is 50p in
store.

Top up can be by nominated credit card but voice prompts can be
difficult for hard of hearing elderly.
--
fred
it's a ba-na-na . . . .

On 12/12/2011 09:17, Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:
Hi All. Off topic but there is so much knowledge here ....

93 year old Mum goes in to hospital on Sunday. Sim free mobile (Doro
332) is on its way.

Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

I am having a lot of difficulty finding out how long credit and sim
lasts if unused.

Anyone got any recommendations please?

Hospital has reception problems with t-mobile and orange but 02 and
Vodafone based networks are OK

TIA for any replies.

Surprised no-one has recommended GiffGaff yet. 10p/minute or you can buy
a 1 month Goddybag.

Giff Gaff minutes don't expire and if she is only calling you it might
be worth getting a cheap phone to put your own Giff Gaff SIM into in
order to get free calls (for 3 months from top up).

Plenty of people will offer you a link to get £5 free credit on your
first top-up.

One word of warning about 3. It is outside of their terms of use to use
the SIM in a 2G phone which I think the Doro would appear to be. 3 is a
3G only network.

Andrew

On 12/12/2011 09:41, Terry Fields wrote:

Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:

Hi All. Off topic but there is so much knowledge here ....

93 year old Mum goes in to hospital on Sunday. Sim free mobile (Doro 332)
is on its way.

Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

I am having a lot of difficulty finding out how long credit and sim lasts
if unused.

Anyone got any recommendations please?

Hospital has reception problems with t-mobile and orange but 02 and
Vodafone based networks are OK

TIA for any replies.

My MiL wanted a mobile phone for emergencies, and she's 85. I went
with a free SIM from 3 - apparently any credit never expires (it
certainly hasn't on our 3 dongle, anyway, which is used sporadically).

HTH

Terry Fields

Worth checking reception as although offering good deals, 3 have serious
reception issues is more rural areas.

ASDA mobile don't expire also, and are pretty cheap.

On Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:17:56 -0000
"Hugh - Was Invisible" wrote:

Hi All. Off topic but there is so much knowledge here ....

93 year old Mum goes in to hospital on Sunday. Sim free mobile (Doro
332) is on its way.

Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

I am having a lot of difficulty finding out how long credit and sim
lasts if unused.

Anyone got any recommendations please?

Hospital has reception problems with t-mobile and orange but 02 and
Vodafone based networks are OK

TIA for any replies.

It may not be the best value, but it is very simple. I got a 'phone
from Carphone Warehouse, that cost me £12 to buy. I pay £5 per month,
for 100 minutes, which I rarely use, as it is for emergencies. But once
the DD is set up, I never have to do anything. The supplier is
Talkmobile.
--
Davey.

"Hugh - Was Invisible" wrote in message
newsp.v6ddf6pagtk8fg@admin-pc...
Hi All. Off topic but there is so much knowledge here ....

93 year old Mum goes in to hospital on Sunday. Sim free mobile (Doro 332)
is on its way.

Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

I am having a lot of difficulty finding out how long credit and sim lasts
if unused.

Anyone got any recommendations please?

Hospital has reception problems with t-mobile and orange but 02 and
Vodafone based networks are OK

TIA for any replies.

With most systems it seems to be sensible to make a single chargeable call
each month to avoid the SIM being disconnected. I have a few PAYG mobiles
(for various uses) and the 1st of the month is "call home and hang-up" day.
The useless call is cheap and ensures that my mobiles keep going.

BTW, make sure that the new mobile is storing contacts to memory and not
SIM; that way if you DO need to replace the SIM, the numbers are still
there.

Paul DS.

On 12/12/11 10:04, JoeJoe wrote:
On 12/12/2011 09:41, Terry Fields wrote:

Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:

Hi All. Off topic but there is so much knowledge here ....

93 year old Mum goes in to hospital on Sunday. Sim free mobile (Doro 332)
is on its way.

Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

I am having a lot of difficulty finding out how long credit and sim lasts
if unused.

Anyone got any recommendations please?

Hospital has reception problems with t-mobile and orange but 02 and
Vodafone based networks are OK

TIA for any replies.

My MiL wanted a mobile phone for emergencies, and she's 85. I went
with a free SIM from 3 - apparently any credit never expires (it
certainly hasn't on our 3 dongle, anyway, which is used sporadically).

HTH

Terry Fields

Worth checking reception as although offering good deals, 3 have serious
reception issues is more rural areas.

ASDA mobile don't expire also, and are pretty cheap.

In the 5 rural areas I frequent, 3 have the best reception. In most of these
rural areas there's no 3G signal at all from Vodafone or O2, and in one of
them there's no signal of any kind from O2.

On Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:57:16 -0000, ARWadsworth wrote:

It *might* be worth seeing what the hospital bedside phone/TV
system
has to offer. Noticed in the Cumberland Royal Infirmary the other
day
that they now include free 01, 02, 03 calls when you buy a package
of
phone/TV.

Unless things have changed in the last few years then a mobile phone
would be the cheaper option.

I think things have changed, at least at the CI. When I was in there
a couple of years back there where no free phone calls just expensive
ones and the TV wasn't cheap
either.

http://www.ncuh.nhs.uk/patients-and-...bedside-televi
sion-radio-television.aspx

I suspect the companies running the service have had to respond to
the hospitals relaxing the blanket ban on mobile phones. 6 days for
£15 isn't bad with free 01, 02, 03 calls. Though I note they do say
"BT Landlines" after the 01, 02, 03 list...

--
Cheers
Dave.

Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

Some hospitals ban mobiles from certain wards or parts of the
hospital.

dan.

funkyoldcortina wrote:
On 12/12/11 10:04, JoeJoe wrote:
On 12/12/2011 09:41, Terry Fields wrote:

Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:

Hi All. Off topic but there is so much knowledge here ....

93 year old Mum goes in to hospital on Sunday. Sim free mobile (Doro 332)
is on its way.

Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

I am having a lot of difficulty finding out how long credit and sim lasts
if unused.

Anyone got any recommendations please?

Hospital has reception problems with t-mobile and orange but 02 and
Vodafone based networks are OK

TIA for any replies.

My MiL wanted a mobile phone for emergencies, and she's 85. I went
with a free SIM from 3 - apparently any credit never expires (it
certainly hasn't on our 3 dongle, anyway, which is used sporadically).

HTH

Terry Fields

Worth checking reception as although offering good deals, 3 have serious
reception issues is more rural areas.

ASDA mobile don't expire also, and are pretty cheap.

In the 5 rural areas I frequent, 3 have the best reception. In most of
these rural areas there's no 3G signal at all from Vodafone or O2, and in
one of them there's no signal of any kind from O2.

YMYA

JoeJoe wrote:
On 12/12/2011 09:41, Terry Fields wrote:

Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:

Hi All. Off topic but there is so much knowledge here ....

93 year old Mum goes in to hospital on Sunday. Sim free mobile (Doro 332)
is on its way.

Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

I am having a lot of difficulty finding out how long credit and sim lasts
if unused.

Anyone got any recommendations please?

Hospital has reception problems with t-mobile and orange but 02 and
Vodafone based networks are OK

TIA for any replies.

My MiL wanted a mobile phone for emergencies, and she's 85. I went
with a free SIM from 3 - apparently any credit never expires (it
certainly hasn't on our 3 dongle, anyway, which is used sporadically).

HTH

Terry Fields

Worth checking reception as although offering good deals, 3 have serious
reception issues is more rural areas.

Not in my experience. Better than Orange, Vodafone and O2. I get 3G on 3
where the others don't even get a 2g signal.

Terry Fields wrote:
Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:

Hi All. Off topic but there is so much knowledge here ....

93 year old Mum goes in to hospital on Sunday. Sim free mobile (Doro 332)
is on its way.

Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

I am having a lot of difficulty finding out how long credit and sim lasts
if unused.

Anyone got any recommendations please?

Hospital has reception problems with t-mobile and orange but 02 and
Vodafone based networks are OK

TIA for any replies.

My MiL wanted a mobile phone for emergencies, and she's 85. I went
with a free SIM from 3 - apparently any credit never expires (it
certainly hasn't on our 3 dongle, anyway, which is used sporadically).

I'd second recommendations for 3 - but add the caveat that their customer
support is the worst in the world. As long as you don't need help they are
good. Also their website was designed by crack-smoking monkeys.

The Doro is an excellent choice BTW. I bought one for the mother of a
friend it has been a literal life saver on multiple occasions. They are so
good - ie simple that I thought of having one myself.

Worth checking reception as although offering good deals, 3 have serious
reception issues is more rural areas.

ASDA mobile don't expire also, and are pretty cheap.

In the 5 rural areas I frequent, 3 have the best reception. In most of these
rural areas there's no 3G signal at all from Vodafone or O2, and in one of
them there's no signal of any kind from O2.


Can you say where this is?. Be useful when I'm having arguments re phone
coverage that some seem to think covers every square inch of olde
Englande;!...
--
Tony Sayer

My MiL wanted a mobile phone for emergencies, and she's 85. I went
with a free SIM from 3 - apparently any credit never expires (it
certainly hasn't on our 3 dongle, anyway, which is used sporadically).

I'd second recommendations for 3 - but add the caveat that their customer
support is the worst in the world. As long as you don't need help they are
good. Also their website was designed by crack-smoking monkeys.


Why.. Is it, that communications companies have the very worst customer
services Zen Internet excepted of course!....


The Doro is an excellent choice BTW. I bought one for the mother of a
friend it has been a literal life saver on multiple occasions. They are so
good - ie simple that I thought of having one myself.

--
Tony Sayer

On 12/12/2011 11:58, Steve Firth wrote:
Terry wrote:
Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:

Hi All. Off topic but there is so much knowledge here ....

93 year old Mum goes in to hospital on Sunday. Sim free mobile (Doro 332)
is on its way.

Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

I am having a lot of difficulty finding out how long credit and sim lasts
if unused.

Anyone got any recommendations please?

Hospital has reception problems with t-mobile and orange but 02 and
Vodafone based networks are OK

TIA for any replies.

My MiL wanted a mobile phone for emergencies, and she's 85. I went
with a free SIM from 3 - apparently any credit never expires (it
certainly hasn't on our 3 dongle, anyway, which is used sporadically).

I'd second recommendations for 3 - but add the caveat that their customer
support is the worst in the world. As long as you don't need help they are
good. Also their website was designed by crack-smoking monkeys.

The Doro is an excellent choice BTW. I bought one for the mother of a
friend it has been a literal life saver on multiple occasions. They are so
good - ie simple that I thought of having one myself.

Except that it is a 2G phone. You are not allowed to put a 3 SIM into it.

http://www.three.co.uk/Smallprint/Te...=1220455834282

In article
s.com, dent scribeth thus

Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

Some hospitals ban mobiles from certain wards or parts of the
hospital.

dan.

Yes some prat started using one in the neuro intensive care unit where I
was once. I could have wrung the stupid bitches neck if I'd have been
able!.

All just waffle, could have gone outside but didn't bother.....
--
Tony Sayer

On Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:21:38 -0000, Dave Liquorice
wrote:

On Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:57:16 -0000, ARWadsworth wrote:

It *might* be worth seeing what the hospital bedside phone/TV
system
has to offer. Noticed in the Cumberland Royal Infirmary the other
day
that they now include free 01, 02, 03 calls when you buy a package
of
phone/TV.

Unless things have changed in the last few years then a mobile phone
would be the cheaper option.

I think things have changed, at least at the CI. When I was in there
a couple of years back there where no free phone calls just expensive
ones and the TV wasn't cheap
either.

http://www.ncuh.nhs.uk/patients-and-...bedside-televi
sion-radio-television.aspx

I suspect the companies running the service have had to respond to
the hospitals relaxing the blanket ban on mobile phones. 6 days for
£15 isn't bad with free 01, 02, 03 calls. Though I note they do say
"BT Landlines" after the 01, 02, 03 list...

--
Cheers
Dave.


Last time Mum was in hospital I seem to recall that the cost of calling in
to them was close to £1 per minute.

On Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:40:05 -0000, dent wrote:


Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

Some hospitals ban mobiles from certain wards or parts of the
hospital.

dan.

They do tolerate mobiles where Mum is going.

Hugh - Was Invisible wrote, on 12/12/2011 09:17:
[...]
Hospital has reception problems with t-mobile and orange but 02 and
Vodafone based networks are OK

TIA for any replies.

I would recommend a Tesco PAYG mobile SIM card. It is one of the
cheapest services around. It uses the O2 network which, AIUI, is in the
900MHz frequency range and has better availability inside buildings as
distinct from the 1800MHz frequency range. The 'phone credit does not
have an expiry time and can be topped-up either online or via the
helpline, using a credit or debit card. I *think* you can also buy
credit vouchers from Tesco.

--
Dave N

On 12/12/2011 12:43, Dave N wrote:
Hugh - Was Invisible wrote, on 12/12/2011 09:17:
[...]
Hospital has reception problems with t-mobile and orange but 02 and
Vodafone based networks are OK

TIA for any replies.

I would recommend a Tesco PAYG mobile SIM card. It is one of the
cheapest services around. It uses the O2 network which, AIUI, is in the

They used to have a low user "lite" package that is still on their web
site if you hunt for it. They try not to sell it to you though. Their
current offering is one of these bonus cridit things where you get extra
credit each time you top up bringing the effective price per min down to
12p if you top up at least £10/month. Their lite package was 12p flat
rate regardless of top up!

In the end I found Ikea's Family Mobile was a better deal. 8p/min flat
rate, a 4p text. You can have multiple phones on one account, and
specify auto top ups, and also control the credit handed out to other
phones on your account. What is even better, when I phoned them, a uk
based call centre, with a chap who was helpful, knew what he was doing,
and got what I wanted right first time!


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

John Rumm wrote, on 12/12/2011 16:20:
On 12/12/2011 12:43, Dave N wrote:
Hugh - Was Invisible wrote, on 12/12/2011 09:17:
[...]
Hospital has reception problems with t-mobile and orange but 02 and
Vodafone based networks are OK

TIA for any replies.

I would recommend a Tesco PAYG mobile SIM card. It is one of the
cheapest services around. It uses the O2 network which, AIUI, is in the

They used to have a low user "lite" package that is still on their web
site if you hunt for it. They try not to sell it to you though. Their
current offering is one of these bonus cridit things where you get extra
credit each time you top up bringing the effective price per min down to
12p if you top up at least £10/month. Their lite package was 12p flat
rate regardless of top up!

Yes, you've reminded me! Indeed, true to form Tesco will continuously
try to "monetise" their customer base.

You've probably realised that I got the PAYG SIM from them some years
ago as the "Value SIM" package which was superseded by their new and
renamed offerings some while later. I had to request a downgrade to the
new "lite" package after it was introduced, otherwise I would have been
paying significantly higher calling costs given my very low use. I
would have been unaware of the change had I not checked their website
very carefully when I was asked to top-up with 10 pounds per month in
order to get the "best" prices. They didn't exactly tell me about the
change of packaging, they simply offered the "best" prices if I agreed
to regular top-ups.

It wasn't an easy process to downgrade to what I had been getting
previously and my request was queried at every stage, complete with
apparent misunderstandings, by their customer service rep. who wanted to
satisfy himself that I really was getting the best deal!

If you register your SIM via their web site it won't show you what
package you are on and is geared solely to enabling you to pay them some
money for top-ups. The only way to check is to calculate the price from
the cost and timing of each telephone call. If you don't register your
SIM, any change will happen without you ever knowing. A description of
"sleight of hand" is entirely appropriate and presumably taking
advantage of the fact that many (most?) purchasers of their SIM-only
packages don't register.

Although it can be cheap to start with, Tesco do always look for the
opportunity to increase their revenue by re-packaging and re-marketing
something without actually changing the service other than increasing
their prices. They achieve this by abolishing the previous packages and
substituting their "new and improved" offerings. As you noted, if they
keep the old packages (presumably only because of some sort of
regulatory or contractual requirement) they will rename them and bury
them so deep that only the most persistent of searches can find them.

/rant

Perhaps I should also check out the IKEA offering.

--
Dave N

On Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:17:56 -0000, Hugh - Was Invisible
wrote:

Hi All. Off topic but there is so much knowledge here ....

93 year old Mum goes in to hospital on Sunday. Sim free mobile (Doro
332) is on its way.

Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

I am having a lot of difficulty finding out how long credit and sim
lasts if unused.

Anyone got any recommendations please?

Hospital has reception problems with t-mobile and orange but 02 and
Vodafone based networks are OK

TIA for any replies.

Many thanks for all your ideas and advice. Incredible place this.

I need to be able to pick up the sim in the very near future so will get
one I can physically collect.

Tescos are being difficult about their Light tariff and the 3 for 1 top
ups on the other tariff only last a month.

Giff Gaff and some of the other cheap ones with strange names might be a
bit much for Mum.

The Doro is not 3G so 3 is out.

ASDA is ahead by a nose at the moment. Can pay £10 for a 200 min call
bundle that should last her few days in hospital. After that normal top
ups do not expire providing 1 call is made every 3 months. If I keep
reminding her to charge it hopefully she will be able to call a cab when
she walks too far and can't get back home.

ASDA's normal calls are 10p per min and the Doro 332 allegedly has up to
660 hours standby or 240 mins talk time. Just a little more than my HTC
Desire but then again I will be using that as a sat nav to get Mum to
hospital 2 hours drive from here.

Quite a lot of posts for a thread with no reference (yet) to angle
grinders, WD40 etc and the usual suspects not hurling abuse at each other.

Dave N :
Perhaps I should also check out the IKEA offering.

Chances are it will be a self-assembly SIM kit with a few bits missing.

--
Mike Barnes

On 12/12/2011 18:12, Dave N wrote:

Although it can be cheap to start with, Tesco do always look for the
opportunity to increase their revenue by re-packaging and re-marketing
something without actually changing the service other than increasing
their prices. They achieve this by abolishing the previous packages and
substituting their "new and improved" offerings. As you noted, if they
keep the old packages (presumably only because of some sort of
regulatory or contractual requirement) they will rename them and bury
them so deep that only the most persistent of searches can find them.

To be fair, their new package was ok for moderate level users - the
double credit in effect made their data charge half the price. But for
low users its not as good.

Perhaps I should also check out the IKEA offering.

Only down side for some may be that they are a MVNO running on top of
the TMobile/Orange network.

http://www.familymobile.co.uk/

(Apparently it entitles you to a free cup of tea/coffee when visiting
one of the shops as well!)


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:
On Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:21:38 -0000, Dave Liquorice
wrote:

On Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:57:16 -0000, ARWadsworth wrote:

It *might* be worth seeing what the hospital bedside phone/TV
system
has to offer. Noticed in the Cumberland Royal Infirmary the other
day
that they now include free 01, 02, 03 calls when you buy a package
of
phone/TV.

Unless things have changed in the last few years then a mobile phone
would be the cheaper option.

I think things have changed, at least at the CI. When I was in there
a couple of years back there where no free phone calls just expensive
ones and the TV wasn't cheap
either.

http://www.ncuh.nhs.uk/patients-and-...bedside-televi
sion-radio-television.aspx

I suspect the companies running the service have had to respond to
the hospitals relaxing the blanket ban on mobile phones. 6 days for
£15 isn't bad with free 01, 02, 03 calls. Though I note they do say
"BT Landlines" after the 01, 02, 03 list...

--
Cheers
Dave.


Last time Mum was in hospital I seem to recall that the cost of
calling in to them was close to £1 per minute.

ISTR 50ppm but I did not often phone her. My Mum was in the hospital next to
the hotel that I was rewiring and I used to pass the hour between finishing
work and start of visiting hours in room 42 of the hotel with one of the
waitresses.

I was rather disappointed when the hospital decided my Mum was fit to return
home:-)

And may I offer your mother a fast recovery whatever SIM you get.

--
Adam

"Hugh - Was Invisible" wrote in message
newsp.v6d4joovgtk8fg@admin-pc...

ASDA is ahead by a nose at the moment. Can pay £10 for a 200 min call
bundle that should last her few days in hospital. After that normal top
ups do not expire providing 1 call is made every 3 months. If I keep
reminding her to charge it hopefully she will be able to call a cab when
she walks too far and can't get back home.

Charge it from what?
they will probably not allow her to have a mains charger or will charge her
for an expensive PAT test.

You may need a spare battery and charger so you can swap it when you visit.

dennis@home wrote:
"Hugh - Was Invisible" wrote in message
newsp.v6d4joovgtk8fg@admin-pc...

ASDA is ahead by a nose at the moment. Can pay £10 for a 200 min call
bundle that should last her few days in hospital. After that normal
top ups do not expire providing 1 call is made every 3 months. If I
keep reminding her to charge it hopefully she will be able to call a
cab when she walks too far and can't get back home.

Charge it from what?
they will probably not allow her to have a mains charger or will
charge her for an expensive PAT test.

You may need a spare battery and charger so you can swap it when you
visit.


**** me. dennis is wrong again.

All he has to do to now to make me happy is give me the 43 numbers that will
not appear on Saturdays lottery draw.

--
Adam

On 12/12/2011 19:23, dennis@home wrote:


"Hugh - Was Invisible" wrote in message
newsp.v6d4joovgtk8fg@admin-pc...

ASDA is ahead by a nose at the moment. Can pay £10 for a 200 min call
bundle that should last her few days in hospital. After that normal
top ups do not expire providing 1 call is made every 3 months. If I
keep reminding her to charge it hopefully she will be able to call a
cab when she walks too far and can't get back home.

Charge it from what?
they will probably not allow her to have a mains charger or will charge
her for an expensive PAT test.

I had no problem using my phone charger or mobile phone in more than one
cardiac unit.

Colin Bignell

On Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:23:06 -0000, dennis@home
wrote:



"Hugh - Was Invisible" wrote in message
newsp.v6d4joovgtk8fg@admin-pc...

ASDA is ahead by a nose at the moment. Can pay £10 for a 200 min call
bundle that should last her few days in hospital. After that normal top
ups do not expire providing 1 call is made every 3 months. If I keep
reminding her to charge it hopefully she will be able to call a cab
when she walks too far and can't get back home.

Charge it from what?
they will probably not allow her to have a mains charger or will charge
her for an expensive PAT test.

You may need a spare battery and charger so you can swap it when you
visit.

When she was in a different hospital earlier in the year there was no
problem charging from the mains. Just needed someone to plug it in and
remove it for her.

Stay is expected to be 3-4 nights including some time under a general
anaesthetic. Phone has 27 days standby or 4 hours talking so it may not
need a charge.

In article op.v6d4joovgtk8fg@admin-pc, lid
says...

On Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:17:56 -0000, Hugh - Was Invisible
wrote:

Hi All. Off topic but there is so much knowledge here ....

93 year old Mum goes in to hospital on Sunday. Sim free mobile (Doro
332) is on its way.

Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

I am having a lot of difficulty finding out how long credit and sim
lasts if unused.

Anyone got any recommendations please?

Hospital has reception problems with t-mobile and orange but 02 and
Vodafone based networks are OK

TIA for any replies.

Many thanks for all your ideas and advice. Incredible place this.

I need to be able to pick up the sim in the very near future so will get
one I can physically collect.

Tescos are being difficult about their Light tariff and the 3 for 1 top
ups on the other tariff only last a month.

Giff Gaff and some of the other cheap ones with strange names might be a
bit much for Mum.

The Doro is not 3G so 3 is out.

ASDA is ahead by a nose at the moment. Can pay £10 for a 200 min call
bundle that should last her few days in hospital. After that normal top
ups do not expire providing 1 call is made every 3 months. If I keep
reminding her to charge it hopefully she will be able to call a cab when
she walks too far and can't get back home.

ASDA's normal calls are 10p per min and the Doro 332 allegedly has up to
660 hours standby or 240 mins talk time. Just a little more than my HTC
Desire but then again I will be using that as a sat nav to get Mum to
hospital 2 hours drive from here.

Quite a lot of posts for a thread with no reference (yet) to angle
grinders, WD40 etc and the usual suspects not hurling abuse at each other.

Lycamobile is only 5p/min to UK landlines, free SIM, £2 credit for
registering SIM, etc.

For a company that appears to concentrate on the overseas call market,
they're consistently the cheapest for UK calls that I've come across.

--

Terry

On Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:23:06 -0000, "dennis@home"
wrote:

Charge it from what?
they will probably not allow her to have a mains charger or will charge her
for an expensive PAT test.

Easily fixed in 2 mins with a printer and a sticky label.

That by the way, is now the standard approach after a volunteer group
were prevented a few years ago from using their brand new mains
multiway sockets, and nearly new extension leads at a function to
which they were one of the invited guests.

Now they go equipped with freshly printed PAT labels.

"Of course it has been tested, just last week, here look at the label"


--

On 12 Dec,
"Paul D Smith" wrote:

BTW, make sure that the new mobile is storing contacts to memory and not
SIM; that way if you DO need to replace the SIM, the numbers are still
there.

Having just had to recover from my phone going though the washing machine I'd
say make sure numbers are stored on both sim and phone.

Mine were on the phone, but I did manage to recover most from an old backup
on the computer, and an even older phone.

--
B Thumbs
Change lycos to yahoo to reply

On 12 Dec,
Dave N wrote:

Hugh - Was Invisible wrote, on 12/12/2011 09:17:
[...]
Hospital has reception problems with t-mobile and orange but 02 and
Vodafone based networks are OK

TIA for any replies.

I would recommend a Tesco PAYG mobile SIM card. It is one of the
cheapest services around. It uses the O2 network which, AIUI, is in the
900MHz frequency range and has better availability inside buildings as
distinct from the 1800MHz frequency range. The 'phone credit does not
have an expiry time and can be topped-up either online or via the
helpline, using a credit or debit card. I *think* you can also buy
credit vouchers from Tesco.

I would agree, but I'm on a low user tarif at 8p/min for phone and 4p for
texts. I don't think this is still available, but network availability is
good, and 3g is also usable where it is available.

--
B Thumbs
Change lycos to yahoo to reply

I believe voda and 02 have some weird thing where a call has to be made to a
pay number every couple of months or so, or the system swallows the credit
and stops the sim.
Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________


"Terry Fields" wrote in message
news

Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:

Hi All. Off topic but there is so much knowledge here ....

93 year old Mum goes in to hospital on Sunday. Sim free mobile (Doro 332)
is on its way.

Mum will only want a sim for calls. Will have moderate use whilst in
hospital for a few days and then be used only for emergencies.

I am having a lot of difficulty finding out how long credit and sim lasts
if unused.

Anyone got any recommendations please?

Hospital has reception problems with t-mobile and orange but 02 and
Vodafone based networks are OK

TIA for any replies.

My MiL wanted a mobile phone for emergencies, and she's 85. I went
with a free SIM from 3 - apparently any credit never expires (it
certainly hasn't on our 3 dongle, anyway, which is used sporadically).

HTH

Terry Fields

On Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:56:25 -0000, wrote:

On 12 Dec,
"Paul D Smith" wrote:

BTW, make sure that the new mobile is storing contacts to memory and not
SIM; that way if you DO need to replace the SIM, the numbers are still
there.

Having just had to recover from my phone going though the washing
machine I'd
say make sure numbers are stored on both sim and phone.

Mine were on the phone, but I did manage to recover most from an old
backup
on the computer, and an even older phone.


Indeed. My wife once had her phone pinched and over the years I have
trashed 2 hard drives at work and a Seagate Barracuda at home.

I am giving up our domain because we will be moving about following
retirement. Now use Gmail and Hotmail and save offline.

Back ups go to an old PC and an external hard drive on alternate weeks.
Important stuff including photos is backed up off site daily.

I despair of people at work who kept stuff on their local drive and
relatives who have all their photos on one standalone computer.

On Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:13:47 -0000, Brian Gaff
wrote:

I believe voda and 02 have some weird thing where a call has to be made
to a
pay number every couple of months or so, or the system swallows the
credit
and stops the sim.
Brian


For Voda I did see somewhere 1 chargeable event every 99 days

On 12/12/2011 18:12, Dave N wrote:

Yes, you've reminded me! Indeed, true to form Tesco will continuously
try to "monetise" their customer base.

You've probably realised that I got the PAYG SIM from them some years
ago as the "Value SIM" package which was superseded by their new and
renamed offerings some while later. I had to request a downgrade to the
new "lite" package after it was introduced, otherwise I would have been
paying significantly higher calling costs given my very low use. I would
have been unaware of the change had I not checked their website very
carefully when I was asked to top-up with 10 pounds per month in order
to get the "best" prices. They didn't exactly tell me about the change
of packaging, they simply offered the "best" prices if I agreed to
regular top-ups.

It wasn't an easy process to downgrade to what I had been getting
previously and my request was queried at every stage, complete with
apparent misunderstandings, by their customer service rep. who wanted to
satisfy himself that I really was getting the best deal!

If you register your SIM via their web site it won't show you what
package you are on and is geared solely to enabling you to pay them some
money for top-ups. The only way to check is to calculate the price from
the cost and timing of each telephone call. If you don't register your
SIM, any change will happen without you ever knowing. A description of
"sleight of hand" is entirely appropriate and presumably taking
advantage of the fact that many (most?) purchasers of their SIM-only
packages don't register.

Although it can be cheap to start with, Tesco do always look for the
opportunity to increase their revenue by re-packaging and re-marketing
something without actually changing the service other than increasing
their prices. They achieve this by abolishing the previous packages and
substituting their "new and improved" offerings. As you noted, if they
keep the old packages (presumably only because of some sort of
regulatory or contractual requirement) they will rename them and bury
them so deep that only the most persistent of searches can find them.

/rant

Perhaps I should also check out the IKEA offering.



Oh, I don't know. They were very upfront in telling me about the Lite
package and offering to switch me over. But only AFTER I had phoned to
request a PAC in order to transfer my number.

Hugh - Was Invisible :
I despair of people at work who kept stuff on their local drive and
relatives who have all their photos on one standalone computer.

Agreed. For many years backup was difficult and expensive. But nowadays
there are no excuses.

--
Mike Barnes