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3 to launch Prepaid on Monday!


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Old 21-02-2004, 16:11
Mr Cable
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Having seen the deal today, I am very impressed!

Only one phone, albeit the rather natty Moto a835, but the tariff seems to run along the lines of 3's existing videotalk plans and T-Mobile's mix it sceme.

ie: TopUp £15pm and get 100mins any time any network (there is an option to have less mins and some free text)

TopUp £25 and get 500 anytime any network mins and £35 for the equiv of Videotalk 750.

When your minutes run out top up at tariff prices using eTopUp.

The phone is a one off payment of £149.99 and there is NO CREDIT CHECK.

While not great for light users, I think it's fantastic that those with less than perfect credit can still benefit from 3's stupidly cheap price plans.

(Please can we try to keep this thread about the PAYG service and not a three bashing excercise? )
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Old 21-02-2004, 17:07
lalaland
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Any idea of the price? (doesn't appear to be anything on their website)

I would love to buy a pay as you go Motorola and use it with my 3 contract instead of the NEC e606 piece of crap that I have.

Although I am aware of the possibilty of the new phone not accepting my USIM. Wonder if they lock Pas as you go phones to the USIM like contracts. They shouldn't do really...
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Old 21-02-2004, 17:25
Luke567
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Lol... I think they will be selling the NEC 313!

Have you seen that 'thing'
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Old 21-02-2004, 18:37
Mr Cable
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Nope, curious to see what it looks like though! Got any pics?

Lalaland, the only handset is the Motorola a835 (best one anyway) and it is 150quid then your monthly outlay. Don't know if it's locked up though, pop into a 3 store and give it a try - don't see the harm...(and you could sell the PAYG USIM to someone with a Nokia 3650 so they can use the great tariff - if only the 2.5g side!)
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Old 21-02-2004, 21:31
Pingu
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Originally posted by Mr Cable
(and you could sell the PAYG USIM to someone with a Nokia 3650 so they can use the great tariff - if only the 2.5g side!)
There's no way a 3 SIM would work in a 3650 or any other 2.5g phone
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Old 21-02-2004, 21:46
Mr Cable
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Originally posted by Pingu
There's no way a 3 SIM would work in a 3650 or any other 2.5g phone
Funny, it works in mine!

Also, this bloke agress too, here's a list of handsets he's compiled; List of 2g compatible phones

It just locks to o2. Oh, and your handset needs to be unlocked.
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Old 21-02-2004, 21:49
Pingu
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Originally posted by Mr Cable
Funny, it works in mine!

Also, this bloke agress too, here's a list of handsets he's compiled.List of 2g compatible phones

So, yes it does work, it just locks to o2. Oh, and your handset needs to be unlocked.
Wow, I had no idea I thought they were completely different.
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Old 21-02-2004, 22:26
Karatekid2001
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Woolworths is selling them as of monday and it'll be the only place on the highstreet that sells prepay 3 mobiles.
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Old 22-02-2004, 01:19
lalaland
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Originally posted by Pingu
Wow, I had no idea I thought they were completely different.
3 aren't stupid though, they can work out who's doing this and they lock your sim to the three network, restricting the amount of time you spend on O2.

I discovered this when I was considering buying a 2g phone and enjoying the good tarrif I get with Three while using a nice small phone.

I hardly use the 3g services as they aren't up to much, but the tarrif's good so putting it in a smaller 2g handset and constantly using the O2 network seemed like a great idea to me, BUT I read a few 3g related forums and discovered others with the same idea that had worked for so long, but three monitor your network usage or something.

I am really tempted to buy a Motorola though and try my usim in it. Does anyone know if my existing usim will work with it?
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Old 22-02-2004, 01:20
lalaland
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Originally posted by Mr Cable
Lalaland, the only handset is the Motorola a835 (best one anyway) and it is 150quid then your monthly outlay.
Monthly outlay? Not another contract though surely?

Is it just a case of pay and go vouchers etc. or do I require to put a certain amount on and also require a credit check again to purchase?
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Old 22-02-2004, 01:27
lalaland
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Originally posted by Mr Cable
Nope, curious to see what it looks like though! Got any pics?
Here's one.

Where did you find the information about the pay as you go three stuff? I am checking at the moment, but so far just found a possibility of a March launch.
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Old 22-02-2004, 01:39
lalaland
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ok, I found a forum post on a 3g site saying that the launch is the 23rd, so Monday it could be then.

There's nothing on the three website stating that it's on it's was so that's a little bizarre, but I shall see on Monday I guess.

Looks like Woolworths for me in my lunch hour!

(or will superdrug have them to in their three sections?)
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Old 22-02-2004, 09:38
wavejockglw
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3's pre-pay will indeed be a good deal for heavy users but beware as the top-ups are time restricted and last only 1 month. No call allowance can be carried forward and after your top-up call allowance has been used additional calls within that charging period may be at a higher rate (so it has been reported on other sites).

Worth checking the small print before commiting to 3, too many (including myself) got a really raw deal when they launched last year as we could'nt make calls on the dodgy network with the NEC handsets they provided.
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Old 22-02-2004, 12:36
lalaland
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Originally posted by wavejockglw
we could'nt make calls on the dodgy network with the NEC handsets they provided.
So like me they will probably buy the pay as you go motorola and swap sims from the NEC to it!
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Old 22-02-2004, 13:30
Mr Cable
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Originally posted by lalaland
Monthly outlay? Not another contract though surely?

Is it just a case of pay and go vouchers etc. or do I require to put a certain amount on and also require a credit check again to purchase?
Not a contract, just e-top up the £15, £25 or £35 that are equivlent to the videotalk bundles. I think that if you don't you still get 3's normal tariff - not sure about that though. And the best thing - NO CREDIT CHECK!

Originally posted by Karatekid2001
Woolworths is selling them as of monday and it'll be the only place on the highstreet that sells prepay 3 mobiles.
Not stricly true as the 3 shop's themselves (the ones within Superdrug) WILL have them too.

Originally posted by lalaland
Where did you find the information about the pay as you go three stuff?
I'd rather not say, sorry, but I actually held one of the new A835 boxes in my hand yesterday and it is that which details the tariff and has the eTop up logo printed on the back.
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Old 22-02-2004, 17:46
lalaland
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Originally posted by Mr Cable
I'd rather not say, sorry, but I actually held one of the new A835 boxes in my hand yesterday and it is that which details the tariff and has the eTop up logo printed on the back.
So you work for either woolworths or superdrug or similar? They will all have the boxes in stock ready for tomorrow.

I will take a look at these tomorrow and see if they are worth getting as a replacement.

Do you know if all woolworths and 3 stores (inside SDrug) will have stock or are they going to be hard to get?
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Old 22-02-2004, 20:01
Karatekid2001
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i work in a woolworths and we got sent 5 on sat so we will be ready for monday. it depends on how well the sell, if everyone wants them, they will prove hard to get.
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Old 22-02-2004, 20:07
Mr Cable
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Originally posted by lalaland
So you work for either woolworths or superdrug or similar...?
Nope, Sorry, Civil Servant me!
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Old 22-02-2004, 20:31
GARETH197901
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I went into the 3 store(inside my local branch of superdrug)on friday and the assistant said that 3 pay as you go will be starting in the next few weeks so as they have been saying looks like it could be monday,but what i want to know is if i decided to put on £15 for the fiirst month just to test the thing and i liked it would i then be able to up it by 10 quid for the next month and have the next tariff up?
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Old 22-02-2004, 21:11
lalaland
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Originally posted by GARETH197901
but what i want to know is if i decided to put on £15 for the fiirst month just to test the thing and i liked it would i then be able to up it by 10 quid for the next month and have the next tariff up?
From the sound of things, no...
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Old 22-02-2004, 23:04
lalaland
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Originally posted by Karatekid2001
i work in a woolworths and we got sent 5 on sat so we will be ready for monday. it depends on how well the sell, if everyone wants them, they will prove hard to get.
Only 5?

We have quite a big woolworths in Sheffield, do you think they'll have many in stock?
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Old 23-02-2004, 00:46
lalaland
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Just done a bit of research on the motorola and I'm sticking with my annoying e606 for the time being.

The MP3 ringtones interested me, but aparantly this doesn't work! I checked many forums and they all say the same. It's listed as a feature, but when you try to find a way to do this, you're out of luck.

Also one number per contact? No way! I like having several numbers per contact. Much easier when I want to store someone with work, mobile and home number.

The tempting thought was to have the full bluetooth instead of the effort on the e606 so I could at least get a car kit for it, but never mind.

I shall stick with the e606 for the remainder of my 6 month sentence with Three and then take a peek at other operators offerings or at least hope for a decent (and free or cheap) upgrade from Three when they finally get some good (and smaller) handsets.
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Old 23-02-2004, 16:47
GARETH197901
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i went into the 3 store today and it does seem a good deal,it works by ,you buy either 15,25,or 35 pound voucher and you get either 100,500 or 750 minutes and from what the salesman said you can change tariff each month,just hoping i can get enough money to get one as £25 for 500 mins sounds brilliant to me and the phone is nice looking too
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Old 23-02-2004, 16:52
lalaland
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Did you get the motorola?

If so have you been able to set an MP3 as a ringtone?
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Old 23-02-2004, 17:13
GARETH197901
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i went into have a look ,not bought one yet,will do in a few weeks
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