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required to purchase airtime with PAYG phones GRRR
radiosgalore
21-04-2010
how is it that most major companies are now forcing you to buy airtime with PAYG phones? I tried to get one off Argos and they refused to sell any without airtime. Carphone Warehouse, Phones 4 U and the T Mobile website are the same How can any company make you buy something you don't want or require? All i get is policy this and policy that I DON'T CARE!! The policy is clearly not satisfactory and has no business being implemented

EDIT: Ooops that should have gone into the mobile phone section mods please move
PrinceGaz
21-04-2010
Because the phone is useless without purchasing airtime, and the purchase price of the phone is partially subsidised by the operator you must purchase the mandatory top-up from.

It would probably be more accurate if the phone was sold as "Costs £60 which includes £10 of Vodafone PAYG credit" for instance, when said phone is currently advertised as £50 but you are required to buy £10 of credit when you purchase it.

Whilst you might prefer them to do that, it would be bad for sales if they did so, as the first thing people look at are the price of the phone, and advertising the total-cost including the top-up would make it look more expensive when glancing at the phones on offer.
radiosgalore
21-04-2010
Originally Posted by PrinceGaz:
“Because the phone is useless without purchasing airtime”

not when you put in a rolling contract sim it isnt The phone i have belong in a museum I just wanted to get a phone that i could listen to MP3s and have a basic but functional internet. T Mobile won't upgrade me to a proper contract and i'm getting conflicting information as to when the credit checks go internal only. Not gonna get an upgrade otherwise
stateofgameplay
21-04-2010
Originally Posted by radiosgalore:
“not when you put in a rolling contract sim it isnt ”

And thats why they make you pay for air time. The price of the phone would be more without that air time, as even PAYG phones are slightly subsidised. What makes you think you should be treated any differently?

If you don't want to buy the airtime, you can buy a phone completely SIM free. It'll cost you about £20 - £30 more.
jarryhack
29-04-2010
It annoys me too, especially if you pay cash you have to put £20 on as opposed to £10 when you buy with a card. It say's, I'm sure it used to anyway, it's to combat fraud. My pay as you go broke, I had credit on my sim and had to put more on to buy a phone.
FlatProblem
30-04-2010
Originally Posted by stateofgameplay:
“And thats why they make you pay for air time. The price of the phone would be more without that air time, as even PAYG phones are slightly subsidised. What makes you think you should be treated any differently?

If you don't want to buy the airtime, you can buy a phone completely SIM free. It'll cost you about £20 - £30 more.”

Yup - not locked down, sim free. Try expansys.
FlatProblem
30-04-2010
Originally Posted by jarryhack:
“It annoys me too, especially if you pay cash you have to put £20 on as opposed to £10 when you buy with a card. It say's, I'm sure it used to anyway, it's to combat fraud. My pay as you go broke, I had credit on my sim and had to put more on to buy a phone.”

Or buy a non-subsidised phone...
tony13579
30-04-2010
Asda mobiles are all unlocked, un subsidised and come with an asda sim you are free to bin.
I use them to make shed/beach hut alarms.
r_mitchell85
30-04-2010
Originally Posted by tony13579:
“Asda mobiles are all unlocked, un subsidised and come with an asda sim you are free to bin.
I use them to make shed/beach hut alarms.”

how??
r_mitchell85
30-04-2010
Originally Posted by PrinceGaz:
“It would probably be more accurate if the phone was sold as "Costs £60 which includes £10 of Vodafone PAYG credit" for instance, when said phone is currently advertised as £50 but you are required to buy £10 of credit when you purchase it.”

I agree with PrinceGaz.

If it was worded like this, people would be thinking "ooooh £10 free credit, instead of complaining about it.

amazing how slightly rephrasing a sentence can have such an effect!
r_mitchell85
30-04-2010
Deleted
v0id
30-04-2010
surely you know a friend, family member or colleague who will buy the PAYG airtime card off you
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