The Christmas before the last, I bought two Samsung GT-E1170 mobile phones, band spanking new for use on Pay-as-you-go with T-Mobile. I wanted to upgrade the mobiles I currently use, but for one reason or another I didn't get round to unpacking them and getting some money put onto their cards.

I noticed them again while doing something else earlier this week. I set them up and trotted along to my local PO to get the cards topped up. The computer at the PO didn't recognize each phones numbers. What's wrong with them? Is it perhaps a time delay thing that has rendered these phones as being worthless? I know how to set mobiles up, I'm not that much of a dummy. I see that on the T-Mobile website has these same model phones are still on sale. So, can anyone offer me any help, please?

contact T-Mobile and aks them.

The phones will be fine, it is possible that the sims have been deacvited due to lack of use. You could try contacting tmobile and they may be able to turn the back on, or you could just get a new sim free of charge from them.
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobile/sim-only/

My thanks to both of you for your replies to my enquiry. I found out that the simm cards that come with new mobile phones are all time limited and have an expiry date from the moment they go on sale in the shops. This is something I did not know when I purchased the two mobiles of my choice. This problem was solved by simply sending for two new simm cards from T-Mobile, they came this morning. After fitting them inside the phones, I went out and got the new cards topped up. They are both working perfectly. (See, I'm now a very happy bunny.)