Advice on Virgin Top Up Voucher please

I am trying to arrange a mobile phone for an elderly person - I have a
spare nokia phone and I have found a Virgin Top Up card on eBay - Item
200131995997 - £20 Top Up with various options for £5.99.

I want a solution that will provide a phone mainly (almost exclusively) for
incoming calls but with the possibility of making outgoing calls if
required - I want the top ups not to dissapear if not used up (don't know
if this is possible) and at the lowest possible cost. IE it would be great
if I have the £20 credit for hr to be able to use the phone for a whole
year if the credit lasts with no further charges.

I presume I will need to buy a Virgin Sim Card to use the Top Up from eBay
- Is this a good plan ? Are there better options that anyone could point me
to ?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

In message Xns997F7C93F7B8Disissoft@193.202.122.103,
Isis <isissoft@NOSPAMbtinternet.com> Proclaimed from the tallest tower:

> I am trying to arrange a mobile phone for an elderly person - I have a
> spare nokia phone and I have found a Virgin Top Up card on eBay - Item
> 200131995997 - £20 Top Up with various options for £5.99.
>
> I want a solution that will provide a phone mainly (almost
> exclusively) for incoming calls but with the possibility of making
> outgoing calls if required - I want the top ups not to dissapear if
> not used up (don't know if this is possible) and at the lowest
> possible cost. IE it would be great if I have the £20 credit for hr
> to be able to use the phone for a whole year if the credit lasts with
> no further charges.
>
> I presume I will need to buy a Virgin Sim Card to use the Top Up from
> eBay - Is this a good plan ? Are there better options that anyone
> could point me to ?
>
> Any help would be much appreciated.
>
> Thanks

Few points:
* You certainly would need a Virgin Sim if you don't have one.
* I assume the elderly person alreday has a phone. It is very possible that
this will be 'SIM Locked' to whatever network it originally came on. This
means it might not work with the Virgin Mobile SIM straight away. It is
often possible to get phones unlocked. If it is a Nokia it should be quite
easy and probably free. Other makes of phone can vary, and it will quite
likely cost you 10-15 quid to get it done. Some makes/models cannot be
unlocked.
* Virgin PAYG credit lasts pretty much forever, so your 20 quid credit
should last as long as it is needed.
* Be careful buying credit from eBay. £20 for £6 seems a bit to good to be
true. Check the feedback scores of the person selling the credit, maybe
email them and confirm with them exactly what they are selling. (eg might be
£20 worth or text-messages or somthing).
* You could buy a brand new Virgin Mobile phone with SIM and credit for
about £20-£30 quid.

HTH

Chris.


--
Regards,
Chris.
(Remove Elvis's shoes to email me)

"ChrisM" <chris_mayersblue@suedeyahoo.com> wrote in
news:NqWdnWMEdd7XHC3bnZ2dnUVZ8vednZ2d@bt.com:

> chris_mayersblue@suedeyahoo.com

Chris,

Thanks for your answer.

I have a phone which I believe is unlocked so that should not be a
problem. I have got an answer back from the eBay seller with the top up
that seems to say it lasts 2 months only so would not be a good deal even
at £5.99 because I don't envisage the lady using it at that rate.

Do you know anywhere to buy 'cheaper' top ups for virgin than face value
- I am just being mean here as I can pay the full price if required.

What sort of credit does the phone and credit deal you mentioned come
with and where from ?

Thanks again for the reply.

In message Xns997F9791A1DB2isissoft@193.202.122.113,
Isis <isissoft@NOSPAMbtinternet.com> Proclaimed from the tallest tower:

> "ChrisM" <chris_mayersblue@suedeyahoo.com> wrote in
> news:NqWdnWMEdd7XHC3bnZ2dnUVZ8vednZ2d@bt.com:
>
>> chris_mayersblue@suedeyahoo.com
>
> Chris,
>
> Thanks for your answer.
>
> I have a phone which I believe is unlocked so that should not be a
> problem. I have got an answer back from the eBay seller with the top
> up that seems to say it lasts 2 months only so would not be a good
> deal even at £5.99 because I don't envisage the lady using it at that
> rate.
>
> Do you know anywhere to buy 'cheaper' top ups for virgin than face
> value - I am just being mean here as I can pay the full price if
> required.
>
> What sort of credit does the phone and credit deal you mentioned come
> with and where from ?
>
> Thanks again for the reply.

Don't really know of anywhere you can get credit at 'below cost'.
Wasn't really talking about a specific deal, but if you have a look in a
Virgin MegaStore or pretty much any phone shop, you should be able to find
cheap PAYG mobile that comes with some free credit.
I'm fairly sure Virgin mobiles certainly used to come with £5 or so. You
could also buy a SIM from a Virgin shop which may come with some credit
already installed.
I'm fairly sure that Virgin PAYG credit stays put until you use it(POSSIBLY
not forever, but certainly for a few months) You should probably check the
terms and conditions on their website to make sure...
--
Regards,
Chris.
(Remove Elvis's shoes to email me)

"ChrisM" <chris_mayersblue@suedeyahoo.com> wrote in
news:d4ednXJkY4XtBC3bRVnyjQA@bt.com:

> In message Xns997F9791A1DB2isissoft@193.202.122.113,
> Isis <isissoft@NOSPAMbtinternet.com> Proclaimed from the tallest
> tower:
>
>> "ChrisM" <chris_mayersblue@suedeyahoo.com> wrote in
>> news:NqWdnWMEdd7XHC3bnZ2dnUVZ8vednZ2d@bt.com:
>>
>>> chris_mayersblue@suedeyahoo.com
>>
>> Chris,
>>
>> Thanks for your answer.
>>
>> I have a phone which I believe is unlocked so that should not be a
>> problem. I have got an answer back from the eBay seller with the top
>> up that seems to say it lasts 2 months only so would not be a good
>> deal even at £5.99 because I don't envisage the lady using it at that
>> rate.
>>
>> Do you know anywhere to buy 'cheaper' top ups for virgin than face
>> value - I am just being mean here as I can pay the full price if
>> required.
>>
>> What sort of credit does the phone and credit deal you mentioned come
>> with and where from ?
>>
>> Thanks again for the reply.
>
> Don't really know of anywhere you can get credit at 'below cost'.
> Wasn't really talking about a specific deal, but if you have a look in
> a Virgin MegaStore or pretty much any phone shop, you should be able
> to find cheap PAYG mobile that comes with some free credit.
> I'm fairly sure Virgin mobiles certainly used to come with £5 or so.
> You could also buy a SIM from a Virgin shop which may come with some
> credit already installed.
> I'm fairly sure that Virgin PAYG credit stays put until you use
> it(POSSIBLY not forever, but certainly for a few months) You should
> probably check the terms and conditions on their website to make
> sure...

Thanks for that Chris I will check it all out.

Regards

In article <Xns997F7C93F7B8Disissoft@193.202.122.103>,
isissoft@NOSPAMbtinternet.com says...
> I am trying to arrange a mobile phone for an elderly person - I have a
> spare nokia phone and I have found a Virgin Top Up card on eBay - Item
> 200131995997 - £20 Top Up with various options for £5.99.
>
> I want a solution that will provide a phone mainly (almost exclusively) for
> incoming calls but with the possibility of making outgoing calls if
> required - I want the top ups not to dissapear if not used up (don't know
> if this is possible) and at the lowest possible cost. IE it would be great
> if I have the £20 credit for hr to be able to use the phone for a whole
> year if the credit lasts with no further charges.
>
> I presume I will need to buy a Virgin Sim Card to use the Top Up from eBay
> - Is this a good plan ? Are there better options that anyone could point me
> to ?
>
> Any help would be much appreciated.
>
Check out Tesco £5 for a sim including £10 airtime

http://www.tesco.com/mobilenetwork/shop/?page=simcards

--
Roy

Roy wrote:
> In article <Xns997F7C93F7B8Disissoft@193.202.122.103>,
> isissoft@NOSPAMbtinternet.com says...
>> I am trying to arrange a mobile phone for an elderly person - I have a
>> spare nokia phone and I have found a Virgin Top Up card on eBay - Item
>> 200131995997 - £20 Top Up with various options for £5.99.
>>
>> I want a solution that will provide a phone mainly (almost exclusively) for
>> incoming calls but with the possibility of making outgoing calls if
>> required - I want the top ups not to dissapear if not used up (don't know
>> if this is possible) and at the lowest possible cost. IE it would be great
>> if I have the £20 credit for hr to be able to use the phone for a whole
>> year if the credit lasts with no further charges.
>>
>> I presume I will need to buy a Virgin Sim Card to use the Top Up from eBay
>> - Is this a good plan ? Are there better options that anyone could point me
>> to ?
>>
>> Any help would be much appreciated.
>>
> Check out Tesco £5 for a sim including £10 airtime
>
> http://www.tesco.com/mobilenetwork/shop/?page=simcards
>

The value sim would probably be OK. Unfortunately, like most prepay, it
will only last 6 months if there is no activity. However, IIRC
*receiving* a text message will keep the sim active (or sending/making a
call).

PeeGee
--
The reply address is a spam trap. All mail is reported as spam.
"Nothing should be able to load itself onto a computer without the
knowledge or consent of the computer user. Software should also be
able to be removed from a computer easily."
Peter Cullen, Microsoft Chief Privacy Strategist (Computing 18 Aug 05)

"PeeGee" <triessuk@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:f8qgop$9cn$1@aioe.org

[snip]

> The value sim would probably be OK. Unfortunately, like
> most prepay, it will only last 6 months if there is no
> activity. However, IIRC *receiving* a text message will
> keep the sim active (or sending/making a call).

So make a short call every 6 months. Not hard, is it..?

Ivor

ChrisM wrote:
> In message Xns997F9791A1DB2isissoft@193.202.122.113,
> Isis <isissoft@NOSPAMbtinternet.com> Proclaimed from the tallest tower:
>
>> "ChrisM" <chris_mayersblue@suedeyahoo.com> wrote in
>> news:NqWdnWMEdd7XHC3bnZ2dnUVZ8vednZ2d@bt.com:
>>
>>> chris_mayersblue@suedeyahoo.com
>SNIP<
> I'm fairly sure that Virgin PAYG credit stays put until you use it(POSSIBLY
> not forever, but certainly for a few months) You should probably check the
> terms and conditions on their website to make sure...
This is not mentioned anywhere in T&Cs or on the website.
Does anyone know for sure how long credit is active for Virgin (or any
other network)?

On Wed, 01 Aug 2007 20:51:57 +0100, David Scott wrote:
> ChrisM wrote:
>> I'm fairly sure that Virgin PAYG credit stays put until you use it(POSSIBLY
>> not forever, but certainly for a few months) You should probably check the
>> terms and conditions on their website to make sure...
> This is not mentioned anywhere in T&Cs or on the website.
> Does anyone know for sure how long credit is active for Virgin (or any
> other network)?

see Terms and conditions for the Virgin Mobile Pay As You Go service:

7. When we may suspend or disconnect services

v. you choose not to make a call or send a text message for 180 days or more.


Christof

--
http://cmeerw.org sip:cmeerw at cmeerw.org
mailto:cmeerw at cmeerw.org xmpp:cmeerw at cmeerw.org

Ivor Jones wrote:
> "PeeGee" <triessuk@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:f8qgop$9cn$1@aioe.org
>
> [snip]
>
>> The value sim would probably be OK. Unfortunately, like
>> most prepay, it will only last 6 months if there is no
>> activity. However, IIRC *receiving* a text message will
>> keep the sim active (or sending/making a call).
>
> So make a short call every 6 months. Not hard, is it..?
>
> Ivor
>
>

That's precisely how I use my phone - for emergency contact and the
occasional text, except texts don't count :-( There is the other problem
that the only calls record (with dates) may be held by the operator and
(as in my case) when the computer "loses" the records, your account gets
chopped.

The requirement was for "a phone mainly (almost exclusively) for
incoming calls" and the ability to keep it "alive" without being near
the phone was the main point of my comment.

PeeGee
--
The reply address is a spam trap. All mail is reported as spam.
"Nothing should be able to load itself onto a computer without the
knowledge or consent of the computer user. Software should also be
able to be removed from a computer easily."
Peter Cullen, Microsoft Chief Privacy Strategist (Computing 18 Aug 05)

"PeeGee" <triessuk@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:f8qvjs$i3j$1@aioe.org

[snip]

> The requirement was for "a phone mainly (almost
> exclusively) for incoming calls" and the ability to keep
> it "alive" without being near the phone was the main
> point of my comment.

Ok, but surely the user of the phone could make a short call once in a
while..?

Although it's not guaranteed that a phone will die if you don't; I have a
Virgin PAYG in my car glovebox in case I have to dash out of the house
urgently and forget my main phone. It's not made a call for almost 12
months and when i checked it a few minutes ago it was still 7 quid in
credit (and it still had some charge in the battery - an old Nokia
6210..!)

Ivor

On 01 Aug 2007 20:58:14 GMT, Christof Meerwald
<NOSPAM-seeMySig+u595+@usenet.cmeerw.org> wrote:


>see Terms and conditions for the Virgin Mobile Pay As You Go service:
>
>7. When we may suspend or disconnect services
>
>v. you choose not to make a call or send a text message for 180 days or more.

That maybe true but I read somewhere that they usually don't
disconnect until a year has passed.
--
Gwyn. gwyndewey@3mailrem.com
Remove rem if replying

On Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:15:09 GMT, Roy <onwheels@blueyonder.co.uk>
wrote:

>Check out Tesco £5 for a sim including £10 airtime
>
>http://www.tesco.com/mobilenetwork/shop/?page=simcards

You have to top up 10 GBP every month to keep it active not really
useful for the OP
--
Gwyn. gwyndewey@3mailrem.com
Remove rem if replying

"Gwyn" <g@> wrote in message
news:csg2b3dgu263gss75sqn0loc0s85s5382e@4ax.com
> On Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:15:09 GMT, Roy
> <onwheels@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
>
> > Check out Tesco £5 for a sim including £10 airtime
> >
> > http://www.tesco.com/mobilenetwork/shop/?page=simcards
>
> You have to top up 10 GBP every month to keep it active
> not really useful for the OP

No you don't, where on that page does it say that..?

I've had a Tesco SIM for the past 18 months and have never topped it up
past the initial £50 I put on it when I had it (I'm down to £21 at the
moment).

Ivor