[Taylor]

I swear the term 'numpty' was thought up with an Orange customer
service rep or tariff planning employee in mind.

Last week Orange put up their Pay Monthly Sim Only proposition
on their website. Behind the curve as usual for Orange these
days since other networks did it ages ago but at least they are
realising that there are loads of people out there who don't
need a new phone - and hence, don't need to repaying the handset
subsidy back to Orange for the next 18 months - but would like a
new tariff.

Initially, I was very happy. 'Er Indoors is on an old Talk 150
plan with Orange and out of contract period and was looking to
move to one of their Animal Crackers plans.

The pay monthly sim only details on the website showed that you
get the same minutes/texts/unlimiteds as a 24 month contract
(!!!) customer. Happy days.

She has a Z1010 3G phone that I got as a freebie but she
struggles with it as she only has a 2G sim card.

So - we stupidly thought - we'll put her on the new Sim Only
contract and get them to ensure that the sim they send out is a
USIM so that the phone will work properly.

How wrong was I?

Calls to customer services, direct sales, upgrades and retail
shops. Told different things each time. They have no clue. The
woman at sales didn't know what I was on about when I said I had
a UMTS phone, "A UNTS what?" she replied. Was told by CS that I
had to take out this plan in a retail shop so they could give me
a 3G sim. Retail shops said they don't even sell the plan.
Passed from pillar to post.

It seems that anybody who has a recent, 3G capable phone cannot
avail themselves of this Pay Monthly Sim Only deal as Orange
wont send you a 3G sim.

What a load of numpties! And I state that actually having previously worked
for Orange for 6 years albeit in a capacity far, far away from
Customer Services.

To my mind, the only way I would be able to do this and keep the
same phone number is by buying a 3G PAYG sim, swapping the
contract number over to that SIM and then changing from PAYG to
Pay Monthly Sim Only. What a ridiculous state of affairs.

She doesn't even want to use UMTS data services, she just wants
to carry on using her z1010 as it's a very sturdy, robust flip
phone but she can't keep it working properly without a USIM.

Anybody have any suggestions?

Cheers,

Taylor

[3g-g]

I'm not sure what the problem is here, I have a number of 2G SIMs that all work fine in my 3G handset, all that happens is that the phone sticks to 2G... Orange have both services, you're not in trouble if you only stick to GSM or UMTS.

Have you tried another Orange 2G SIM in the Z1010? Perhaps as it's older there are issues as to why it won't take a 2G SIM card, but I'm pretty sure that's not the case. I'll dig around for my Z1010, can't remember where I put it. I've an Orange 2G SIM as well, let me know if you manage to try it first...

[Ben]

Hey, welcome to Talk3G.

One would hope Orange only supplies USIMs by now... (oh, I could be so wrong there). I'd personally take the SIM Only contract (it has a very short term, yes?) and then fight my battles for a USIM if it turns out they dispatch a GSM-only card.

[3g-g]

I'd personally take the SIM Only contract (it has a very short term, yes?) and then fight my battles for a USIM if it turns out they dispatch a GSM-only card.

I don't see what the issue is though, she doesn't want to use UMTS services, she just wants to keep the Z1010 and get a 30 day contract. The 2G SIM will work fine in the Z1010. If in the future she wants to make use of any particular service a call to Orange CS should resolve it...

[Ben]

True, true - though the Z1010 is a buggy beast and if this one wants a USIM it gets a USIM! ;)

[stuartturrell]

This worries me.

I have paid a upgrade fee to upgrade from the N80 to N95, so the misses gets the N80 as her phone as her's is dead and she wants to get onto the orange network from o2 and three.

The thing is, we have ordered a payg sim from orange, now i am a little concerned they will send out a old sim to use. Would it work in the N80 if they did?

Stuart

[3g-g]

This worries me.

I have paid a upgrade fee to upgrade from the N80 to N95, so the misses gets the N80 as her phone as her's is dead and she wants to get onto the orange network from o2 and three.

The thing is, we have ordered a payg sim from orange, now i am a little concerned they will send out a old sim to use. Would it work in the N80 if they did?

Stuart

As long as your n80 was a previous Orange handset, or is a de-branded one it'll be fine. It's probable that the PAYG SIM will only be a 2G one so you won't be able to video call but you never know! Be sure to let us know what services you can use when it does turn up!

[stuartturrell]

OK, sim card is here for the pay as you go.

Put it in the N80, but it will not connect to a 3G signal.

It only likes 2g. It scans and see's 3g signals, but when i force it to connect to 3g, no access :(

Will get the mrs to phone orange later to see what they need to do to get 3g on it. Probably a new sim? or just a matter of a sim update??

[Hands0n]

It should just be a SIM update. Early on in 3G the mobile ops used to have to send out a new SIM - but by now all operators should be using compatible USIM (but don't hold me to that!!).

[stuartturrell]

ok, spoken to orange now about this, the sim only pay as you go sim cards that are sent out are only 2g.

If you want a 3g (USIM), then you need to either buy a 3G phone from orange with a usim or go to an orange store to buy a USIM only, for £35, which you get back as credit.

Only thing is, i need to go over to portsmouth where my nearest store is to do this, as no orange stores on the Isle of Wight.

[3g-g]

ok, spoken to orange now about this, the sim only pay as you go sim cards that are sent out are only 2g.

If you want a 3g (USIM), then you need to either buy a 3G phone from orange with a usim or go to an orange store to buy a USIM only, for £35, which you get back as credit.

Only thing is, i need to go over to portsmouth where my nearest store is to do this, as no orange stores on the Isle of Wight.

That's a bit of a pain having to pay to get the USIM, but at least it limits any incompatibility issues should punters get 3G USIMs and then cant use them in older 2G handsets! What about phoning the shop direct and asking nicely if they'd let you pay over the phone? Save you the trip?

[stuartturrell]

I did try calling the Portsmouth store, they never returned my call.

I did have a look on ebay, and there is a seller selling a few orange 3g payg sim cards, so i got one of them, at half what orange wanted to charge me.

Supurb.

[3g-g]

Good stuff!

eBay, what a jumble sale it is! :p