GB Phone Networks & Banks

**Pauro 76** · 25/01/2007, 11:33 AM

If I'd read this thread before moving here id have saved a fortune! Also, for house moving and job seeking, a very handy website is gumtree.com (London), very useful! In fact, ive met my housemates, got a job, and met my girlfriend all on that site!

**lofty9** · 25/01/2007, 1:41 PM

Originally Posted by Bluebeard

Thanks for all the advice folks, and don't stop it coming - it's making it a hell of a lot easier than it might have been a few years ago, before I hooked into foot.ie.

Sounds like PAYG is the way to go. A quick questions for lofty9 about these genie sims: do the 100 mins or texts work for Ireland or other networks, or are you tied into O2 (not that this is a bad thing - 100 mins is great)?

With the genie sims the more you pay per month the more free texts/calls. �10 is the basic payment. You can text/call any network in the UK with them. For International calls to Ireland, I think there is a �4.99 one off charge taken from your credit to enable you to call at a reduced price to Ireland - something like 5p per min to landlines and 25p per min to mobiles (any network). I rarely text to the free state with mine but the cost is minimal to text to the US as I always do so . If i'm away at a Derry match I add a bolt on of �1.99 for a month if I know I'll be at a few games as it enables me to use my phone without the serious roaming charges. To be honest you will be saving money as any texts/calls made in the uk, will be free leaving money for you to text home.

**Bluebeard** · 25/01/2007, 2:13 PM

Thanks a million Lofty9, I reckon I'll take you up on that as soon as I'm over and have a place, if you don't mind.

Originally Posted by PAURO 7

Also, for house moving and job seeking, a very handy website is gumtree.com (London), very useful! In fact, ive met my housemates, got a job, and met my girlfriend all on that site!

Sounds good. They don't do places in the new FAI Premiership, do they?

**lofty9** · 25/01/2007, 2:23 PM

Originally Posted by Bluebeard

Thanks a million Lofty9, I reckon I'll take you up on that as soon as I'm over and have a place, if you don't mind.

Sounds good. They don't do places in the new FAI Premiership, do they?

PM me your address and I'll get one sent to you before you go as I'll probably lose it if it is left around the house!

**endabob1** · 25/01/2007, 3:21 PM

If you have a mate/relative already in London, get them to bolt your name on a utility bill (water is a good one), hey presto when you tun up you have "proof" of address, with your passport you should be ok to open an a/c.
As previously mentioned Lloyds do an offshore a/c but from memory they were changing how it was done and you had to be able to prove an income of a certain amount per year.
I use the Virgin payg Sim jobbie and it's easy and relatively cheap.

**Pauro 76** · 25/01/2007, 3:21 PM

Originally Posted by Bluebeard

Sounds good. They don't do places in the new FAI Premiership, do they?

Everything except that im afraid.

**S�C** · 25/01/2007, 4:50 PM

Originally Posted by PAURO 7

Great idea. I buy phonecards and they either never work or last very long. What's voip and ata though?

Voip sends the phone call over the internet rather than an old style phone line. You can still call old style phones and all just that if your internet connection goes your phone will go too.

An ata is a router that you plug into your broadband modem. It has a socket for a normal old style phone on it, you simply plug in the phone to that and us it as you normally would. Broadband modem has to be on at all times, computer doesnt have to be though. One of the best features of this is you can just bring it with you where ever you go. When I went back to Ireland for Christmas I took my ata with me and connected it up to the broad band at home. That way I was able to make all the phone calls I wanted and have people from the UK ring me for local rate.

www.vonage.co.uk seem to be the cheapest if you want to be ringing Ireland. Umlimited for �8 a month, you can even get and Irish number for something like and extra �5 a month were basically anyone in Ireland can ring you for a local call rate

**Pauro 76** · 20/02/2007, 12:31 PM

By the way had to repeat something.

DO NOT GET A PHONE CONTRACT WITH 3. THEY ACTUALLY ADD ON A FEE IF YOU WANT TO BRING DOWN YOUR TARRIFF. STAY CLEAR.

**Bluebeard** · 20/02/2007, 1:48 PM

Thanks for the warning, Pauro 7, I took lofty9's space O2 Genie Sim and I'm laughing now.

Still battling for a bank though - right bartasds to join over here aren't they!

**paul_oshea** · 20/02/2007, 3:32 PM

Still battling for a bank though - right bartasds to join over here aren't they!

i LOVE to tell ya i told ye so

I need to get one of those things, did lofty send one to you or what? my bill costs 90 - 120 sterling a month....

**Bluebeard** · 20/02/2007, 4:32 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

i LOVE to tell ya i told ye so

I need to get one of those things, did lofty send one to you or what? my bill costs 90 - 120 sterling a month....

Ouch. Yeah, Lofty sent it in the post - he reckons that they're handy got. It has a notional retail price of �9.99 or something, but they can be got for nothing on promotions, apparently that's how he got it - I'd give O2 a bell anyway.

**Pauro 76** · 20/02/2007, 5:28 PM

Cheers man, decided to do the warning as got my phone stolen today in Edinburgh, didnt insure it, and now im finding myself paying for a service i dont need and threatened to cancel the contract. Costs way too much so only way is to bring down my tarriff. But 3, the sneaky f*ckers charge �25 for each tariff step you bring down. And the only way you can bypass that is if you stay on another 6 months. I F*CKING WISH ID STAYED CLEAR OF 3.

Phones4U are threatening not to do business with them anymore so that's why you're seeing so many 3 stores all of a sudden

**lofty9** · 20/02/2007, 5:45 PM

Paul, I might have a spare one at home. I'll look about and let you know.

**paul_oshea** · 21/02/2007, 11:43 AM

cheers lofty!

**lofty9** · 21/02/2007, 11:47 AM

even better - order them now:

http://freesim.o2.co.uk/messages.php

or

http://mates.o2.co.uk/messages.php

**paul_oshea** · 21/02/2007, 12:12 PM

good man, just to recap on these simms you can get 100 mins or 200 texts for �10? is that right? or do you have to keep changing simms everytime you want to get the 100 mins or 200 texts for �10 in more than one month?

**lofty9** · 22/02/2007, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

good man, just to recap on these simms you can get 100 mins or 200 texts for �10? is that right? or do you have to keep changing simms everytime you want to get the 100 mins or 200 texts for �10 in more than one month?

�10 per month gets you your 300 texts or 100mins. Then you have your credit after the month is up to use. I top up every 6 - 8 weeks.