Sim-only mobile plans

Does anyone have this? Is a credit check required? What are the options fora  fobby newcomer?

Does that mean pay-as-you-go? I had that when I first came here and there were no credit checks or anything - I just bought the phone and walked out! I much prefer being on a contract 'cause I found having to top-up was a pain, but that's just me and I'm sort of tied to my phone.... But you're pretty much stuck with pay-as-you-go until you've established yourself with addresses and credit and all of that.

Do you mean 'pay as you go'?  Yes we have that here, and no credit check is required for that.  You just top the phone up as/when you need more credit.

(That's what I have because I don't use my mobile very much.)

I recommend Orange...   (who doesn't like Orange Wednesdays at the cinema?!!!)

***cross-posted with AnneR

I recommend Orange...   (who doesn't like Orange Wednesdays at the cinema?!!!)

Ever so sorry, Mrs R, but double check the coverage where you live. I just had to dump Orange because my signal was absolutely appalling in our town. 

I'm pretty sure you can just go into the phone store, buy the SIM card and then put it in your phone, so I don't think there'll be an issue with credit checks.

Or if you don't have a current phone that takes SIM cards, you can probably just get a cheap 'pay as you go' phone, as the others have mentioned, without having a credit check (I think they usually only check when you buy a phone on a monthly contract).

Ever so sorry, Mrs R, but double check the coverage where you live. I just had to dump Orange because my signal was absolutely appalling in our town. 

Good point!  I also know peeps that have a contract elsewhere, but still keep a 'pay as you go' Orange mobile with £10 on it - just for the Orange Wednesdays bit!  (a Martin Lewis tip too!)  We gave a spare mobile to some friends awhile back that wanted to do that.

there's PAYG, which the others have covered above- but there are also sim-only contracts, which are usually only for 30 days at a time.  It's kind of a hybrid plan as you're not locked into a lengthy contract and you don't get a free phone (it's literally just a sim card) but you do pay a set amount monthly and there is a credit check.  I have a sim-only contract with O2 (they call it "simplicity"), which I'm very happy with- got it after being in the UK for over a year and had to pay a £100 deposit up front but it's been fine.

I basically got the plan just to build my credit- if that's not a bother for you, just get PAYG as it is the easiest for those who are brand new to the UK.

there's PAYG, which the others have covered above- but there are also sim-only contracts, which are usually only for 30 days at a time.  It's kind of a hybrid plan as you're not locked into a lengthy contract and you don't get a free phone (it's literally just a sim card) but you do pay a set amount monthly and there is a credit check.  I have a sim-only contract with O2 (they call it "simplicity"), which I'm very happy with- got it after being in the UK for over a year and had to pay a £100 deposit up front but it's been fine.

I basically got the plan just to build my credit- if that's not a bother for you, just get PAYG as it is the easiest for those who are brand new to the UK.

I was thinking of getting T-Mobile's recently unleashed Solo sim card for £10.  I don't understand why they'd even run a credit check for a 1-month contract!

Ever so sorry, Mrs R, but double check the coverage where you live. I just had to dump Orange because my signal was absolutely appalling in our town. 

Tourists to the Norfolk Broads on Orange find the same problem.  The coverage is very patchy in this part of the county.  Orange only runs a GSM1800 network, which accounts for some of the problem in rural areas.   In terms of overall coverage, in this area it's hard to beat Vodafone.  "Your mileage may vary" in other places, of course.

I think treacle is moving to London - so I would think that she (or he) will probably get about the same quality of reception from pretty much any provider there.

Orange seems to have pretty good coverage up/around in the Dales & Cumbria, I think - at least the places we have been.  (Not that there's any other option in our household.  )  I think they have put in more towers (or whatever) up here.

The top-up phones are no credit check, but the charges are higher than a monthly contract or long-term contract.  We will go with a sim only on a monthly because my assignmet is only for a year, and most contracts are minimum 18 months.  You need a UK bank account for any contract.  We bought a top up phone from ASDA when we were on a househunting trip, and we'll keep it for guests.  It was only £25 for the phone and equal for the minutes. 

My wife and I each will have unlocked Samsung phones from T-Mobile in the US.  These phones are GSM compatible, and should just need a SIM to operate in the UK.

What is the best strategy for us to get SIMs that will allow us to call each other (and all the amazing friends we are sure to meet in the UK), as well as call back to our friends and family in the US as CHEAPLY as possible?  Or, are we better off using skype for international contacts?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Aaron

My wife and I each will have unlocked Samsung phones from T-Mobile in the US.  These phones are GSM compatible, and should just need a SIM to operate in the UK.

What is the best strategy for us to get SIMs that will allow us to call each other (and all the amazing friends we are sure to meet in the UK), as well as call back to our friends and family in the US as CHEAPLY as possible?  Or, are we better off using skype for international contacts?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Aaron

You should be able to find a PAYG plan that will allow you to call each other for free, as long as you both sign up to the same mobile network (this is what DH and I do and it's fab!)

Calling the US from your mobile is never going to be cheap, but sometimes you can order an addon that will allow you to make cheaper calls.  I'm on O2 and I pay about £5/month for an add on to my mobile plan that allows me to call the US for 5p/minute (only the US though, not any other country.)  I'm on a sim only contract now, but I had this when I was on PAYG as well.  For long calls to the family I use cheaper options, but for quick calls when I'm out and about it fits the bill nicely.

My wife and I each will have unlocked Samsung phones from T-Mobile in the US.  These phones are GSM compatible, and should just need a SIM to operate in the UK.

They also need to be capable of working on the 900 and/or 1800MHz GSM bands.  A U.S. dual-band model with access only to 850 & 1900 MHz bands will be of no use in the U.K.

See reply #10 here for more:
http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=12567.0

Not sure if OP is to be in London, but we had no problems with Orange there.  We did the month-to-month SIM since it included some number of free minutes and txts.  You had to give one month's notice before canceling, so initially (in the first two months that you begin) you have to have it for two months.  We had two phones on their Dolphin plan; I don't think there were free calls between our phones --- someone else may know. 

Yes, Paul is right (but of course!  ) on the bands; a dual-band phone from the US will not do you any good in the UK.