Mcodox

Anyone here done the research on best thing to do when leaving UK if you want to retain your UK mobile number with a UK handset to ensure receive any random admin related calls to that UK mobile? Also for holiday/work trip usage....

e.g. best PAYG/Sim only provider or tariff arrangement etc??

Obviously receiving /retrieving voicemail is pricey, but I dont want to loose the number. I have a iphone vodafone handset which could be used for this that is out of contract, but maybe this could be used with a US sim, but I gather possibly not.

Thanks!

AZ_Alba

Depends how long you need the number. If it is going to be long term it may be cheaper to transfer the phone number to some sort of VoIP solution such as vonage then just bring the VoIP box over from the UK with you and plug the box into your network here. Vonage is currently quoting £6 a month with £ 23 setup charge.

slummymummy

Pay as you go works pretty good for me. Usually I get an email every month saying your bill was £0 this month. If there is a cost, it's taken by direct debit from my UK bank account. The thing with pay as you go is that if there is any calls or texts they are quite expensive. I only use it for if my UK bank has to call me to verify any transactions and I try to be as quick as I can!

GeoffM

Lloyds TSB will happily phone a non-UK number for this, and I'm sure they're not the only bank to do so. I had said robocall just this morning as I was transferring stuff here.

Giantaxe

Had a real live person call me from Lloyds TSB about a deposit a couple of weeks ago. They did screw up the time difference - they didn't take account of the fact that we've already put our clocks forward - and woke me up, but they are indeed willing to call non-UK numbers.

slummymummy

Ok that's good... I'm "ducking and diving" as usual and have not told the bank I now live abroad. However maybe I could now as I've paid off a mortgage I had. Nevermind, this is off topic, sorry. The OP still wants his phone number.

yellowroom

I kept my Orange PAYG number - I think the minimum requirement is to top up by 10pounds every few months to keep it live. No problem with it being over here most of the time, although I do have it registered to my parents address in the UK, not here. I keep it switched on all the time, receive a couple of texts a week on it and use it when I go back to the UK for visits.

No problem with accessing voicemail, although you do need to have set up a PIN for that before you leave the UK.

Bob

HSBC are good for this too. Except they don't make much allowance for time difference if you have to call them.

Anyway. Easiest option, PAYG sim, stick it in phone and send a text message to your US phone, or friend every couple of months or whatever, to keep it active.

Mcodox

Thanks all, will look at VoIP and PAYG options. Think I may keep the iphone & number on with a provider for trips back to UK.

Then guess I will get a new contract in US - any top tips for best provider (West Coast). Do you get good deals on contract with handset?

Bob

All depends on exact location. Some will have better cover than others, so best to ask neighbours and colleagues.

For deal and price, they're all much of muchness though. Guess it really depends on if data is that important as some are definitely better than others for that.

NatashaB

We have 2 vonage lines, one with a US number which is our house phone/landline, and another with a UK 0208 number which we give to UK banks and UK friends so they can call us cheaply. We also have a UK forwarding address with My UK Mail (who aren't that great, but I haven't found any other companies who offer the service). So as far as my UK bank and credit cards are concerned, I'm still in the UK. I usually buy a PAYG SIM from Asda when I go back to the UK (very cheap or free).

Mcodox

Interesting set up - I will look at Vonage and My UK Mail. May just move all postal comms over to a parents address in UK rather than risk international mail transfer.

Vonage looks a nice way to ease the pain for family calls by the sounds of it. Why not use Skype for this though - I guess because you can get calls when PC etc isnt on?...

Thanks all

Giantaxe

If you have a smart 'phone you can use Skype on that.

customsquestion

I think minutes remain active for 12 months don't they? But you have to top up the phone with credit in order to keep the number active. If you don't top the phone up with credit once it expires after i think it's either 6 or 12 months the phone dies

Giantaxe

You mean the number dies.

I think policies differ from carrier to carrier. Orange, I think, requires that the number be used every six (?) months.