Thoughts on Fresh. 7.5p/min poss for low user?

I got a Fresh SIM last year when I began to text from my handset more
often (15p/min flat fare, all calls at all times; 5p/text). It's OKish,
but as is often the case with discount services, if you ever need
help/customer services, then you are in trouble. Carphone Warehouse
Customer Service stinks anyhow, it's astonishing that they have a royal
warrant! The standard is 0870, 10 min wait, gormless call centre
personnel. I relied on using CPW own desk phone. This was often when I
was in there to top up. Aside from going into a CPW store, there is no
way to top-up Fresh without using a chargeable number! Amazing. CPW's
account management software for Fresh customers is so chaotic you have
to be careful that you are getting your money's worth out of them.
Often the shop staff found the Fresh top-up system was down, or my
account was mysteriously locked and they couldn't top me up, hence the
call-centre routine. Bah.

I was in CPW again today, after losing the phone in the house earlier
this summer. I found it, but it had been disconnected for 90 days'
non-use. After patient waiting, 'Jemima' told me that reconnection
would take so long (at least 15 days), that I should just get another
(Fresh? sorry) SIM. As I have another phone, my use of this phone only
ever amounted to £5-£10 per month, including all those 5p texts. Now
I hear that there is a way of getting a rate of 7.5p/min on Fresh, but
I can't find out how. Does anyone know? Massive top-up with one-week
validity? Do texts count with Fresh as a 'call' for the 90 days
disconnection purposes?

CPW website is terrible. Superficial info only, misleadingly presented.
I couldn't contact Fresh via CPW website, the form wouldn't work. Note
here
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...gpageSep06.jpg
how T-Mob panel on the current CPW PAYG page is designed to indicate
one T-Mob PAYG tariff with both 12p/min call and 3p/txt. Actually you
have to choose between these rates.

Anyone have opinions on this T-mobile flext 12p/min call, 10p/text
tariff? E.g. credit validity period, lack of use disconnection etc.

O.

<SPAMYAMAMA@mailinator.com> wrote in message
news:1159009490.455469.295770@k70g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
I got a Fresh SIM last year when I began to text from my handset more
often (15p/min flat fare, all calls at all times; 5p/text). It's OKish,
but as is often the case with discount services, if you ever need
help/customer services, then you are in trouble. Carphone Warehouse
Customer Service stinks anyhow, it's astonishing that they have a royal
warrant! The standard is 0870, 10 min wait, gormless call centre
personnel. I relied on using CPW own desk phone. This was often when I
was in there to top up. Aside from going into a CPW store, there is no
way to top-up Fresh without using a chargeable number! Amazing. CPW's
account management software for Fresh customers is so chaotic you have
to be careful that you are getting your money's worth out of them.
Often the shop staff found the Fresh top-up system was down, or my
account was mysteriously locked and they couldn't top me up, hence the
call-centre routine. Bah.

I was in CPW again today, after losing the phone in the house earlier
this summer. I found it, but it had been disconnected for 90 days'
non-use. After patient waiting, 'Jemima' told me that reconnection
would take so long (at least 15 days), that I should just get another
(Fresh? sorry) SIM. As I have another phone, my use of this phone only
ever amounted to £5-£10 per month, including all those 5p texts. Now
I hear that there is a way of getting a rate of 7.5p/min on Fresh, but
I can't find out how. Does anyone know? Massive top-up with one-week
validity? Do texts count with Fresh as a 'call' for the 90 days
disconnection purposes?

CPW website is terrible. Superficial info only, misleadingly presented.
I couldn't contact Fresh via CPW website, the form wouldn't work. Note
here
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...gpageSep06.jpg
how T-Mob panel on the current CPW PAYG page is designed to indicate
one T-Mob PAYG tariff with both 12p/min call and 3p/txt. Actually you
have to choose between these rates.

Anyone have opinions on this T-mobile flext 12p/min call, 10p/text
tariff? E.g. credit validity period, lack of use disconnection etc.

O.

Why pay more than you need to. If you want PAYG then Virgin is cheaper. I
don't know why you would keep needing to rin customer services, no one I
know does. You can email or phone virgin and they reply almost immediately.

Mortified at the multiple posts

Tom wrote:
> <SPAMYAMAMA@mailinator.com> wrote in message
> news:1159009490.455469.295770@k70g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
> I got a Fresh SIM last year when I began to text from my handset more
> often (15p/min flat fare, all calls at all times; 5p/text). It's OKish,
> but as is often the case with discount services, if you ever need
> help/customer services, then you are in trouble. Carphone Warehouse
> Customer Service stinks anyhow, it's astonishing that they have a royal
> warrant! The standard is 0870, 10 min wait, gormless call centre
> personnel. I relied on using CPW own desk phone. This was often when I
> was in there to top up. Aside from going into a CPW store, there is no
> way to top-up Fresh without using a chargeable number! Amazing. CPW's
> account management software for Fresh customers is so chaotic you have
> to be careful that you are getting your money's worth out of them.
> Often the shop staff found the Fresh top-up system was down, or my
> account was mysteriously locked and they couldn't top me up, hence the
> call-centre routine. Bah.
>
> I was in CPW again today, after losing the phone in the house earlier
> this summer. I found it, but it had been disconnected for 90 days'
> non-use. After patient waiting, 'Jemima' told me that reconnection
> would take so long (at least 15 days), that I should just get another
> (Fresh? sorry) SIM. As I have another phone, my use of this phone only
> ever amounted to £5-£10 per month, including all those 5p texts. Now
> I hear that there is a way of getting a rate of 7.5p/min on Fresh, but
> I can't find out how. Does anyone know? Massive top-up with one-week
> validity? Do texts count with Fresh as a 'call' for the 90 days
> disconnection purposes?
>
> CPW website is terrible. Superficial info only, misleadingly presented.
> I couldn't contact Fresh via CPW website, the form wouldn't work. Note
> here
> http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...gpageSep06.jpg
> how T-Mob panel on the current CPW PAYG page is designed to indicate
> one T-Mob PAYG tariff with both 12p/min call and 3p/txt. Actually you
> have to choose between these rates.
>
> Anyone have opinions on this T-mobile flext 12p/min call, 10p/text
> tariff? E.g. credit validity period, lack of use disconnection etc.
>
> O.
>
> Why pay more than you need to. If you want PAYG then Virgin is cheaper. I
> don't know why you would keep needing to rin customer services, no one I
> know does. You can email or phone virgin and they reply almost immediately.

SPAMYAMAMA@mailinator.com wrote:
> Mortified at the multiple posts

Spam your mamma and also uk.telecom.mobile?

What about a Tesco Value SIM, the rates are the same as Fresh, 15p calls
5p texts but may be a bit more reliable than Fresh?

The T-Mobile Flext is a contract plan. The payg rates are either cheaper
for calls or cheaper for texts, but not both together. Depends whether
you text or call more and to which networks. You can see the payg rates
at http://tinyurl.com/6dby5

Re: fresh half price, the only reference I could find was back when they
were doing a special promotion to rival easymobile see
http://www.cpwplc.com/cpw/media/press/2005/2005-03-10/ which has now ended.

Tom, Not clear how Virgin is cheaper for PAYG if I send maybe 5
texts/day and call one or two mins (all cross net).
Tesco sounds very good, thanks Joe, will check it out.

O.

Joe Mamma wrote:
> SPAMYAMAMA@mailinator.com wrote:
> > Mortified at the multiple posts
>
> Spam your mamma and also uk.telecom.mobile?
>
> What about a Tesco Value SIM, the rates are the same as Fresh, 15p calls
> 5p texts but may be a bit more reliable than Fresh?
>
> The T-Mobile Flext is a contract plan. The payg rates are either cheaper
> for calls or cheaper for texts, but not both together. Depends whether
> you text or call more and to which networks. You can see the payg rates
> at http://tinyurl.com/6dby5
>
> Re: fresh half price, the only reference I could find was back when they
> were doing a special promotion to rival easymobile see
> http://www.cpwplc.com/cpw/media/press/2005/2005-03-10/ which has now ended.