Best disposable mobile phone?

[Charliehutton]

Can anyone recommend a cheap, no-frills, pay-as-you-go non contract, punting only mobile, and where to buy it?

[Stalinator]

A tenner in tesco. Pay cash, stick a fiver on it and you are good to go.

[threechilliman]

A tenner in tesco. Pay cash, stick a fiver on it and you are good to go.

Like the one I have hidden away. It may or may not have been purchased in Tesco in cash.

[dieseldriver]

Or Asda? £10 phone, free sim. Put a tenner on it. Asda calls are cheaper than Tesco.

[Goldfinch]

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[Phaedrus]

Some girls use whatsapp to communicate so get a basic smartphone. Giffgaff has the best price deals.

[Gordon Bennett]

Some girls use whatsapp to communicate so get a basic smartphone. Giffgaff has the best price deals.

Yes. I'd rather spend an extra £30 quid on the phone and have Maps, internet, Whattsapp and stuff that can be useful in terms of frantically trying to rescue things if a booked punt goes tits up and you're scurrying around trying to sort another one out.

[dubs]

I tried sending a text on a basic £10 phone the other day, fucking nightmare doing 1 1 1 3 3 4 2 2 7 8 etc.

A touchscreen smartphone is so much easier.

[PeachyAssFan]

I tried sending a text on a basic £10 phone the other day, fucking nightmare doing 1 1 1 3 3 4 2 2 7 8 etc.

A touchscreen smartphone is so much easier.

Agree with you there, but it’s safer. You need to keep your hand in with the numeric keypad for letters. I’m not as fast as I used to be as my main phone is smart. 

[Spacecowb0y]

Does Tesco/Asda allow you to surf AW and UKP?

[Bigwilts]

Does Tesco/Asda allow you to surf AW and UKP?

Probably not straight out of the box

Mobile internet will have parental controls by default, and tend to need a credit card or going into the shop with over 18 ID to disable
Mobiles won’t restrict content over WiFi, but public WiFi probably does

It will depend on who you are hiding the punter phone from.  If married then you may not want a £1 validating payment on the statement, but if just keeping your normal number from WGs then that may be fine
ID in a shop won’t show up a paper trail for a wife, but then you have to go and ask face to face to enable content
If you’re hiding your identify and activities from the police in preparation for a crime then it’s not going to work

The alternative may be to download a different browser app, if I recall correctly Opera on iPhones would bypass providers content filters

[Sparta Prada]

Does Tesco/Asda allow you to surf AW and UKP?

I know that you have to get Asda to lift the bar on non-kid friendly sites. One word of warning though. I called Asda to get the bar on adult sites lifted, the guy on the phone said that in order to get the bar lifted you have to give out your credit card details to prove you are over 18, and a debit is not proof you are over 18. He said they run the CC through their system for a £1 purchase which is immediately credited, but what he didn't say is the debit and credit shows up on your credit card bill. So if you want to do this and don't want it showing up on your CC statement, your best bet is to do this in person at an Asda store where I assume you can simply show up with your driving license.

[Charliehutton]

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Thanks for another useful link, Finchy.

[Goldfinch]

Thanks for another useful link, Finchy.

 

[Phaedrus]

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[snipertongue]

Perhaps just me but I will never use a secondary mobile or as I now call it, a pPhone (new brand, I just created it; Apple, watch your back ) with content unlocked, or I would be tempted to arrange for a hasty plan B if the primary arrangement falls through for some reason.

I just have 2 or 3 phone numbers of safe (or at least extensively pre-researched) alternative favourites on my phone, within an acceptable radius of said first WG and then call them on the spot, if need be. Also, this way I don't need to give my CC details or have to show up at a shop and ask to remove the content. Don't want AW, UKP or any other of the likes on my mobile , but that's just me.

I have an old smartphone and use an EE £5 monthly voucher (you can buy on any shop, cash), gives me 50 min, 250 texts and 150MB (enough for a few WhatsApp calls or texts), for me that's more than enough, I don't need to spend ages on the phone with a WG jotting down what she wants me to take home for dinner, unless we're having a food/sploshing romp on the side , and that doesn't happen that often.

[snipertongue]

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If one could use it as a key ring holder, that would be brilliant, hiding in plain sight!

[Stalinator]

The voice changing function would be handy.

[Scottish81]

It’s a long time since I had a PAYG phone.  How do you top up?  Is it by card or can you use PayPal or other methods?  I wouldn’t want to use my card in case my wife spots it in the bank details.

Back when I had my first mobile you had to top up monthly or you lost the remaining credit.  Is that still the case?

[dubs]

It’s a long time since I had a PAYG phone.  How do you top up?  Is it by card or can you use PayPal or other methods?  I wouldn’t want to use my card in case my wife spots it in the bank details.

Back when I had my first mobile you had to top up monthly or you lost the remaining credit.  Is that still the case?

Buy a voucher from a supermarket with cash, topup and then dispose of the voucher.

[dubs]

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Customers also bought : Condoms, KY Jelly, visitor pass to Pentonville.

[AllenTheMan]

Believe it or not but Argos.

You can get a phone on EE for £4.99 but you have to buy a £10 bundle at the same time. So £15 for a basic phone and 250 minutes and 1000 texts. Bingo.

Pay in cash, wink at the cashier, collection point b.

[Romeo Sensini]

I tried sending a text on a basic £10 phone the other day, fucking nightmare doing 1 1 1 3 3 4 2 2 7 8 etc.

A touchscreen smartphone is so much easier.

Agreed. Alcatel Pixi with touch screen. Seen them for about £35 to £40 or secondhand cheaper.

Oh and just turn the data off - use as text and phone only.

[threechilliman]

Pay in cash, wink at the cashier, collection point b.

 

Even more amusing if its a young lad on th' till!!

[Corky]

You can also buy a SIM card from tesco, for example EE - they come with a top up card so you can top up in shops - pay cash.

[Slaveofnature]

Its not disposable so a bit off topic but I use an old iphone 4 which was lying unused in a drawer factory reset with all data turned off. I have also set up an sim only account with virgin (using free email account specially set up for punting with protonmail which is encrypted both ends and notifies me thru work email whenever I have a communication from AW), for 6 pounds a month for unlimited texts and more call time than I'd ever need so I don't have to worry about money running while in a call which happened to me when I had a payg sim. Phone kept in drawer at work with all contacts etc wiped after each meet.
Works well for me.

[Spacecowb0y]

Protonmail connected to work email!
1 too many connections between punting and private life for me.

[Skeleton]

Its not disposable so a bit off topic but I use an old iphone 4 which was lying unused in a drawer factory reset with all data turned off. I have also set up an sim only account with virgin (using free email account specially set up for punting with protonmail which is encrypted both ends and notifies me thru work email whenever I have a communication from AW), for 6 pounds a month for unlimited texts and more call time than I'd ever need so I don't have to worry about money running while in a call which happened to me when I had a payg sim. Phone kept in drawer at work with all contacts etc wiped after each meet.
Works well for me.

I have an old iPhone 4 I want to use but to set it up again from factory reset it needs to link an Apple ID. Do you use an existing one, is there a risk of a link to you, or set up a new Apple ID?

[Slaveofnature]

I can't remember if I needed an apple id when I factory reset it but I don't thinks so. The 4 isn't supported anymore by apple so can't put apps on or update. Purely used for calls and texts. I would have used an old android phone if I had had one lying about.

[Slaveofnature]

Protonmail connected to work email!
1 too many connections between punting and private life for me.

It just sends a message saying that I have an email in my protonmail inbox. There's no connection other than that and my work would have no way to access my protonmail account.

[t0mm13]

Just got cheapish android phone from Tesco.

Cost was £29 + you get £10 call time included, has camera as well which maybe handy 

[JayEZ2K]

Yes. I'd rather spend an extra £30 quid on the phone and have Maps, internet, Whattsapp and stuff that can be useful in terms of frantically trying to rescue things if a booked punt goes tits up and you're scurrying around trying to sort another one out.

I tried sending a text on a basic £10 phone the other day, fucking nightmare doing 1 1 1 3 3 4 2 2 7 8 etc.

A touchscreen smartphone is so much easier.

I'll second, no, third that. I bought a cheap £10 phone with sim card topped up with minutes, paying cash and leaving no trace.  It's very fast and affordable if you want to get started right away, but the lack of apps and worst, having to type on it is a major pain.

[cassini]

Can anyone recommend a network that when you put credit on a PAYG sim, it doesn't expire after 1 month.

Currently have an EE sim and credit expires on that after a month.

All help appreciated 

[maxxblue]

Can anyone recommend a network that when you put credit on a PAYG sim, it doesn't expire after 1 month.

Currently have an EE sim and credit expires on that after a month.

All help appreciated 

Most providers don't expire after just 1 month - are you sure this is the case with EE? 

[joelong]

Can anyone recommend a network that when you put credit on a PAYG sim, it doesn't expire after 1 month.

Currently have an EE sim and credit expires on that after a month.

All help appreciated 

I just got caught by 3. Got a new SIM before Xmas with top up voucher, rang up to apply credit and system offered me some sort of boost giving extra data which I went for. What I didn't realise until earlier this evening was that this then made my credit only valid for a month. Have to get another voucher tomorrow now as all credit on phone has expired. If I can blagg another free SIM, I'll change networks too.

[cassini]

Most providers don't expire after just 1 month - are you sure this is the case with EE? 

Yeah - put £10 on thinking this would be good, got a text saying that I had bought some kind of bundle and that was it credit gone. The bundle is only good for 1 month, effectively it's a PAYG contact. Think it's just the sim I have, but EE website is crap.

[Spacecowb0y]

Lycamobile lasts 3 months, and no adult bar,but the calls work out slightly more expensive. Cheap dual sim android phone has lycamobile in 1 slot (top up with cash from newsagent at station),the other has slot has tesco,EE,3 so i never keep the same number long

[Boinky]

I use 3 with no limit on expiry, you must have selected a monthly deal or I've got a legacy SIM. I stuck £50 on it when I got it as they gave you an extra £10 if you did. Still using that same credit for over 18 months now with about £20 left.

You want to select the 3-2-1 tariff.

3p per minute
2p per text
1p per MB

[Northerndave666]

I use 3 with no limit on expiry, you must have selected a monthly deal or I've got a legacy SIM. I stuck £50 on it when I got it as they gave you an extra £10 if you did. Still using that same credit for over 18 months now with about £20 left.

You want to select the 3-2-1 tariff.

3p per minute
2p per text
1p per MB

I've used that in the past, certainly one of the cheapest PAYG tarrifs and 1 call per 6 months keeps the number active. Downside is that your number is linked to your name address and C/Card payments and you have to phone them to get the adult lock removed from t'internet.

For total anonymity, cheap £5 or £10 phone in cash from Argos, Asda, etc as suggested on here and top up in cash in store.

I know smartphones are more useful, but think of this scenario (although may be a long shot). You arrange to see a WG, have a good time, go home, happy. An incident happens at the WG property and the Police go through her phone and find your number.
With a smartphone, GPS will reveal your location, so how will you feel if the plod appear at your home / workplace and ask why you were at a WG's address ? More importantly, how will your family feel?

[JayEZ2K]

I have a Lite Tariff on a Tesco sim card. It's not that good of a deal, but my credits never expire and I paid cash with no trace of personal details. I use less than 5 texts total for each punt, so it's still cheap.

Lite Tariff Tesco sim card
8p per minute
4p per text
10p per MB

[MaxDeane]

I went for the cheapest handset from Tesco with a booster SIM package, total spend on phone and £30 of credit was only £20.

The phone retains charge for weeks when not in use and is meant to last for 8-days on standby.

Only problem is that there is no way to make the fucking thing silent, should have paid the extra £20 for the basic Smart phone, Ah well, live and learn

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[george r]

I use 3 with no limit on expiry, you must have selected a monthly deal or I've got a legacy SIM. I stuck £50 on it when I got it as they gave you an extra £10 if you did. Still using that same credit for over 18 months now with about £20 left.

You want to select the 3-2-1 tariff.

3p per minute
2p per text
1p per MB

just read that O2 are changing to the same price tariff on the 18th on January   

[LurkNoMore]

I know smartphones are more useful, but think of this scenario (although may be a long shot). You arrange to see a WG, have a good time, go home, happy. An incident happens at the WG property and the Police go through her phone and find your number.
With a smartphone, GPS will reveal your location, so how will you feel if the plod appear at your home / workplace and ask why you were at a WG's address ? More importantly, how will your family feel?

I think a punting phone and trying to avoid police or state level detection are very different things.

[Spacecowb0y]

Mr paranoid will only be caught being in the vicinity of a whore if GPS/LOCATION services are switched on, or you use the phone every 50 yards

[Gordon Bennett]

PAYG phones normally delete the account after no activity for 6 months. All you have to do to get round this is send the phone a text from another phone (your main/personal phone maybe). This doesn't eat up any of the credit loaded on your PAYG phone and it flags it up as still active and gives you another 6 months of "non use" with no fear of being cut off.
This has worked fine for me with Tesco net for a couple of years and I'm still using the original tenner top-up, I still have about £6 left and have never topped it up since buying it a couple of years ago.
I found all this out a few years ago when the spare family emergency holiday phone got cut off after getting chucked in a drawer for 12 months between holidays... lost £12ish of credit too which you can't get back, grrrr!

[hrm69]

I’ve not had a punt in a couple of years and hoping to get back on the wagon over the next week or two. In the past I’ve naively used my own or a work mobile I had at the time. Thankfully from reading stuff on sites like this I found an old standard nokia mobile in a drawer at work. Need to go and buy a cheap SIM tomorrow.

[Stiltskin]

I think a punting phone and trying to avoid police or state level detection are very different things.

+1 People seem to think nobody will ever track you down with a burner phone. A burner phone that they never 'burn'.

As soon as you turn the burner on next to other traceable phones (yours or your families) they can ID the legit phones which will lead them to you. It doesn't require GPS, cell towers provide the location.

[dubs]

+1 People seem to think nobody will ever track you down with a burner phone. A burner phone that they never 'burn'.

As soon as you turn the burner on next to other traceable phones (yours or your families) they can ID the legit phones which will lead them to you. It doesn't require GPS, cell towers provide the location.

Cell tower location can only trace the use to an area which may be as large as several square km.

[LurkNoMore]

Cell tower location can only trace the use to an area which may be as large as several square km.

You are normally well within range of more than 1, meaning that size is drastically reduced.

[Arbetare]

Picked up a very cheap Nokia Windows phone, paying cash. I use a Tesco PAYG sim in it, again bought with cash and top up vouchers bought with cash - absolutely no link to any credit card and who I am - it is literally just a number.

The phone has Nokia Maps on it so is useful when finding flats/hotels and there is a whatsapp app for the phone as well.

The only downside is I can't access UKP/AW through the network unless I verify with a CC. Not a problem as I put the numbers of plan a,b and c in the phone on the day.

Cheap and no links to me.