# Mobile phone & sim card confusion



## Hellsbells (Jan 9, 2017)

Talktalk are so confusing. Just spent an hour on the phone and am lost. Or think I made them lost! Hope someone here can help. 

Basically, I'm tied in a 12 month SIM contract that ends in April. I want to cancel it as I'm moving to the Isle of Man where talktalk won't work. I was told cancelling early will cost loads and it's best to keep the contract until April. However, I obviously need mobile access before then. 
My question to talktalk (which they couldn't really answer) was if I were to buy a new SIM card with a new provider, would this work in my mobile. 
So I'd have one mobile phone, one mobile number, and 2 different SIM cards with different providers....  Is this possible?


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## gosub (Jan 9, 2017)

SS7 hack.


so no but yeah.


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## discobastard (Jan 9, 2017)

Hellsbells said:


> Talktalk are so confusing. Just spent an hour on the phone and am lost. Or think I made them lost! Hope someone here can help.
> 
> Basically, I'm tied in a 12 month SIM contract that ends in April. I want to cancel it as I'm moving to the Isle of Man where talktalk won't work. I was told cancelling early will cost loads and it's best to keep the contract until April. However, I obviously need mobile access before then.
> My question to talktalk (which they couldn't really answer) was if I were to buy a new SIM card with a new provider, would this work in my mobile.
> So I'd have one mobile phone, one mobile number, and 2 different SIM cards with different providers....  Is this possible?


You could possibly buy a sim that had a different number on it with a different provider (depends on your make of phone and whether it is locked to any particular network).

But you won't be able to have one number with two different providers at the same time. 

They would have to let you port your number to the new provider. 

So what you're asking really isn't possible, no.

ETA: see here, bit about leaving the Uk.

Cancelling your mobile contract early


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## skyscraper101 (Jan 9, 2017)

Personally I think all mobile phone companies should be obligated to offer an early termination for no extra fee on SIM only contracts if their customers move, and are not able to get a signal where they move to.


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## discobastard (Jan 9, 2017)

skyscraper101 said:


> Personally I think all mobile phone companies should be obligated to offer an early termination for no extra fee on SIM only contracts if their customers move, and are not able to get a signal where they move to.


I think it's fair enough if there are service problems but just because one decides to move to somewhere there is no advertised service is not their problem - certainly not if you have signed a contract. 

The alternative is not to get into contract.

But it's not clear from OP whether TalkTalk advertise their services there.


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## skyscraper101 (Jan 9, 2017)

discobastard said:


> I think it's fair enough if there are service problems but just because one decides to move is not their problem - certainly not if you have signed a contract.
> 
> The alternative is not to get into contract.



But people have to move all the time, for reasons which they cannot necessarily foresee. And I think it's fair enough to offer an option to get out of a fixed contract, especially if a reliable service cannot be provided in the new location and some kind of evidence of a new address can be provided.


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## discobastard (Jan 9, 2017)

skyscraper101 said:


> But people have to move all the time, for reasons which they cannot necessarily foresee. And I think it's fair enough to offer an option to get out of a fixed contract, especially if a reliable service cannot be provided in the new location.


That depends on whether the provider actually operates in a specific location or not, which as I said wasn't clear from OP. 

But yeah, if you move to another area in which service is poor (rather than 'we don't operate in this country') then the new ofcom rules state you you should be able to get out of a contract.


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## skyscraper101 (Jan 9, 2017)

discobastard said:


> That depends on whether the provider actually operates in a specific location or not, which as I said wasn't clear from OP.
> 
> But yeah, if you move to another area in which service is poor (rather than 'we don't operate in this country') then the new ofcom rules state you you should be able to get out of a contract.



Oh, ok, yes that's what I meant.


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## two sheds (Jan 9, 2017)

buy a cheap second hand phone and stick the other provider's sim in that?


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## teuchter (Jan 9, 2017)

IOM is not in the UK, and Talktalk advertise it as being within "Zone 1" for roaming charges.



If it were me, I'd try and estimate what's cheaper - paying those roaming charges for a few months, or whatever the cost of terminating the contract early is.


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## alex_ (Jan 9, 2017)

skyscraper101 said:


> Personally I think all mobile phone companies should be obligated to offer an early termination for no extra fee on SIM only contracts if their customers move, and are not able to get a signal where they move to.



It's tricky because when you take the 12 month contract, you get a bigger discount and in return you guarantee them 12 months payments.

If what you want happened, those discounts would get a bit smaller as talktalk priced in the moves they'd know would take place and what that would cost them.


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## discobastard (Jan 9, 2017)

alex_ said:


> It's tricky because when you take the 12 month contract, you get a bigger discount and in return you guarantee them 12 months payments.
> 
> If what you want happened, those discounts would get a bit smaller as talktalk priced in the moves they'd know would take place and what that would cost them.


Yes. And/or you're paying for the phone itself as part of the monthly fee.


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## alex_ (Jan 9, 2017)

discobastard said:


> Yes. And/or you're paying for the phone itself as part of the monthly fee.


To be fair the guy I was replying too did say on sim only contracts.


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