Mobile phone question

[SteveSxx]

My wifes "PAYG/Contract" mobile phone has died - she is on Orange and gets a special rate (how/why ?) of 5p per text etc - anyway my question is if she buys herself a new phone from Tescos (�30 or less) - she doesn't need or want a camera/GPRS (just a basic phone) - is she going to be able to remain on exactly the same terms and conditions as she is on now ?
I assume that she will have to inform Orange of the change, not just swap SIM cards ?

[jmck66]

buy a new phone ,get it unblocked for 5 or 10 pound ,put your original sim card in and thats it ,simple! she may even get afiver for the sim card from the new phone.

[SteveSxx]

This is a question of legality - I want to be legal
and want to register the new phone with Orange !!!

[deggers316]

get a tesco bought phone and a tesco sim card. 3 fav numbers are 10p anytime and text 5p all other call 20p to any network 10p text

[SteveSxx]

Can my wife keep her existing phone number ?

[SteveSxx]

What network does Tescos use ?

[jenky]

Putting your sim card into a different phone is in no way illegal.
You do not need to inform your network provider that you have done this either.
Secondly, unlocking a handset to allow it to take any sim card is also in no way illegal.
Not many phones are locked in the way they all used to be so often you can buy a new handset and simply swap sim cards.
I believe that as PAYG bundles go these days, only orange still lock the handsets to their own network.
For example, I have had a Vodafone sim for ten years, and the last 2 phones I bought were Virgin PAYG handsets, as they were the cheapest bundle. I used the free credit that came with the virgin sims, then chucked them away and put in my Vodafone sim. (Your number does not change)

[SteveSxx]

Surely the phone number is SIM dependant (ie if you change SIM cards - the phone number will change) - so if you "chuck away" the SIM cards - you are chucking away a phone number ?

[jenky]

sorry - can't have made that clear... I was meaning that if you use your old sim, then you keep the same number.

My case of throwing the ones away, were the ones you get whenever you buy a PAYG bundle. They usually have a few pounds credit on that you can use up quickly, then go back to your main one.