Sad Old Fart needs Mobile Phone Help

[Jon Masters]

Hello, you youngsters. Sad old Jon needs some help with his mobile.

I've got a Nokia on Orange which was bought for me a long time ago, and which I only use in the direst of emergencies (to transfer outside time and space obviously). It must be on Pay as You Go as I have never received a bill.

After using it sporadically for a number of years, after using it yesterday I got sent a text from Orange saying that I now had less than 60 seconds left available.

Of course, the instruction booklet has long since vanished, so my question is

How do I go about getting my phone 'topped up' (I believe the phrase is) ?

I am aware that one can purchase vouchers, but do I need to know some special code on my phone to activate them ?
Mrs M's phone can be paid for by phoning a special number and using her debit card, but we tried that number on my phone and it did nothing.

An old codger would be very grateful for any advice before he has to go make a fool of himself by troubling the YTS people in the Orange shop.

[Si Hunt]

I would call Orange from your normal phone and ask for advice - you can probably give them a top-up voucher number and do it like that, but you probably want to make sure your phone is still working before you buy top-up, as you said it was old. Is your wife on Orange too? If so, the Orange Number should work on your mobile. Make sure it's not broken before you top up.

Si.

[Jon Masters]

Thanks, Si - I'll try ringing Orange tomorrow.

One day I might get around to learning about this crazy thing called texting too....

[cullsoft]

Alternatively, you could pop into a mobile phone store (either a specific Orange store or one of the non-network-specific ones like Carphone Warehouse), and ask for an Orange top-up card. Once you've registered the card to your phone (think this just means ringing up a number you're given, then entering the card's number and your mobile phone's number), you can then use the card at phone shops, supermarkets, newsagents and so forth to add credit pretty much instantly.

[Rob McCow]

Try dialing either 452 or 451. There should be a talk-through set of options, one of which will be to top up your phone.

[Jon Masters]

Well, what a pallaver.

I finally found a set of menus of the phone itself claiming to let me top up, and which put me through to Orange's automated service. What a load of T@##. Despite telling me I could nominate a debit card to use there was no way of doing it nor did my current card work.

I know I thought - there'll be a website. It said I could set up an online account but only if I knew my secret 4 digit number which was allocated when the phone was bought. When I clicked on the 'I don't know my number' link its suggested.......I phone the automated Orange operator !! (*which still didn't have any such option).

In the end I went to our nearest Cash point which has a top up facility - all I had to do was type the actual phone's number twice and it added £20 That should last me until retirement.

[Dirk Gently]

That's what I do, use a cash machine. Way easier than using top up cards etc.

[Pip Madeley]

I wish I'd seen this thread sooner, I would've said use a cash machine - that's what I always do! Just done it now in fact

[SiHart]

I use my top up card and get nectar point when I do at Sainsburys.

Si xx