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Buying a sim- What ID do I need?

I know this isn't a travel forum but I hope someone on here will be able to help me.

I'm heading to London in a few weeks and will be buying pay as you go sim for my phone once I arrive. I was just wondering what Identification you need (if any) to do this?

Also just wondering if orange has good coverage?
Thanks

None. And yes orange has one of the best coverage, and decent PAYG prices (and orange wednesadays).

Thankyou. :D

Sorted :D

No ID needed - just roll up and commence your terrorism activities safe in the knowledge that you are untraceable.

The ASDA sim does 8p per min and 4p texts.

Quote: reds @ October 14 2010, 11:17 AM BST

I know this isn't a travel forum but I hope someone on here will be able to help me.

I'm heading to London in a few weeks and will be buying pay as you go sim for my phone once I arrive. I was just wondering what Identification you need (if any) to do this?

Also just wondering if orange has good coverage?
Thanks

In a 99p shop a SIM card can cost as little as... you guessed it 99p, but I think you have to add money to its account to use it much. It will only have a small 'free' allowance.

Make sure your phone is unlocked and not tied to your existing supplier. If you think it might be locked contact your supplier and request that it be unlocked. If you have not owned the phone long you may have to pay a fee to unlock.

Quote: billwill @ October 15 2010, 2:33 AM BST

If you have not owned the phone long you may have to pay a fee to unlock.

I recently acquired a friend's old phone to replace my fashionable 7-year-old mobile phone, but when I put my old simcard in, it wouldn't work, due to the phone being locked to a rival network. I phoned this rival network (Australia's Telstra) and asked them to unlock the phone - they said there would be a $50 fee to do this. I politely hung up, then Googled "unlock Telstra phone" and soon found a Danish site, which provided me with a code I needed to enter to unlock the phone. So I assume every phone can be unlocked without paying a fee. Locking phones to networks should be illegal.

Quote: Juan Kerr @ October 14 2010, 5:33 PM BST

No ID needed - just roll up and commence your terrorism activities safe in the knowledge that you are untraceable.

Unbelievable. When I came to Australia a few years ago I had to jump through hoops to buy a local SIM card (actually, I just had to present my passport - or a driver's license would have sufficed).

What's happening in the world of handsets at the moment?

Quote: Kenneth @ October 15 2010, 5:47 AM BST

So I assume every phone can be unlocked without paying a fee. Locking phones to networks should be illegal.

Not all unfortunately, it depends on the manufacturers. Though if you can't find the unlocking code for free then there are companies on eBay which will go it for between £5-£15.

Quote: Nat Wicks @ October 15 2010, 9:29 AM BST

Not all unfortunately, it depends on the manufacturers. Though if you can't find the unlocking code for free then there are companies on eBay which will go it for between £5-£15.

Rather than smash windows and go on looting sprees like a bunch of savages, Europe's anti-globalization protesters (or whatever they're protesting) could instead focus their energies on a peaceful campaign to make it illegal for manufacturers and mobile networks to collude in the locking of phones.

Certainly a worthy cause.

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