Hello,
I signed up for a monthly plan + phone in December of last year, as a Christmas present for my mother, as her existing pay as you go service was being stopped. The phone arrived just in time for Christmas, but I had to use her existing - soon to be deactivated - SIM, as a new one did not arrive with the phone. Eventually a new SIM arrived some weeks later, and I put this in her shiny new phone for her.
All was well until today, when she complained that she was unable to make or receive any calls. I take a look it at for her, and sure enough there is no signal on the phone, and no calls can be made or received by it. Logging in to the website, I find a message at the top stating "Your services have been barred as you have an outstanding balance." It seems that payment has only been taken for the phone, and not the airtime as well. Weird. Both should be taken at the same time surely?
In any case, I made a manual payment using my debit card, and assumed this would clear the phone for use. Apparently not. I then made another payment of £1.00 to check if something was wrong with the site, and although payment has again been taken, the phone is still blocked. What's going on?
Why are airtime and phone payments not being taken from the same source? Why am I having to make manual airtime payments for a contract phone, when the phone itself is being paid for direct from my bank account? Why is the phone still barred despite two payments having been made?
There was no warning that I can see that this was going to happen, and frankly if I take out a contract for something which involves monthly payments, then I don't expect to have to make manual payments each and every single time. That defeats the purpose of a contract plan surely?
My mum is a pensioner, and she needs her phone. At the moment said phone is totally unusable, and she can't ring anyone. Please can you assist?
Kind Regards,
Jason
