What to do with the old cell phone?

[ChrisGreaves]

No, your original SIM is in your new 'phone, your PAYG SIM is in your old 'phone, waiting for an emergency.

Thanks Leif.
This response had me confused for a while, because I thought you thought I'd transferred the original SIM.
I hadn't.
Betty has two phones, two SIMs, each of which arrived with the phone.
It's the first SIM - in the dead phone - that confuses me.
If I understand you, we toss that original SIM and replace it with a PAYG SIM from the local shopping mall or Dollar Store.


I also understand the tracking business.
Eleven years ago I predicted that by 2010 people would begin implanting phone-chips in their heads so that one no longer needed to carry a hand-held device.
I was wrong.
Nonetheless, it supports the practice of one-number one person.
There will only be one of me wandering the planet, so there will be only one unique identifier of me wandering the planet.
That unique identifier could be the cell chip number implanted in my skull.
Of course Bill Gates and Justin Beiber would swank about with two or more chips each ....

[ChrisGreaves]

They have an arrangement whereby they give these phones to women who have been battered or who have protection orders against abusers.

Good call, BobH!

I recall seeing on the NEW phone, before I activated it, that is was good for 911-calls out-of-the-box.
I am in touch/league with several shelters here in Toronto, so if Betty can't be bothered getting a PAYG card, her phone will be shipped off to a shelter.

[ChrisGreaves]

I think all phones with a SIM card in them can dial the international emergency number (i.e. 112), i.e. that number works even if the SIM card is not associated with a service provider.

Thanks Ken, please see also my (1-minute earlier) reply to BobH. The 911-call was available to me right out-of-the-box.

[ChrisGreaves]

Then of course, there's :-

"7 alternatives to a landline phone "
Toronto Star

[Bowlie]

They have an arrangement whereby they give these phones to women who have been battered or who have protection orders against abusers.

Good call, BobH!

I recall seeing on the NEW phone, before I activated it, that is was good for 911-calls out-of-the-box.
I am in touch/league with several shelters here in Toronto, so if Betty can't be bothered getting a PAYG card, her phone will be shipped off to a shelter.

Chris, be careful with PAYG cards from Rogers! On a visit a few years back I bought one to use while I was in Canada to save on the roaming charges. Didn't read the fine print that if not used for a month, the number is suspended, and if not used in six months card is invalidated and any credit is lost. So you can't just throw it in the utility drawer and use when you want.

This was a few years ago, and they may have changed their policy. But I recommend you or Betty check first.

[BobArch2]

But what to do with the old phone?

Hi Chris,

Not sure about Rogers, but Bell will accept phones to be refurbished/reused and given to Women's Shelters. A check with Bell should be able to give you a local drop-off centre. Last year I gave the Bell Ajax PhoneCentre 3 cell phones for the W.S. They are very happy to accept and reuse them. Albeit I cleared the phones of personal contact information, they do undertake to ensure the phone is free and clear of personal data.

[ChrisGreaves]

Chris, be careful with PAYG cards from Rogers!

Thanks Bowlie.
In general I am VERY cautious about any deal with Rogers. (Also I am VERY cautious about any deal with BELL!)

I suspect that Ms B - if she goes the PAYG route - will inspect fine-print AND go for the lowest priced (i.e. lowest worst-case-scenario) she can get.

[ChrisGreaves]

Not sure about Rogers, but Bell will accept phones to be refurbished/reused

Thanks BobArch2(!).
I have a few shelters on my list, and I suspect it will be easy as pie just to drop them off with the clothes, bedding, kitchen gear and dry-foods.

I rather like the idea of a PAYG card.
Especially if it means i could have a cell-phone number that changed every month!

[ChrisGreaves]

... I bought one to use while I was in Canada to save on the roaming charges. .

... and then in Today's Telegraph:-

Ironically, on arrival the couple replaced their Vodafone Sim card with a local network one to avoid excess charges. Unfortunately, what they didn't anticipate was that their Sim card would fall into the hands of thieves.
The couple noticed the card was missing only as they packed to leave, and reported its loss to Vodafone within 24 hours. It was then blocked, but by this time they owed £8,200.

[Bowlie]

Chris, anyone who does not password protect their phone/SIM are idiots. I've set mine up so that a PIN is needed to turn on the phone and a different one is needed to 'unlock' it to make calls.

[ChrisGreaves]

Chris, anyone who does not password protect their phone/SIM are idiots.

Thanks Bowlie; I'll pass that on to Betty.
(HUGE Grin!)
I remember seeing something about "unlock the keypad" when setting up the phone.
I'll revisit the issue when I revisit her later this week.

Now this will seem like a stupid question: Does every cell phone have a SIM?
I ask because I have a cell phone that i rarely use - perhaps once a month it leaves the apartment - and I've never really worried about losing it.
I think it is a PAYG sort of device - Virgin - I bought it a year ago with $100 in the account and in theory I'll need to top it up about once a year. Hasn't happened yet.

If it has a SIM, how would I locate it?

[Bowlie]

Now this will seem like a stupid question: Does every cell phone have a SIM?

Two technologies out there: GSM and CDMA. All GSM phones have a SIM - CDMA don't (usually). As I recall, in Canada, only Rogers uses GSM - the others are CDMA. Here in Europe only GSM is used, so can't really comment on CDMA.

[BobH]

Open the battery compartment. Remove the battery. That where they usually put the SIM card. You might have to pull on a wee metal tab to get it to slide out of its compartment. It will be a bit of plastic not quite an inch square with metal contacts.

But, of course if it doesn't have one, you won't find it and you'll be thinking bad things about me for having put you through the torture of removing the battery.

[ChrisGreaves]

Open the battery compartment. Remove the battery. That where they usually put the SIM card.

Thanks Bob. I did that and found out it was a LG230 cell phone. "The LG 230 does not have a SIM card slot since it's not a GSM phone."

But, of course if it doesn't have one, you won't find it and you'll be thinking bad things about me for having put you through the torture of removing the battery.

Oh No, Bob.
It's not necessary for me to go through all that just to think bad things about you (HUGE grin)

[ChrisGreaves]

All GSM phones have a SIM - CDMA don't (usually). As I recall, in Canada, only Rogers uses GSM - the others are CDMA.

Bowlie, your recollection seems to be correct!

[BobH]

See?

It's always the straight man who sets up the best comedians!

[ChrisGreaves]

It's always the straight man who sets up the best comedians!

At least I didn't bring in that joke about a and battery!