I then acquired a sim only monthly deal from Smarty.com for unlimited calls and texts. £5/month.
The "living below my means" part of me managed to calculate that if I kept my phone for 5 years it would cost me £7/month.
I was particularly impressed with myself.
Until this Monday!
Driving into work I needed to make an important call. Hands free of course. I don't recall the exact words but I got a recorded message to say I couldn't make the call as the service was no longer available. Upon arriving at work I checked if Smarty (Three) was down. It wasn't. I couldn't ring them as I couldn't find a contact number on their website. So I sent them an email. Much to my surprise they replied within 20 minutes. They had tried to collect my payment but were unable. I walked to my bank and waited patiently to be seen.
My bank informed me that the previous 14 payments had been collected from my debit card. It was then that the penny dropped. Two weeks earlier my new puppy had tested my debit card to destruction. Bless him
Clearly I'd not thought to update my Smarty.com account with my new debit card details. How very remiss of me. I walked back to my office. As I did so, apart from enjoying the Monday morning sun, I ventured to myself ... why didn't Smarty.com send me a text with a contact number on. I checked my phone. No text. I emailed them. I suggested that they could have sent me a text. They responded telling me they had. Hmmm ... Inspector AiY checked ... they collected my "tariff" once a month on the 19th. Monday was the 19th. Soooo ... if they had sent me text they had given me about zero hours to ring them and sort the payment out.
I concluded they had cut me off and sent no text before doing so.
So I responded in kind. As you do. And for the record. There is one thing a Yorkshireman does better than protect his money. He cross climbs. So I shuffled off to Carphone Warehouse and bought a new phone. £17/month for a Samsung A10, unlimited texts and calls. Took me 50 minutes.
Noting I did get a text from Smarty the moment I asked for my PAC code
Sadly over the weekend my Uncle passed away. It was not unexpected. I wanted to call my Mum on Monday morning to establish the funeral arrangements. I couldn't.
Well done Smarty.com. You disconnect your customers within seconds of them not making a payment. Great customer care. You lie too. All that for £5.00. I'm not sure you deserve the name Smarty
AiY