UK Mobile Phone deals - help!

[Toshtosh]

Hi everyone,

I'm a long time blog reader and first time forum poster - hello!

I'm looking to get a new phone deal (broke up with fiance and he's still paying for it, which is clearly not ideal!). Have tried comparison sites, but they seem to go with 'which shiny spanking new phone do you want' and then the finances, which is obviously a pishy way to go about things. Any ideas on how I can go about doing this sensibly??

Aimee x

[jade]

Sorry to hear that Aimee.

For a sim only monthly contract I managed to get Virgin down to £8 a month for unlimited calls, texts and 1gb data. http://store.virginmedia.com/virgin-media-mobile/sim-only/pay-monthly-sim.html

I think I looked at moneysavingexpert.com originally, I think there was a way to get comparisons for deals with and without phones: http://www.moneysupermarket.com/mobile-phones/brands/sim-only/sim-card/

Good luck!

[Daley]

HowardForum does have an EU/UK section on general carrier discussion, but it's not what I would call a guide per se:
http://www.howardforums.com/forumdisplay.php/222-European-Carrier-Discussion-Forums

Edit: This might be a good primer/start place, thread-wise for you:
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1803502-Review-of-UK-Mobile-(prepaid)-services-for-visitors-students

Here's also a list of UK PAYGO mobile options and rates, it's not complete, but it's a start:
http://mobilenetworkcomparison.org.uk/compare/

I don't know a lot about the UK mobile scene (I'm most familiar with the US and Canada), but I know the go-to brands for the frugal set are usually TalkTalk and GiffGaff. I also know Truphone SIM (in the guide for US customers) also has UK service, but it's more for true minimalist PAYGO situations where you may roam a lot. I've also heard enough mentions of Tesco's service and prices to warrant brief mention, but please do your own research.

Although the guide is more geared towards US customers, the basics on preparing for mobile plan shopping is still relevant wherever you may be, so maybe spend some time reading the relevant bit:
http://www.techmeshugana.com/theguide/cellular-providers/

[Playing with Fire UK]

Try uswitch sim only deals. From £4/mo.

[melanie2008]

www.giffgaff.com  I loved giffgaff when I lived there.

[Toshtosh]

Thank you so much everyone! I'll check all of these leads out and see what I can find. You are all wonderful! :)

[Toshtosh]

Just in case anybody's interested - did lots of investigating and have got a deal with Virgin for 1000 mins, unlimited texts and 2gb data for £8/month. I love this forum! :)