Disappearing credit from smartphone!

[seahermit]

Another occasion when I desperately need another opinion! I have a Samsung Galaxy J6 Plus phone, mainly only used for internet. I was tempted to pick up an Asda Mobile PAYG SIM and install that - Asda Mobile (who piggy-back on the EE network) are doing a special offer of 7GB data plus minutes and texts for £10 (monthly bundle which I intended to purchase soon).

Last night I topped up locally using a top-up card, a couple of hours later switched the phone on to check the credit (it was £21) and switched off again. When I switched on this morning, the credit had gone down to £5, soon after it went down to £2.

I have never had a problem of this kind before in many years. Is it simply a cock-up on the part of the network, or ... what? I have a couple of anti-virus/malware apps installed on the phone and, so far as I know, there is no evidence of anything malign having installed itself.

[Richard]

You don't say which payg tariff provider you use.
There must be a way to monitor usage online.

[seahermit]

What "usage"? The phone was switched off!

As I said, the new SIM card was purchased from Asda Mobile.

[Richard]

seahermit - Go directly to that provider Asda Mobile PAYG SIM and ask for an explanation.
Perhaps mobile apps can update in the background.

[seahermit]

I appreciate the responses, Richard, but all of the phone networks are discouraging phone calls currently. I have filled in a form on their website but, on past experience, it is unlikely that I will get a reply.

Mobile apps of course update in the background and this SIM, when I inserted it, prompted a software download. But using up nearly £20 of credit?!

There are one or two very useful tech websites which I use, I will post something on there, I have no doubt that this has happened before to people and that someone will know how to battle it out with the network provider.

Meantime, I have taken the simplest route, written off £20 and started again with a new O2 SIM. The reason I tried Asda Mobile was that I intended to buy a recurring data bundle - but no point in their offering a splendid deal if the system doesn't work properly!

[Richard]

seahermit - there are many complaints online about Asda Mobile.

Here is a link to contacts:

https://www.callcustomerservice.co.uk/n ... r-services

[seahermit]

Thanks for your comments, Richard. It's the first bad mistake I have made for years, so rather annoyed with myself! Gone back to O2 for this Samsung phone, good service and excellent downloadable app. Perhaps I was a bit naive, and should have used my wi-fi hub, but the most a software download ever cost me was a pound or two. Even so, I can't understand why the credit shot down whilst the phone was switched off ..

Will follow up your link. Asda Mobile uses the EE network, for years rated the worst of all network providers equally with the ghastly TalkTalk! People still signed up, cos they were cheep-cheep ..