Hi all.

What C12 you ask --- surely they are only up to the C8 ? No --- this is goodbye to my trusty Philips C12 mobile phone, or 'brick' as my offspring would have it. Must have had it at least seven or eight years and it's done everything I want. Makes and receives calls; does text, has buttons I can see and push, has survived in hostile environments because it has a big, solid case and a small display panel instead of a TV screen. Battery charge lasts a week. But now, has started turning itself off and becoming generally erratic, so time to go.
Had a look on Ebay on the off chance anyone had another one still new in the box (I don't care if that sounds sad --- I like it !!!!!), but no luck. Went to phone shop. Oh dear, oh dear. Why can't they understand I'm not interested in phones ???? I simply want to buy another phone I can put my card straight into and that's it. I'm not interested in a zillion 'free' minutes and hundreds of 'free' texts. It's more than I get through in a lifetime. Anyway, how can it be 'free' when I would have to pay them every month ? On my card, if I don't use it, I don't pay anything. Seems sensible to me.
Cheapest phone they had, you supposedly had to buy it, but then pay a tenner on a card I'd never use. Back to good old Ebay. Same phone, new, basic as they now seem to come, ready to go with just my card, under £17 delivered. That's more like it ! Just hope it's nearly as tough and does another seven or eight years.

Mike.

Mike,
Does it look this this?

Hi Harryburgundy.

No, not quite that antique. Only need one hand to lift it !

Mike.

I get through a mobile phone very 12 to 18 months and I don't even abuse it. They are made for high turn over and not to be kept for a long time. It's another example of our chuck away society.

Hi Mike,

"If I don't use it, I don't pay anything". That's what I thought but it ain't necessarily so....

I have an elderly Ericsson A1018s that I keep for emergencies only (never know when you're going to have to call for help with these XMs). I bought a T-mobile card for it and had over £10 credit on it. I recently tried to use the thing - not an emergency - and the display came up "no credit". Turns out that if you don't use it for six months they take your money and run! I'll not be putting any more money into the damned thing.

Derek

Hi Derek.

Know what you mean, but I think I just got one of those endless short term offers that came out OK. No compulsory top up and no expiry of credit. I think the terms and conditions were in Latin !

Mike.