[cookie]

My home network is O2 Ireland and I have an Blackberry 8700g (Originally OS Version 4.1) which I got O2 to unlock for me as I was traveling across asia to live and work in New Zealand but I continue to pay O2 5 euro a month to keep the sim card and my BIS active. When I arrived in New Zealand I bought a vodafone pre-pay sim card and placed it in my Blackberry card. Since then 2 odd things have happened.

1. Despite the fact that I'm now with a different network on a pre pay service (i.e. I dont pay for blackberry service with vodafone) I am still able to receive emails through my blackberry which I'm not charged for by vodafone. I am also not charged by O2 for the data either.

2. I am able to use unlimited data services (surf web with blackberry browser or opera, use IM+ and use google maps) and I am not charged for this.

I upgraded recently (after all this happened) to OS version 4.2 and the same thing still happens. I have not done any hacking of the blackberry I simply removed my O2 sim card and placed the Vodafone sim card in. Anyone any ideas why this could happen? This has been going on now for 4 weeks and still no charges to my Vodafone pre pay account. Don't get me wrong I'm enjoying this quirk!

[John Clark]

My guess is Vodafone will catch up with you. Charges for data will get charged to whatever sim is in the device.

[cookie]

Problem is I'm not on contract and they dont have my contact details. It's a pre payed sim card so I have to load it up with credit which they deduct when I make a phone call or send a text message (which they do). So i dont know how they can charge me?

[John Clark]

Well, then whatever you do, don't ask them about it! My guess is they will realize the mistake at some point and turn it off. Enjoy it while it lasts!

[cookie]

True I won't be rushing to tell them. But it's still odd how it could happen? Is it a defect in the system in that they would never expect a Blackberry user to travel to another country and put a 'pre' payed SIM card into a blackberry. Anyone else ever experienced this?

[ndub33]

I've never experienced it, but my guess is that the error is in how your sim is provisioned in your home network. If in fact that is the case, a Technical Care Rep could easily correct it if they knew it was set up erroneously.

[RoC1909]

Just chalk it up to good luck for you, bad luck for them. As with all things in technology, glitches happen.

I used to buy twenty quid prepaid phone cards when I was stationed in London England while in the Marine Corps to call home (California) on during the 1980's and on one occasion, I remember not having the 'little bars' on the phone screen go down. They showed how much time was remaining on a phone card. The cards on average would usually last 15-20 minutes IIRC but on this one occasion, I talked for over two hours AND STILL, had my FULL limit remaining. There were a lot of people waiting for the phone (I was in the Bond Street Tube Station) but I just told them to F off if they gave me any lip AND to use another phone.