Tesco Sim Black Friday

[grasscutter]

Tesco have their unlimited SIM on promotion at £17.50 per month on a 24 month contract. No roaming fees fixed until 2026.
I’ve just got two sims for my wife and I and they discount by £1 a month on each sim so that reduces to £16.50 per month for each sim.
The salesman said that as the contract is 24 months the roaming is fixed for the contract length ( hopefully true) .
It works out much better than the now defunct Popit 100gb roaming.
The small print says two months roaming in a rolling 4 month period.
Hopefully having a sim each we could actually hotspot off each other every other month if we are roaming and stay under the limit.

 

[Millcourt]

Regrettably can only be used in a mobile phone handset and not used in a Router.

 

[grasscutter]

Regrettably can only be used in a mobile phone handset and not used in a Router.

I purchased an Irish Tesco sim card when out there and had no problem using it in my router.

 

[RedFrame]

Regrettably can only be used in a mobile phone handset and not used in a Router.

Incorrect!

Cheers
Red.

 

[Bolti]

Regrettably can only be used in a mobile phone handset and not used in a Router.

You are correct, it is in O2 terms and conditions. True the SIM will work in a router but O2 can and do cut customers off who are doing so.

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[RedFrame]

You are correct, it is in O2 terms and conditions. True the SIM will work in a router but O2 can and do cut customers off who are doing so.

It's a Tesco sim, the contract is with Tesco.

After 7 years usage, purely in a Router, Tesco have not cut mine off.

I presume you can provide examples of all these Tesco customers being cut off.

Cheers
Red.

 

[BikerGraham]

It's a Tesco sim, the contract is with Tesco.

After 7 years usage, purely in a Router, Tesco have not cut mine off.

I presume you can provide examples of all these Tesco customers being cut off.

Cheers
Red.

I put mine into a MIFI (5577) which it worked in for a few weeks then stopped. Never worked in it since.
Works no problem in a phone though.

Yes I had updated the settings too.

 

[RedFrame]

I put mine into a MIFI (5577) which it worked in for a few weeks then stopped. Never worked in it since.
Works no problem in a phone though.

Yes I had updated the settings too.

One....

Although you don't state if it's a Tesco or O2 sim, and whether you've tested it in any other router,.... or indeed if you were informed by Tesco that you had breached the contract..?

Anyone going for Two...

I'm really looking for floods of examples here, as this is the "new" reason not to go with Tesco after the failed "EU Roaming will be withdrawn mid contract" rubbish that was being spouted on here...

Cheers
Red.

 

[fishplug]

If the T&Cs for a SIM from any company explicitly state that it's not for use in routers/mobile hotspots then it's pot luck as to whether they will work or not, and whether they'll stop working at some point in the future.

Most of them will work on routers even if the T&C say that's breaking the rules, and most of those will continue working indefinitely, however if they stop then you haven't got any recourse to complain.

I've got the Three unlimited SIM bought through a third party which costs about £17 on a 24 Month contract without it being a Black Friday deal. Three themselves charge more for it if you buy direct, but there are third parties who will give away a chunk of their reseller margin in order to attract volume sales.

The company I work for sells SIMs (among other things!) so we see this a fair bit. Oh, and before anyone gets in touch hoping for a cheap deal, we only sell at corporate level in fairly large quantities - hence why I get my SIM from a Three reseller and not through the company. Even my company phone SIM isn't provided by the company!

A Tesco SIM will be on the O2 network, but the Tesco T&Cs won't be the same as the O2 T&C...

Lots of reasons not to go with Tesco, same as there are lots of reasons not to go with any of the other providers if you want to start picking fault. Bottom line is that they're always and constantly shifting their offerings in order to try to differentiate themselves from other offers and deals. The devil with all SIMs in in the details. Where can you roam? How much does it cost to buy a bolt on? Can you buy a bolt on when you're already abroad or do you have to activate in the UK? Is the 'unlimited' data really unlimited or do you get a speed cap after a certain amount? Can you use it in a hotspot? Etc, etc, etc.

 

[BikerGraham]

One....

Although you don't state if it's a Tesco or O2 sim, and whether you've tested it in any other router,.... or indeed if you were informed by Tesco that you had breached the contract..?

Anyone going for Two...

I'm really looking for floods of examples here, as this is the "new" reason not to go with Tesco after the failed "EU Roaming will be withdrawn mid contract" rubbish that was being spouted on here...

Cheers
Red.

As you were talking about Tesco mobile and I gave you an example. To me I thought it would be obvious to anyone that, that is who I was talking about in Response to you.
Obviously not for some then.

So to be clear, yes a Tesco Mobile SIM.
Tried in other routers. Yes. Don’t work.

Didn’t bother contacting Tesco. It was pointed out in a thread in here by someone that in their T’&C’s it stated not the be used in routers. So I just put it in a spare iPhone I have and it’s been fine ever since.

When the 2 years is up (May 2025) I will cancel it and take out another one and see if that works.

I have since also changed my business phone contracts from Vodafone to Tesco Mobile. But better value prices.

I put a 3 data sim in the router at home. Worked out at about £6 a month for 350gb. Works well enough to replace house broadband.

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[dunnah01]

Our Tesco mobile Unlimited phone SIM has worked faultlessly for a few years in our Huawei E5577C router for data (& SMS) only in both the UK and EU. We regularly use upto 200Gb+ when roaming for a few weeks without being told off by Tesco or O2

 

[Bolti]

Our Tesco mobile Unlimited phone SIM has worked faultlessly for a few years in our Huawei E5577C router for data (& SMS) only in both the UK and EU. We regularly use upto 200Gb+ when roaming for a few weeks without being told off by Tesco or O2

The Huawei E5577C is a mifi not a router, this is allowed as it is a mobile device.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Couple of years ago I had a Tesco Sim which would not work with a Huewai E5785 mifi router. I was OK for a couple of days then refused to connect. Eventually told be Tesco mobile that router devices were unsupported. Works for some but not for others.

 

[Madmag]

Exactly same issue. Worked in mifi for couple of days then nothing. Tried for days with every setting imaginable, nothing! Cancelled while still I trial period.

 

[ChrisL]

My Tesco unlimited sim works in my Huawei E5573 and also my E5783B mifi's, I did have an issue with the latter not connecting, but a quick wipe of the sim card with a clean tissue fixed that and ofcourse they must have the Tesco APN manually entered.

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[Lenny HB]

After 7 years usage, purely in a Router, Tesco have not cut mine off.

In a router or a Mifi?

 

[fishplug]

In a router or a Mifi?

From experience MVNOs don't generally differentiate between the two. Phone/tablet is one thing Router/Mifi/Hotspot is another.

T&C either allow or forbid Router/MiFi/Hotspot and if the rules say 'no' then you're in gambling territory. Put everything on black and you're on a 50/50... (actually in real terms the odds are slightly stacked in your favour but when the computer says 'no' then you're trussed and stuffed.)

 

[ChrisL]

From experience MVNOs don't generally differentiate between the two. Phone/tablet is one thing Router/Mifi/Hotspot is another.

T&C either allow or forbid Router/MiFi/Hotspot and if the rules say 'no' then you're in gambling territory. Put everything on black and you're on a 50/50... (actually in real terms the odds are slightly stacked in your favour but when the computer says 'no' then you're trussed and stuffed.)

If you look on the Tesco website at compatible devices you will find some mifi's amongst them, neither of my mifi's are on the compatible list but still work okay, if I remembered correctly the actual wording was for mobile devices only.

 

[Lenny HB]

From experience MVNOs don't generally differentiate between the two. Phone/tablet is one thing Router/Mifi/Hotspot is another.

T&C either allow or forbid Router/MiFi/Hotspot and if the rules say 'no' then you're in gambling territory. Put everything on black and you're on a 50/50... (actually in real terms the odds are slightly stacked in your favour but when the computer says 'no' then you're trussed and stuffed.)

Offcon state a phone sim must work in Mifi but no such rule for a router.

 

[Kups]

This is the Tesco Fair Use relevant paragraph refering to breaches of their policy.

using a Tesco Mobile SIM card other than for the purposes advertised, described in any user guides, or instructed by us or using a Tesco Mobile SIM card in, or connected to any device or hardware other than a mobile phone or tablet. For example, using your Tesco Mobile SIM card in a router for broadband;

I think that's pretty clear. Phones and tablets yes, routers no.

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[Seani]

Sims can be used in any device, it’s a EU ruling that is enshrined in U.K. law, the telcos have not managed to enforce changes with Ofcom.

 

[ChrisL]

This is the Tesco Fair Use relevant paragraph refering to breaches of their policy.

using a Tesco Mobile SIM card other than for the purposes advertised, described in any user guides, or instructed by us or using a Tesco Mobile SIM card in, or connected to any device or hardware other than a mobile phone or tablet. For example, using your Tesco Mobile SIM card in a router for broadband;

I think that's pretty clear. Phones and tablets yes, routers no.

Yet at least one Huawei mifi is in their list of compatible devices, and both of my Huawei mifi's which are not on their list also work.

 

[Kups]

Yet at least one Huawei mifi is in their list of compatible devices, and both of my Huawei mifi's which are not on their list also work.

Might try mine then. Where's the list, cannot seem to find it?

 

[ChrisL]

Might try mine then. Where's the list, cannot seem to find it?

 

[Googlebot]

Mine is in a Teltonika router, used 200GB in 2 weeks in France in August, no issues and still working fine.

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[treblid]

Here is the link to the Device Support page; https://support.tescomobile.com/

 

[cyberyacht]

Yet at least one Huawei mifi is in their list of compatible devices, and both of my Huawei mifi's which are not on their list also work.

That's because they are run by Chinese Intelligence.

 

[Kups]

Here is the link to the Device Support page; https://support.tescomobile.com/

Update: successfully using a Tesco PAYG sim in my ZTF 5002 router having set it up in a mobile phone. The Tesco device checker didn't recognise the IMEI number but it works. APN also set up ready for EU. Looks like I've cracked it. Goodbye Popit.