# Bluddy mobile phones.



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

As we become more reliant on our mobile phones, it's a real pain in the ass when something goes wrong.
Today after using my phone in Portugal and Spain for three months we get on the road only to see a message asking for the SIM code to activate my phone?
It's the original code that came with the SIM about a year ago and easy to remember. 0000. Failed and now I only have two more tries. So I boot up my trusty old laptop which has all my codes in it only to find 0000 is the SIM code for my phone. I try again and another failure. In desperation I try a really old pin that I have used for years and then get the phone blocked.!!


I now have to wait till I get home of contcat Boygues to get the PUK number to be able to use the phone again.
This is just great when your on the road trying to cover 700km. to the next stop at a hotel. Bloody phones.


Is this progress. Don't answer as until I get home I'm buggered. This was great trying to get into the hotel booked online and with a confirmation saved to my phone??


Ray.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Oh dear Ray! Hope you're having a nice calming glass of red by now!

Safe journey!


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Thanks Jean.
Had the best meal in a restaurant next to the WORST 'hotel' near Bordeaux.


Ray.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Sorry to hear all your troubles , Ray. I am fast coming to the conclusion that we would all be happier without technology. When you see the Spanish pottering around tending their plots of land I think they have got it about right.

On another note do tell about the restaurant as we are heading that way soon.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Thanks Pat. Still en route at Nantes. Restaurant was Loen a Bruxelles at Pessac just near Bordeaux airport.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Have you tried turning it off and turning it on again? :grin2:


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Ray


Have you turned it on in France? It may have been a conectivity issue in Portugal/Spain.


Geoff


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

I'm just remembering - don't you use Toggle? Well, you have to Toggle the settings when you change country!

If you can't remember how, ask n I'll check it out.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Toggle - Select mode - Manual - (select your current location)


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## SteveRallye1 (Nov 29, 2016)

Got a bog standard Tesco mobile and its great, big numbers and never lets me down however it often welcomes me to countries we have not been in or got to.It recently welcomed us to Virginia USA, so looking forward to visiting there one day. So my phone gets to more places than I do good job its pay as you go as I would be worried.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Pat, Jan, Jean and Geoff. The phone was locked.!!!!! You can't do anything with it until you get the PUK number and create another PIN. No amount of rebooting or anything else works when they are locked.

Did manage to get the PUK and create a new PIN but only after arriving at the crappy hotel and using their very slow internet. Took ages and again was a pain.
Annoyingly several friends keep harping on about their fool proof simple phone and yes we do have one of those for my wife in emergencies. But again now she had found the benefits of Wotsapp ing family and friends when we travel as well as chit chat back and forth to her sisters. The loss was tragic.

Yes Jean that one is Toggle and I have to change each country as we arrive. So it's not that simple.??

Ray.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Pat.
The Leon a Bruxelles restaurant happened to be next to the crappy Premier Class hotel in Pessac. https://www.leon-de-bruxelles.fr/en/

They are probably a chain and are at several locations. But we were so pleasantly surprised arriving early to be seated and attended to before they were normally open.
The choices were good and we both had muscles with chips and everything was so hot in metal containers that retained the heat. The servers were so attentive and nothing was too much trouble. Drinks and deserts were very reasonable and with the 10% discount from the hotel made it all the more enjoyable.

I would seek them out next time we are travelling via Bordeaux but not the Hotel Premier Class. Apart from our room resembling a condemned caravan and smelling of dog. We found it so dirty and cramped with poor Wi-Fi and little comfort apart from the bed.

Ray.


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

Are you sure it's the phone and not the Sim that is locked Ray. Local Sims are cheap could be worth a try.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Glandwr said:


> Are you sure it's the phone and not the Sim that is locked Ray. Local Sims are cheap could be worth a try.


Sorry, yes it's the SIM that had locked up after three 'wrong' pin's. The only message was to get the SIM PUK number which I did eventually.

Ray.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

raynipper said:


> Pat, Jan, Jean and Geoff. The phone was locked.!!!!!
> 
> Ray.


Ah yes, I didn't read the OP again!

Glad you're sorted.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yes thanks Jean.
But I find there are other issues with 'smart' phones I need to get to grips with apart from now carrying PIN and PUK codes on scraps of paper.

I get odd calls from far away places I don't answer as they are bound to be scams. But they then leave a voice message on the phone I just can't seem to get rid off. Long press and slide off the screen doesn't do anything.

Then theres the really loud and annoying game that blares out at the most inopportune moment willing me to install the bluddy thing. 
My contacts seem to 'save' both under Christian names and also family names. 
Some of my Wotsapp contacts are only shown as a mobile number. But some have their name or an image. Not sure how to edit numbers to names yet.

Ray.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

I find that people often do not answer my calls if I use Skype, because it shows up as 'Private number' and they are suspicious.


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

nicholsong said:


> I find that people often do not answer my calls if I use Skype, because it shows up as 'Private number' and they are suspicious.


There is a toggle in skype that you can enter your telephone number into Geoff. Subsequently all calls you make from your Skype account will show up as coming from the number you entered. Instructions below.

https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA2561/how-do-i-change-my-caller-identification-settings

Dick


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

raynipper said:


> But they then leave a voice message on the phone I just can't seem to get rid off.
> 
> Ray.


I have my voice message turned off Ray - I reckon those I know will try again or text, those who were chancing their arm will move to easier pickings.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I still have a little symbol always on my screen indicating I have a "New Voicemail". But I know it's not wanted and could be a scam/sell number.
But try as I might I still can't get rid of the thing after two weeks.
Apart from a long press anything else opens the number and the phone starts dialling.

Ray.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

If I get a voice mail I have to dial 121 to listen to it, so no way I can be scammed.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yes Kev, thats presumably via your mobile number. But this one seems to have come into the phone as there is no record of it in the calls history.

Ray.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

That sounds a bit odd Ray.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Eggzackery Kev.

Ray.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Hi s a call to my mobile a few days ago - think it was automated. I took a screenshot of the number - but then that number didn't appear in the history - most odd I thought.


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