Mobile Phone Plans

Hi everyone, i wasn't sure if there was a Topic/Thread dedicated to Mobile Phone Plans, so i will start this one here as i found the following deal with Coles Mobile in the OzBargain website this morning.

There seems to be a lot of people who are not mobile phone power users like me, where we don't use our phones for any mission critical stuff (just calls, texts, emails, google searches etc) and just need something cheap, and who are prepared to swap to another cheap plan after their current one expires.

This Coles deal starts Wednesday June 2nd, it's usually $120 (or $10 per month) and after this deal deal expires you may end up having to recharge the same plan at the regular price on the day, or swap over to another cheaper plan with another provider, which isn't a big deal if you are just wanting the cheapest plan you can get.

$99 - 60gb - 365 day expiry - 50gb data roll over - on the Optus network - unlimited calls/text to 15 International Countries etc etc etc (works out to be $8 p/m with 5gb of data)
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/626890
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/27551/87595/c6fb0b54-14d2-4379-aab4-605503c96c82.jpeg

I have never been on the Optus network plans before, but for $99 it seems to be a pretty decent deal.

This one is a standard plan but sometimes goes on sale for $129
$150 - 120gb - 365 day expiry - 50gb data roll over - Optus network - unlimited calls/text to 15 International Countries etc etc etc
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/570504
https://colesmobile.com.au/home/left-image/product/8

I recently changed 5 family members (including my Wife and I) from $15p/m Aldi plans to the Woolies 365 day Plan for $150 with 100gb data as it was cheaper, more data, and we can gift data to each other in 1gb blocks if we need to.
https://mobile.woolworths.com.au/Sh...hone-Plans/c/postpaid?default=longexpiryplans

Cheers

 

Optus is just horrendous where we live (and where I work), so unfortunately I'm stuck with Telstra.

I have been tossing up switching to the ALDI plan to save a few bucks, but not sure if it is worth getting punted on to their lower tier network to save $15/month. I'd also lose 5G (even though I'm not supposed to have it).

 

I switched to Boost when they had a special on but ALDI are great - Telstra network, infinite rollover on unused data. Boost is supposed to get all the Telstra network, whereas ALDI get the lower end (or something). I had proper Telstra for 15+ years and I couldn't tell the difference after switching to ALDI - apart from saving ~$400 a year.

-nav.

 

Optus is atrocious in Melbourne, but last year I needed an esim and it was so much cheaper than Telstra, so I went with them. Even with working from home (and thus on wifi most of the time) I still wish I went with Telstra.

Fortunately MVNOs have been approved to use eSIMs so hopefully we see Boost/Aldi and the like offering it soon enough.

Boost is fantastic though, I was on them before now. Just as good as my work Telstra SIM (I was never anywhere with 5G though).

 

Aldi is ok, we was on the $15p/m deal but only got 3gb of data, yes we can roll it all over each month, but i just preferred the cheaper Woolies $150 plan ($12.50p/m) that gives us 8.3gb of data, and we can gift data it with other Woolies plan users, which works out great for family groups, where one or 2 members are prone to using more than other members, and this is the case with the 5 family members that i put onto the Woolies plans.

None of us need 5G so that isn't an issue, and to be honest, i have never had any issues while on Aldi or now with Woolies with their lower tier Telstra networks, even when i was on one of the kogan plans years ago i never had issues with Vodafone, although we never really traveled far from main highways and towns.

Strange about Optus, i assumed they had a network on par with, or close to Telstra.

 

Hey glenpinn.. I moved to ALDI last year and never looked back. I've got 4 SIMs on a Family 80GB plan. two teens that gobble data and I still end up with rollover data each month..1 in my phone, another in a 4G Tablet..@ $80 month for 80GB data with 4 numbers on Telstra network, I can't fault them yet. NOTE: Just make sure you sign up with ALL details including Paypal or CC for payment, but make sure you don't set AUTO RECHARGE. ALDI Does have a habit of lagging the AUTO Recharge timing by hours to maybe even 6-8 hrs and during this time you end up using your PAYG balance in $$$.. SO, just Set a phone reminder for Each month and recharge via App.. Easy done. SC..

 

Yep i agree, ALDI are great, and we never had any issues, except for a few times when i was getting a text to say that my monthly plan had expired and i had to recharge, which was odd because whenever i logged into my account they had already just debited my card for that month.

One time i got the same message, and when i logged in, my Auto recharge was turned off.

Our Woolies 365 day plans are going great, the 4x plans i got for 4 family members cost $600 for a total of 400gb per year, which if you work it out per month, it cost $50 for just under 34gb, which is $1.47 per GB, and with your 80gb for $80 per month, you are paying only $1 per GB, but all of our unused data rolls over up to 300gb maximum per year, and we can share data with others who are also on the same long term plans.

 

So if I go with an aldi family plan does the monthly unused bandwidth rollover to the next month?

Not entirely sure how it works but I'm considering getting the 30gb/mo family plan with the wife as it would halve our bills.

 

https://www.aldimobile.com.au/blogs.../how-does-data-rollover-work-for-mobile-plans

Each month you get an allocated data rate with your unlimited calls/texts, if you don't use all of your allocated data from that month, it just rolls over to your next monthly recharge data, so it is like a bonus where you get to keep unused data, but you must pick a plan that offers data roll over, and you must complete a recharge of the same plan or higher by the due date otherwise you lose all of the unused rolled over data.

Whenever you recharge, any time that you are using data on your phone, it is taken from your allocated data for that month, if you use all of the allocated data, then your rolled over data will kick in.

I had 120gb of unused rolled over data with Aldi when i changed to Woolies, i lost the lot, but i am now saving $5 per month and i get 6gb more data than i had with Aldi, plus anyone using the Woolies plans can gift up to 50% of their allocated data to another Woolies plan user, it is gifted in 1gb blocks.

I was not aware of Aldi having a 30gb Family plan.

https://www.aldimobile.com.au/collections/family-plans

 

Cheers for that glenpinn

Do I need to buy the family plan online or can I purchase it in store? I was in aldi the other day and could only see the $5 or $25 (etc) starter packs - I couldn't find a family plan specific sim. Didn't want to waste money and find out that I couldn't align those available sims with a family plan.

Cheers!

 

I would go to their website and create an account in your name, once logged in, select "Buy a Plan" at the top, select your plan, then proceed to checkout, you will be sent a family plan starter pack with 2 sim cards inside.

When they arrive, log into your Aldi account and click on the "Activate" option at the top of the page, then you click on the option for "I Purchased a Family Plan" and on the next page select option 1: Your new to ALDI Mobile, and then you just click on "Activate a Family Plan"

On that page you activate your Sim, and then you add your partners card to that plan.

 

Hey guys. Just be wary of setting AUTO RECHARGE on the ALDI plans. on MANY occasions THEIR system has a Lag time once your plan and actually Expired and the when AUTO recharge is applied.. and, If you are using DATA in this window from 11.30pm SA Time till they finally apply the Recharge, you end up gobbling away on that numbers' Pay as You Go Data and NOT from the Family Pooled Data.

I Called them about this and their website states that This can happen, and they WON"T refund you..

SO, what I do is set a Phone reminder Each month on Expiry date and do it manual via the ALDI App.. this was they wont gobble up my Pay as You Go data. Easy.

SC..

 

That is odd, i had my wife, Mother and myself on the ALDI $15 per month plan for over 3 years until several months ago (now on Woolies) and all 3 plans were set to auto recharge each month from my bank account, and we never had any problems during that time, so i don't know.

Our plans actually recharge 6 hours before midnight on the recharge due date, and we all get a text and an email to notify of the recharge, and i often check the time and date that it happens.

Anyway, good of you to let people know just in case.

 

cheers guys, very very helpful

 

Hmm wonder if this work on telstra smart2 modem with 4g backup?

I currently have tpg nbn but use telstra branded smart modem2 (use huwei as modem) so I can have telstra 4g backup.

with telstra prepaid sim, when nbn goes out thier is no rate limit it gets what ever 4g lte speed it can get.

Wonder if mvno like aldi will pass what ever checks the smart modem does.

Aldi has a super pack that comes with 130gb for $135 12 months expiry not bad.

 

I know boost is only 4g which suits my current phone, but is it actually as good as telstra? Im a little out of Melbourne so being with telstra does help here. Its about half the price so tempted as long as the coverage is as good

 

I lived in an area that only Telstra had some kind of signal, Optus never had the right coverage for my area. When i switched from Telstra to Boost at the time, i barely noticed a difference (i wasn't a heavy data user at home due to Wi-Fi).

If coverage is really a major concern, you can check their coverage map and worse case you can grab SIM for a few days or month and give it a test It's what i ended up doing before i made the switch

 

Coles Mobile with Optus.

I found a lady in my local Gumtree who bought a Coles $150 365 day expiry sim pack recently and she no longer needs it, and she is selling it for $100, so i thought that i might buy it and give it to my Mum next December to use when her current Amaysim 365 day plan expires (it cost me $120) as her phone is locked to Optus.

The Coles chat bot guy just told me that the sim card must be activated within 30 days of purchase, which is a bit crazy to me, as i have bought other sim packs like this and you get at least 12 months to activate them.

Peter
Hello Pinn, just to confirm our sim packs would not be deactivated, our recommendation is that it is to be activated within 30 days so there are no problem that would arise. Is there anything else I can help you with today?

If the pack is bought from a coles outlet, how would the Coles activation service know when it was bought.

 

Suppose this thread is okay since my question is about plans not phones.
Wife is thinking about buying a new phone for work from home, not sure how long it will last.
It doesn't need to do anything other than accept in coming calls routed from the work system so the most basic of phone will do.
It may have to be on Telstra given what signal we get around here but other telcos may be considered.
When it comes to plans for such a phone what is the best option? Pre-paid?

 

Pretty hard to go past Woolies 365 day plan for $150 (100gb) if you want to be on the telstra network.

https://mobile.woolworths.com.au/Sh...hone-Plans/c/postpaid?default=longexpiryplans

The Coles 365 day plan for $150 (120gb) on the optus network is pretty good value as well, or they currently have the 365 day 60gb plan for $99 (usually $120)

https://colesmobile.com.au/Mobile-Plans

EDIT: Today i bought a Coles 365 day 120gb Sim pack from a local gumtree seller for $100, she bought it on Dec 28th but never used it, she had it on gumtree for 2 weeks and nobody wanted it, so lucky i got in today as i have until midnight on Jan 27 (Thurs) to activate it on my wife's phone.

Tonight i tried to activate the sim, but i must have put in the wrong birth date from her Aldi account because the activation failed, now i need to call Aldi tomorrow to get this sorted because my wife attempted to log into her account to check her birth date was correct, she made several attempts to log in using what should be her current password, and now she has been locked out for 24 hours.

We already created her Coles Mobile account, so that part went fine.