Cell phone silliness - SNAFU

Because I travel to the UK on a fairly regular basis - once or twice a year - I have an unlocked GSM phone and get a UK pay-as-you-go SIM card while I'm there. That works fine except UK carriers will deactivate a pay as you go SIM card if it is not used for 6 months and if you get a new SIM card every time it costs you about 10 pounds which is currently about $20. It's not the end of the world but it is a hassle to have to change number each time you visit and cough up $20 more than necessary.

So I figured I'd make an effort to keep my UK SIM alive by using it every three months which is apparently the ONLY way to do it. So last night my reminder goes off and today I stick in my SIM and send a text (which turns out to cost 50p or $1). I managed to get back into my T-Mobile UK online account and verify that they'd logged my text and charged me but I noticed I'm down to only 3 pounds and change credit so I decided I'd try and top up my account so next time I arrive I can make calls without running around to top up the phone first.

Do you think I could do that?

Computer says no...

The problem is you can only top up online if you have a credit card registered first. But you can only register a credit card with a UK address - I actually called T-Mobile and verified that. I do have a UK credit card but it has a US address, and I do have access to a UK address to use but I don't have a UK credit card for that address.

So the helpful T-Mobile UK customer rep (well I'm pretty sure he was in Bangalore) tells me that I can top up via a voucher. But guess what, the only way to get a voucher is to be in the UK and buy one at a store. "Well" he suggests, "you can buy them before you go to the US and use them there". Hmmm, check my caller ID dude - I think you'll see I'm already in the US.

I think you can guess the conclusion is there is no way at all for me to top up my account from the US short of applying for a UK credit card using my brothers address (which is probably fraudulent) or mailing my top up card to my brother, having him buy a voucher and then sending me the info by email.

UPDATE 8/10/07 - I have since discovered that you are supposed to be able to buy a voucher without a top up card, you then have to call in with a 12-digit PIN printed on the voucher. So I theory I can get a friend or relative in the UK to buy a T-Mobile voucher and email me the number so I can call in. I may try this before I return again.