Any consequence if I keep signing up New Customer deals then cancel?

tooblue on 07/01/2020 - 13:26

I am talking about those large sign up data from Kogan, Catch, Boost, etc. How do they determine who is "new customer"? By user name, email address or true ID?

It is required to provide true ID to activate a service and the telcos surely know who is taking advantage of the sign up deal. Are they doing anything to stop this? Such as blacklisting, refusing offer bonus, etc?

I am a low data user at home so thinking of cancel my broadband service and buy a bunch of $4.90 / 40GB SIMs to use and dispose of each month. Is it viable?

Mobile

Comments

  • follow on 07/01/2020 - 13:32
    +1

    yes. that works. just keep getting a new number.
    if using same number, has to be 1 month away then port in again.

  • Blue Cat on 07/01/2020 - 16:13
    +1

    Me and my missus have been "new customers" of telcos for about 1.5 years now. We keep jumping between 3 month Kogan and CatchConnect deals and we are not blacklisted yet. $5 a month for ~20GB data per month is an absolute bargain we can't refuse!

    As for SIM card activation, by Australian law every SIM card has to have an identity attached to it (RIP privacy, we 1984 now!), usually your passport, or Australian driver's license. There is no way around it.
    And you can't give fake info, because they actually check if all the data matches. If you are not an Australian citizen or a permanent resident, they check if your passport has an active Australian visa and if it doesn't have it, your SIM will not activate. It happened to multiple friends of mine.

    hurr durr I bought a sim card (in Australia) and it didn't ask me for id!!!!11

    You probably paid online using your bank card. Some telcos allow to use that as an identity check.

    cancel my broadband service and buy a bunch of $4.90 / 40GB SIMs to use and dispose of each month. Is it viable?

    I am planning to do something similar. Our internet is really wonky and drops almost every hour. We had internet technicians come in multiple times and they couldn't find problems on their end, so they diagnosed that the internal wiring is too old and needs to be replaced. Contacted the landlord, he says the contract says:

    the internet is provided free of charge, so we are not responsible for any internet quality related problems

    Basically, can't get a new ISP, so I also plan to buy cheapo SIMs and put it in one of those little soap-sized WiFi hotspots that take SIM cards and call it a day.

    I also heard if you have more than 5 SIM cards activated in your name, then you won't be able to activate more of them just online anymore and have to contact the specific telcos live support everytime you want to activate a new SIM.
    This is also happening because of some rubbish Australian laws.

    Hope this clears up some things for you.

  • AbsX on 08/01/2020 - 00:38

    Telcos might as well rename the eligibility criteria to a reused instead of new customer.

  • Neoika on 12/01/2020 - 13:36

    Most telcos shut down expired prepaid accounts/numbers (with no recharge) after 3 or 6 months.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join