Credit to member War - New Kogan Mobile Plans Require a Call to Cancel???
Update thanks to edrift -
Free eSIM card included
Their eSIMs come on a card ?
Fixed just for you bro. Let me know if you see anything else that sets you off.
Plan set to auto recharge monthly. Call to cancel anytime
I think he's just upset about the way you've used bold text here.
Everything sets JV off
JV sets JV off
You can't BYO number?
You can port your number during the activation process
What is the date to activate by?
Newbie question, but could you get the esim plan for free then use a kogan sim card to activate? My phone doesnt support esim but I may have a spare kogan sim somewhere at home. The option on the deal 'im an existing customer and dont need a sim' is $25 though, lol. Im not an existing customer (as in have no activated kogan sims) but have a sim at home from some previous deal that I didnt activate, I think.
I have the exact same question about the esim. Did you figure out the answer? I am assuming you can purchase the esim kit but then just activate your physical sim kit and use the voucher code you got from this deal?
Edit: Actually yes you can. See this comment below.
I requested 2 of these eSIM vouchers over the past 2-3 weeks, one as recent as 5 days ago. I'm sitting here with two physical SIMs and when I try to activate, it says "Invalid voucher" when entering both of them.
Edit: I am trying to port in a number that I've previously used with Kogan, I am not sure if that has anything to do with it.
I also had problems after getting to the 2nd page of entering my personal details, instead of loading the 3rd page which asks for your drivers licence number, it just loaded a blank screen. After refreshing a couple of times it presented me the correct screen.
It wouldn't accept the voucher when porting my number, which has previously been with Kogan. However I could activate it using the number on the physical starter pack. Just need to call up before the plan expires and cancel it, as there's no way to do this online.
Interesting. Not keen on the phone call tho
Couldn't you just port your number out again?
What about a burner number? How can I cancel auto renewal?
I just updated the description on how, thanks to @edrift.
Well you'd think so, but maybe they've gone back to the bad old days when we had to port out, login/check with the new telco it's working, then contact the previous telco to confirm the port and cancel our account or they continue to charge us. Someone should probably ask them. But when so many reps just say whatever they like, could we believe them?
Only slightly better than the regular yearly plan which is 500gig total and equates to $24.66 per 30 days. ends up 20gig less total and 1 month free with this deal (but on a monthly basis)
I mainly posted this for sim sluts to use for a month. So you would need to cancel or port out before the 1st month ends.
Not sure if porting out will stop the charge for the 2nd month because it says - Call to cancel anytime.
Do they have like a 30days notice thing? Or you can just call at 1 day prior to month ends?
Interested just to use it as wifi hotspot for the month of world cup while watching outside of home
Plan set to auto recharge monthly. Call to cancel anytime
Could always use the Revolut disposable card if you are lazy - just terminate the card once you activate the sim
Yes but if you don't call to cancel they might set debt collectors on to you.
Can't you use coles mastercards for these?
I usually use them for payments where I don't want them to happn/reoccur
It might depend what you do with the service though. We don't have that info yet.
It could also just be the latest revamped version of the $2.90/40GB/30 days, and "call to cancel anytime" might just be an added bit of marketing blurb and/or to try and discourage people who buy it monthly as a data SIM. But maybe it's all the same… i.e. Buy, receive emailed activation code, use code to activate blank SIM, delete bank details, blank SIM #2 comes in the mail, SIM #1 runs out of data, start again.
The only way to know for sure is after the first person tries. (Unless the t&cs are a cut and paste from $2.90/40GB/30 day SIM.)
I find this version is strange as it could be used as "free mobile data" if used with eSim. One could use multiple sims per month. I used the $2.90 multiple times per month. If you just delete the payment method with $2.90 version the sim is still active for calls. They ask you if you own more than 4 active sims but that was never checked. This version forces you to deactivate the sim when you call to cancel so the 4 active sim question is redundant.
I don't see how they could say no if you call to cancel on SIM #2 onwards
I find this version is strange as it could be used as "free mobile data" if used with eSim.
I guess too many people were buying, cancelling, buying another. They probably didn't mind (or realise) to begin with, but maybe Vodafone caught on and spat the dummy. That's why I would make phone to cancel anyway, to (at least try to) discourage that.
I don't see how they could say no if you call to cancel on SIM #2 onwards
If discouraging it is the reason, I bet they'd (at least like to) say no. So they be keeping a record now, planning to tell "repeat offenders" to nick off. We'll see soon enough, as some people get to their second or third SIM.
Damn it's frustrating though. I use about 20GB a week. I can probably get that down to about half if I have to, by only download larger files like movies in the months I haven't used much data. Even so, the cheapest alternative I've found so far is the "first month free or cheap" deals posted on here. If the cashback fails for some reason, ouch!
But those deals are annoying too… remembering when to cancel, by which date so they don't charge for month #2, and what happens if no deals get posted that month - no internet. And who knows if any of them will let you sign up, cancel, go elsewhere for a month, then come back… which ones will "cut us off" because again, we're "repeat offenders."
Has anyone found an alternative?
Has anyone tried just blocking Kogan debits instead of phoning, like using Revolut one-use credit card numbers?
@[Deactivated]: You really think they have the resources to track repeat "offenders" ? No way. They're just trying to discourage people by making them phone.
@finbar: a phone call would cost them call center reps time and they removed the $2.90. it will cost kogan more for this method that is why i find it strange.
a phone call is cheaper than $2.90 that it used to be so better for ozbargainers. not much hold time so done in less than 5 min.
@SpicyStew: Yeah it's certainly odd that's for sure.
If the number is no longer active would that save Kogan money coz they could just reissue it rather than them having to obtain more new numbers to issue ?
a phone call is cheaper than $2.90 that it used to be so better for ozbargainers.
Or free - made using the last Kogan SIM before we cut it up and activate a new one. ;-D
@finbar: No, I'm saying IF they do. That's why I used quote marks. The phone-to-cancel thing makes no sense. It will take up more of their reps time on the phone, thus they'll have to hire more of them. Since Vodafone is doing the same thing and Kogan is basically just a reseller, it's probably Vodafone's requirement more than Kogan's. But even so, they've done it for SOME reason. And the only reason I can think of for making cancellation more clunky is to stop "repeat offenders" buying multiple introductory SIMs… and if that is the reason, it's quite possible they've taken other measures too - otherwise, why bother. Because the moment one of us finds a loophole we'll share it with others. Making the phone-to-cancel a waste of time.
Of course there could be another reason, or, they could just be stupid and love wasting money on wages of unnecessary employees. ;-p
@[Deactivated]: They won't be hiring any extra. Wait times will just be extended if it comes to that. The phone to cancel thing is just an extra hoop to try and reduce people activating so many.
But those deals are annoying too… remembering when to cancel, by which date so they don't charge for month #2, and what happens if no deals get posted that month - no internet.
If that happens (which is rare in itself), just pay normally like an average joe? You're still saving heaps compared to a normal person by doing what you're doing.
@illumination: True. I just don't like checking for new deals constantly. And I can see potential for things to go wrong. e.g. Cashbacks not tracking. Usually I don't have trouble with that, but have frequently seen others complaining about it.
@[Deactivated]: also sim slutting costs time I factor in.. the kogan $2.90 was the fastest and cheapest for sure. i'm on amaysim 70gb deal now but their webpage and call center is slow…
im thinking of moving my main number over to voda $50 sim only plan 200gb.. i pay $30 a month on main mobile anyway so +$20 for 200gb.. works out to be about 40% cheaper than a normal nbn or broadband internet + main mobile… the only downside is the mobile data latency, no PC online gaming with mobile data….
no more sim slutting for me until kogan $2.90 like deals, it costs too much time otherwise…
i'm on amaysim 70gb deal now but their webpage and call center is slow…
I guess you mean their current $10/70GB that changes to $30/32GB. I think that's one of the best I've seen so far, and iirc it's easy to cancel Amaysim by setting up direct debit from your Paypal account. That way you can login to Paypal and disable the auto payment.
Not sure I can get this one though because I already have their "As You Go" plan for emergencies in case Kogan ever went down. (As-you-go is only $10 per year to keep active and the auto debit means if you have to use it, it just keeps auto debiting from Paypal as you use data. Expensive, but only for emergencies like to activate a SIM online with someone else.) https://www.amaysim.com.au/blog/world-of-mobile/as-you-go-cr…
If I sign up for this Amaysim 70GB one, then later cancel, they might take payment by using my "As You Go" Paypal details. (I usually just get a new SIM/number each new plan/telco, not keep numbers.) So I guess the only sure way to prevent Amaysim charging my Paypal account for month 2 for the 70GB SIM, would be port its number out.
https://www.amaysim.com.au/help/mobile/manage-account/cancel…
@SpicyStew: @SpicyStew
Can you send me a PM so I can send you some info? (You have PMs turned off, but maybe I can reply if you PM me first.)
@[Deactivated]: Possible alternative…
I called up to try cancel my eSIM (due to a failed port) but had already removed the eSIM from my phone. So he said he couldn't cancel and i had to submit online identity form. So yes maybe there's a non-call option, but you have to fill out details and upload photos of you holding ID card and it'll take 2 days for them to get back to you… So i guess it depends.
Form is https://www.koganmobile.com.au/confirmidentity
Which redirects to
https://vha.secure.force.com/ConfirmIdentityRequest?brand=Ko…
HTH :(
@fleetoiler: Far out… what a clunky debacle. Imagine if scammers start copying that Vodafone/Kogan process. Customers receive fake emails requesting they do all that, so either they just do it - or, they phone VodaKogan, say they're just calling to check they really require all that, and the rep asks what they were asked to do. The user explains the steps, and the VodaKogan rep goes, "Oh yes I recognise that - they're just verifying it's you…" so the customer hangs up and emails all their info including their drivers license and photograph to the scammer. Brilliant. Another Vodafail in the making.
can't you cancel your payment/recharge from the member area?
No
Not anymore.
It'll work for anyone on the old plans, but for this deal it requires a phone call
Dumb. What a waste of their rep's time when they already had it in the menu.
Can i just port out before the expiry date without calling Kogan ?
I wonder if this means that they will never do this for physical SIM cards again. My phone is not capable of esim
Buy the $1 student plan to get esim.
I do not need the esim. Can not use it with my phone.
Sorry meant sim.
Yeah pretty garbage move. The SIMs should at least be free from a garage with an emailed voucher or something. If this turns out to be the new version of $2.90/40GB/30 days, then I'll have to buy the cheapest esim phone. Oh wait… I still won't be able to use it. I'd need a pocket wifi modem with esim too. Grrr…
Perhaps, saves them the cost of sim supply + postage
It definitely does. But the whole thing was always the bait for the new customers, this is why Kogan Mobile were ready to invest into it, the expenses must have been smaller that the gains. Unfortunately, not all phones (even very modern ones) have esim. I do not know any dual sim smartphones that also have esim.
But the vouchers are short dated anyway - expiring in just a couple of months. Previously the expiry dates were a lot further ahead.
Well Kogan still hasn't provided me with an eSIM either so I'm not sure what's happening.
Yeah it's changed several times. Expiry used to be a month of two, then a month, then they went all the way up to a year expiry, then back to a month.
By "new customer" does it mean a new mobile number or do they check the identity?
@SpicyStew: New customer equals new sim (and a number attached to it) the plan is to inconveninece your contacts and make you stick to a number. No, not attached to your identity.
@Musiclover: Isn't this free pre-paid mobile plan as long as one cancels every first month and "renews" with a new esim/number?
@SpicyStew: This is exctly how it works. But this particular one sucks because you either need a new physical sim for it each time or esim capable mobile phone. And this time there is no free physical SIM card provided.
Only if waited, paid $2.90 for 20GB last week.
Please hand in your Ozbargain membership.
$2.90 without being auto charged for the next months. Worth it
I think you still need to turn off auto recharge, but that's easier than having to call.
No… the 20GB one you just delete bank details. Unless it changed!?
Doesn't look like the $2.90 plans are available anymore, dang
$1 Kogan still available. I can get you a code if you want it. (Normal sim not esim)
Thanks! Is that the student one?
I'm good for now, I think, just wondering what to do when my current plan expires next month.
Hi Fozzie, Could you please give me a code for the $1 Kogan Student plan? Thank you in advance!
Please sir, may I have the code
@fozzie: Sorry Mate, I think it rolled for the day before I got to try (I'm GMT+8)
"Sorry, that is not a valid discount code."
Good on you. :-) I have several activation codes that run out at the end of this month. I'm not going to be able to use them all so I plan to give them away too. I really need to take a few minutes to work out how many SIMs I'll use then give the rest away on here.
I was going to join some free course just to buy these student SIMs, but then realised I don't qualify for free courses due to doing a Certificate 4 years ago. Not sure what the rest of us are going to do after December. (If we have phone every time to cancel, it might be a step put in place to tell us to get lost, no more SIMs.)
@[Deactivated]: I'm just going to alternate between discounted Optus and Vodafone starter packs until kogan hopefully repeats the same deal in July like previous years.
Please PM me a code if available. Thanks :)
@djoz: djoz… were you asking Fozzie for a student esim code, or me for a blank SIM activation code? (It's difficult sometimes to tell with the way the threads flow.)
@[Deactivated]: Hey @Faulty P xel, I meant to ask @fozzie but I'm intrigued now, what is a blank SIM activation code? Is this something like activation of a blank SIM without providing bank details during activation?
@djoz: See here: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/12960184/redir… but basically, I have several of the old $1/20GB/30 day activation codes from this deal: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/721380 (which becomes 40GB by the next day).
They expire at the end of this month. I won't be able to use them all before then. So I was going to give them away on here but I've been too busy to type it up, not sure where to post it, etc.
I would PM you the activation code. But please only ask if you will use it, otherwise it could go to someone else.
You'll need a blank Kogan SIM card ($2 from a garage if you don't already have one)… Or I think I remember reading you can contact Kogan to activate it on esim, but maybe they have a small charge for that? (It might be in the second thread above. Just CTRL F to search the pages for "esim".)
You need a bank account to activate it, then set a PIN, then login, go to the "Payment Details" tab and delete your bank info. So you do need a bank account to signup, but you don't have to phone them to cancel. With your bank details deleted they can't charge you, so it just expires at midnight on day 30.
In the old days, you used to be able to order a bunch of these Sim started packs and you would receive a new SIM and voucher code.
What I found is that you could use the voucher code to recharge an existing Kogan mobile account.
Can you still do this?
No
Someone in past threads claimed they could. I forget how. I think (but might be wrong on all counts) they did it via the Kogan phone/account app!? If I'm remembering correctly you'll have to hope they read your question and comment, or, you'll have to start reading backwards to try and find his comment.
Loophole was fixed
Yeah I did it a few weeks ago just via the website.
Tried again now and it didn't work
It works for me maybe less than 2 weeks ago.
Hasn’t worked for me in ages but I haven’t really tried hard I guess; they had a silly short expiry a few years back
I ordered a few Sims back when they had their 1c deal.
I only just used the voucher code from that to recharge an expired account I had with them a few weeks ago.
I do think they had a short expiry, but I don't think it was enforced
Does anyone know if you have to provide a credit card number to activate these? I’ve bought a few in the past for visiting relatives and never had to, but now the description reads like you are going to need to.
We've had to provide CC details to activate for as long as I can remember. (Then login to your account to delete them.) i.e. They have to be able to "reserve" $1 from your bank account, so they know they can charge you for ongoing months (if you don't cancel earlier). So if you have $20 bank balance, Kogan "reserves" $1, so the available balance of your bank account becomes $19 for a few days until the "reserve" cancels because they didn't actually debit it.
At yes, now I remember. You had to turn off the auto renew. I wonder if you can still do that?
So this sounds to me like the old $2.90/30 day/40GB plan. Now we just need to know if we can "cancel" without a phone call, by simply deleting bank details. We'll have to wait until someone buys one, activates, logs into their account, and checks whether the option to delete bank details under "Payment Methods" is still available.
Actually, they'll still have to allow port outs without any phone call. Unless they're going to go backwards to the days when we had to port out, get confirmation from new telco, then phone Kogan to actually cancel or still get charged for the next month. (Surely not.) Whether or not they still give us the "Payment Details" tab is the next question.
I wonder when you call to cancel if it gets cancelled immediately or in a few days or when the next recharge is due to happen ?
Happy days over
I already have a few spare Kogan SIM cards, can I use one to activate this?
Yep.
You can order the esim for free which will come with a voucher code you can use on the physical Sim you have
You were too quick, I was editing my post after I realised that I could do exactly that. Thanks
Did this work? I was worried that selecting the esim plan when I activate with a physical sim, it won't recognise my code.
I am currently using the 3 months kogan sim $15. Frustratingly very slow internet. While at the same time (and place) my kogan 1 yr sim is quite fast. Hmmm….
Not a profit like Boost Mobile with CashRewards, but hey still pretty good.