July 15, 2010
By Peter van der Merwe

The one minute, you’re happily chatting, texting, checking mail, uploading photos to Facebook, scanning your Twitter feed and seeing what appointments you have for the afternoon. And that’s just while you’re driving.

The next minute, your cellphone turns nasty on you. “SIM card rejected,” it says, in a decidedly snippy tone. Or “No Network.” Or, even worse, it says nothing at all. Just refuses to talk to you. What do you do?

First, breathe. Don’t hurl it against the wall, or throw it out of the window. Often, a simple restart works wonders. Don’t ask me why: perhaps its brain just got overloaded. Hey, it happens to the best of us.

If restarting doesn’t work, try taking out the SIM card, cleaning it gently on a soft cloth, and replacing it. Still no luck? Then it’s time to call in the big boys.

First, do the basics. Is the phone on? Sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many people phone the Nokia Careline spitting and cursing their &**^%$ phone – and it’s been off all along.

Also, some problems are sorted out by a software update, which is quick and easy to do. Most of the updates can be done over the air or via PC by users – http://nokia-software-updater.software.informer.com/.

Then, see what type of problem it is. If it’s a network problem, call your operator or service provider – they’re generally very helpful, and able to sort out most problems over the phone. Problems falling under this category include:

•    You’ve typed in the wrong pin, and need a PIN or PUK code to unlock your phone.
•    The phone’s not reading the SIM card (and you’re quite sure it’s inserted the right way up)
•    Your calls keep breaking up or dropping
•    You’re battling to send MMS messages, access the internet or get your email – often solved by updating your settings

If it’s a problem with your phone, then you’re best off contacting the friendly folks at the Nokia Careline (0861 166 542). Examples of this include:

•    You’ve had SIM problems, and the operator says the SIM is okay
•    Your phone won’t turn on, or keeps switching off, or always seems to be low on power
•    Your phone won’t ring – and you’re sure you didn’t just leave it on silent (again, don’t laugh)
•    You’re having problems with text messages, even after clearing your inbox
•    You’re having problems with your music account

The Nokia Careline people will give you some basic advice over the phone. If that doesn’t work, you’ll have to take the handset in to your local Nokia service centre. Where is your nearest service centre, you ask? Excellent question – and all will be revealed if you call the Careline at 0861 166 542.

Nokia also have support pages on the web site – http://mea.nokia.com/support/repair-and-recycle – stores can also be found there, but probably best to ask the Careline assistant).