Taking my mobile to Turkey

milkydrink

Hi, my husband & I are off to Turkey in May, leaving our teenager behind!!! Don't worry shes nearly 19 & can't take the time off her college course.

Even though shes mature & she has a grandmother & 2 aunts all within 10 miles of her, we will still worry & want to keep in frequent touch with her. If I take my mobile & she texts me how much will it cost her? We are both on O2 PAYG & will I be charged to recieve texts, as I was under the impression I would but I have been told recently that I won't.

If I'm not charged for incomming texts, then I think a phone card to call home from a call box & text on mobile on alternate nights would be the best way to contact her. She can then text me if she needs to.

What do you think?

Kim

bbruce

Texts are charged at normal rates but free ones in bundles can't be used. No charge for receiving.

redux

If she texts your O2 number, it will be the normal cost on her phone and you will not be charged.

You'd have to check the outgoing cost for your texts - in some O2 arrangements, these come from the inclusive allowance at the rate of 4 for 1, so if you had the 300 free texts with £10 top-up you could use those - I've seen it mentioned on here before, and it is like that on my contract one, but check it for you.

Calling cards should be fine, and a local one would be better than one from here.

If you expect quite a bit more use than that, then getting your phone unlocked to use a local SIM to make calls might be worth looking at. It could be a pain swapping the SIM over all the time though. Then you might use a calling card with that, or send texts, or maybe use a callback service (about 15p a minute). I'll put more info if you want, but it sounds to me like the text messages will be mostly ok for you.

redux

bbruce wrote:

... but free ones in bundles can't be used.

Why not? The sending phone doesn't know the other one is abroad.

milkydrink

I think they mean my 300 free texts a month.

milkydrink

Redux.

Thats great, I will use my phone to text her every other night & use a local calling call to ring her on the nights I don't text.

I wouldn't mind phoning her every night (she might, LOL) but if I have the mobile she has an easy & cheap way to get in touch with me should she need to.

If I get any free texts (from my 300 bundle) I will look on it as a bonus, but I won't expect it.

I have NEVER taken my phone on holiday before, it's only because my daughter is "home alone" that I am doing so. I have always believed that you had to pay to recieve a text abroad, I'm sure a friend on holiday in Jamacia was charged to recieve a text from me & as O2 send a fair portion of "rubbish" texts, I didn't want to pay to recieve them.

Again, many thanks
Kim

redux

The other thing I forgot to say is that O2 let you have one free text home and one call of up to a minute, per week.

I think the free call risks going over the time though, but maybe just long enough to give her a hotel number she could call you from home.

See the MSE Callchecker for ways for her to call Turkey cheap from your landline - this would be a lot cheaper than you using calling card from there.

milkydrink

Many thanks Redux

Most helpful

Kim