Calling South Africa on Orange PAYG?

the_tired_one

A friend of my mother shocked me yesterday by saying she called S Africa once a week using her Orange PAYG mobile and incurring bills of £100 a month!!! - paying the Orange rate to call abroad.

She doesnt want a contract phone and doesnt have (nor wants a landline) - she lives in a flat and doesnt know where she will be month to month so doesnt want to be tied into any minimum 12 month contract.

Is there any way she can call South Africa using her Orange PAYG mobile? Are there any 0774/0844 type numbers available for Oraange PAYG or something similar?

It HAS to be via Orange PAYG

Many thanks

redux

Aaaarrrgghh!

I'm assuming to begin with that these calls are to a landline number over there; if it's a mobile, then I'll suggest you consider switching to a different network.

The 07744 numbers would be charged as other network mobiles, so still fairly expensive. Apparently 0844 numbers have been included on some of the bolt-on Extras that Orange have had, but they have phased out the best packages, eg unlimited calls at weekends or evenings for only a few quid, probably for these sorts of reasons. Now there are some that average about 4p a minute.

details by calling 450 and then press 3, 1, 3 -- or on webpage
http://www.orange.co.uk/service_plans/payasyougo/extra_costs.html

See the MSE Callchecker for some 0844 numbers to use (nb 0844 for SA landlines; I really doubt that 0871 for mobiles would be included in the package).

If Orange abolish 0844 numbers being usable from these Extras, then use either a service like call18185 or a calling card type method via say a London access number. Also on the MSE Callchecker are some that allow a top-up method with a text message.


But despite what you say about it must be Orange, I'd like to suggest 2 other possibilities.

O2 payg have free 100 minutes a month with a £10 top-up, then the remaining credit is available. The first 100 minutes can be used on 07744 or 0844 numbers at any time. If the following calls can be made at weekends, then 0844 calls will cost 5p per minute from the remaining credit. If the calls cannot be made only at weekends, then sign up for the International bolt-on (one-off set-up cost £5) and make calls to SA for 10p per minute. Overall, depending on the timing, £10 a month buys 200 to 300 minutes.

Another possibility is a Vodafone payt SIM, with Stop-the clock. Off-peak calls of up to an hour are charged only for the first 3 minutes, which for UK landlines is 15p. If the call goes over an hour, then it charges 5p per minute. Then again use 18185 or a calling card. Thus a 50 minute call could cost a couple of quid.


Cheaper still at the moment - I'm assuming that the calls are nearly all to only one number - some of the Finarea VoIP companies will give you a free incoming UK number that can be diverted to elsewhere. This is usable even without any VoIP software or hardware - just set up the number. For now their newest one Voipdiscount has a tariff to SA landline of € 1c per minute; the others are 4c, so the 1c may be a temporary promotional offer. If it lasts at that tariff then the €10 starting deposit buys 1000 minutes, and then call the UK number off-peak from Vodafone stop-the-clock eg 20 x 50 minute calls costs £3 + €10 = about £10 total. If the tariff goes up to 4c, then 1000 minutes costs about £30 overall.


I hope this isn't too confusing - to summarise, if the destination is a landline, then Orange would be £5 a week for an inclusive package of 120 minutes as long as they still allow 0844 calls, while O2 and Vodafone work out around £10 a month for 200 or 300 minutes a month.

If a mobile, then the Orange £20 monthly package gets 100 minutes via 07744 numbers, but O2 could be used via 07744 and direct to get 200 minutes for £10.

I'd go for an O2 SIM, as it's reasonably simple - £10 a month gets 100 midweek minutes via 07744 to landlines or mobiles, plus either 200 weekend minutes via 0844 to landlines or 100 minutes direct dial to landlines anytime (with int'l bolt-on).


For 07744 providers to use from those inclusive package bolt-ons, Simply-Fone have weekday calls to South African landlines, and these two also have SA mobiles on weekdays

http://www.planettalkfree.com/index.cfm/id/home/lang/english
http://www.yourcallworld.com/default.aspx

the_tired_one

I think I will print this off - and let her decipher it! Too complex for me:)

redux

hee hee - just do O2 then - up to 300 minutes for £10, via 07744 and 0844