UK2Abroad - a rip-off!!

goltho

On moneysavingexpert.com/phones/cheap-roaming-calls, I read with interest about UK2Abroad offering cheap calls both outgoing & incoming whilst abroad. I researched them - including your article - and bought two Sim card. One was for the US and the other (their Global Sim) for the rest of the world.

I live in the UK and am currently in Spain for a couple of months. I started using the Global Sim on 16th January, and since then, I have had 20 or so incoming calls and 3 outgoing. The 3 outgoings are charged at the correct rate, but I noticed that my credit was reducing by about 10p after every incoming.

I checked their website (uk2abroad.com/about-mobile-roaming) and confirmed the following:-

1. Easiest and cheapest You hand out your new global SIM number (a UK mobile number beginning 07) to your friends, family and colleagues and they call your on that number instead of your normal UK number whilst you are abroad – this is the cheapest option for you (in fact, it’ll be FREE to receive calls in over 60 destinations!) and people calling you will just pay the cost of calling a UK mobile (typically around 17p/minute from a landline) and it may be included in mobile "free minutes" - check with your mobiel provider to be sure.



I also checked their rates (uk2abroad.com/destinations/rates) where - after I selected UK to Spain on the droplist - it states:-

Cheapest rates All rates

Receiving calls using a UK2Abroad Global SIM in United Kingdom Receiving a call FREE
Receiving a call with Keep Your Number™ £0.15/min
Receiving an SMS/text message FREE

For the avoidance of doubt, I reversed the "from" and "to" countries, with the same result (i.e. incoming calls are FREE if calls dial the 07xxx number which is issued with the Global Sim):-

Cheapest rates All rates

Receiving calls using a UK2Abroad Global SIM in Spain
Receiving a call FREE
Receiving a call with Keep Your Number™ £0.15/min
Receiving an SMS/text message FREE

I queried this with UK2Abroad (not easy, as they have no listed phone contact, and emails take on average 2 days to reply) and today, in relation to my specific query as to why I was being charged 10p for each incoming call, they replied:-[FONT=&quot]

Our engineers ran a full log of your calls on the Global SIM last night and completed their investigation. In total you have been charged £2.58 for a total of 76.54 minutes (exc. Voicemail) – which covers the entire duration of your use of the Global SIM and have £12.42 remaining credit[/FONT].
[FONT=&quot] When any call is successfully connected (ie. not engaged or immediate hang—up) a 10p connection charge is applied[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
Nowhere on their site is there a reference to a 10p connection charge. Conversely however, in several places on their site, it states clearly that incoming calls are free - specifically Spain is included in the 160 destinations.

These charges are completely hidden, and obtaining an admission that they exist was like pulling hens' teeth.

So this for me is all about hidden charges, which I detest.

MothballsWallet

I bought one of their GlobalSIM cards for going to Russia last June, and I had a slight problem with the credit card payment.

I sent a message through their website about it, gave a landline contact number, and had a call back very quickly, which resolved the problem by taking the details over the phone.

Perhaps they've changed their prices since I last used them, but I like the service and it works well with any of the local networks where my wife's from.

Blondiemitch

I am unable to comment on the prices of the phone calls you can make/receive on these SIMS as although I bought and paid for two cards a month BEFORE my trip... They weren't delivered until after I had gone! On return, I contacted them requesting a FULL refund, which they agreed to... and funnily enough.... two months on from then... I STILL HAVE RECEIVED NOTHING. They are not replying to my emails and they have NO telephone contact no. Obviously because they will not have time to play cards with each other with the amount of complaints I am sure they will receive!!!

Please..... don't do it!

jackie.smith_2

I purchased a USA sim card,and mins at a cost of £59.99 and received all the paperwork and instructions, which i followed to a 'T'....
HOWEVER, as soon as i arrived in the USA, the card wouldn't work, i couldn't send or receive calls or texts and i phoned T-Mobile, and was on the phone for about 45 mins in total, they tried everything possible to fix the problem, and in the end, i had to pay $50 dollars to go onto one of their plans in order to be able to have unlimited mins to call back to U.K. and unlimited data as well.......... about 30 emails later and no replies, and i am royally 'fed up':mad:.. IF YOU ARE THINKING OF GETTING ONE OF THESE SIM CARDS...........DON'T:mad::(:mad::(:mad::(:mad::(:mad::(

geordieracer

goltho wrote: »

Nowhere on their site is there a reference to a 10p connection charge. Conversely however, in several places on their site, it states clearly that incoming calls are free - specifically Spain is included in the 160 destinations.

These charges are completely hidden, and obtaining an admission that they exist was like pulling hens' teeth.

So this for me is all about hidden charges, which I detest.

Rather oddly i went to their site and found this right away http://www.uk2abroad.com/destinations/rates/default.aspx which shows EXACTLY how much you will pay to receive a call.

George_Michael

geordieracer wrote: »

Rather oddly i went to their site and found this right away http://www.uk2abroad.com/destinations/rates/default.aspx which shows EXACTLY how much you will pay to receive a call.

Yes and it states that you will pay EXACTLY 0p when receiving a call in Spain and makes no mention of any connection charges, and these 2 points are EXACTLY what the OP is complaining about.

Receiving a call FREE (no mention of a 10p connection charge either on the charges page or in their smallprint)

Jessejames_3

Just to warn those of you who are thinking of purchasing this product to use in the USA. In my experience topping up the SIM when you are out there is impossible. The instructions given are not clear in the slightest and I ended up crediting my account but not able to use the phone.
Having contacted uk2abroad they would have you think that there is nothing wrong with their instruction sheet but rather your competence to understand it.
It seems nothing has changed much since another comment on this post (@jackie.smith) has outlined similar issues.

TOTALLY_FED_UP

I joined UK 2Abroad to call home whilst on holiday. This works out to be extremely expensive and I was topping up every few days. With the £20.00 sim card you have to buy, it was no cheaper than using my own UK SIM. Recently went abroad for the weekend, topped up with another £20.00, to find that I couldn't use the SIM at all and had to use my ordinary SIM. Now they won't answer my emails and won't give me back my money. Strangely when you are enquiring about their service, they respond immediately to all emails you send and appear very helpful. Don't use them - it's a SCAM.

TOTALLY_FED_UP

I joined UK 2Abroad to call home whilst on holiday. This works out to be extremely expensive and I was topping up every few days. With the £20.00 sim card you have to buy, it was no cheaper than using my own UK SIM. Recently went abroad for the weekend, topped up with another £20.00, to find that I couldn't use the SIM at all and had to use my ordinary SIM. Now they won't answer my emails and won't give me back my money. Strangely when you are enquiring about their service, they respond immediately to all emails you send and appear very helpful. Don't use them - it's a SCAM.

oul_gringo

Do not buy a UK2ABROAD sim for USA, they DO NOT work and they don't reply to emails. A complete waste of money, if your phone is unlocked, my advice is to go into any USA phone shop and buy a local card. These international cards are also available in airport shops and I've even seen them in some Walmarts and Seven-Elevens. As for UK2ABROAD, give them a miss....completely bogus, how are they staying in business???

slh1

I wish I done a little more homework on UK2 Abroad, I'd have seen these comments and saved myself the agro. Whats annoying is the recommendation came from a MSE forum too. The SIM arrived late, just about had time to set up the account before flying to the US, when I arrived it didn't work, nor did it on a friends phone, had a couple of half hearted replies to e-mails from them trying to 'sort' the problem when I was in the states; but since returning in April and sending the SIM back via registered post the next day I have heard nothing from them. Not replying to e-mails and no contact number at all. I can only assume they are a bogus company. Very annoyed!!