Travelfone - cutting the cost of using mobiles abroad

Happyisseb

I managed to get an email reply to my enquiry this morning informing me that my Travelfone SIM should now be working again - Wrong it doesn't. It still tells me SIM Card registration failed.

I was also informed that I should be able to log in and see my funds that disappeared. Wrong - I cannot do that either.

As per their email - I have replied and again informed them of my number and the problem. I'll keep you informed.

The email came from [EMAIL="salessupport@travelfone.com"]salessupport@travelfone.com[/EMAIL] the old GT email address bounced back as not found.

timwb

Hi

The email addresses I have been contacting them on are below:

First [EMAIL="helpdesk@gt-sim.com"]helpdesk@gt-sim.com[/EMAIL] was the address I recieved the notification of the service being restarted and a replacement sim would be issued from, Which I replied to recently.

Then I got a reply and have been corresponding via: [EMAIL="markus_hauschild@gt-phone.com"]markus_hauschild@gt-phone.com[/EMAIL]

I don't know if this will help anyone.

Happyisseb

The Helpdesk email was the one that notified me it about a replacement SIM in October. On attempting to email it recently it bounced as Not Known.

I have just had an email from Savastore advertising the same and I noticed something.... Hey Travelfone and Savastore have the same address. I have informed them via their Feedback button of the problems and informed them of my opening addressing the problem on this website forum.

It appears that Travelfone & Savastore are part of WE Conmunications.

I have also passed my complaint via the Daily Mail.

One day my SIM will come....

timwb

My new sim (branded Global Termination and gt-sim.com) arrived this morning, and it WORKS! Sort of. The pin number was correct and I was able then able to disable it using phone menus. Can send & recieve texts (my Travelfone credit was transferred to this sim) but only receive calls. I guess it will change when roaming outside the uk, but a text is fine, since you can just send "call me" and you shouldn't be charged for receiving the call.

Will report what happens when I take it abroad.

Just tried to log into my account, doesn't work on travelfone site but will work on gt-sim site.

Happyisseb

Congratulations Tim - Hope it works when you go.

The emails I sent yesterday actually got replies. Savastore told me that they are simply an affiliate (3rd Party) with whom they partner and they had passed the email to Travelfone.

This somewhat annoys and concerns me - They advertise Travelfone on every email & they have the same postal address. So I told them so. If they are a Partner, a word used by them not me, then it is not a favourable partnership when I bought the chip from one from their emails in the first instance and their Partner is ignoring customers for such a long period.

Later this afternoon I had another from Travelfone, surprised, it states, "We are currently activating all the existing SIM cards and setting up the accounts on the website. This should be completed by the end of this week."
All I can really do is wait and be patient again.

Off to Poland on 22nd, I do hope they manage to resolve their issues by then.

timwb

I solved the outgoing call issue, the phone I was using it in was simply too old (a nokia 7110) I put the sim into a smartphone and it works as intended.

I emailed Markus (email adress above) and asked if my tarriff would be the same as the Travelfone one since it wasn't shown on their site. I have included part of his response below:

"you are still on the old plan, we did move back more than 20 products which Travelfone was there,
too. Most of these companies sold these products went out of business and in order to keep the service
running we moved them back the main platform.

Your priceplan is still the same however we do not show it on the site anymore as we do not market these
products. We are the network provider".

So my advice to any moneysavers who were previously with Travelfone to stop chasing them (Travelfone) and go straight to the people who provide the service (GT-SIM). If there is no response from the helpdesk email address listed in the earlier post, use the direct email of the guy called Markus (his email is in the earlier post) He never seems stop working, I got a reply to a query at 8.01pm yesterday!

If you politely explain your situation, he seems willing to help.

Happyisseb

There is something really strange going on.
Saturday AM - My Inactive TravelPhone Beeped and suddenly it was on O2.
Jumping with a little excitement which didn't last for long I found.
I had received Txt Msg - That I sent to the Travelfone last week with the word Test.

I tried phoning it - Dead
I sent a text - It worked
I tied replying - It's Fails
I tried calling from - It fails

I just read your email and thought ok - It worked in the old phone last year lets put in in my N70 Nokia - I can Text it with the same problems.

And if I try to call out I get a few flashes and the messages...

1. Call Not Allowed.
2. Requesting.

And then....

ComCallKey.CallController
InactiveCustomer

I still cannot get into my on the Travelfone Website which has my funds.

I will email your Markus man - And see if he can shed some light on what they are playing at.

I'll come back in a few days - I've only got 14 days to get it fixed now.

TTFN


Just edited my message as I tried the GT website again as Tim mentioned an boy oh boy - I got logged in and I can see my funds.

I have emailed then from the Web Panel - I will give it a while and email Marcus direct later tomorrow. Thanks for everyones joint efforts so far.

There must be loads of these SIMs out there that do not belong to Money Savers and it seems that Savastore who are still actively marketing oops sorry 3rd party affiliate are not giving decent support advice to the people they prompted and then left in the lurch. They are not the cheapest website for most of their product anyway and don't like to be told. Even though they asked.

Happyisseb

I waited patiently and the days passed but I didn't give up hope and today I received a New SIM with a new number and new codes.

I inserted it into my ancient old Nokia as previously used and after about 15 seconds it connected to Orange.

I sent & received a text, made & received a call and think that is that.

My account balance has been transferred to the new number and it all seems to be working OK.

Thanks Timwb for your mention about emailing GT-SIM and not Travelfone.

The one really confusing thing about today is that the package was slit open and it informs you to let them know. So I phoned the number of the Hot-Line inside the packet and this abrupt person told me GT-SIM went bust ages ago and hung up. So I haven't the faintest idea who I spoke to and don't really care now.

Good Luck to anyone else with a Travelfone SIM - So now lLets see how it performs in Poland in a couple weeks.

Happyisseb

Apologies, forgot to come back to the Forum after everything went brilliant in Poland & with the SIMM. I did run out of Credit whilst there and emailed them but I MUST point out that I am no longer dealing with Travelfone. Travelfone offered no support whatsoever, Travelfone NEVER came back to me on any point that I raised.

As with Tim's earlier Post I have been dealing directly with GT-sim.com as GT-sim have now taken over my number. Adding Credit via their website was the latest problem as they had no authorisation on my Visa Card. This was completed by sending 2 lots of pennies which had to be checked on my statement. I then emailed the amounts to GT-Sim and I have now set up an Auto Top-up if my balance falls below a certain amount.

Before I went to Poland I diverted my UK O2 contract phone to the GT-Sim number and all my incoming calls were FREE as were my diverted calls. I did this as some friends informed me that by dialling my GT-Sim number it was chargeable on their phone and to call me it wasn't. So that was the get around. I received all my normal calls with no problem apart from being told it rings about 8 times before connecting.

Most of the time whilst abroad I was using Skype for outgoing calls anyhow.

The Sim is only in an old Nokia with no frills and perfect for my needs.
My advice to anyone who sees this Travelfone Advert is to ignore it and deal directly with GT-Sim the Network Provider not so faceless company who pay various companies commission if you click on ther ads. (Savastore for example)

Are there any Real Travelfone Customers still out there, they are still advertising so must be conning some new ones with their latest Free Sim advert with a £50 Top Up. Wonder when they are shutting down next.

Steve:money:

timwb

I didn't realise that calls to my GT Sim were chargeable to callers. It says on website that it would come out of a contract callers inclusive minutes. I think I may have some annoyed friends when thier bills come in! My problem though is that I think Orange charge for forwarding calls, but will have to check that before I go away next.