Using T Mobile in Turkey

FreddieM

I can't get my head around the boosters that T Mobile are advertising, so maybe a bit of experience here will help. We are going to Turkey in July. I will mainly be using my HTC Senasation to txt family in Cyprus and Uk. Theres a possible chance of a call or maybe two to Cyprus. My current UK package is 600 mins/500txts. Can anyone suggest the route for me to follow without getting wholly stung. Thanks

DUTR

FreddieM wrote: »

I can't get my head around the boosters that T Mobile are advertising, so maybe a bit of experience here will help. We are going to Turkey in July. I will mainly be using my HTC Senasation to txt family in Cyprus and Uk. Theres a possible chance of a call or maybe two to Cyprus. My current UK package is 600 mins/500txts. Can anyone suggest the route for me to follow without getting wholly stung. Thanks

Check out the T Mobile web site on costs for usage abroad, and ways to reduce costs, remember that Turkey may not be classed as West Europe for roaming purposes, also strongly consider a Turkish PAYG sim to use :cool:

FreddieM

Has anyone used their phone with/without any shock bills when they returned? I also would like to know if i got a PAYG SIM would I be able to Divert any calls/txts from my pay monthly SIM to my PAYG?

DUTR

FreddieM wrote: »

Has anyone used their phone with/without any shock bills when they returned? I also would like to know if i got a PAYG SIM would I be able to Divert any calls/txts from my pay monthly SIM to my PAYG?

If you divert calls from your contract phone to a PAYG then you are not evading or reducing any charges, as the incoming call charge would be the same or very similar to the divert charge.
But as for the question "has anybody used their phone without shock bills?" then the answer is yes! but do consider if you really need to receive any calls whislt you are away on holiday (even if there was an emergency at home, chances are you won't get back home any sooner than the holiday ends).

grumbler

FreddieM wrote: »

I can't get my head around the boosters that T Mobile are advertising, so maybe a bit of experience here will help. We are going to Turkey in July. I will mainly be using my HTC Senasation to txt family in Cyprus and Uk. Theres a possible chance of a call or maybe two to Cyprus. My current UK package is 600 mins/500txts. Can anyone suggest the route for me to follow without getting wholly stung. Thanks

Switch data roaming off. Just in case switch mobile data off as well.
Incoming texts are free.
Incoming and outgoing calls are £1.50/min.

Enigmatic_Me

Why not download "WhatsApp" which allows you to send free texts from anywhere in the world. All you need is wifi and the other people you are sending texts to to also have the app!

Bales1983

For the purposes of roaming, as said above, we do not offer any boosters for usage outside of the EU. Data would be a hefty £7.50/MB so as advised most definately switch that off!!

redux

FreddieM wrote: »

Has anyone used their phone with/without any shock bills when they returned? I also would like to know if i got a PAYG SIM would I be able to Divert any calls/txts from my pay monthly SIM to my PAYG?

Most networks do not allow diversion to international numbers. Only O2 contracts and possibly giffgaff, that I know of at the moment.

But even then they don't have cheap rates to call there.

If you need to receive a lot of calls there, I'd say think about a roaming SIM with free incoming calls there.. The trouble is, T-mobile don't include the phone numbers of these in their inclusive minutes, so you might do a double diversion involving a giffgaff SIM

MVC

Bit of a rambling reply but here goes....

Yep - 1.50 p/m for calls in or out. Charged PER MINUTE even if the call fails after you say "hello" (which they do a lot in Turkey).

Roaming via Turkcell is very hit & miss. Loads of dropped calls, appalling data (hardly worked at all) and unsent text messages. I got most of the £30 they hammered me for refunded the first time I went.

Now I just make sure we have WiFi in our apartment. Most bars & food places have free WiFi. I found Skype calls worked better in Turkey than it does here (honestly).

You can get a Skype IN number for about a tenner (most UK dialling codes) and divert your mobile number to that.

Most Skype capable smart phones (+ media players) will allow WiFi only operation.

Skype IN comes with voicemail BUT last time I had it you could only listen to it on a computer (no problem if you take a netbook). Their voicemail is a bit trigger happy - it tends to go there INSTEAD of to your phone even if you have Skype on and WiFi.

Calling from Skype to the UK is cheap - landlines cost <2p/min and mobiles <18p/min so not too bad. You don't need a Skype IN number to do that - just some credit on your Skype account.

My solution was to divert calls to a trusted business associate here . He handled work enquiries and emailed me details of anyone I needed to phone back via Skype.

It's not perfect & won't suit everybody but it does gives options that may worth it for some people.

FreddieM

grumbler wrote: »

Switch data roaming off. Just in case switch mobile data off as well.
Incoming texts are free.
Incoming and outgoing calls are £1.50/min.

Where will I find that on my HTC Sensation XE??

buscape

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EC23AiIQqM