Mobile Roaming: Cheapest Calls When You're Abroad

Fistral_2

I phoned up and asked for a refund and now I'm waiting for somebody to call me back tomorrow.

Fistral_2

Waited 5 days for customer services to phone back - nothing.
Phoned again today and the nice lady said to return them with a covering letter for a full refund.

Thanks redux, I wasn't going to bother asking for a refund till I read your reply.

mrc_112

My wife and I go to Spain for 3 weeks every year.
To cut down on mobile costs while over there, we both bought a Spanish Vodafone SIM with €20 on each SIM. We were going to use them for contacts between ourselves and our Spanish friend and family.
We were told that when back in England that we had to make at least one call with each SIM within 9 months to keep the accounts active. We were NOT told that we also had to top up the SIM within 9 months as well.
We made a call to keep the accounts active, but when we got to Spain this year, we found that both SIMs had been cancelled because they had not been topped up. As a result, we have lost about €30 between us. The money left on the SIMs is not being refunded by Vodafone and they are not going to reinstate them or give us another SIM. Basically, they have stolen €30 from us.
This is a warning to anyone that intends doing the same thing in Spain. It is not just Vodafone. All mobile operators in Spain have the same rules for using AND topping up of the SIMs within a certain period to keep it active (9 months for Vodafone).
I am still harassing Vodafone Spain to try and get something back, but I am not very hopeful as they just ignore my emails.
This turned out to be an expesive local SIM.

hesmywatermelon

Id really appreciate any advice you have for me.

I recently spent a month traveling europe, and checked out the MSE pages about using mobiles abroad. I decided the best option was to use Vyke.

So i set it all up before I left, and checked that the countries I was visiting were included. I also checked that their FAQ's clearly state that my mobile phone provider will not charge me for the initial 'callback' charge to them, as 'they do not answer the call'.

So off i went.

I get back, and now for the last 2 months Orange have charged me HUGE amount for making calls abroad! I usually pay £35, and im paying £84 one month and £64 the next. Orange have said that the only things ive ben charged for over my usual monthly package is calls abroad.

So what, my Vkye things totally didnt exist?it was all in my head? ggrrrr...

Anyway, before I take this up with Vyke, does anyone have any advice? I simply cant pay it, im a student, and all my money went on that trip! Has anyone else had this problem? what o you suggest?

many thanks in advance for any help at all, and please do let me know if you think theres a more suitable place to post this!

Watermelon

redux

Unfortunately, I think you misunderstood part of this

When a UK phone is abroad, it still counts as a UK phone with a UK number, not one from the country you are in. If someone rings it up, it is charged the cost of receiving the call diverted to that country.

What you've done by using Vyke is to make two outward calls from their system, the first connected to you as incoming. So you've still incurred those incoming roaming charges from Orange, and Vyke doesn't suggest that you will avoid these if you are abroad.

It's much better to use callback services with a different SIM card from normal, as you can then have free incoming calls (except in places like USA Canada and a few others). Or some local SIMs have cheap direct-dialled int'l calls anyway.

cozlw

Im currently on the O2 network here in the UK and my partner is working in Jamaica and is on T-Mobile. I wondered if anyone would be able to help me, as I am currently being charged 90p per min by O2 for all calls that I make to him (this is on the international traveller service).

Obviously its working out expensive, and he is there for another couple of months, so I need a way of being able to call without such high costs. Both mobiles are UK issued, although not sure whether this makes much difference.

Any advice appreciated! If it helps then I have a landline with Tiscali, although having called them they also would charge me 35p to call internationally (however if I use free weekends and evenings then would this be free under the 'its a UK mobile' rule?)

Thanks in advance.

redux

cozlw wrote: »

Im currently on the O2 network here in the UK and my partner is working in Jamaica and is on T-Mobile. I wondered if anyone would be able to help me, as I am currently being charged 90p per min by O2 for all calls that I make to him (this is on the international traveller service).

Obviously its working out expensive, and he is there for another couple of months, so I need a way of being able to call without such high costs. Both mobiles are UK issued, although not sure whether this makes much difference.

I'm confused by this

I'm assuming the tariffs mentioned are for calling a Jamaican mobile. But that isn't what you seem to be describing.

If you are calling a UK mobile you will be charged exactly the same tariff to call it wherever it is. Only the phone abroad is charged differently, incurring roaming rates for all calls.

To save on roaming fees, it would be cheaper for him to get a Jamaican SIM card, then you to find cheap calls providers to reach it. See the MSE Callchecker, and go for a method on an ordinary landline access, not via 0844 or 0871 numbers as they are more expensive from mobiles

nico26

I am presently staying in Maysia and cannot believe how cheap it is to call back to the UK and Spain. I have bought a small nokia phone which is not locked £20 so I can use it anywhere.Bought a maxis sim card 9r ingits about £1 50,I topped up with 60 ringits £!2 and have still got £3 left thats after numerous phone calls to uk( some lasting 10 mins )and Spain Texts and local calls. So dump you roaming sims and buy here if coming. Rip off Britain

skifreak

I will be spending the winter in France. I plan to have my UK mobile with me but will also have the use of a French mobile with my job...

A) which UK mobile operator is the cheapest for receiving calls whilst I'm in France (I want to keep my usual number and am currently with Virgin)

what's the cheapest way my friends and family can ring me on my French mobile (bearing in mind most will be using UK mobiles rather than landlines)

I was wondering about Skype but I'm not sure if I would need a local internet connection for that (I will have laptop with me but will be using wireless hotspots rather than my own connection)

Can anyone help with advice on this subject? I find the whole communications thing very complicated and am really worried about the cost

deano27_2

redux wrote: »

It's much better to use callback services with a different SIM card from normal, as you can then have free incoming calls (except in places like USA Canada and a few others). Or some local SIMs have cheap direct-dialled int'l calls anyway.

As Redux has already stated...call back functionality is pretty good now with limited connection time to set the call up and the rates can be pretty good.

Anyone had any dealing with these guys? Their UK to international looks really good and with the added software download makes using them that much easier. However one point is the in country roam doesn't work out that cheap when you add the costs of your own network incoming rates. I am not sure how they are getting away with it as it appears that a EU call would be more expensive than the agreed capping??

Surely you would still pay your incoming call rate too? 34+18 = 52ppm

Call from Spain Mobile to United Kingdom Mobile - Vodafone
34 pence /min
http://www.mo-call.com/en/mobilecallrates/