3 "Feel at home" service

New_traveller

Hi,
I'm shortly travelling to the US, and being a bit of an elderly technophobe, I was hoping that someone could offer me a bit of advice.

I've been advised that getting a SIM for the 3 network will enable me to use my mobile phone whilst I'm there but to do this I need to sign up to their "Feel at home" service.
Is this something that I can get if I'm on a pay and go plan? and if so, how exactly do I go about getting it activated before I depart. (I'm currently with O2 and I've been told that my phone is unlocked so any SIM will work in it).

I realise that I could find this out in a 3 shop but not knowing anything about it, I'm just a tad worried that they will try to sign me up to something more expensive or onto a contract that isn't required for this service.

Thanks for any advice.

FBaby

Put the sim in and call 444 (I think it is but the pack you'll get with the card will say) and follow the steps on the phone. Very easy to do.

PeacefulWaters

They do a 1 month contract. Remember to give notice immediately!

(Although I've just switched to them and the 12 month contracts for 8gb and 30gb of data are good value).

balletshoes

this should help -

https://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=996883&highlight=3+feel+at+home

I ordered my 3 payg sim online free, then used the 3 website to load credit, then bought the £10 or £20 bundle which gives you a set amount of calls, texts and data included, and which can be used just like you would use them in the UK, in the US, with the feel at home plan.

skint_chick

You have to use PAYG credit as a monthly 'add on' to be eligible for Feel at home. You also need to use the phone in the UK before you go or they will suspend your service. I would check your eligibility as my friend tried to join last year but was told she had to have the SIM active for 2 months before she could get a feel at home add on. You just need a PAYG sim that's not an essential plan (these ones aren't eligible). I've been with 3 for a few years now as I take lots of weekends away and some of my family live in feel at home countries, and have never had a problem with their customer service. I've only been in a couple of shops but they've been helpful and never tried to push me to go for something more than I can afford. If you're switching and have an o2 online account you should check your current call/text/data usage over the last few months so you know how much of each you use and they can work out the best option for you.

If you're going to the US and want to make calls would WhatsApp over free WiFi suit you if it's just a call every couple of days? A lot of places have free public wifi (restaurants, bars, shopping malls, McDonalds) and you can send emails or whatsapp messages and make whatsapp calls. If it's just for an emergency call home then I would probably stick with o2 and make sure you have international roaming activated. Feel at home is only for making calls to numbers in the UK, not US numbers, so another option might be better for you

balletshoes

for the PAYG service with 3 you don't need to serve any term before you can use the feel at home service abroad.

I personally wouldn't go into a 3 shop to do this if you're not 100% sure what you want or how to go about it - 3 shop personnel are salespeople above all else, they are unlikely to be particularly interested in only selling you a 3 payg sim with £10 or £20 credit on it. You may come away with the impression that the PAYG avenue won't work for the US for 3 feel at home, or that you need to use 3 for a certain amount of time before being able to use feel at home abroad. Neither of these are true.

eDicky

New_traveller wrote: »

Hi,
I'm shortly travelling to the US, and being a bit of an elderly technophobe,

I've been advised that getting a SIM for the 3 network will enable me to use my mobile phone whilst I'm there

What kind of handset do you have? Note that the Three network only works on 3G and 4G (in UK), so it cannot be used in a 'non-smartphone' that has only 2G function.

stevie11

All good advice, I would just pop into a Three shop and tell them what you want to do, they will advise accordingly. Make sure your handset is compatible with three and away you go. As already stated I would work out what you want to use the phone for i.e. numerous calls a day both outgoing and incoming, text messages plus use of data or is it solely for emergency and to let family know you have arrive safely etc?

As an example I recently returned from a week in the US and used my phone like I would at home and received a meassage that I had saved £900 on that trip. If I was travelling to a non feel at home country I would restrict myself to emergency calls or just use wifi and WhatsApp for example.
Good luck.

EssexExile

Doesn't the OP need to ensure that they have a tri-band or quad-band phone first?

novelty-socks

Three Feel at Home is great for the US. I've travelled there a lot over the last year and I reckon it's saved me thousands compared to my old O2 tariff.

That said, I recall having to wait a month after I joined Three to have my roaming and Feel at Home activated. This may not be the case - or may be decided on a by-customer basis - but do check eligibility before signing up.

NiftyDigits

Wow...what a headache for the OP.

Just get one of these for free.
Once you get the SIM, pop it into your device and navigate using your Browser to Three.co.uk/freedata. Register and that will get you a free data allowance to use abroad.

Top up £2 or £5 to cover any calls and txts to the UK, 3.3p per min. and 1.3p respectively. 1.3p txts within USA. Don't use to make calls to within the USA at £1.40 per min.

http://www.three.co.uk/support/roaming/united-states