Switching from Talkmobile to Lebara, monthly SIMs

rungku

Hi

I am considering switching from my current Talkmobile rolling monthly SIM (4GB, unlimited text and minutes) to the current best PAYG bundles recommended by MSE (Lebara, unlimited text and minutes, equivalent £3.25 per month). Generally happy with Talkmobile but I am attracted to the extra data and lower price per month (for the first 12 months at least). I am light data user, and speed is not major issue, as long as it is reliable. 

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with this Lebara deal, and if you would recommend it. 

Also my next payment date is 30th July, is there an optimum time to initiate the switch to minimise the price I pay for the remaining monthly contract. I imagine ideally the switch over of contract from one provider to the next would be the day after 30th July, but I am really not sure, or does it even matter (perhaps I would be charged for the proportion of the month I am still with Talkmobile)?

Mark_d

I don't think it matters when you make the switch.  I would do it sooner rather than later.

I've been with Lebara for years now.  I'm very happy with the coverage and signal strength.  It's also nice to have the international minutes - so that I can make calls to hotels etc. abroad before travelling there on holiday.

savergrant

If you are on a monthly contract then you will be charged proportionately for the days talkmobile provide your service, so if you have paid upfront you should, eventually, receive a refund for any unused service. However with providers like lebara you are actually buying a bundle which allows you so much service and is valid for 30 days so once your service has begun you would not receive a refund for leaving early (regardless of how much you had used). So check your small print or seek to port out during the last week of your month.

rungku

Mark_d said:

I don't think it matters when you make the switch.  I would do it sooner rather than later.

I've been with Lebara for years now.  I'm very happy with the coverage and signal strength.  It's also nice to have the international minutes - so that I can make calls to hotels etc. abroad before travelling there on holiday.

Planning to go to France later this year for 3 weeks, and was going to get an eSIM from a French provider but think I will just switch to Lebara (5GB) and get a top up of 20GB or 30GB before I go. Is it possible to make calls to a local number whilst in France with a Lebara SIM (probably has an obvious answer!)?

savergrant

Previously discussed;
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6370703/beware-lebara-local-calls-while-roaming

If you are in the EU or india then you are charged the same as if YOU were in the UK, so those calls would come out of your international allowance. However if you are outside the lebara roaming area you will pay a lot more.

However ensure that you get the deal well in advance and use your data allowance for at least two months while in uk, or you will fall foul of their fair usage policy. Other providers give a fixed limit for roaming or a proportion of the total allowance.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6486122/lebara-t-cs-roaming