Cheapest Texts to International Numbers from UK?

donal_f

Hi

I thought I was posting this as a new thread on Sat - but managed to post it at the end of an existing thread - doh! Second time lucky:

I wonder if anyone can help me. My wife and I text abroad a lot (within the EU). We both have tarriffs that are pretty good value for inclusive minutes and texts within the UK, but texts to international numbers from the UK are a rip-off (I pay 25p per text on Vodafone, and she pays similiar on T-Mobile).

I've used OneCompare and other sites in the past, but none of them give any info on texts to international numbers. In addition, its quite difficult to find it even in tarriff details. Does anyone out there have a better recommendation for international texting? (We're not really that keen on solutions that involve using a PC or logging onto websites/additional software from your phone). Someone told me that 02 allowed you to use 4 texts from your allowance for each international text - but I've called and they said they don't (maybe they didn in the past).

Thanks,
D.

fonesaver

O2 Pay & Go with International Caller Bolt-on will give you international texts at 10p. You can also get them on contract for 12p.

The '4 texts from your allowance for each international text' on O2 contracts applies to texts sent when you are abroad not from the UK.

donal_f

fonesaver - thanks for this. I have called O2 three times in the last couple of days and have been told something different each time. After I read your email, I just called the sales line again and the guy I spoke to insisted that the 4 for 1 international text does apply to texts sent abroad from the UK! I must say that their sales agents seem to have little or no knowledge of the tarriffs they're selling!

fonesaver

For reference here's the link:

http://www.o2.co.uk/mobilestariffs/tariffs/paymonthly/paymonthlytariffs

Inclusive texts


1 UK picture or video message is equivalent to 4 text messages. Picture and video messaging is handset dependent. 1 text message sent from abroad is equivalent to 4 text messages.


Also from elsewhere on their website:

Inclusive messages on O2 Pay Monthly tariffs can not be used for:

• premium rate messages where special charges apply,
• sending messages from the UK to international numbers, these are charged at 16p, except for customers subscribed to Discount Country or ITS who will be charged at 12p; or

I have some sympathy for O2’s sales resps; their tariffs, bolt-ons e.t.c. are so complicated (=devious!)

donal_f

Cheers - that's really helpful - thank you. :beer:

swiftstuart

Another option is a TalkMobile simcard from Carphone Warehouse. They allow you international texts within your contract.

Depending on where exactly you are texting, you can get 50 texts for £6 a month, with the minimum term on the contract being 30 days. At the moment, the simcards are free, and the first 2 months are free aswell. The maximum they are allowing is 2 per customer, so essentially you can get 200 texts over a 2 month period for free.

The cancellation of the simcards are really easy. On their website (https://www.talkmobile.co.uk) there is an option at the bottom that you select for the disconnection, and they give you a reference number. When I got my simcard, all I did was set a reminder in my mobile for a month before I wanted the disconnection and it took about 2 minutes on their website.

redux

There are several mobile Java clients that send an equivalent via data, such as mobisms, smsbug, Voipbuster and Vyke, costing from 2 to ~5 cents each, the last the cheapest at 2 US cents, plus whatever your network charge for ~2k of data, about a penny

There are sometimes free sms offers from the Betamax VoIP brands, for a month or two at a time, so fine if you can send from the client program in your PC, but they aren't always the same price when sent from the mobile Voipbuster client I mentioned.

Try Vyke; their trial account gives you $1 free credit