T-Mobile phone contract/international calls

Karen's_girl

Hello there,

I have two phones on an 18 month contract with T-Mobile. Before buying the phones in October 2007 (one for me and one for my partner who resides in America), the T-Mobile salesperson assured me that my partner would be able to pay for half of the bill online, from America (we were previously with T-Mobile USA and I paid for my share of the bill online from the UK). We found out when paying the 2nd bill (I had paid the first) that my partner is unable to pay part of the bill because T-Mobile UK does not accept payments by credit cards issued in the USA. Because of this, there was some confusion and for the first bill, we were disconnected. So, I now pay the bill on my credit card and my partner transfers part of the payment to me via Paypal.

Because of the international costs, our bills are quite high, yet T-Mobile only accepts credit card payments up to £200 in any month, so part of the previous month's bill always end up being added to the next month. This has happened again this month, with the result that we have been disconnected yet again because of the amount of money outstanding being added to the amount of new texts we make. To cap it all, I am partially deaf and having to deal with T-Mobile on the phone to get reconnected each time is quite stressful for me and I do not like having to keep relying on people to contact them for me. They refuse to speak to my partner in America as the account is in my name. Also, because of the international calls, my partner is not using her portion of the Flext texts and minutes as it doesn't apply in the USA. We never had any of this palaver when we had a contract with T-Mobile USA.

Is there any way we can get out of the contract, particularly as we were misinformed by the salesperson about my partner being able to pay part of the bill from the USA or does anyone have any advice as to how we can improve the contract?

Sorry for a long winded post...............any advice gratefully received.

redux

I can't answer the billing issues, but there are much cheaper ways to call across the Atlantic. The phone in USA is incurring roaming costs of over 50 pence a minute for both incoming and outgoing calls, and it's impossible to use the contract's included minutes.

Instead, ask T-mobile about unlocking the other phone, or just buy another cheap one over there, and get a SIM card from a US network, perhaps even a contract again, or perhaps just pre-paid. T-mobile in USA uses mainly 1900 MHz and has less coverage in some places than AT&T Cingular, but I assume that's already known about for that particular location.

Then you want a cheap way to call that US-numbered phone from here, without paying international rates. If you look in the MSE Callchecker (link in header above this thread), you'll find a variety of ways, at from about half a penny a minute. Don't bother with the 0844 access numbers, but go for an account-based operation with an ordinary landline access number in London or similar; I'd suggest maybe 18185 or DialNow.

Or maybe even use a VoIP firm to set up your own forwarded number; some of the Betamax brands, such as Voipcheap, have some free calls to USA, up to a 300 minutes in 7 days fair use policy. Worth checking if an 0560 number comes from T-mobile inclusive minutes, as you can get one on these accounts for €1.

Of course, a US phone incurs charges for incoming calls as well, so it could well be worth a contract, depending on how much you chat, and assume it will now be for a bit longer with cheaper calls.

Even using a calling card, calls from the USA to a UK mobile will be quite a bit more expensive, and I'd suggest you arrange between you that you call back.

Or do you have to use only mobiles? Calls between two landlines would be very cheap, or VoIP calls through PCs and the internet could be free.

Karen's_girl

Thanks for this, redux. I was not aware that there are so many options, but I will look into them. The reason we rely on mobiles so much is because of my hearing difficulties.

dellwear

As you have the Internet could you not use something like Vonage for calls from home.

You can have both a UK dialing code and a US dialing code no the same line - this would allow you to call your partner for free (calls to US mobiles* (not UK) and landlines are free) and he could call you at a local rate.

This would be the cheapest way around it I think - you'd pay £7.99 a month for the line but you get free calls to the US. You'd also get a dialing code in the same area as your partner for £2.99 a month.

International Virtual Numbers allow your friends and family overseas to call you without paying international rates. And it's cheap for you too. International Virtual Numbers are inexpensive secondary numbers that ring to your primary Vonage line.
The advantage is that people overseas can call you for the price of a local call if you choose a Virtual Number in their area code. You can have as many lines as you like and maintain a local presence anywhere you choose.

The added bonus is that you can plug any UK landline phone into the service so if you have a land line phone that has a particularly loud speaker on it that you like it'll work with this service.

*you could call them on their US mobile for free as well as their landline.

rmas12

T-mobile have massively mis-sold a contract to you there, they have given you a UK contract to use in a foriegn country, this means calls will cost her 55p per minute at all times any calls recieved are 55p per minute and text messages will be 40p per text, on top of a price plan that will cost X amount per month that you get no free usage from.

I would go to ofcom and see what they say about having the agreement terminated because what they have done to you is grossly unfair.

If you are able to get out of the contract with them you have a number of options available to you.

1. Your partner should defiently take a contract out in the states as roaming rates will not apply.

2. For yourself, dependent on what you do for a living T-mobile business one plans include minutes to call the US within their price plans. Technically if you have ever sold anything on Ebay or at a carboot you can be classed as a sole trader.

An other option would be to look at an O2 simplicity deal there's no running agreement just a 30 day notice period and at £25 a month + you get their international travellers service free with the account which discounts calls to the US by 40% With that price plan you'll get 600 uk minutes and 1000 uk texts if taken on line plus an unlimited option one of which is unlimited internet usage, if you set up your phones with email accounts you can email each other instead of texting and it will cost yourself nothing and your partner very little.

hope that helps

redux

rmas12 wrote: »

T-mobile have massively mis-sold a contract to you there, they have given you a UK contract to use in a foriegn country, this means calls will cost her 55p per minute at all times any calls recieved are 55p per minute and text messages will be 40p per text, on top of a price plan that will cost X amount per month that you get no free usage from.

I would go to ofcom and see what they say about having the agreement terminated because what they have done to you is grossly unfair.

Read the OP again: two phones on one contract, unless I misunderstood, and in any case not much point in starting a new O2 contract with relatively expensive calls to USA


As for the previous post, Vonage is not so cheap, especially at £11 a month before any calls are made. A Voipcheap account can make 1300 minutes of calls a month free via internet for a top-up every so often, and then the credit is still there for other calls or for use from a mobile, via callthrough access at one cent a minute, or zero for call forwarding.

Karen's_girl

Thanks for all the replies so far. What annoys me also is the fact that even though I have the money every month to pay the bill, they will not take more than £200 on a credit card. What is that about?