Greek PAYG SIMs credit expiry 6 months [now 90 days]

[DaveRo]

... Unfortunately it's not as free as it used to be as now you have to top up every six months whether you have made any calls or not.

As I said, you only need to top up every 12 months if you only want to receive calls. Do it online:
http://www.vodafone.gr/portal/client/cms/viewCmsPage.action?pageId=1692&request_locale=en

 

[DaveRo]

Not sure where you get this 12 month thing...

From the link I already posted up-thread. Go back and read my posts.

 

[DaveRo]

Ah - found it. Hadn't actually read it yesterday as the internet was so slow.

But you replied to it!

...If you do nothing then at the end of the 12 months they'll stop your SIM from working unless you give them more cash...

Yes - and I'm pretty sure that hasn't changed since you bought it.

So since you said you (mainly) use it for incoming calls you're not much affected by this change.

Cosmo or Wind SIMs cannot be topped up online with a non-Greek credit card AFAIK. Does anyone know different?

 

[Davy_S]

Quote Originally Posted by Davy_S View Post

I have not found this to be the case (yet) I have two Greek payg sims, I have just checked the phone I use the least, I last topped it up in November 2013, it still has the same credid left, and of course still works! This is for simple call and text phones, no internet use.
Which provider are they with?

Sorry, just got back in, they are with Cosmote. they are both registered to my Greek home address.

 

[Caladh]

Am I missing something here?
I thought you were talking about PAYG so why top up for 6 months - surely it's a month on month basis ?

 

[Davy_S]

Am I missing something here?
I thought you were talking about PAYG so why top up for 6 months - surely it's a month on month basis ?

If you have a Greek PAYG, you can of course top up any time, when you have topped up, it runs for 12 months. It is now said that the credit will expire after six months (it has not happened to me ) This affects people who do not live in Greece, because before people would top up before returning to the uk, so that when they returned, the phone had credit left. The SIM (Greek) still runs for twelve months from top up. You can check a cosmocarta balance by ringing 1314 from your Greek registered phone, you are given three options, top up, check balance and expiry date.

Dave Ro seems to know the most about Greek mobiles, I only know about my own Cosmocarta PAYG phones.

 

[Davy_S]

A bit of an update regarding the above.
If you have a PAYG Greek phone with Cosmote, the credit does NOT expire after 6 months! When you top up it lasts for twelve months from the date of top up. I have just topped up my phone today, my spare phone still has 8 months credit left.
Please remember that this is for Cosmote/ Cosmocarta phones only, I do not know about other breeds.

 

[DaveRo]

I'll update the ppgsm thread in the OP.

 

[DaveRo]

Re: Greek PAYG SIMs credit expiry now 6 months

Cosmote and Voda credit now expires after 90 days.
http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/showpost.php?p=48108&postcount=219

 

[Gypsyjoss]

Re: Greek PAYG SIMs credit expiry now 6 months

A bit of an update regarding the above.
If you have a PAYG Greek phone with Cosmote, the credit does NOT expire after 6 months! When you top up it lasts for twelve months from the date of top up. I have just topped up my phone today, my spare phone still has 8 months credit left.
Please remember that this is for Cosmote/ Cosmocarta phones only, I do not know about other breeds.

Hi Davy and Others.

I have a Cosmote PAYG. I've also been getting the message (new this year) that my credit wiill expire in 6 months (or it might be 3, can't check as in UK now). The SIM is valid for 12 months without use. It just means - try to limit and use up your call credit before you leave Greece and you'll have to top up immediately on arrival in Greece to have a working phone.
I find the Cosmote PAYG expensive for local calls. It's quite possible that now roaming charges have been reduced, it's cheaper to use my UK phone. Certainly something to investigate before I come out next year.

Cheers
Pete

 

[DaveRo]

Re: Greek PAYG SIMs credit expiry now 6 months

With Cosmote - and probably with Wind too - you actually have a 30 day grace period after the SIM expires during which you can resurrect it. But you have to go into a shop; you can't topup with a voucher because the phone won't work.

I found this year that I couldn't top up my Cosmokarte SIMs from the UK by SMS, which I've done before. You could probably do it via their helpdesk. (See the ppgsm thread I linked to.)

 

[NornaBiron]

Re: Greek PAYG SIMs credit expiry now 6 months

Hi Davy and Others.

I have a Cosmote PAYG. I've also been getting the message (new this year) that my credit wiill expire in 6 months (or it might be 3, can't check as in UK now). The SIM is valid for 12 months without use. It just means - try to limit and use up your call credit before you leave Greece and you'll have to top up immediately on arrival in Greece to have a working phone.
I find the Cosmote PAYG expensive for local calls. It's quite possible that now roaming charges have been reduced, it's cheaper to use my UK phone. Certainly something to investigate before I come out next year.

Cheers
Pete

I have Vodafone Greece PAYG and also UK vodafone. It is considerably cheaper to call locally using my UK phone now that roaming charges have been capped. Bizarrely, it is cheaper to use the UK phone here in Greece than it is in the UK!

 

[DaveRo]

Cosmote (Cosmokarte) currently change 0.492€ a minute - about 35p now - for national calls.
http://www.cosmote.gr/cosmoportal/pricelist/index.jsp?catName=BasicCharges_CK&loc=en_US

Then you have to factor in the curious treatment of VAT with Greek phones - you don't get 5€ of credit for a 5€ topup voucher, which I never understood - and maybe that's worse now than last year.

And I found that Greek businesses were more likely to pick up a call if they saw a local number. Just my impression when, say, trying to book a restaurant. (An unusual requirement, I know.)

But mainly I used these SIMs for data.