Mobile Phone Costs

[mikewilkes]

I know this subject has had a great airing but now I am pigged off by being ripped off by mobile companies. I am currently working in Israel and the phillipinos on board have bought a phone card for the equivalent of £10. They have access to an Israeli mobile and most of them call a mobile in the Phillipines. Now when I saw what they were doing I had quite a shock because I pay nearly £3 per minute to call UK.
I said there had to be a cheaper way of doing this but then they told me how long the cards lasted. £10 FOR 3 HOURS!!!!!!
Not only that if you are a smoker the Israelis will sell you a carton for the price of a packet in UK.
They do not have a reputation for being generous, my boy, but somwhere along the line we are not getting a good deal out of President Blairs Britain
Mike

 

[Guest]

C'mon...don't be too hard on Tony..... He's one of Dubya's only friends right now.

I remember when I was in the UK back in the mid-70's.....smokes were outrageous back then, and the only food I could afford was "fish and chips" from the sidewalk vendors.....and I either stayed in my tent or in a B&B.... I was in the the US Army stationed in Germany at the time.... Prices in general in Britain were a definite shock to this southern boy from the US.

One thing I found great about the people in the UK.....I found them to be very friendly in general...and I can't remember ever paying for a beer while I was there for 3 weeks. At least not as long as I was willing to listen to war stories from WWII. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Met some really nice fellows and learned alot. Also drank alot of good beer. Oh, and I love fish and chips!!

As to your problem with the phone....I don't really know how to solve the problem. Our mobile phone system here is weird as the dickens....and you have to really watch what you sign up for....or you can get royally shafted.

 

[ccscott49]

Only way I've found Mike, is to buy a local SIM card, the costs drop dramatically, it's the phone companies, not President this time! But he does allow them to get away with it! As he does everybody else.

 

[summerwind]

I have just been researching for a new phone. The new wizz-bang phone from Orange looked like it was just the ticket BUT the phone is locked so that you can't change the sim. If you get it unlocked so that you can use a sim, apparently the software crashes.

It is rip-off Britain AND its raining again. What am I doing in this bloody country?

 

[ccscott49]

Don't ask me what you're still doing there, I'm not! My brother is also escaping in the spring, sold his house and moving back on board for another 14 years at least, I think/know he's had it now aswell!

 

[Guest]

Well, I'm clearing off to the Med next year (not for the first time) but I didnt have a mobile last time! I have a Nokia 3310 on Orange at present - will that take local SIMS or should I junk it and get something else?

 

[Guest]

SIM locks and IMEI locks

and also network locks. These are all tricks available to the network when selling you a phone. What do they all mean? Well either the SIM will not roam, the SIM will only work in the particular handset or the handset will not operate overseas. Unless that is you tell the tell the operator you intend to go abroad.

I'd ditch the Orange it might be 1800 only (Orange frequencies) and so reduce the number of available networks when you do go foreign.

Best bet might be a new phone but not bought from an operators own shop, try someone who will sell you a prepaid SIM for any network of your choice. You might ask to be shown it on a couple of networks to be sure.

Other down side is you'll end up with a new phone number as number portability does not extend to pre paid SIMs.

Barry (yacht Mithril)

 

[bryantee]

Re: SIM locks and IMEI locks

I use a prepaid cosmote card in Greece for the mobile,for the house phone we have a standard ote net connection plus an ISDN connection for the Internet.The last two months we have been using a lemontel calling card( www.lemontel.com)
The cost saving is dramatic when using it to call uk.One hour chat to mother in law .Wait for it 5. euro Put 100 Euro in in Mid August ,still got 63€uro left.
In uk we use a prepaid BT sim .we have an unlocked phone and just change sim cards.

 

[mikewilkes]

Re: SIM locks and IMEI locks

I think you deserve a medal for talking to your mother in law for an hour!!!!

 

[bryantee]

Re: SIM locks and IMEI locks

Im not that brave.wife managed about 15minutes speaking.the rest the other way.
M.I.L is 80years old and lives in small lincolnshire village ,about 70 inhabitants
The gossip has to be relayed somehow.

 

[Dallas]

Re: SIM locks and IMEI locks

Check out my post: SSB Licence + Email in the Liveaboard forum - could solve a lot of problems with expensive calls.

Dallas