bbob has posted a number of times here and elsewhere about a callback platform set up on a PC at home

Voipcheap 8c, JustVoip 5c,

Worser and worser
 

I am very frustrated. Spent ~ 1 hour on phone with 4 T-Mobile USA reps. I was complaining that I could not RECEIVE messages from my +423 phone. I was @ first told that +423 is now not on the blocked list. 3 different reps told me that.

The MDA expert however said that was incorrect. Get this.... both outbound and inbound are blocked.

This is perhaps the reason why SMSbug will not deliver messages to my +423 phone.

And, to top it all off, my UM balance is now so fouled up. Since the SMS is blocked, the system keeps trying to RESEND the SMS @ 39 e-cents per attempt. I must have 20 messages sent today already. Their system then detects that this resend is in error and credits the account. I sent 1 SMS and the balance fell from 62 Euros to 45 Euros. I have both called and written to UM customer care. Not sure it will ever be straight.

So much for sending SMS to my sons and brother on T-Mobile.

I wonder if anyone in USA is using ATT network and if they are having any better luck? At one time, probably before the T-Mo blockage started, I had a failed SMS. UM Customer Care in their infinite wisdom told me to be sure I was registered on T-Mobile rather than Cingular.

Stan

Why would T-Mobile block +423 numbers? I don't doubt your story, it just seems odd. Anyway, maybe the answer is to adios UM for another prepaid?

T-Mobile claimed FRAUD but
 

I was told back in Spring when I first investigated this that it was FRAUD. There are several other countries that are "blacklisted." NO big ones, however.

I really don't understand how UM can work. How can they offer FREE INBOUND to all those countries and still persuade their roaming partners to go along with the deal? If say T-Mobile Germany were getting 0 from allowing the SIMs to roam, why would T-Mo Germany allow them to roam? I conclude that T-Mo Germany is getting some portion of the termination fee. On the other hand I believe T-Mo Germany (and I would suspect the parent has passed some policies on down to the subsidiaries) would like to drive UM out of business. Therefore, they make it quite impossible for anyone in US to be contacted via their UM SIM.

BTW, as late as Sept 2006, there was no problem.

Stan

The game is easy. UM pays the use of FL1's network, simply they have a termination fee higher than the cost of international roaming.

Of course...
 

And the high termination fees cause all carriers to increase their rates to +423 663 #. I tried MCI this weekend and with my calling card. After entering the # the friendly voice announced the rate would be $1.18 per minute. Needless to say I hung up before letting it ring.

I also tried dialing with Voicestick. When I do that their system tells me my UM # is not a valid phone number. I left them a voicemail and will probably have to follow up with another call.

Stan

Good luck with emails to voicestick...I have written them several times concerning being charged for a 5 minute call to an Isle of Man sim when the phone was hung up before the call was completed.

I have sent the e mail 3 times and they have ignored it. I have called on their number and told all customer service reps were busy and to leave a message and the call would shortly be returned. I am still waiting.

Somebody from voicestick used to participate in this forum. He or she seems to have disppeared.

They are a bunch of rip off agents...this thing of being charged for a 5 minute call they've been aware of for almost a year and they've made no effort to clean up their act.

Unfortunately I must recommend not to use them.

Agree on their poor customer support
 

I did manage to speak with someone at there support # -- this was another day on another topic altogether. All of my previous emails had been ignored.

Agree they should fix the problems if they expect to be around long.

I do have a bit under $5 remaining and retrieving voicemails via internet while I am away is good.

Stan

To add to the Voicestick problems. Almost every time I place a test call to my IOM number, I am billed for 5 - 6 minutes for calls that never connected. On one ocasion (this pass Friday), I disabled VM and tried. After 4 rings I hung up. Heck! voicestick wiped out my balance and put it into negative (automatically disabling the number) by charging me for 120 minutes. I emailed them right away and they refunded my balance. They did acknowledge that they are aware of the problem, but did not mention anything about a fix.

BTW, it's my understanding that Bruce, who was a voicestick VP or so, is no longer with the company. There several complaints about voicestick and this same call end/termination issue in the voip forums.

Tried sending a test United Mobile SMS from US (Connecticut) to UK on both T-Mo and on AT&T to an auto-response website (airline lounge listing service). No responding SMS on either service, but a balance request call will work fine so it's just SMS that doesn't work anymore on either carrier. SMS worked fine back at the end of March, but doesn't work anymore.

This isn't a problem with my phone because the AT&T/Beyond GSM and Fido/Rogers prepaid sim cards use SMS services without any problem.