Like Bossman said same company that yackie used before.

So far the story about maxroam's direct connection they have to go through a provider like I said.

The next question now is, have they really hooked up their maxroam equipment using a direct line to 02 in israel or are they just forwarding the call to the 02 mobile number. I think it's the last one.

A forward to israel mobile cost only 4,8 eurocent per minute which is even lower that forward to iom or jersey mobile.
This explains why incoming call in israel are only 14 eurocent per minute.

"I send an SMS to the UK number that I was assigned, the message did not arrive (as expected, it's a landline number)."

There are landlines that can receive sms, in the netherlands kpn does offer this service so technically it is possible. I assume it does require special equipment to receive the sms and that this is not very common.

So the question now is how does sms work. The idea behind this all was that you did not really have a mobile number to give out, just a fixed did number.

Also note incoming call cost to arab countries, these are high and like yackie this has eveything to do with the "good" relation between israel and the arab countries.

So to me it just looks like nothing new, just another supplier using existing systems and not spectacular.

The biggest question reamins, why did yackie drop this israel route and is maxroam now using it again ?

I think basically any DECT handset can receive/send SMS from a landline

yes, if the provider supports a gateway. In germany T-Com for example tests first if you have a SMS enabled phone - if not you get the SMS by a computer voice (sounds quite interesting if you use a lot of shortcuts in the SMS to get more information inside the 160chars). Reception is free of charge in both ways,

Did you happen to get an answer to the question about additional numbers? I understand that they are 2 euros per month, but I haven't been able to find out whether you can cancel a number after you have purchased it.

Also, it would be nice to know whether the rate calculator is now correct, which would represent a rate increase from the time when the product was introduced.

The MAXroam rate calculator is apparently now correct. It comes with a major apology from Pat Phelan:

http://www.maxroam.com/comment_on_our_rates.asp

David Pogue has also done some extensive backtracking on his glowing review of last week:

http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/...ates/#more-363

I for one accept Phelan's statement that the error was not deliberate. I can't imagine a worse way to launch a product. Bottom line, however, is that this card is now a lot less attractive than it appeared to be initially. It really didn't look too good to be true, but I guess it was nevertheless.

Likewise, here in the UK non DECT landlines receive text. On a BT phone it is read out to you by dialing 1571. It can be quite funny as you can send people freaky messages which are spoken to them in a bionic voice!

Oh dear! I can't imagine it can get a whole lot worse than that! ("In 20 years... nobody has ever deliberately misled me ..."etc. )

My personal point of view is that this may well eventually become a fairly decent product but I really don't understand why such a grand product launch was made whilst the product is obviously still under construction. This is especially true as this company relies on good PR through blogs and people like David Pogue, rather than expensive advertising budgets! The € vs. $ mistake etc. are understandable (but big) mistakes! However misleading expert columnists.... I'm not too sure about that at all! Ouch!

On the contrary, he seems to be able to respond within a few minutes of other new remarks.

On one blog, he slagged of another forum, with highly misleading remarks about what was actually posted there, for instance a named person he criticised had actually defended the product.

We get the assurance that rates are now finally correct (as mentioned on: http://www.maxroam.com/comment_on_our_rates.asp)

But oh help!! Just when I didn't think it can't get worse it does: I cannot believe what I just saw. The requested rates David Pogue talked about in his review have been "equalled" to the rates he put in his original review. Are they trying to honour their mistake? This is indeed great news! But if they are..they still have not gone far enough as they still seem to be having a few huge €/$ issues:

In the original quoted corresponce to David Pogue it was mentioned Russia to USA is $0.49/min. The MAXroam calculator now suggests this is €0.49/min. (which is approx $0.69)

USA to Greece was quoted at $0.42/min. This is now €0.42/min (all rates in this comparison are for landlines)

Now according to the calculator here are the others:
USA to Australia €0.42 (quoted at $0.42)
USA to NZ €0.49 (quoted at $0.49)
USA to Iraq €0.69c (also quoted at $0.69 originally)

So my question is are the above really true rates anyhow? How long will these 'apology' rates last for? They are nothing close to comparible rates to similar countries:

Let's compare Greece with other European countries. There is a rate of €1.23 from USA to call Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, UK etc.

I am not sure what to compare Aus and NZ with as they are also tradionally low termination developed countries (similar to Europe). But closer to that corner of the world consider these maybe:
USA to Singapore €1.23
USA to Hong Kong €1.24

Now what can you compare Iraq with? I don't know but consider:
USA to UAE €1.36
USA to Bahrain €1.40
USA to Kuwait €1.31

I sent a email to their customer care and asked if its possible to call the mobile number directly as well as the assigned DID. The reply is that this number (from israel) is for SMS only. So thats on the same platform like yackie was and like celltrak is now on i suppose.

Chris

How do they manage to have coverage in various arab and muslim countries?

DATA Roaming
 

Do you talk about DATA configuration.
Does dataplan is out?
do you try some 3G connection?

alex

No, I was just referring to the settings in the card, to prove it's a card from Israel. Most 'global' cards have the datasettings preloaded, but this doesn't mean it's working already.

The only card that is offering data at this moment (AFAIK) is the GT-Sim, at €0.12/10kb. As long as it doesn't become 10 times cheaper, I think it's too expensive, and I look out for a (free)Wifi Hotspot whenever I'm abroad.

Judging from the blogs (and the comments), potential users have not been satisfied with the way this initial crisis was handled. One thing is for certain, even bad publicity is publicity. They've been given an awful lot of that and no doubt they have lost some, gained others. Many are at least now aware that such products exist, and some have even been made aware of ppgsm and some alternatives to this.

See:
http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/...final-chapter/

http://www.goebel.net/technews/2007/...t-article.html

http://consumerist.com/consumer/oh-d...ard-307416.php

FWIW, Pat Phelan has moved his apology ("Comment on our rates"), which was previously linked to the main rate page, and which I referenced in an earlier post. It is now found on a new blog on the company's website, http://www.maxroam.com/blog.asp.

The blog also includes a new defense of the company's rates by Sean O'Mahoney ("it turns out that our rates actually do rock"), which compares MAXroam's rates for calling the USA from a handful of countries to the corresponding rates from T-Mobile and AT&T. Of course, this is hardly an apples-to-apples comparison, in that MAXroam uses a callback system, requires getting a new phone number, etc. A more apt comparson would be another global roaming SIM. Celtrek, for example, offers a similar product, but has rates that are substantially lower for all but one of the countries listed in MAXroam's blog.

I wonder how many people are still purchasing this card based on Pogue's original review, but have not checked the actual rates or reviewed all the critical comments in numerous blogs covering its introduction?

Back to Pogue. Seems his apology got /.ed today: http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/10/14/1314204

iPhone
 

Today, I received my iPhone, that I won on MaxRoam's launch-day.

Just using it for an hour, but I love the interface.
YouTube is coming in slow.
Voice quality is very good.
In my basement (where my Nokia E70 has problems) I can continue calling with no problem.

More news, when I have time to do more testing...

Anyone received free SIM . I didn't get any answer to my request from Sean Omahony.

I have not got mine yet, just an email to say it will be done when they get round to doing all the paid customers first

Anyone here is using Maxroam ?

when I sent a email earlier, it came back with a message that the email address does not exist

Hi,

You should take the UM423 SIM from United-Mobile, this should work in Japan (but only, if your phone includes WCDMA - Technology (AKA "UMTS" in Europe) and you are using the network of Softbank (formerly Vodafone Japan)

If you can't get one UM423 at United-mobile contact www.callfrom.de
or http://callfrom.de/CSLH/livehelp.php...1&pingtimes=15

He still has some fresh UM423-SIM-Cards in stock.

MaxRoam seem to be just hot air so far no substance yet

I received Maxroam sim card I bought,- second number is not working at all , no information about inbound sms number , no answer to my questions from support ....

Hope they improve as what everyone has seen / not seen about them so far is not confidence filling. Bad press, no support, and an unsureness of what the product does or does differently.

support
 

Hi guys
Should you have an issue with any MAXroam support email me directly
We are full up to date with supports calls to 3pm today. I am available right now and you should be email to email me direct from forum

No answer from support, so I read again your instructions and found :
Need Help?
call customer service direct from your phone by dialing *MAX (*629)
So I dialed *629 ,- nobody answers , only answering machine and
I was immediately charged 0.29 Euro although on your
"How much does it cost" page
http://www.maxroam.com/how-much-does-it-cost.asp
there is no information about charge calling customer service.
I think it's not fair .

Anyone who is reading this and isn't immediately cynical please feel free to e-mail me with your address at "sean(dot)omahony(at)cubicmobile(dot)com" and I'll send you a free SIM.

My apologies the e-mail address should be: "sean(dot)omahony(at)cubictelecom(dot)com"

Being very very critical about your service I would like to test it before becoming cynical or maybe not if it is ok.

I have written a mail to the above addresse about a free Sim. But till now no response at all.
Yackie that does not have a good name but had an offer for a free sim, responded within 1 day.

So Pat, is this offer still valid, can I mail you all the details or is there no offer or is it that, something I read somewehre in this thread, you a busy doing other things.

Pat , my question to support was :
what is my sms number ?
Answer from team@maxroam.com :
Either number, 001-516-xxx-xxxx, or 001-212-xxx-xxxx will be able to receive SMS .

I sent several test sms messages to these numbers and, of course, they didn't reach my phone .
So my question to you now:
Is the answer I received from Maxroam support (team@maxroam.com ) is correct or not ? Just answer YES or NOT .

Hi ViJU/bobb
As I said you can email me directly now from the forum
I will endeavour to fix any issue TODAY, please email me asap.

I believe if you call or send an sms from your maxroam sim, the number that shows up on the recepient's caller ID is the number the number you need for sms. Have you tried that already?

Normaly I must see all my numbers(to call and sms) and other information login into my Maxroam account . It's nonsense to buy sim card and then to call and sms to know what is your numbers.

Believe it or not, there are millions of people in the world who can't remember their own numbers and will perhaps do exactly that, or post on forums asking for advice on how to find out.

I believe . I believe there are millions of people who can't remember their own names too.

It's not that ridiculous to not remember your number. I don't have all of my numbers memorized. (Okay, I have quite a few numbers. :) )

OK, in this case must be written somethng like this :
To know your number sms yourself ( we will charge you 0.37 Euro ) , or call yourself ( charge depends on roaming country ) .

Or send our support an email and we will give it to you in two shakes.

E-mail with the question to support was sent . See -
http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/show...&postcount=109

I have to confirm Pat solved all problems very quickly ! Thanks !

thank you
 

We may have got off to a poor start but I can promise any issue is solvable very quickly, anyway I am available to any forum member that may have issues or an enquiry at my email.
Glad to help.