the same here:

united mobile took 4 x 25,- Euros from my paypal account till I stopped autorecharge.

I informed paypal and told them to freeze the transactions.


Let´s see how long it lasts to get the money back ..... :eek:

Money back
 

Hi!

Just receive 10 euro money back (through paypal) from UM, as requested last night.

Still waiting other 3- 10 euro each not request auto-recharge they took from paypal last night, till I stopped autorecharge.

ops, little mistake: waiting other 5x10euro each not requested, as i receive 6x10 euro in total, yesterday

same here...: waiting for 6x25 euro:evil:

Hello,

the automatic reload monitors your account balance. As the account was at 0 Euros for some time, the systems thought, it should reload. UM told me, they would refund the money to the related paypal account. I hope this will come true.

My personal option: Now should be the time to tell the remaining customers the truth about the future of UM.

[joke]
Or is the message to buy the company for one Euro / Swiss Franken / USDollar / Nigerian Naira / Russian Rubel or what? :-) (SCNR)[/joke]

Paypal
 

Hi! They've been honest: during the morning i received full refund, at least about 6x10 euro last nigh autorecharge.

On my n. 2 +44 and n. 2 +423 sim cards i still have around 100 euro credit.

Hope they'll refund everything if system will be down forever

Meanwhile, i took n. 1 Maxroam card (with Belgium prefix and data, in Italy works ok and rates are good); and n. 1 sim4travel (with +44 jersey prefix, but no data; also works ok while in Italy; but looks expansive about send sms)

Is the company really gone?
 

I have 29 euro on a SIM card that I've had for over a year, which I've kept active by making occasional short calls or SMS messages. Has anyone managed to get in touch with anyone at the company to know if there will be any ability to get at least some credit refunded or transferred to a rival carrier? Or should I consider that money just gone?

at the moment there is no bancruptcy filed for UM
 

I just returned from Valencia where I truely misssed my UM +423 since she were very reliable. Having a business contract with our company from Orange AT the pill is not as bitter, since we have 100 Minutes incoming calls in Europe for free per month.

It were realy interresting to read the 3 pages of comments, posted since I left home last week for travelling. One thing needs to be communicated quite clear. By 09:30 this morning when I've checked the central company name index (zefix.ch), there is nowhere a bancrupt filed - and believe me, the central company index will be there first to show! Handelsregister des Kantons Zürich

Unfortunately, noone is picking up the phone at the offices at Kloten, you still hear the message "At the moment, all our lines are busy". Let's see what will happen, I still have about 75 Euros on my SIM Cards....

BK

Hi!

just received from UM customer service

Due to a technical problem there have been several unauthorized recharges made at the 27th of april. This concerned customers who had activated the "automatic recharge function".
The amount has already been refunded.
Please deactivate the automatic recharge, for security reasons.
In some weeks, this option will not be available anymore, because it does not provide reliable service.


Kind regards,
Your United Mobile Customer Service

Can somebody explain to me what the highlighted sentence means in simple English?

OK, I'll try: In a few weeks we will discontinue the automatic recharge feature altogether because it is unreliable.

I presume "does not provide reliable service" refers to the multiple credit card charges when everyone's balance went to zero a few days ago.

Hmm, and what about UM? Do they provide a reliable service?

Even, if they are not bankrupt now, a prolonged outage means they don't generate revenue and thus a creeping towards serious trouble.

I'll try to translate in another version: "As all IT-specialists escaped from the company our billing system went out of control, but we will try to stop it by disabling all functions, that require human maintenance or monitoring."

Why bother keeping the billing system in place?! The UM+ SIMs are dead... The UM423 ones can only receive calls.

It would be a whole lot cheaper to just unplug it.

Ahhh... you must be in management ;)

What one thing/action would show that UM has a chance to survive??
 

There currently is no working method for customers to recharge their accounts [especially if auto-recharge does not work!]. Even if someone wanted to give them money, there is no means to do it.

How could it not be all over?

Today I received an answer from the Liechtenstein regulatory authority (Amt für Kommunikation), which confirms that United Mobile has interrputed service due to disputes subject to civil law. The case is under investigation by the Liechtenstein consumer protection, which as a branch of the department of commerce and transport, a public authority in Liechtenstein.
Meanwhile the district court of Liechtenstein, which is responsible for insolvency proceedings, has not replied to my fax, in which I asked if United Mobile is involved in such.
The Swiss Company Registry, which bourbonkiller mentioned, is of secondary importance, since the parent company is registered in Liechtenstein and so bankruptcy should first be filed there.

I only agree partly to inquisitors comment, since we all dealt with the Swiss branch of United Mobile. It seems that the "Kloten branch" were the only part of the company, that dealt with end consumers (maybe they bought the service from their Liechtenstein mother company) and we all made payments and bought services from UM Kloten branch. For all of us it is more important, if UM Kloten branch wents out of business, since they are the company that serviced us all.

As long as UM Kloten branch is up and running, we might be able to sue them to get money back, if they do not give us propper service for what we pay. Only if UM Kloten branch goes bancrupt, our money is definately gone. This might only be my own opinion, but lets see what will happen!

BK:nono:

United Mobile CEO angry about Sim4Travel's actions.
 

From United Mobile - is the end nigh for travel SIMs? - alexkinch.com | alexkinch.com :

United Mobile - is the end nigh for travel SIMs?

Posted by Alex on 4/21/09 • Categorized as Mobile News

It’s been an interesting few weeks in the world of travel SIM providers. If rumours are to be believed, United Mobile - one of the biggest (and longest established) providers of travel SIMs is in the throws of death - and already some of it’s competitors are trying to pick at the bones.

On Tuesday 7th April, Truphone-owned Sim4Travel registered unlted-mobile.com - a typo suspiciously close to the official United Mobile website of united-mobile.com. At the time of writing this entry, it was offering customers of ‘other’ travel SIM providers a free Sim4Travel SIM card: “Having problems with your travel SIM provider? You can’t make calls? You’re experiencing a poor service? Or simply, you just want peace of mind that you won’t be let down when you travel.”

Even more damning was a page found at www.sim4travel.com/um/ - which has since been taken down (but still available in Google’s cache) that went as far as to name United Mobile, by saying “Having problems with your Umited Mobile SIM? You can’t make calls? You’re experiencing a poor service? Or simply, you just want peace of mind that you won’t be let down when you travel.”

Meanwhile on Thursday 10th April Truphone issued a press release - which appears to have been swiftly withdrawn - trumpeting the same offer. A quick search of Google reveals that the largest German telecoms magazine Teltarif picked up on the story - which is translated into English via Google here.

Do Truphone know something we don’t? Perhaps. But their actions didn’t go unnoticed by United Mobile. An article in today’s print edition of Mobile News says that UM are to sue Truphone and Sim4travel for fraud. Both sides are quoted in the article. Firstly Sim4Travel’s Matt Rowntree:

“We have recently heard that global SIM provider United Mobile is having trouble supporting its customers. SIM4Travel would like to reassure all United Mobile customers that we can provide them with a continuation of service and would be happy to send them a replacement SIM card for free by first class post. Their remaining credit will be valid on our network.

“If the situation with United Mobile becomes more serious we will be more proactive in contacting their customers although we don’t want to be seen as vultures stealing their customers.”

United Mobile CEO Sven Donhuysen said: “It seems that SIM4Travel is really desperate. Otherwise I cannot explain their actions. What they are doing is fraud. We have our lawyers involved now.”

Meanwhile, United Mobile customers at various Internet forums are complaining that their SIM cards are no longer working. One poster at Flyertalk said: “I’m trying to use my United Mobile SIM card in Singapore and it isn’t working. I’ve used it in many other countries with no problems. This is the first time in several weeks though. I also notice big chunks of the United Mobile website are also down. You can’t access your account for a example. It’s a worrisome coincidence.” whilst another in a thread on Crunchbase posted: Just heard that United Mobile has gone out of business. Their assets have been frozen awaiting liquidation, there is no way the service will restart.”.

Meanwhile German-based Sunsim announced yesterday an offer for UM subscribers who can no longer use their SIM cards. The starter pack gives customers a new SIM card plus €15 of call credit for €14.95.

Both United Mobile and Sim4Travel rely on platforms hosted by and network connectivity provided by Channel Islands-based mobile operator Jersey Telecom.

LOL and for travel SIM users as well! ;)

Great article... thank you.

As you may have seen in my other thread, I was in UM's Kloten office on April 15. The place looked nearly abandoned, but the fellow who answered the door was very helpful and gave no hint of imminent shutdown. I was there to get my balance transferred from my UM +423 to my UM +44. He did the transfer while I waited, we chatted for a moment, and then I left. And later that very day was when the +44 sims stopped working. ;(

Like everyone, I hope UM can return to the game, but also like everyone I've had to find an alternate means of roaming telecom- in my case Sim4Travel.

Kupe

And now for something completely different............
 

I have also called my number 2 days ago (saturday) and it rang well.

I have come across what you describe when dialing via cheap voip routes.
Try one more time using a more expensive carrier

Latest
 

Check UM website home page, now shows
-------------------

NEWSTICKER: Currently United Mobile is out of service
We are working on a solution and we will send you an email newsletter as soon as the cause has been resolved. In order to do so, we kindly ask you to keep your contact details updated in your personal MyAccount.

I am new to posting here, but have been following this thread since my UM +44 card stopped working. The weird thing is this past February at a conference in Barcelona someone high up in United Mobile told me SIM4Travel was a white label of United Mobiles +44 service. I just want to know 2 things

1.) When did they split off from United Mobile?
2.) Did they have a “heads up” before the rest of us and if so when?

Also I know United Mobile had just launched a Dual IMSI SIM, meaning it was a SIM card with both a USA number and a +44 number. Last I saw GeoSIM was launching a similar product and has now revised its release date till sometime this month. I would love to know what all these companies know that we don’t know about United Mobile

I've deleted the car advert for privacy reasons, as Effendi did the last time it was posted

Could I ask yet again that pointless speculation is left out of this discussion. A car for sale does not imply anything at all about the financial status of a company

They were testing a dual SIM, and showing it at the event you went to. It hadn't actually been launched yet.

@andy
Now you're really overdoing things. What privacy can a public company claim, that is publicly advertising a sales offer? May we mention U**** M**** here any longer at all?

No need for you to exaggerate

Nothing wrong with mentioning the company, or discussing the product as it works or does not, but some of the removed comments go further than observation of something that is in any case an irrelevant detail.

I think the ad with the car is not very interesting, it can be funny to laugh about it once, but apart from that it's of no use. So please go back to the topic, thanks.

interresting question
 

I think, simcardman has thrown in a very interresting question regarding UM. To me, it also looked a little bit like the guys over at Sim4Travel did exactly know what will happen to UM before. Specialy after my phonecall with Mobilkom LI, in which the name Sim4Travel has been mentioned not only once. Thinking back about that phonecall, the lady told me they are in negotiations with other travel sim providers to bring back +423 to market. For a person that answered my questions (on the phone with Mobilkom LI) in a way and telling me, that she is not knowledgeable about Travel Simcards, she definatetely spoke out the name Sim4Travel as a reliable replacement with +44 number very quick....:evil:

BK

Customer service replies e-mails...
 

On 16th April I sent a ticket to the UM customer service regarding the breakdown of service.


Today (5th May) they sent me an e-mail reply:


Dear Customer,

Since 04/15/2009 we are suffering from a complete outage of the +44 platform. We are working on a solution of this problem with all our effort.


With best regards

United Mobile Customer Service






Are they trying to catch up with tickets?

Probably, I sent a ticket on April 20th and got a canned reply which has been augmented with the following disclaimer: Due to a high volume of requests, it might take some days until your request will be answered. Thank you for your understanding.

As of yet there's been no reply.

Icqsim
 

Any ICQSIM users here? It should be down also...no?

I do not have icqsim but since the number is +423 I can tell you that mine (normal +423 card) is working for incoming calls only.

My ICQSIM is working for incoming calls only...

Am I right to assume that the +423 UM lines can only receive incoming calls at the moment?

I'm leaving for Europe soon and having a half-working sim card is better than one that doesn't work at all (i.e. UM +44).

Yes. Incoming calls have been working throughout. And receiving sms.

Logged in to the account, the call record updates within half an hour, and the connection charge is shown for the answered calls.

There have been a couple of times when the balance was incorrectly shown as zero, but that was apparently resolved, and calls would still answer anyway. But if you were thinking you might receive more calls than your current balance would allow, you might be on new ground, finding out whether manual top-ups are still possible.

Thanks for the confirmation.

I'm just planning for now to use the UM +423 sim in European countries that has free incoming calls. Might as well use up my balance for the setup fees before UM totally goes belly up.

Hi! Last updates. Just received from UM... As far as i understand they tell me both +423 and +44 are not working... but they ask my if i want to change my +423 with a new +44... don't know what to think...

----------------------

Please accept our apology for not answering your request earlier.

Customer complaints in the last few weeks have dramatically increased regarding the reliability of the +423 SIM card.
We have undertaken massive efforts to solve the problem but were unable to do so.

Due to this problem and the involved legal dispute our partner Mobilkom has notified us that the +423 platform will be switched off shortly.

In addition, since 04/15/2009 we are suffering from a complete outage of the +44 platform. We are working on a solution of this problem with all our effort.

If you wish to receive a free +44 SIM as a replacement for your +423 SIM card please update your “my account” on United Mobile - Low rates for calls and internet abroad so we are able to send you a new +44 SIM-card for free.

Existing call value can be migrated by our customer service from +423 to +44 SIMs.

Best regards,

Customer Service
United Mobile

Wow! They just wrote me also about a 19/4 complain, when i was in france and no way to call using +423 or +44 number...

No fresh news... but this at least shows there's still someone in office...

---------------------


Please accept our apology for not answering your request earlier.

Customer complaints in the last few weeks have dramatically increased regarding the reliability of the +423 SIM card.
We have undertaken massive efforts to solve the problem but were unable to do so.

Due to this problem and the involved legal dispute our partner Mobilkom has notified us that the +423 platform will be switched off shortly.

In addition, since 04/15/2009 we are suffering from a complete outage of the +44 platform. We are working on a solution of this problem with all our effort.

If you wish to receive a free +44 SIM as a replacement for your +423 SIM card please update your “my account” on United Mobile - Low rates for calls and internet abroad so we are able to send you a new +44 SIM-card for free.

Existing call value can be migrated by our customer service from +423 to +44 SIMs.

Best regards,

Customer Service
United Mobile