According to a recent German court decision, prepaid credit may not expire; customers have a right to their money back on account expiration. So far, Vodafone and O2 have changed their prepaid offers as a result: Vodafone CallYa cards no longer have a specific expiration date unless credit drops to zero, and it is enough that the account remains active and is topped up at least once a year; this is especially good news for CallYa Compact, which previously offered low rates in exchange for a 92-day non-additive account validity. Now the user needs only to maintain sufficient credit and top up at least once a year. O2 has alsi changed its policies, and T-Mobile and E-Plus are looking at implementing similar changes.

Here's an article in German summarizing the current situation:
http://www.zdnet.de/news/tkomm/0,390...9149309,00.htm

aha!

Can this be retrospectively applied for? My Vodafone ran out in September with about ?15 credit on it, maybe about 3 days before I went to top it up.

If the cards credit already expired its a subject of discussing wth the customer care hotline. It was told that some people successfully reactiveted the money, some could transfer it to a german bank account and some were not successful at all.

Chris

Vodafone SIMs have an unofficial 3-month period after they expire before they can never be reactivated. They won't register on the network, but customer service can bring them back (most typically, you go to a Vodafone store and top up). Sounds like you might be able to send them an e-mail to get them to reactivate it.

Thanks. They auto-responded my email, and say they'll reply soon

reaktiviert! -

Thank you for your email.

Today we have reconnected your CallYa number. We will give you a credit memo of 15,20 Euro. You will find it on your CallYa card.

good to hear 8)

Chris

Thanks to you both for the info about this.
__

Now I've registered for online access to account details, and I'm just browsing around, and ...

I was about to apply for ReiseVerspechen (Passport), but ...

Have Vodafone altered international or roaming tariffs? I found this -
http://www.vodafone.de/privat/mobil_...and/60214.html

- and from the pop-up box on there it seems that there are different tariffs listed for local landline, local mobiles, calls to Germany, from each of over 100 networks. I'd be quite tempted to believe that these were all out of date, but the exchange rate for British Pounds says as at 4.12.2006, and there are quoted rates for videotelephone (which didn't exist a while back)

Strangely, if correct, it appears that some roaming in UK is cheaper on other networks than on Vodafone UK, and maybe cheaper than the rates on Passport with Vodafone Germany

These are the old direct roaming rates.
As far as i know you can not get them anymore with any new card from vodafone.
My parents still use these rates on their contract from 1996 though 8)

A bit cheaper then - especially free 0800 calls in some countries (but not Orange here any more)

I called 12225 for options set-up, before realising it wasn't free like 22922, so I'll do it online - charged €1.49, the expected tariff, not as listed there

- but the thing is, that 818 page is definitely dated Dezember 2006 (maybe the RoamingPlus tariff is different ???) - on the other hand another page dated Nov 06 mentions Vodafone Sweden, which has been Telenor for months

Edit - I think these are the tariffs for the RoamingPlus option, which need bank details registered, so would only be available to German residents

I notice that the websites of Ortelmobile and Blauworld still show credit expiry at 6 months, whereas Mobi says both SIM and credit are unlimited

Does anyone have an update to this? My German O2 pre-paid SIM still lists an expiration date and my last top-up only extended it by 6 months.

its quite easy. You card can be deactivated if you dont use in in a certain time or dont recharge it in a certain time. BUT: the credit is not allowed to expire anymore.
Depending on the carrier you can simply reactivate the card with the next recharge - or getthe remaining credit payed out by the carrier.

Chris

"Der Kunde kann sich jederzeit das eingezahlte, noch verbliebene Guthaben auszahlen lassen, jedoch ohne jegliche Boni-Guthaben, die ihm durch Aufladungen gutgeschrieben wurden."

http://www.teltarif.de/a/o2/loop-sml.html for complete details

Valid (for placing calls) for 6 months after a reload. Validity is extended by reload. Per above, remaining balance can be paid out.

See if our German friends agree.

Stan

yes, i agree. The only thing you have to keep in mind is that they only pay out the remaining balance by bank transfer to a german bank account - some carriers also substrace a fee for the pay out....

Chris

That's pretty lousy then as I don't have a German bank account. I guess I could just keep getting new SIMs from them but maybe on my next trip I can use up most of the remaining credit and not worry about it.

Another possibility that they mostly agree on the hotline is to transfer the remaining balance from an old expired card to a new one. Worked for me once with Vodafone. I dont know how cooperative o2 is in this case ;)

Chris