Orange Call Abroad / "Camel" [renamed thread]
 

Anyone know how you keep this card active? When will credits expire? Can you use it outside the UK? Is this the best PAYG to call back to the US. I travel to the UK about 30 days a year.

AFAIK, it should roam in the US. Just send and sms or use a little bit of data to register some activity.

Actually, orange call abroad recently reaised its rate to call the USA to 7p/minute and I think it is rounded up to the next highest minute. Still a very good rate but...

Right now, I think the best bet for calling from the UK to the USA is T Mobile UK....you can couple that with an outfit called yourcallworld (www.yourcallworld.com) and calls to the USA and most other foreign destinations (landlines only but of course to the USA and canada it doesn't matter) is 3p/minute...the site explains how you can get a T Mobile UK sim card for next to nothing (provided you have a UK mailing address) or I have found an offer on ebay for less than $10 shipping included to the USA.

You can also purchase a bundle on T Mobile UK for £2 which will allow 50 minutes of calling to the USA which will not go through calling an auxillliary number as is the case with yourcallworld.....by my math that comes to 4p/minute although it has limited validity (60 days).

Both Orange and T Mobile UK do subcribe to eu euro tariffs for use in roaming in Europe outside the UK...I think it is 34p/minute to make a call a 19p/minute to receive a call within the eu.

And unlike the French thieves, it is very easy to keep the cards active. If set up for data, every 3 months just download a free ringtone or something like that or send, a bit more expensive, a text message from the USA which counts as an activity and keeps the sim card active.

Matha:

I have a friend with a U.S. T-Mobile phone. If he goes to the UK can he just use the Your Call access numbers, or will they only work with a UK T-Mobile SIM?

Can I get a T-Mobile UK SIM or 50 minute bundle before I leave the US?

Forget the possibility of T Mobile USA...you pay an arm and a leg to roam with it in Europe.

As towhether you can get a T Mobile UK sim card while in the USA, well we had a thread either here or in the Europe section a couple of weeks ago. T Mobile UK is always giving away sim cards either for free or for very little but to fill out the order form, you need a British address. Somebody explained how he could get around that by filling in any valid British postal code and then in the city section putting in a US city, state, zip code and the package arrived several weeks later.

Doing an ebay search today, I found a merchant selling a new T Mobile UK sim card for $2.49 with $3.99 for shipping!

Also note T Mobile UK sim cards do not come with any calling credit although you will know the phone number. The card is not really activated until the first top up which you would do upon arrival in London by using the swipe card include in the package (looks like a credit card) at most petrol, chemists (pharmacies), grocery chains which have the green top up symbol.

Hope that helps.

Good timing on this thread: we're about to go back to the UK, I have a t-mobile uk sim and my wife has an Orange, both prepaid.

I'd been thinking about converting her plan to Call Abroad but the 35p rate for other-network national calls is steep.

Last year I successfully used the T-Mob bundles to the US but now the T-Mob UK website says they are only available for postpaid accounts. Does anyone know about this change, because they definitely worked on PAYG last summer?

YourCallWorld looks like a good option with my T-Mob phone--has anybody actually used it? Is the rate actually 3p/min to US in total, or is that on top of the regular 15p to any UK network that's standard on my "Everyone" PAYG plan?

Thanks.

Believe it or not the rate is actually 3p/min to the US via the 07755 (and no you do not have to pay 15p/min on top of that). However if you wanted to call the UK it is 15p/min via them direct. Crazy! There used to be a time when you could call the UK via the same 07755, but then T-Mob stopped them doing that (understandably). Even after that block in place it is cheaper calling the 07755 then dialing a calling card in the US and then calling back to the UK. In the days of the Iowa callthroughs that was an easy wor-around. But you'll lose on quality.

You can pick up a new T-Mobile SIM all over the place here. They cost around 2 pounds in many newsagents. Also, many newsagents now offer other lowcost SIM's like Lebara, where it costs you 4p/min to call the US direct! (Again much cheaper than their rate to UK numbers... but thats where they make money)

I deleted this post; I now see the bundles indeed are only available to pay monthly customers.

Does anyone know how to top up a T-Mobile UK SIM? Can you do it from the phone also? I may be in area of the UK where top up cards are not readily available. Or are they sold everywhere?

I was checking their web site and cannot find a T-Mobile store in Harwich or Cork, Ireland. Can you also buy the SIM cards all over, or only from a T-Mobile shop?

If you register on the T-mobile UK site you can top up by credit card.

With respect to the question are TMobile SIM cards available everywhere, the answer is "effectively yes."

The UK has an integrated top up system. Most prepaid SIMs come with a swipe card. You walk into the merchant with any swipe card and says I want "X quid." They run it through their register and you receive an SMS that the credit has been applied. It is the same system for most cards.

FWIW, TMO UK does have an "Eastern European Pass" for calling countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Beats me why they think it's OK to charge 5p a minute to Russia but not the US, Canada, Australia, etc. From their rates page (http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobil...me_paygplans):

"It is now even cheaper to keep in touch with friends and family from the UK - call Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Russia or Croatia for just 5p per minute to landlines or 15p per minute to mobiles - simply text INT to 441 to enjoy these reduced rates."

Cork isn't in the UK. That's your problem. :)

If T-Mobile is in Ireland, you can probably get top-up cards and use them with T-Mobile UK. Most of the carriers that serve multiple European countries allow the use of top-up cards from any of the countries to be used.

Another option is to get your top-ups in Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK.

Is it a coincidence that those are ferry ports? You'd quite likely be able to buy top-ups in the shop on the boat.

There is no T Mobile IE....you're out of luck in the Republic of Ireland.

I back this... Most newsagents... especially those run by the immigrant community..(the majority I think) will sell you a SIM pack for a couple of pounds. These are all over the place in the UK, and there will be a fair few in Harwich.

I'd add that if you're in the UK and don't have a swipe card (a) you can pick one up free at supermarkets and maybe newsagents, then call T-Mob to tie the number on the card to your phone; and (b) most newsagents can sell an e-voucher (no swipe card needed) that gives you a code number to call in to T-Mob for credit, just like the older scratch-off cards but without the scratching.

Registering a credit card with T-Mob is an alternative but last time I tried their system wouldn't accept non-UK credit cards; that is, they wouldn't register my US-based Visa, MC, or AmEx. Weird since the US-based cards are readily accepted in shops all over the world. If this has changed maybe somebody will chime in.

The lack of accepting out of country credit cards is an on-going problem not just on British sites but it seems throughout the mobile world...you can't use a non French credit card to top up a French sim (important because they steal your credit or at least the number if not topped up within certain amounts of time - at least this is true on ORANGE FR)...same thing seems to hold on TIM in Italy.

Why this is so has always been beyond me...fraud?????.....come on the amounts are rarely enough to warrant fraud or expose the companies to much of a risk.

Orange let me register a Canadian credit card with them (although I was in London at the time) . O2 did not let me. I did not try any of the other providers.

So is T-Mobile limited to only a few countries in Europe like the UK and Germany? What about Orange? I will be in Ireland and France as well.

British Sim
 

I will be in UK in 3 weeks. I am a USA resident but I have family that live in the UK. I can use their address for mailing if I need to. If I understand correctly, if I get a UK sim I will not be able to charge/top up with my credit card because my card address is USA? How would I top up in the UK....just cash?

I was going to ask my family to get a SIM for me and mail it to me here in the USA before I leave so I will know my phone number. Maybe this idea will not work.

On my trip all I will need is to call the USA on a regular basis on my mobile phone during the week to check on business.
I had planned to use t-mobile bundles for their good rates to the USA. Reading your posts it seems that PAYG customers cannot purchase bundles.

Do you have any suggestions? I have an unlocked GSM quad phone already. I would really like to know my sim number before I go so I can give out before I leave.

Yeah what you're saying will work.....but unfortunately Orange UK has recently raised the rates to call the USA on its call abroad to an astronomical 7p/minute...you realize that's almost 14¢/minute US

To top up, they give you a swipe card which looks like a credit card you simply take into most any grocery chain store or chemist or mobile phone store, tell the clerk how much credit you wish, he or she runs it through a terminal, pay the money (£5 is the minimum) and off you go....

However a better deal, and easier too, is T Mobile UK...if you check their web site they will send 2 (count them 2) free sim cards to your relatives' UK address (see www.tinyurl.com/yro2ay)

They can even use the swipe cards enclosed to top up one of them (T mobile UK sim cards arrive without credit but provide the same swipe card noted above) and mail one or both to you....

T Mobile UK has better rates to other netowrks in the UK and when using yourcallworld (www.yourcallworld.com), will provide calls to the US at 3p/minute much more to my tastes.

One other advantage of the T Mobile solution is the sim cards do not have to be registered...orange sim cards require registration (not a big deal but one further thing that needs to be done); T Mobile UK sim cards arrive ready for action.

Just to reconfirm that the deal that MATHA531 mentions using yourcallworld is open to all T-Mobile customers including Pay as you go customers as well.

So...Basically I think your problem is solved. Just click on that link he has provided, get a free SIM or 2 sent to your buddies in the UK, then ask them to open the package when it arrives so they can tell you the telephone number(s) printed on the back of the packs so that you can give out your number before you leave.

The moment you arrive and are reunited with your SIM, just pop into a corner store, petrol station or supermarket and put 5 quid of credit on the SIM using the swipe card. There you will be able to pay with cash or even your US credit card! However, you can't register the US card to top up by phone though.

The next step is you dial the full 07755 access number of Yourcallworld followed by your US number and you can be talking to the US at only 3p/min! Your total investment of the equivalent of under $10 will then have got you 2hours and 47 minutes of talk time to the US and also free incoming for your friends from the US to call you back on!

I just looked at the T-mobile UK website again. It states - international Bundles available on any T-Mobile price plan including pay as you go 2pound for 50 minutes to the USA (8c @ minute). Only the IVF (voice recognition) system is open to contract customers. PAYG customers can get bundles but have to do through text to 48011.

Could someone confirm that I have understood the above correctly.
__________________________________________________ _________

I have a united-mobile SIM (callback) that I shall use also to receive free calls. If I use this to make outgoing calls it costs me 45c @ minute. This is why I want the UK sim to be able to make outgoing calls for cheaper than 45c.

Is there a way I could combine my united-mobile card with www.yourcallworld.com and get their low rates?

yourcallworld
 

could you tell me what the call quality is like when using www.yourcallworld.com?

It's good! No echos or delays.

If you want to go with international bundle it is up to you. I do not know the specifics but if you have read it up on the website I am sure it is right! I think the bundle has been discussed elsewhere on prepaidgsm but not in this thread as it is supposed to be about Orange Call abroad!

YCW at 6c/min is slightly cheaper and you are not committed to using the whole 50 min bundle. In any case 6c or even 8c is cheaper than 45c/min! There would be little point in combining UM with YCW as this would require you making a call on UM to a UK 07755 number (which I am not even sure is possible). In any case it is likely to cost more than calling to US direct from UM.

YCW works fine; no echos or delays or anything. It works to a lot of other places, too (you have to call a different access number for some mobiles, as the price is higher); only minor drawback is that you pay 3p per minute whether the person answers or not. TMO also offers a 5p per minute rate to eight Central and Eastern European countries (you have to text INT to 441 to activate it); however, this rate is not available to other countries, which is annoying.

Also note: With your first billable action on your SIM, TMO will give you 10 days of free Internet surfing, plus a number of other goodies (several free picture and international text messages).

Interesting...the T Mobile UK web site about bundles now says addiing a bundle via ivr is only available to pay monthly customers...what does it mean adding a bundle by ivr???? Does that mean if you add the bundle by texting A to the number, you can get it as pay as you go...the advantage of the bundle over ycw only 1 number to dial and unanswered calls are not charged.

I cut and paste this from the UK tmobile site. IVR (Interactive Voice Response)
IVR only for pay monthly customers.
Text available for PAYG

copied this too....Bundles available on any T-Mobile price plan including pay as you go

http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/services/c...he-uk/bundles/

So you're right...they've gone back to allowing pay as you go to purchase bundles for calling the USA...they had last summer but then they dropped it and had a note that bundles were only available to pay monthly customers for a while but now they're back to allowing PAYG to purchase the bundles by texting A tothe number indicated.....good deal.

Is this 2 FREE T-Mobile Pay-As-You-Go Sim Cards offer still available?
http://www.t-mobilesimgiveaway.co.uk...d=ON-TM-W-Home

calling a UK cell from the USA
 

For my friends and family to call me on my UK cell number it is quite expensive for them (especially if they do not have an international plan to get a good rate). ATT have a rate for 26c a minute but you have to sign up for an International plan at $3.99 a month.

What I have done instead is put my UK cell number on my Jajah account. My UK cell number has now been assigned a USA number (Philadelphia). When my friends call this USA number it is forwarded to my UK number. They don't pay for the call but I pay 18c per minute charged on my jajah account for the call from a USA phone to a UK cell number.

Does this plan sound good? Anyone have other suggestions?

Sounds like a good idea, if you don't mind paying. You could also tell your friends to use a calling card with low UK rates (CPC has some, and I'm sure Callmart and other sources have comparable offers).

Orange UK have launched animals name tariffs on PAYG, which they've had on contracts for a year or so.

http://shop.orange.co.uk/shop/payasyougo

The option called Camel has cheap international calls to more destinations than Call Abroad, and some are cheaper now. USA and Canada are 6p/min, while several European mobiles are 10p/min, which seems unbeatable to me for direct-dialled calls (unless using the bundle option on O2 payg). UK calls are all 20p/min (undercut by the 15p Raccoon tariff)

Yep, it's a good deal. Too bad they couldn't have combined Camel and Racoon (sic), that would have been unbeatable (as it is, the Carphone Warehouse international SIM has a 15p rate, though no roaming).

I wonder if the name Camel was inspired by the CAMEL roaming/billing system?

It seems unlikely, as the marketing department probably don't even know the name in a more technical context

When the original Animals contract tariffs were first rumoured (and in fact turned out to be an accurate leak), they were treated by some people for quite a while as a hoax, like an advance April Fool joke as that was the actual launch date

Anyone who'd like a free Orange SIM (or four) to try this out can go to:

http://shop.orange.co.uk/shop/simoffer