Gymsim
 

Hi guys...

A friend of mine put me on the case of looking at Gymsim ( http://www.gymsim.com ).

At first glance, I thought it was a United Mobile re-sell as it spoke about having a +44 card and an original +423 card.

A comparison of some rates, however, was very interesting.

According to gymsim, for example, you can receive calls in Japan for free (presumably with the proper phone of course) as well as Antigua...not so with United Mobile.

Anybody know anything I don't know (which is not saying a lot of course' most here know lots of things I don't know)....

Incidentally, with the dramatic drop in the euro and sterling against the USD, United Mobile, which I have denominated in euro, seems to be a better and better deal! (some speculate it's just a matter of a little bit of time before the euro and USD approach parity and some speculate sterling will soon hit $1.30 US).

It is strange that they claim to have coverage in 215 countries using the +44 card and
Free incoming calls in 90 countries... I wonder what network agreements they are using...

United Mobile does claim free incoming calls in Japan for the +423 SIM

The IoM SIM here appears to be reselling of Wire9

you are both right! GYMSIM actually sell both a +423 service of United Mobiles and a +44 one of Cloud9's

The additional roaming destinations offered by the +44 product are far in excess of the +423.

anybody has experiance with this card?
I am looking for a replacement for 09 and yackie and they seem to have very good rates - india for example with free incoming??!!

free incoming in India seems impossible..

If it uses the iom platform it might be an interesting card. 39,95 including 20 euro credit.

When does the GYM card and the credit expire?

SIM card and credit will become invalid after not using it for nine months. But a call or text will revalidate for another 9 months.

This is a lot better than gt-sim and rates are comparable. It might even be a better alternative compared to the easyroam sim I reviewed.

can't edit above post anymore, can they change this form 2 minutes to maybe 15 minutes or 30 minutes.

If it uses the iom platform it might be an interesting card. 39,95 including 20 euro credit.

When does the GYM card and the credit expire?

SIM card and credit will become invalid after not using it for nine months. But a call or text will revalidate for another 9 months.

Sounds great but that when you look at their rate table: http://www.gymsim.com/includes/World44_Rates_Table.pdf

·Plan A - 0.09 Euros call connection fee,
8 month Sim/credit non-use Expiry.
·Plan B - No Connection Fee, no Sim/credit expiry:
9.00 Euros Month (individual months added as
required) or 5.00 Euros mth for 12 months pre-paid

The info is a bit different to the one on the website and confusing as plan B has no connection charge but seems to have 5 euro per month cost when paid for 12 month or 9 euro for individual month.

So which one is true, the one from the rate table of from the faq on their website.

although rates are good this misinformation on websites make me to stay away or get a confirmation from customer service first on what is true and what not.

some more from the rate table:

·Rates subject to change. Updated April 2008
·Temporary 0.05 Euros surcharge to / from Italy
·Free Incoming call fair use policy - We monitor free
incoming call volume & reserve the right to make a
small incoming surcharge on accounts that have an
excessively high ratio of free incoming calls as to
outgoing calls. (Customer notified)

Not my choice when I read all these terms. Rates might be ok but all this terms, montly cost, fair use, intaly incoming make me not choose this card.

Both is correct. The 9 months validity is the +423-card, the 8 months (no monthly fee) or unlimited (5/9Euro per month) is the +44 card.

I'm really curious about July '09 :cool:
http://www.gymsim.com/images/banner_roaming.gif

I think i just order one and my parents can try in Vietnam and Cambodia next month. 40 Euro for the SIM is 8 minutes with their german vodafone-card on roaming in these countries - so not much a loss if it doesnt work as supposed ;-)

8 month no monthly fee does have an 9 cent incomming charge like um+, it's 10 cents less but it's still 9 cents and therefore not free roaming anymore.

My point is that there website is not clear about this. The FAQ is as you said valid for the +423 number but not for the +44 number. They should at least update there website to reflect these plan a and b options. I just don't like companies that have an unclear website.

Goglobalsim - Free Roaming & Fair Usage
 

So does this mean I have to have the same amount of outbound calls
to get the free inbound calls?

"The GoGlobal SIM card rates and tariffs assume fair usage of the Services by the customer. This includes, but is not limited to maintaining a ratio of outbound tariff enabled calls to inbound calls of more than 30% on the customers account. There is also a call to SMS policy, i.e. if it is deemed that a customer has bought the GoGlobal Sim for the use of SMS only, GoGlobal reserves the right to suspend service forthwith. In the event of fair usage not being sustained, GoGlobal reserves the right to review the rates and tariffs applied to the customer account or to terminate the Services and in this event, such termination shall be deemed to have been made by the customer. GoGlobal reserves the right to terminate without prior notice for any misuse of the product"

"In order for the customer to receive free inbound calls, the customer must at all times maintain a balance in excess of £2.00"

Better make sure i'm in credit

"GoGlobal reserves the right to disconnect this service at any time, failure to make any outbound calls after receiving 30 inbound will result in the inbound calls being blocked :o (calling and hanging up within 5 seconds does not constitute a call being made), and a £5.00 fee charged for reconnection :thumbdown:. Failure to comply will result in this service being withdrawn and the customer’s contract being terminated with all outstanding costs to be recovered by GoGlobal Sim Ltd"

Do all the wire9/cloud9 brands have the same t&c's, I cant see much on gymsim's website

I like the free incoming in Alaska, but not the mainland.

I looks like many of the cloud9 brands have strange terms like the ones you quote and gt-sim, gymsim and maybe some others.

As a user you don't want to look into this kind op crap if you receive more calls than making them or if you have to pay 10 euro per 3 month to keep the card active or other strange terms.

From what I know cards like easyroam also use cloud 9 and they don't have these terms, just a 10 or 12 pund charge to keep the card active after every year. That said easyroam rates are a bit higher sometimes compared to the cards having these terms. So it would just depend on how many calls you make or receive which card is best.

Not cloud9
 

It not easyroam with manx telecom? They have 07924 numbers

cloud9 have 078722

Hi Guys,

Our resellers are free to set their own terms and conditions and rate sheets we dont tell them what to do at all.

Also FYI Cloud9 also have some 07924 numbers.... 079245 and 079246, Manx only have some of them as these are for IoM! Just in case you see some new numbers around in the near future.

Cheers

David

David,

It's a shame that some of your resellers are not very clear about there terms. I have given examples of GT-SIM charging when not used, than other one who do charge connection fee or no connection fee but a monthly term. Than there are ones that use fair use and ratio of receiving calls and making calls.All this is hidden a bit or not very clear.

As you said it's up to your resellers to do that but in order for you to promote your platform it would be wise if you at least instruct your resellers to be clear what they sell and not hidding costs. Also some don't update there website not regularly and this again causes mistakes.

No.

It's a bit surprising you've assumed this, and let's hope I can clarify before any embarrassment is caused.

Wire9/Cloud9 is not part of or otherwise associated with Manx Telecom; it is a separate GSM licence holder and network, and therefore a potential commercial rival.

Some of the brands we know are on Manx, and some are on Wire9.

The username cloud9 here is unsurprisingly from the company, and a search of his posts would find some comments on the reseller brands which inhabit the network, including a list.

ekit, GT-sim, all the brands reselling the former Callkey (including Easyroam and Geosim and a few others), and perhaps another, are on Manx and have no connection with Wire9.

Thanks for the clarification and the list.

It does remain a fact that there are some strange terms around and even companies offering the same platform have different terms.

But the ones one cloud9 still have strange hidden things that can only be found in their terms, and who reads the terms ?

Gymsim see this thread.

goglobal for example:

6. “Free Roaming” - destinations which are free of charge when receiving calls (subject to fair usage).

The GoGlobal SIM card rates and tariffs assume fair usage of the Services by the customer. This includes, but is not limited to maintaining a ratio of outbound tariff enabled calls to inbound calls of more than 30% on the customers account.

OCIS 8

If a customer does not use £30 of credit in a quarter we will charge the account £2.99.
The SIM card is an international card and not intended for domestic use ???????

Simstogo.co.uk

6) How long will unused credit stay on my card?
There are NO time limits on how long calling credit will stay on your card. Unlike other companies, we believe that if you don`t use up all of your credit on holiday this year, then it should still be there for your holiday next year!

This said simstogo.co.uk is also the same as goglobal sim which has fair use as you can read above. There are no term on the website, at least I could not find them. It sys although No connection fees or hidden charges.

Where are the term and as rates are about the same for simtogo and goglobal (same company) why would the terms be different.

As you see it's easy to find many questions and little answers. I have terms like fair use which goglobal uses under point 6 and than further specify this like a ration of 30% inbound outbound. This is not fair use it's limited use and hidden in term.

Hi Bob,

Thanks for your comments, I am also more than happy to pass these on to the resellers as you suggest and will let you know any feedback.

Cheers

David

My first experiance with the GymSIM:

Ordered on Jan 13, arrived today as registered mail from UK.
package contains the SIM, a rates sheet, quite detailed and clear instructions about dialing and possible problems in certain countries.

Testing:
The SIM was activated via the website within seconds, registers to Vodafone network here.
Incoming and outging calls worked very well, SMS worked as well - my SMS from the GYMSIM was received 4 times in a row, but charged only once.
Big CON: There is no call details list on the website.

Next month the card will travel to Vietnam and Cambodia, reports follow up.

Chris

Test report GYMSIM Vietnam and Cambodia:

After arrival in Hanoi the card had some problems to be reached ("The number you have dialled is not assigned"). A call with the very kind customer care hotline and the problem was solved within a few hours. They even called my parents in Vietnam and explained them how to swap networks on the phone to avoid problems.
Next pro: The full money we used when it was still patchy was refunded completely to the card balance.

After that the card worked very well in Vietnam, in one network outgoing SMS did not work - but when swapping networks it was fine. Voice quality crystal clear, DID was always transferred on the calls.

Cambodia: When there was coverage (very patchy there) the card worked like a charm, no issues at all.

Overall we were very content with the card and the service, the call cost to the +44787 number from here was very moderate as well, calls via SMSdiscount.com for 7ct/min were always connected with good quality.

Chris

Hi,

can you please let me know if this card +44 offers free call diverting to other numbers including mobiles.
Thanks:)
Claudio

I doubt that you'll find any of these SIMs with free call diversion to an unrestricted range of destinations, though this does some

There were a couple in the past, and I should think they deemed it a mistake

It's very unlikely that you will see any of these cards offer free forwarding to mobiles. Even the old maxroam card that used to do, they only advertized it as available to landlines in those countries. But I think their system did not disallow forwarding to mobiles or may be was not capable of blocking it.

uff, sorry, i never used call forwarding from this number. Only from my home number to the +44 number.

Chris

Can you please confirm since you have used the GYmsim card that 9c charge is only for all incoming calls ( all countries) and not for outgoing calls. I understand the +44 number will be valid 8 months and that a call or a recharge will extend its validity for another 8 monhts.
Thanks

I add you some pics here with the call details list from Vietnam (inbound and outbound). You have to deduct a few seconds from each outbound call time as it counts the ring as well - but as you can see they start charging only when the call is picked up.

Chris

EDIT: The attached pictures are resized. Here you can see it in full size: http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/8554/gym.png

I actually met the people behind Gymsim a while ago and know them pretty well now. Its a Family team who operate the core of the business, and you see them all over the world in the yachting hot spots so many crew also know them. They have a pretty loyal bunch of customers like me.

So yeah I guess I am pretty biased as I think they are really great people and I cant say enough good things about them. Its wonderful to give them a call and know you have someone on the other end of the line you can trust, so I am going to give them a bit of a plug :o)

I remember when they used to be with Callkey, it was a nightmare when Callkey collapsed, but they immediately gave everyone the money back that they had on their Sim cards and then had a team of people walking the docks from Viarregio in Italy to Fort Lauderdale in Florida giving all crew whos Sims had stopped working free +423 Sim cards! I managed to loose my phone in the water near Dubrovnik last year and they found a yacht close by who had a spare Sim and organised a transfer for me! Gymsim Sonia found my girlfriend a Job on a yacht based in Antigua! Not bad.

Yes I am charged 0.09 Euros for incoming calls but I already new that. When I first went with them it used to be 0.15 as it was part of the general 0.15 connection fee. But They reduced it down to 0.09 late last year, they sent out a newsletter about a month ago saying they are looking to remove the incoming fee but not sure when. The newsletter also said that their current website is out of date as they have been building a new one which was supposed to have been launched last week! I guess its delayed a bit ;o)

I was told that the Plan A and Plan B was part of the original system to have a kind of "standard user" and "high volume user", but they said it started complicating things for clients and so stopped it.

Anyway, I like the system, and I like the Gymsim family. I do have some problems with texting but I prefer calling anyway and anytime there are general issues or I need help the guys are usually quick to get back to me.

I thought they still have plan A, B and C. Doesn't the 9c you refer to only apply to Plan A? For paying 5 euros a month (as on plan C) you do not pay the 9c. Is this no longer the case?
GYMsim - International mobile phone sim cards - Price Comparison still shows Plans A, B and C.

They said the Plan B isn't available, you just have the default Plan A. That link cant be up to date. I Just checked out the rates list I received and it is slightly different to the one online, the rates are the same but the connection fee says 0.15 Euros for calls made and received. (but incoming calls are actually 0.09 Euros for per connection at the moment) It doesn't mention a plan A or B scheme. I will write to Sonia and ask her if she will email me the latest rates list to see if the one I have is up to date. They should sign up here so everyone could chat to them.

There was also a surcharge list they sent me last month - it was due to a change in provider they had late last year which made calling more reliable (It wasn't so good before) so now they are using the TIM network for most of all the complicated calling stuff, I guess its now more or less a TIM Sim card with a callback mechanism attached to it. (When you go to Italy you need to quickly change a menu function which allows the system to work in Italy). But the change to using TIM messed up their rates a bit to some countries, (they talk about IOT increases), but they sorted it out via a separate surcharge list which they say is not supposed to be permanent but only until things have stabilised (The USA is super expensive at the moment)

Isn't it an Isle of Man SIM rather than a TIM? Sorry if I am missing something blindingly obvious here?

I am actually seriously interested in this card, as it is one of the few that does India incoming for free! Who knows if that will last or what the 'invisible' cap is on incoming calls for there. As far as my research would suggest, free incoming in India from a European based SIM is a difficult thing to achieve unless you have some form of an Indian partner dual IMSI'd onto the SIM.

Albino: do you have the list with surcharges at hand and could send it to me (or to the board). The customer support wanted to email it to me but didnt receive it yet. Cambodia rates were slightly higher than on the website so i guess its on the surcharge list as well.

Petkow: It is a IoM SIM, but i think it has dual IMSI - you really have to switch something in the Sim Toolkit-menu when you are in italy only. Otherwise the card will not register there.

Chris

OK Petkow you are going to tax my brain here, I had it explained to me over a beer in Palma last year! ;-) We had a technical email from Gymsim about it too but I cant find it now.

The numbers come from the Isle of Man - due to having a GSM mobile licence there.
The calls are routed by British Telecom - To make call quality tip top
The other stuff like the ability to roam, roaming agreements, connecting calls and signaling etc is all done by TIM.

It was explained that in roaming you have to appear big or you have issues with other networks not prioritising you when you roam on their networks. It gets bad for those crew in the touristy areas in the Med during the summer as you often find you just have constant problems when the base stations all getting loaded with traffic, (but in the winter you dont have a problem). In Monaco during the Grand Prix it's almost impossible for anyone to use their phone. I have had problems with both incoming and outgoing calls when using my old Callkey and United Mobile Sim cards due to deprioritising, So then you always have to manually hunt around looking for networks that are working OK which can be a pain. So with TIM being one of the big players (one of the big 5 networks?) means you appear bigger then you really are so you get prioritising as well as a reliable network.

I should find that technical email, it was full of interesting goodies about roaming, makes you realise how hard it is, its a bloody miracle the whole roaming thing can work at all. They had a shocking statistic that indicated roaming in Europe runs at about 80% success, and it drops to 40% when you are in third world countries. I was in St Martin and Antigua this year and both had problems with networks that stopped working completely for days at a time! (The power station in St Martin blew up which couldn't have helped ;-) There was also something about a ship dropping an anchor on an underwater telecommunication cable which cut off parts of the middle east for a few weeks, it happened twice last year! Lol I loved that one.

Hey Dg7feq, I didnt ask Sonia yet for the info, will shoot an email just now

I am also seriously interested in the card bit would like to know for sure where we stand now in terms of rates and connecting fees (is 0.09 incoming and 0.15 outbound??) Is it possible to publish here the surcharge list or to speak with Sonia? When the website will be updated?

Dont' jest. This happens.

Fishing boats are also a prime cause of taking out submarine cables. Most countries have redundancy in the form of another cable / diverse route, but smaller places sometimes only have one cable going in, so when it breaks, it can be days before a repair is carried out.

Having repaired a number of Submarine cables myself, I talk from experience.

Just a short add-on to this very old thread:
My GymSim was now lying in my desk for more than 2 years, still all balance is on the card and it is working fine. So the expiry is not handled strict at all.

Chris

I'm using my GymSIM not regulary, only on business trips. Two, or three times a year, and I never had a problem with the expiry.