http://www.freeglobalsim.com/

http://www.storytelecom.com/roaming/

It seems that they sell Manx-based SIMs for 25 pounds with 25 pounds of initiaial credit :).
Moreover, Storytelecom has 30/6 debiting - couldn't find info for Freeglobalsim.

Does anyone know how much SMS really is using freeglobalsim? Their rate calculator seem to come up with $0.00 for SMS for all the combinations I tried (France->France, France->USA, Spain->Spain, UK->UK), and that's way too good to be true. (Are they related to the other globalsim at globalsim.net? Or a brand new provider?) Otherwise, looks like a good deal.

Storytelecom's website is all screwed up when viewed by Firefox.

Interesting but look what is written on the website of free globalsim:

Due to high demand there is a current delay of 21 days on orders placed until the 1st September 2006.

https://secure.vault5.com/freeglobalsim-com/order.asp[B][B]

Freeglobalsim I not available for sale until further notice. :thumbdown: Will check with them about SMS charges.

Yes, I noticed that. But I think it's a little bit more fair than Yackie's attitude to the placed orders :P

For sure!

I think that yackie is not yes a choice due to the problems mentioned and due to the lack of free incoming.

Α question: Do Manx sims send sms directly via the phone or do you need a special code or whatever;

There are several companies in the same group as Story, with a number of callthrough and calling card products, and with resellers who have several affiliates themselves. The SIMs were launched about a month ago, though foreshadowed with a few rumours planted by affiliates.

It amuses me they've gone for these SIMs as I discussed Isle of Man numbers with one affiliate several months ago, and global roaming SIMs in January last year, so I reckon they might be a bit slow off the mark. An email a few weeks ago thanks me for my good wishes and irony [well, he did describe it as a new product he had just launched].

On another forum, people have remarked about the top-up conditions - two or three required per year apparently, but I haven't checked if this applies to them all ...

I don't think if lack of free incoming calls in Yackie is the worst thing about - don't forget that you receive a landline number forwarded to the Yackie SIM instead...
This becomes a real problem, indeed, if we consider that topping up and balance checking doesn't work in Yackie at the moment. If there are free incoming calls in some countries, then you can, without "burning" the credit, receive calls and (at least theoretically) use a callback service like CBW, Enlinea, Call2 or whatever to make outgoing calls.

I think that sending SMSes never requires a special code. Hop may be an exception (menu based sending) - please correct me Hop users if I am wrong.

For those interested I e-mailed Globalsim, due to the Yackie fiasco I decided to order from them especially because they have free incoming calls in Mexico and I am traveling there in 2 weeks and they give you the sim for free basically. Anyway, I got this back from them about an hour ago.


Dear XXXXX,

If you place an order today or tomorrow, we are able to process this for you as we have just received a batch of sim cards in, in the past half an hour.


Kind Regards,



So, if you order today or so you can get a sim, I just ordered mine, so I will post a report when I get it.

Not a bad offer. And their outgoing rates are not too bad in most cases.

For example Mexico to USA is $0.26. UK to USA is $0.23


The SMS charges are even more than the call/min cost in a number of cases that I tried. It just varies. For example FR-FR is $0.46, FR-US is $0.36, US-UK is $0.61 UK-UK is $0.57.