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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Meanwhile on Thursday 10th April Truphone issued a press release - which appears to have been swiftly withdrawn - trumpeting the same offer.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.