Buying a German SIM card from Canada

Kritiker · *Last edited by Kritiker; 29-05-2011 at 18:50..*

Greetings:

I have been looking at various German SIM cards and browsing and searching the very informative threads here at prepaidgsm.net.

Things certainly seem to have changed since I last bought a pair of Ortel SIM cards by mail in 2007. It's too bad these have long expired and cannot be reactivated. The E-Plus network must have improved in the intervening years. Then I experienced more lost calls than I would have expected.

One problem I am facing involves choosing a vendor. It seems that Fonic, Solomon Pro and Ortelmobile are two that members here seem to recommend. The other problem involves online ordering, shipping and registering the two SIM cards I require.

Which vendor:
I will be spending about 4 weeks in Germany, about a week in the Netherlands and several days each in France, Switzerland and Austria. I will be making and receiving calls/SMS primarily from/to Canada and Germany and perhaps a few from France.

The per minute rates (0.08€ - 0.15€ plus a call-setup fee in some cases) and SMS rates (0.13€ - 0.25€) all seem decent enough. It's the roaming that may be a little more variable. Ortelmobile has a decent Netherlands to Germany rate but I have been unable to find its roaming rates. It almost looks like I just add the origin country to Germany to destination country rates together but I don't believe that it could be that simple. Ortelmobile has not answered any of my inquiries.

I am continuing to check the various companies' rates starting with your very informative prepaidgsm.net operators list (but, Edeka, for example, doesn't seem to be there). Am I correct in inferring that the D1 and D2 networks are the most widespread/reliable followed closely by E-Plus and that O2 is not quite as good?

Buying, registering and activating the SIM cards.
I have several problems and choices in buying these two SIM cards.

My problems:

I have only a one hour stop-over in München before arriving in Amsterdam. That doesn't give me enough time to find a store in the München airport to buy the SIMs there. I don't suppose that I can buy German SIMs in Amsterdam airport or the Netherlands.
I seem to need a German bank account to order and/or activate some of these cards.
In some cases, e.g. solomo pro, I actually have to go through the ordering process, step-by-step, in order to find out what the requirements are. I am worried that I will go through it all and then find that I am unable to have the cards shipped to me or that I may be unable to activate them when I get them.
We are expecting a postal strike soon.

As I see them my options are:

Buy the SIM cards on-line. A 10€ Ortelmobile starter SIM kit costs three to five times that if I buy from a U.S. source. Buying direct is cheaper, if the company will sell and ship them to me..
Buying the SIM cards when I arrive won't work because I first arrive in Amsterdam with only a quick plane change in München.
I could have a friend/relative buy them for me online and have them shipped to me here or to my first hotel in the Netherlands. But doesn't the shipping address usually have to match the billing/bank address?
I could have the friend or relative buy it in a store and mail it to me here (but we may get a postal strike).

Sorry for the long list but have I missed anything? Any suggestions? Thanks.

	(#1)
Kritiker (Offline) Junior Member Amateur Member Posts: 16 Join Date: 29 May 2011 Country:	Buying a German SIM card from Canada - 29-05-2011, 18:34 Greetings: I have been looking at various German SIM cards and browsing and searching the very informative threads here at prepaidgsm.net. Things certainly seem to have changed since I last bought a pair of Ortel SIM cards by mail in 2007. It's too bad these have long expired and cannot be reactivated. The E-Plus network must have improved in the intervening years. Then I experienced more lost calls than I would have expected. One problem I am facing involves choosing a vendor. It seems that Fonic, Solomon Pro and Ortelmobile are two that members here seem to recommend. The other problem involves online ordering, shipping and registering the two SIM cards I require. Which vendor: I will be spending about 4 weeks in Germany, about a week in the Netherlands and several days each in France, Switzerland and Austria. I will be making and receiving calls/SMS primarily from/to Canada and Germany and perhaps a few from France. The per minute rates (0.08€ - 0.15€ plus a call-setup fee in some cases) and SMS rates (0.13€ - 0.25€) all seem decent enough. It's the roaming that may be a little more variable. Ortelmobile has a decent Netherlands to Germany rate but I have been unable to find its roaming rates. It almost looks like I just add the origin country to Germany to destination country rates together but I don't believe that it could be that simple. Ortelmobile has not answered any of my inquiries. I am continuing to check the various companies' rates starting with your very informative prepaidgsm.net operators list (but, Edeka, for example, doesn't seem to be there). Am I correct in inferring that the D1 and D2 networks are the most widespread/reliable followed closely by E-Plus and that O2 is not quite as good? Buying, registering and activating the SIM cards. I have several problems and choices in buying these two SIM cards. My problems: I have only a one hour stop-over in München before arriving in Amsterdam. That doesn't give me enough time to find a store in the München airport to buy the SIMs there. I don't suppose that I can buy German SIMs in Amsterdam airport or the Netherlands. I seem to need a German bank account to order and/or activate some of these cards. In some cases, e.g. solomo pro, I actually have to go through the ordering process, step-by-step, in order to find out what the requirements are. I am worried that I will go through it all and then find that I am unable to have the cards shipped to me or that I may be unable to activate them when I get them. We are expecting a postal strike soon. As I see them my options are: Buy the SIM cards on-line. A 10€ Ortelmobile starter SIM kit costs three to five times that if I buy from a U.S. source. Buying direct is cheaper, if the company will sell and ship them to me.. Buying the SIM cards when I arrive won't work because I first arrive in Amsterdam with only a quick plane change in München. I could have a friend/relative buy them for me online and have them shipped to me here or to my first hotel in the Netherlands. But doesn't the shipping address usually have to match the billing/bank address? I could have the friend or relative buy it in a store and mail it to me here (but we may get a postal strike). Sorry for the long list but have I missed anything? Any suggestions? Thanks. Last edited by Kritiker; 29-05-2011 at 18:50..