United Mobile--coming back?

[Stu]

I agree with you about the Vodafone rates (and for the record I own an Etisilat SIM for the UAE. I actually own two and one free one that was given to me for the competitor Du). I'm going on a Baltic cruise in August and am using Vodafone instead of my roaming SIM for the Netherlands (transit only), Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, and Finland. I'm still debating what I am doing with Russia. Let's see what Vodafone does in September. Last week, we could have made the same argument about Three.

[hrgajek]

Matha531,

Originally Posted by MATHA531

.....in the past (pre Eurotariffs) a large segment of clientelle would come from Europe as Europeans cross international frontiers a great deal more than say Americans and the roaming rates when say a Brit went on a short holiday to Spain were large, weren't they.

Your contribution brings it up to the point.

With the advent of very reasonable (and getting more reasonable each year) roaming European rates, the need for the international cards would dramatically decrease.

Absolutely exact.

...an American who might visit three or four European countries on a trip was one number, no need to acquire three or four local sims (although pre riiing, that's the way I used to do it and still have the French, German and Dutch sims to prove it).....

I can imagine this. My career started with "Montel" (VIAG Europlatform) which was a Liechtenstein based SIM with +423-7 Prefix at "normal" mobile rates which had incoming free in VIAG and affiliated networks in .de, .ch, .li and .at
Outgoing tariff was allways the same. Montel was officially closed, the customers-contracts were regularly canceled, as the buyer did not understand the business modell

Then I received a Riiing Card and used it occasionally. Travelling to the US the SIM was not useful for me, due to tremendous incoming fees, there my german T-Mobile (contract) or Simyo (Prepaid) were much more lower in the price for incoming calls.

Riiing converted to UM and seemed to be ok, but in the search for new marketing ideas they loosed base contact. Some Dealers who want to buy and to sell theses SIM-cards asked me for support, they suffered in poor service. UM changed their tariffs, their communication was not quite good, the rest of the story is known.

Given my pattern of travel (mostly Europe from North America), .... I relied on a new vodafone uk sim card because of their roaming free summer rates....

Seems to be a good deal, as Vodafone is one of the biggest mobile phone companies world wide and will sustain for a while. Vodafone UK speaks native english and you can reload it by any Vodafone voucher from the visited country - no matter, if Germany, UK, Netherlands, etc. even Vodafone Egypt should work.

Queen of roaming agreements be Swisscom NATEL, but you have to go there to buy it personally (the want to see yourself and your ID-Card/Passport before you get one) in the local Swisscom-Store, no viable solution for most of us here

the dual US/UK ekit card looks very viable).

I had/have one dual-SIM from UM but I never could check out the US part in the US

[Stu]

I really don't believe that the difference in price in termination is whether you are in the EU or not. Half of us now use VOIP to terminate our calls. I'm in the US, but buy foreign route from voicetrading (a German company). I know that many other people here use other Betamax resellers. I have a hard time believing that any EU resident is getting better rates.

The only better route I would know would be mobile to mobile on the same network.

[Stu]

You're right. Sometimes, my fingers are just too fast for my own good.

[bourbonkiller]

Dear all,

as it looks like, United Mobile as a company came to an end. If you follow the enclosed link, there is a letter published that tells, United Mobile will file bankruptcy. The article further claims, anyone should keep the SIM card as it is still possible, that the +423 number range will be activated somewhen soon.

BK

Amtlich: United Mobile Konkurs / United Mobile bankruptcy 2lounge

[bbob]

Even if 423 comes back online it's not a good platform anymore. Call rates to the number are high and it looked if the one of the reason was that on the same number block sex and other simular service are active. This is at least what was written in some information.

As long as the call rates to +423 are high it's not an good alternative.

[hrgajek]

Hi Bbob,

the high interconnect rates to +423-663 was the business model of UM. They got more money for each incoming call so You (as an UM customer) had to pay less to nothing for incoming.

The UM+ modell seems more attractive to customers: Low interconnect tariffs for callers, but remains enough money to switch to the desired country?

The Liechtenstein Telekom received a significant increase of Telecom Traffic since the existence of UM. (Can be found on the pages of Liechteneiner Amt für Kommunikation)

I agree with you: The sharing of the +423-663 with "red-light" and or premium-services is a problem indeed, as national telcos intend to block +423-663

a) to protect their local (0)900 "premium" services.
b) to protect customers from surprising expensive calls

One viable solution could the shift from +423-663 to +423-7 which is the "normal" mobilephone numbering range of Liechtenstein.

[bbob]

So shifting to +423-7 is an option but this would mean that new sims have to be issued and this will cost a lot to offer replacements. Don't know if this is an option unless someone want to start all over again.

Buying the +423-663 platform or reactivating it will not be a succes in my opinion. As we all know it's blocked by many providers, rates are high meaming not everyone can call you or at a high rate only.

But future will tell.

[hrgajek]

Good morning,

for those who understand german justice language, the following could be interesting for you:

http://www.gerichte.li/lg/edikte/KO%202009%20449.pdf

In short terms: This is an official document of the court of justice at the country of Liechtenstein, telling you, that the bankruptcy process ("Konkursverfahren") has been officially opened.

If you want to get your money back from UM or if you have any open bills (i.e. you are a supplier), you are requested to contact the lawyer and explain your claim. (Reading lawyers, sorry, if I didn't explain it juristically totally correct, IANAL)

But be aware of the complete amount of debts seems to be round about 8 Mio EUR (12 Mio CHF) so if you - lets say - would have 400 EUR in talktime/surftime amount on your UM account, the bigger players would be served first.

The starting of the bankruptcy process does not say, that UM will be gone for ever. It depends now, who (which individual or company) "buys" the necessary assets from the Company to restart the service.

Stay tuned

[bylo]

Originally Posted by hrgajek

It depends now, who (which individual or company) "buys" the necessary assets from the Company to restart the service.

The problem is, of course, that UM's customers have now moved on to other services. It's unlikely they'd be interested in coming back to a relaunched UM. Even if the new owners reinstated our airtime credits, would you spend more money to add new airtime at UM? I wouldn't.