It was inevitable (redux)

[snaimon]

Thread seems to have disappeared.... I tried to add this to that thread.

==============================================

Several weeks ago I sent UM customer support a message about the increased rates to call UM phones from US. I asked if they could recommend any US carriers.

Here is their answer.

Dear Mr. Naimon,

thank you for your inquiry. We are an international company based in Switzerland. Since we provide service in almost every country, unfortunately we cannot know the local telephone carriers of each country and therefore cannot give any suggestions.

We are sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,



United Mobile Customer Service

You can now contact United Mobile around the clock. Our Customer Service Team is now available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.


United Mobile Liechtenstein AG
Schaffhauserstrasse 121
CH-8302 Kloten, Zurich Airport
Phone +423 663 099 911
Fax +41 43 204 28 99
www.united-mobile.com

====================================

I am heading to Europe shortly and will be trying to burn up my remaining UM balance before they go out of business. I have $60+ euro balance.

In view of the ever growing competition, with EU roaming rates coming down and the expense and difficulties in reaching UM phones from many places like US, I don't see how they can survive in the long run WITH THEIR CURRENT business model & practices.

Stan

[stan]

I've ranted endlessly on this forum about United Mobile. Contrary to their web site their sim does not work on all unlocked gsm phones, their customer service combines arrogance and ineptitude, and I hope they go out of business as soon as I burn up my remaining minutes.

[Effendi]

Sorry it's my fault, while deleting some spam threads I eventually deleted also this old discussion.

[MATHA531]

Originally Posted by snaimon

Thread seems to have disappeared.... I tried to add this to that thread.

==============================================

Several weeks ago I sent UM customer support a message about the increased rates to call UM phones from US. I asked if they could recommend any US carriers.

Here is their answer.

Dear Mr. Naimon,

thank you for your inquiry. We are an international company based in Switzerland. Since we provide service in almost every country, unfortunately we cannot know the local telephone carriers of each country and therefore cannot give any suggestions.

We are sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,



United Mobile Customer Service

You can now contact United Mobile around the clock. Our Customer Service Team is now available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.


United Mobile Liechtenstein AG
Schaffhauserstrasse 121
CH-8302 Kloten, Zurich Airport
Phone +423 663 099 911
Fax +41 43 204 28 99
www.united-mobile.com

====================================

I am heading to Europe shortly and will be trying to burn up my remaining UM balance before they go out of business. I have $60+ euro balance.

In view of the ever growing competition, with EU roaming rates coming down and the expense and difficulties in reaching UM phones from many places like US, I don't see how they can survive in the long run WITH THEIR CURRENT business model & practices.

Stan

I don't think they're on the verge of going out of business but the difference between this year and last year is almost incomprehensible.

Last year I used to have my calls forwarded to them via my AT&T account from my landline. Price was 11¢/minute. Now the cost is up to 42¢/minute.

Of course we know what happened with CBW...it went from 14¢/minute to 29¢/minute in April and now is well over 50¢/minute. I just don't understand how these termination fees are determined. Is UM jacking up the rates so people will use them for the convenience of the free incoming which does no good if people have to pay an arm and a leg to reach them? Do they think this will cause people to use their naitive ld service? I went for about three years and my credit dropped from the original €10 to €7,20 being careful to use them once every 9 months to keep it active. But over 50¢/minute with CBW...absurd.

I used O9 this past trip to Europe (Germany, Netherlands, France, UK)...Somehow my O9 credit disappeared despite the fact in theory no calls were completed. I ended up with 47 calls in voicemail from the call backs...didn't bother to clear them out. Wonder if this is causing the rebound affect T Mobile US is famous for when calls bounce to voicemail. My credit went from €12 to €0,37. At that point I was unable to call out for the triggering call (used both enlinea and CBW) but was able to use my local sims to trigger calls...in one case though using the French mobile on cbw, after two rings I wasn't quick enough to hang up and the call was answered and sure enough my French mobile debited for one minute call to USA. This had never happened before. Enlinea of course uses a busy signal which is much safter. Also it became non functional the last couple of days in France (Saturday and Sunda 23 and 24 June); the usual problems please enter phone number etc. and after entering the phone number followed by the # sign, it said invalid. Mostly I use the phone to call back to an info number in the USA (1-800-555-8355) to get baseball scores, local weather, call airlines besides calling friends. When I got to the UK, I said the hell with it, converted my Orange UK prepaid to Orange call abroad and voila calls to the USA with no problems were 5p/minute. Didn't need O9 any longer.

Then there are the Estonian sims which also have very very high rates on almost any ld carrier in the USA. But I have never been able to get CBW to work with it (have never gotten a callback) and enlinea rates are too high.

Which leaves the Isle of Man mobiles....but cbw and enlinea charge 45 to 50 cents/minute to UK mobiles so not much better than UM. Naitive use of Isle of Man phones is a bit cheaper than UM and O9 to call the USA but of course nowhere near as good as we once had last year.

CBW recently announced a lowering of rates to French mobiles and I believe German mobiles. But even if I have both a French and German sim, unfortunately EU was not able to get the free reception of calls throughout the EU they originally had pushed for so it's 0,24€ to receive on a German sim say in Italy and then CBW well we seem to be right back to UM rates.

What is for sure, unfortunately, is a good thing with CBW seems to be history. Being able to forward calls from my home line to UM is history (although I suppose the new rate AT&T is charging which is 42¢/minute isn't too bad but certainly not as good as 11¢/minute which I had till this past April).

Does anybody know of any cheap callback services which will provide the same type service cbw and enlinea once provided (no I don't intend to bring my lap top to Europe and use voip, the carry on regs are a royal pain in the butt).

Or has a good thing passed into history?

And who the hell is responsible for these absurd termination fees charged on Liechtenstein, Icelandic and Estonian mobiles as well as the UK mobiles (obviously aimed at Isle of Man numbers). Basically, it stinks.

[snaimon]

Likewise I don't think UM is on the verge of going out of business.

Likewise I don't understand the termination fees. I won't be topping up however. I think they (UM) have to make money from the termination fees. In Germany they had or still have some tarifs where the user (called party) earns credits (money) for each minute of calltime RECEIVED. The company wouldn't be giving away money like that. Callback method and high termination fees are an integral part of the revenue stream.

Onesuite still has rates @ 25 cents per minute; hardly a bargain but better than CBW and others.


Likewise agree with stan that customer service is not there forte. The original title of my deleted post was RIDICULE (ridiculous -- in French).

One point you missed is the increasing competition from the EU National carriers.... Like Vodafone passport, some German cards (Sunsim, Che-mobil, etc). That way folks can keep their NATIONAL # and still roam at reasonable rates.

I have received a grand total of 1 call on my UM card as long as I have owned the card. A free one at that while in Germany. It was a mistake and cost me 2 Euros; my son RETURNED my call from his German T-MO SIM.

I was seriously considering buying a Sunsim card (8 cents / minute to landlines in Germany) and REASONABLE roaming rates, but I will be burning up my UM balance first.

With all of that going against them, I don't think they will be around in 3 years unless they improve their model/performance.

Stan

[herkdrvr]

For over two months, my UM sim hasn't worked in Australia. Oh, they tell me each time I gripe it works, but I can't even check my balance. Used to work pretty well but just recently stopped working. I can only log into one network and it sees the network, logs in, and can't make a call. Oh well, adios UM, hello Travelsim.

Cheers

[snaimon]

Originally Posted by herkdrvr

For over two months, my UM sim hasn't worked in Australia. Oh, they tell me each time I gripe it works, but I can't even check my balance. Used to work pretty well but just recently stopped working. I can only log into one network and it sees the network, logs in, and can't make a call. Oh well, adios UM, hello Travelsim.

Cheers

Exactly! Service is somewhat undependable. Unless something changes, I don't see a bright future for them.

Doesn't Vodafone have Australia? Wouldn't the passport work? Suppose it depends on the OTHER countries you visit.

Stan

[herkdrvr]

Originally Posted by snaimon

Exactly! Service is somewhat undependable. Unless something changes, I don't see a bright future for them.

Doesn't Vodafone have Australia? Wouldn't the passport work? Suppose it depends on the OTHER countries you visit.

Stan

Okay, what is the passport? I've looked into Vodafone in some of the countries I visit and the best product seems to be out of Germany. But its very pricey for calls outside of Germany, and even UM is much less expensive. Of course, it doesn't actually work everywhere anymore.

Yes, Vodafone is big down under, but there are several other carriers, including Telstra and Optus, which UM uses. Today, I couldn't get a single call through yet my better half was able to call me first time. Go figure.

[prion]

Originally Posted by snaimon

Likewise I don't understand the termination fees. I won't be topping up however. I think they (UM) have to make money from the termination fees. In Germany they had or still have some tarifs where the user (called party) earns credits (money) for each minute of calltime RECEIVED. The company wouldn't be giving away money like that. Callback method and high termination fees are an integral part of the revenue stream.

Stan

I agree with you completely. It is UM that charges high incoming rates for calls into their network. It can not be different. Otherwise this would have to be a global conspiracy against them, which does not make any sense at all!.

[snaimon]

Originally Posted by herkdrvr

Okay, what is the passport? I've looked into Vodafone in some of the countries I visit and the best product seems to be out of Germany. But its very pricey for calls outside of Germany, and even UM is much less expensive. Of course, it doesn't actually work everywhere anymore.

Yes, Vodafone is big down under, but there are several other carriers, including Telstra and Optus, which UM uses. Today, I couldn't get a single call through yet my better half was able to call me first time. Go figure.

http://www.abroad.vodafone.co.uk/ind...u=1&le=1&sn=s7

QUOTE:



With Vodafone Passport you can use your mobile abroad as often as you like. Whether you're a pay monthly or pay as you talk customer* you just pay a 75p connection fee each time you make a call and, after that, you're charged at your usual home tariff. You can even use any inclusive minutes your have in your bundle, all you have to do is make sure you select one of the Vodafone Passport networks as shown in the table whenever you're in a Passport country.

A ten minute call home can now cost you as little as 75p

Let's say you're a pay monthly customer with ten or more inclusive minutes still left on your plan, you can make a ten minute call to the UK from Spain and the call will only cost you 75p. The same applies to pay as you talk customers with voice pack minutes.

If you don't have any minutes left, don't worry. Once you've paid your 75p connection fee, you can chat away as though you're at home, knowing that the rest of the call is at your usual UK tariff.

END QUOTE

The 75 p connection fee is a bit stiff. It's 75 ecents at vodafone.de...

QUOTE:

* länger als 3 Minuten im Ausland telefonieren möchten,
* Ihre Inklusiv-Minuten auch im Ausland nutzen wollen,
* oft auch in beliebten Reiseländern telefonieren möchten, die nicht zur EU gehören, wie zum Beispiel der Schweiz oder Türkei,
* ankommende Gespräche bis zu einer Stunde lang für einmalig 0,75 Euro führen möchten

END QUOTE

For SHORT calls the recommend new regular roaming prices.