Vodaphone Spain pay as you go account transfered to UK, and rest of Europe? Possible?

[saren]

Yes, i will get the ASDA SIM.

I also have an emergency international phone card (to use with payphones, and a toll-free number).

And finally, I use VOIP (like voipwisw), but one problem I noticed with Voipraider (which one of the cheapest I found online) is that I can't use my credit card to top-up credit. Voipwise allows me to use U-cash, and some other VOIP sites only say I can pay with Western Union (which is not going to happen).

I found Webacall, which has low rates (and they say I can pay with Visa), which makes sense to me. Why I can't pay using credit card on all those sites, I don't know.

[petkow]

Originally Posted by saren

Yes, i will get the ASDA SIM.
but one problem I noticed with Voipraider (which one of the cheapest I found online) is that I can't use my credit card to top-up credit. Voipwise allows me to use U-cash, and some other VOIP sites only say I can pay with Western Union (which is not going to happen).

I just topped up a VoIPraider account 3 days ago using a credit card. I don't understand what is happening with yours? VoIPwise is the same company anyhow (all part of Betamax) and can also be topped up by credit card. It may be country specific depending on where your card is issued. You could try and open a new VoIP account and specify a new country, though the country field is always filled in for you.

[saren]

Yes, well my IP is still in Morocco, but I have tried putting in Canada, and UK and the options remain the same. I think the site is sensing my IP location and automatically disqualifying me from using credit cards. How stupid.

They just lost a customer.

[Przemolog]

Originally Posted by saren

I also have an emergency international phone card (to use with payphones, and a toll-free number).

Are you going to visit Poland?
So, does this card have a tool-free access number in Poland? If so, please tell me what exactly the number is - there may be some issues when calling it from payphones...

As to using SIMs from one EU country in another in order to use remaining credit - of course, it's more expensive than using local SIMs. However, the "eurotariff" sets an upper limit for costs of EU calls to at most 49 eurocents outgoing/24 incoming + national VAT(15-25%, depending on the country). So, I think than it's better (=less troublemaking) to you to use the remaning $20 on Vodafone Spain in another EU country than to look for a person willing to buy the SIM.
BTW, terms and conditions for roaming of some EU operators may extend the coverage of the "eurotariff" to some non-EU countries like Switzerland, Norway, Iceland etc.

[saren]

Yes, I will eventually visit Poland (but Scanadanvia is next).

The card is here,
http://www.comfi.com/Phone-Card/Chopin

it has toll-free numbers in many countries, including Poland. The following number can be called countrywide using a payphone (or at least that's what it's supposed to do). 00-800-111-4553.

The number in the UK is 0-800-358-7120.

I bought this card because it has per second billing, no connection fee, no maintenance fee, toll-free numbers (in many countries), no taxes, and it's valid for at least 3 months.

The only part I don't like is the payphone surcharge per call (99UScents), and the outgoing rate to mobiles (20p/minute), but remember it's billed by the second (or that's what they advertise).

I bought this phone card in vain until I heard about the ASDA SIm card in the UK. I will purchase the SIM, and not use this card (except for when my cellphone doesnt work), but then I will still have my VOIP software (via net), so I don't know if I will ever use this card.

[Przemolog]

Originally Posted by saren

Yes, I will eventually visit Poland (but Scanadanvia is next).

The card is here,
http://www.comfi.com/Phone-Card/Chopin

it has toll-free numbers in many countries, including Poland. The following number can be called countrywide using a payphone (or at least that's what it's supposed to do). 00-800-111-4553.

That's what I supposed. 00-800 numbers are not free in Poland. They are charged "per call" from landlines and "per minute" from Orange SIMs (not available from other local SIMs). To call such numbers from payphones you must have a chip payphone card and the call will cost one "billing unit" per call. I also suppose that those 00-800 payment rules won't change by the time you arrive here

Originally Posted by saren

The only part I don't like is the payphone surcharge per call (99UScents), and the outgoing rate to mobiles (20p/minute), but remember it's billed by the second (or that's what they advertise).

I bought this phone card in vain until I heard about the ASDA SIm card in the UK. I will purchase the SIM, and not use this card (except for when my cellphone doesnt work), but then I will still have my VOIP software (via net), so I don't know if I will ever use this card.

Well, it seems that using this card for national calls in Poland simply makes no sense. At the current exchange rate, if you get ANY Polish SIM, you'll pay AT MOST about 35 US cents/min to any national landline or mobile number with per-second billing and without any per call surcharge.

[saren]

This just proves how useless phone cards are then.

They advertise Global Access Numbers nowadays, they don't even call them toll-free anymore (probably because they know their cards don't work toll free from payphones).

I guess I will buy a Polish SIM on arrival, and consider my Chopin phone card purchase a mistake (lesson learned).

In the UK, tmobile offers free SIMS, and Asdamobile sells sims for 3 pounds. Is there a company offering free SIMS (via the post mail) in Poland?

I now feel more inclined to stop using phone cards alltogether and depend on local SIMS everywhere I go.

[petkow]

Originally Posted by saren

This just proves how useless phone cards are then.
In the UK, tmobile offers free SIMS..

If you do have one of these... you can make very cheap international calls through them e.g. USA, Canada at 3p/min. (even cheaper than calling the UK) In most cases much cheaper than an international phonecard. If you search for yourcallworld here in the forum you will find out how.

[Przemolog]

Originally Posted by saren

This just proves how useless phone cards are then.

They advertise Global Access Numbers nowadays, they don't even call them toll-free anymore (probably because they know their cards don't work toll free from payphones).

Well, they could hire a real toll free (=local 0 800) number for use in Poland which could be available also from payphones and even mobile phones. However, this would require some arrangment with local operators. Setting a 00-800 number is an access number for Poland is much easier, I suppose. Of course, it won't be toll free but who cares ?

Originally Posted by saren

I guess I will buy a Polish SIM on arrival, and consider my Chopin phone card purchase a mistake (lesson learned).

You're right. However, the Chopin basic per minute rate 55 cents/min for Poland to Polish mobile phones (disregarding the payphone per-call surcharges 99 cents + local payphone access >15 cents per call) is better than "direct" rate payphone to Polish mobile . It's because payphones are pretty expensive here and basically for any destination a better mobile tariff can be found.

Originally Posted by saren

In the UK, tmobile offers free SIMS, and Asdamobile sells sims for 3 pounds. Is there a company offering free SIMS (via the post mail) in Poland?

Yes, at of today, Orange, but sends to Polish addresses only. However, all SIM brands can be easily purchased at 5 to 30 PLN (moreless $2 to $12) and usually 90-100% of the price is available credit (100% on all cards >=20 PLN).

Originally Posted by saren

I now feel more inclined to stop using phone cards alltogether and depend on local SIMS everywhere I go.

In some countries there is some beaurocracy mess when purchasing even a prepaid SIM (so far not in Poland). Are you prepared for this ?