Furious United-Mobile customers (or ICQ)?

[Nokia1610]

In the meantime, we can avoid using UM sims and maybe write some e-mail to express our disappointment...the best way would be a MNP, but with international numbers that's impossible!

[bbob]

Calls to other destinations are rated with 10€/min. — Note: f means fi xline. m means mobile (wireless. cellular) — *Call set up rate for all calls (one time)
EUR 0.19 — Billing increments are 60 seconds. Prices are subject to change without prior notice — All Information is subject to errors and tariff changes.

The incoming call charge does indeed apply, just checked it on my +44 number
Balance before call was 12,26 after making a 5 seconds call balance was 11,88
I received the call in belgium, cost 19 cent per minute, call setup 19 cents, total 38 cents. Balance after call 11,88

I also tried it using my +423 number which has a balance of just 45 cents. Made 2 short calls and balance remains the same. so it looks like only the +44 number has the incoming call cost.

This will surely cost UM lots of customers as 19 cents setup cost is a lot. Research has shown that many cellphone calls last only 1 or 2 minutes. 19 cents for setup cost will add a lot to you costprice.

I am only thinking what might be the reason for this.

[andy]

Originally Posted by bbob

I also tried it using my +423 number which has a balance of just 45 cents. Made 2 short calls and balance remains the same. so it looks like only the +44 number has the incoming call cost.

I had a free incoming trial call [edit: on +423] a couple of days ago (after your thread about Betamax rates). I called UM about an hour ago to check; there will be an incoming connection fee, but it hasn't quite been implemented yet

[bbob]

Originally Posted by andy

I had a free incoming trial call a couple of days ago (after your thread about Betamax rates). I called UM about an hour ago to check; there will be an incoming connection fee, but it hasn't quite been implemented yet

Might be country dependant, I'm in belgium at the moment, tried both UM +44 and +423 and +44 did give the 19 cent incoming call charge and +423 did not or maybe not yet ?

So it looks like the +44 incoming call charge is allreay implemented, at least My account was deducted 2 x 19 cents for a 5 seconds call. 19 cents for the call 19 cent connection charge.

[andy]

Originally Posted by bbob

Might be country dependant, I'm in belgium at the moment, tried both UM +44 and +423 and +44 did give the 19 cent incoming call charge and +423 did not or maybe not yet ?

Yes, sorry, that's what I meant about the call via JV, the +423 one not charged yet but soon.

[MATHA531]

What a bunch of garbage.....this forum helped make UM, especially with its free incoming call policy which is something that one time they bragged about....

This leaves GT-sim right now as well as gymsim....O9 seems to be down completely...can't register (I'm in the USA currently) nor can I register my new yackie mobile card but at least I'm not getting the invariably fatal sim card registration failed notice.

So...

1. Why? Didn't they realize this might be the end of their business....it is now just as cheap to use one of the eu payg with eu tariffs, especially for short calls......(incidentally Andy might know this....the UK£ is nearing parity with the euro..have they increased the eurotariff charges listed in sterling to coincide with the drop of the £?). What unseen forces have caused this?

2. GT sim still seems to have free reception throughout most of Europe.

3. Gymsim too,.

Oh the pain.

[andy]

Originally Posted by MATHA531

This leaves ...

1. Why? Didn't they realize this might be the end of their business....it is now just as cheap to use one of the eu payg with eu tariffs, especially for short calls......(incidentally Andy might know this....the UK£ is nearing parity with the euro..have they increased the eurotariff charges listed in sterling to coincide with the drop of the £?). What unseen forces have caused this?

No, when the recent Eurotariff decreased, UK networks made no reduction, probably as they were already still slightly cheaper. But since the exchange has fallen some more, they haven't increased either.

Thus 3 UK's roaming rates of 25p outgoing 10p incoming are now about half the Eurotariff, and the rest are 35p (O2) to 39p outgoing, ~18p incoming. O2 has an add-on to make outgoing 25p incoming free for £10 a month (but added free to my contract)

I think Belgium must be slightly more expensive for roaming for some reason. I noticed a while back that those German Vistream SIMs with cheap roaming are 15c incoming there and 10c in many other European countries.

For outgoing calls, the connection fee doesn't make a difference of course, but it will be difficult to look at all the incoming connection fees adding up.

The Isle of Man SIMs, whether on Manx e.g. Easyroam ekit Geosim and GT, plus those half dozen on Wire9 that were listed recently, still have free incoming roaming. Let's hope they see this as a competitive advantage and don't have to move in this direction in the near future.

[easyroam-]

Originally Posted by bbob

why did they do this. Was it needed to cover increasing network cost ?.

All the networks have to pay roaming fees. Whether it is United mobile, 09 or isle of man sim cards. There is no such thing as "free roaming"
The way it works is the operator/network receives a small fee for inbound calls, this is then offset against the roaming charge that the operator has to pay for roaming in that country. I would say that U-M is being charged a higher fee and is loosing money every time there users are receiving calls in Belgium. Hence there is a charge for roaming in Belgium.

I don't really know why they are also changing a setup fee, They are billing in 60 seconds, so this should cover costs.

As for sim4travel charging fees. There giving away free or low price sim cards with £10 credit, Its there way of getting money back in to there pot.

As a guess, who will be the next one to charge ...?

[bbob]

So not many real working alternatives anymore (the rest of the post in a new thread -> http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/inte...ed-mobile.html )

That said um +44 outside the eu might still be a lot cheaper than using your standard sim. But it's nices to have 1 sim for where you are going, not having to swtich card every country you visit.

I have ordered the easyroam card, will hopefully get it today and enjoy free roaming again. UM is really pricing themselves out of the market this way. But the biggest question is, why did they do this. Was it needed to cover increasing network cost ? were they making to little money ? Time will tell.

[prion]

I have made a call to my +423 card and was charged the incoming fee of 0,19 euros....