Joe Mobile

[wolfbln]

Originally Posted by andy

Good point.

I'd been thinking about that foreign payment card issue, trying to find some discussion on the forum or the FAQ about it - nothing I've seen yet - and was coming back to edit my post.

There are one or two Belgians asking that it appears that French residency is required, but not all the questions are getting answers as the other readers perhaps don't know (though the staff should be able to say something).

Maybe I'll ask on there later, or join the Virgin forum to ask.

If not, I just added a bundle to mine yesterday just to keep it alive, even though the chance of a visit next month is only 5 to 10%. I might ask for a refund.

This was the "revolutionary" with JoeMobile. They allowed some non-French payment systems to be associated with their contracts.
Generally, the providers are very strict in France: French contracts only with a French payment system (Carte Bancaire or French credit card).

There are many options like Simyo, B&You and Virgin offering good prices on contracts, but are all inaccessible for foreigners.

And their pay-as-you-go SIM cards are really not an option.

According to the active French community in the prepaid WIKI, you are left with these choices (not having a French bank card):
- Bouygues (prepaid card)
- Free (contracts and prepaid) with limited coverage
- Lebara mobile (prepaid)
- Lycamobile (prepaid)
- Orange (prepaid = Mobicarte and Let's go)
- SFR (prepaid and contracts).

With "contracts" i mean "forfaits", which can be cancelled anytime by free will. The French hybrid between pre- and postpaid.
With the end of JoeMobile, France becomes once again a very inaccessible country for foreigners to get a good rate for your mobile.

[willemijns]

> Edit again: it's not the same thing. Virgin doesn't have an on/off facility, confirmed by their staff. See below.

cockpit blocks calls/data/SMS out of the offer to keep the same price. that's all.

[tux]

I didn't know that SFR and Free accepted foreign credit cards. And even if you could subscribe a forfait, any French carrier requires a French address... so how would you get your sim card?

Anyway, avoid the Mobicarte from Orange: 3G is limited to UMTS speeds (yes, the original 384kbps of the first 3G mobiles )

[wolfbln]

Originally Posted by tux

I didn't know that SFR and Free accepted foreign credit cards.

Anyway, avoid the Mobicarte from Orange: 3G is limited to UMTS speeds (yes, the original 384kbps of the first 3G mobiles )

@ Orange: Mobicarte really sucks for data. For voice and text it's ok. But data is like on 2G. But they sell you their Let's go pass for data (2GB for 10€) even on 4G/LTE, but no voice.

@ SFR: Yes they do. For prepaid cards (La Carte) you can buy vouchers. Their contracts called "SFR Connecté Partout forfait sans engagement" can be linked to an American Express card or paid by intern. Visa or Mastercard in SFR stores only.

@ Free: Their "forfait sans engagement can be combined with some non-French credit cards, but of course not all They now sell 1-month forfaits in Free stores from automated machines too.

The whole situation in France is really crazy. That's why it's so bad, that one of the few good choices now disappears.

@andy
Thanks for asking Virgin. Problem is that many French people don't really notice the wall they build around their telecom market as they all have French payment systems available. Saying this, I have to admit we do it quite similar in the UK and Germany when we allow only domestic-issued credit cards for top-ups. But at least we sell the SIM cards to foreigners.

You asked at the Virgin forum, if you need to be resident in France to get a forfait. Sure, they tell you: Non: The French don't discriminate foreigners. It's not about residency. But to get a French bank card or account, you need to be registered in France. And for a Virgin forfait you presumably need one of those. So in the end, that's what it's all about and the right question.

[tux]

Originally Posted by wolfbln

@ Orange: Mobicarte really sucks for data. For voice and text it's ok. But data is like on 2G. But they sell you their Let's go pass for data (2GB for 10€) even on 4G/LTE, but no voice.

@ SFR: Yes they do. For prepaid cards (La Carte) you can buy vouchers. Their contracts called "SFR Connecté Partout forfait sans engagement" can be linked to an American Express card or paid by intern. Visa or Mastercard in SFR stores only.

SFR prepaid is not so interesting, and even their prepaid data offer is really expensive.

Originally Posted by wolfbln

@ Free: Their "forfait sans engagement can be combined with some non-French credit cards, but of course not all They now sell 1-month forfaits in Free stores from automated machines too.

Yes, I read something about the "bornes automatiques", but it was more than a year ago... Do you know if that offer renews monthly or not?

[andy]

From some comments on the Joe forum, maybe blocage is the possibility to avoid exceeding the monthly bundle, rather than to turn it off completely.

The Virgin forum looks rather less active, but I asked some questions there anyway.

[andy]

Replies at Virgin forum, including staff:

No cockpit on/off, that useful feature at Joe

No foreign bank cards

The first counts it out for me anyway, but I asked them to reconsider the cards, on behalf of others.

http://communaute.virginmobile.fr/t5...166151#U166151

[wolfbln]

Vive la France

[dg7feq]

ok, i will stick to my togglemobile

[wco81]

I've used Let's Go a couple of times. Pricey though, 20 Euro for 2 GB after paying for the SIM.

Good speed and coverage though.

Was going to check out the Bouygues next time, supposedly you can top off 2 Euro like 4 times and get 2 GB.

Also maybe hunt down a Free vending machine though they're kind of away from the center of Paris (away from the Seine).

Never investigated Joe because I couldn't find a good way to top off. Why did they end the service, because they couldn't get enough business? Whey didn't they distribute the SIMs and top offs at the SFR stores?