Prepaid Sims

[andy]

cross-posted, but I'll leave it

Originally Posted by FBlack_111

How does Dialnow work? I have a UK SIM. If I call the US with Dialnow, will it ring back and I have to pay the rate my SIM provider charges for incoming calls? Calls out cost me about 50 cents a minute. How is there a savings? Or do I need a special new SIM?

No, DialNow is a callthrough service, not callback at all (though there is a separate way to use it for that).

To call the USA from the UK, broadly speaking you'd have two options:

There are several mvno providers with cheap direct-dialled international calls, and the main networks also have some SIM options that are equivalent to these, either add-ons or separately branded. Rates are from 4 pence a minute upwards.

The other option is to use a callthrough access just like a calling card, so a local number then the destination will be dialled. Nowadays this isn't as likely to be worthwhile in the UK, as you'd pay for the local landline call at perhaps higher rates than the direct-dialled options in the first category.

An exception to this generalised callthrough description is the Yourcallworld arrangement with T-mobile, where the call comes off the SIM balance at the YCW tariff, and no separate account is needed. Although it's callthrough, it's more like the first group on tariff grounds

[andy]

DialNow uses ordinary landline access numbers. I didn't necessarily intend to suggest it for use within the UK, as you'd still have the cost of the access number at the SIM's standard tariff for it, which is more expensive than some of those int'l tariff options.

When I suggested DialNow, I'd understood that you might be roaming Europe with a UK SIM and maybe Vodafone Passport, O2 My Europe Extra or 3. When roaming they don't have cheap calls to Canada and USA, but calls to UK (Vodafone) or within Europe (O2, 3) are cheaper, hence the suggestion. If you're likely to decide to get a global roaming SIM instead, then I'd overlook DialNow (it might be useful with some single country SIMs though, those with cheap local calls rather than those designed as an mvno for int'l calls)

I don't know if you can add the T-mobile bundle or top-up while abroad; I don't recall anyone saying they managed it, but I'll wait to be corrected. I don't think the UK networks accept foreign credit cards themselves, though a shop here would

Any callback service, or indeed any other phone call, will use the tariff applicable to the destination number, not to where that phone happens to be at the time.

[thejinx0r]

Originally Posted by andy

When I suggested DialNow, I'd understood that you might be roaming Europe with a UK SIM and maybe Vodafone Passport, O2 My Europe Extra or 3. When roaming they don't have cheap calls to Canada and USA, but calls to UK (Vodafone) or within Europe (O2, 3) are cheaper, hence the suggestion. If you're likely to decide to get a global roaming SIM instead, then I'd overlook DialNow (it might be useful with some single country SIMs though, those with cheap local calls rather than those designed as an mvno for int'l calls)

I don't know if you can add the T-mobile bundle or top-up while abroad; I don't recall anyone saying they managed it, but I'll wait to be corrected. I don't think the UK networks accept foreign credit cards themselves, though a shop here would

Any callback service, or indeed any other phone call, will use the tariff applicable to the destination number, not to where that phone happens to be at the time.

I was thinking of using YCW/DialNow while I'm London for that extra week. It makes sens to me. And so it's what I meant by the uk t-mobile / orange callabroad. It's because of that extra week.

And looking at the price, I'm guessing I'm gonna go for Yackie Mobile and then use enlinea in case that I blow through the 49$ of credit.

Anyways, is there another name for Iceland?
When trying to register, I cannot choose it as a country on Yackie. Or is there any other country that I should pick for Enlinea call back services?

[FBlack_111]

I have tried to contact Enlinea customer service to check on a few issues. They never answered their toll free number. Their rates from Cell phones do not look that cheap.

Since I have a UK mobile #447, it looks like I must use their Papaya Plan. Calls to the U.S. cost $.50. Same as with my Passport SIM provider. So it's easier to just recharge my SIM.

[petkow]

Incidentally, anyone who is making calls to Dialnow from a T-Mobile SIM whilst in the UK will be wiser to not dial the UK access code (01617002929) which will get charged at 15p/min. Instead, it makes more sense dialing first via YCW's 07755 to one of the foreign access numbers (e.g. Germany) where the access call will only cost 3p/min. Even calls to the UK work out cheaper through this rather long winded approach!

[andy]

For people who want to make absolutely loads of int'l calls from the UK, there is an add-on on 3 - £15 buys up to 3000 minutes in a month to 23 countries.

Or another option on 3 has free Skype calls, which could also sidestep the cost to some people calling you. SkypeIn and SkypeOut are not supported on this though, and not all phones

[FBlack_111]

Thanks for the input. I have a Passport SIM from Telestial (EKIT). Calls in are free in most of Europe. Calls out are about 50 cents U.S. per minute. I checked and the Passport costs 50 cents U.S. to call the UK toll free or other access numbers.

Obviously it's cheaper to just call the U.S. directly. I may get a T-Mobile UK SIM and use YCW or iDial365.

I thought Dialnow was a cheaper Callback service. That's essentially how the Passport SIM works but costs about $.50 a minute.. Anyone know of a cheaper callback service that works with Mobile phones?

[petkow]

There are some. I do not know the status of these but search the forums here (or Google) for Enlinea and Callbackworld.

[MATHA531]

With enlinea (callbackworld also) you enter the country of where the sim is registered in calling from no matter where you're calling from...

Their best rates, right now, are with Iceland (but remember when using O9 or the icelandic number of yackie mobile), it's Iceland special (mobile)...it's listed as 16¢/minute US to call from Iceland special to USA which would be true anywhere in Western Europe except Switzerland where O9 (and Yackie) simply does not work for reasons they have tried to explain but I don't understand (O9 uses a Swiss carrier for many of its roaming connections but this causes the Swixx carrier to think O9 is domestic and doesn't allow anything to register on it in Switzerland or something like that)...Estonia mobiles come in at 29¢ on Enlinea, not too bad..German and French and Italian mobiles aren't too bad either but UK mobiles come in at 50¢¢/minute or threabouts on enlinea (can this be caused by the Jersey and Isle of Man numbers that the billing system cannot differentiate from other UK numbers????)..

So the best deal, right now, once leaving the UK is O9 (or Yackie) with the realization it will not work in Switzerland...also Enlinea does give a US toll free number (it is charged at the going rate for the mobile it is keyed to. in the case of O9, it would be 16¢/minute)...do remember enlinea bills in 6 second intervals but frankly the connections are not all that great...you can most assuredly hear a delay when talking to somebody but then given the price, that has to be expected...

So your plan to use Yackie when leaving the UK is probably a good one...most people feel Yackie has been working fine throughout Western Europe...although I wish the Yackie Mobile guy would come back to the forum with the latest news about Yackie but it does seem, for the present, to be stable.

[thejinx0r]

Originally Posted by MATHA531

With enlinea (callbackworld also) you enter the country of where the sim is registered in calling from no matter where you're calling from...

Their best rates, right now, are with Iceland (but remember when using O9 or the icelandic number of yackie mobile), it's Iceland special (mobile)...it's listed as 16¢/minute US to call from Iceland special to USA which would be true anywhere in Western Europe except Switzerland where O9 (and Yackie) simply does not work for reasons they have tried to explain but I don't understand (O9 uses a Swiss carrier for many of its roaming connections but this causes the Swixx carrier to think O9 is domestic and doesn't allow anything to register on it in Switzerland or something like that)...Estonia mobiles come in at 29¢ on Enlinea, not too bad..German and French and Italian mobiles aren't too bad either but UK mobiles come in at 50¢¢/minute or threabouts on enlinea (can this be caused by the Jersey and Isle of Man numbers that the billing system cannot differentiate from other UK numbers????)..

So the best deal, right now, once leaving the UK is O9 (or Yackie) with the realization it will not work in Switzerland...also Enlinea does give a US toll free number (it is charged at the going rate for the mobile it is keyed to. in the case of O9, it would be 16¢/minute)...do remember enlinea bills in 6 second intervals but frankly the connections are not all that great...you can most assuredly hear a delay when talking to somebody but then given the price, that has to be expected...

It's weird though, I can't choose Iceland when I'm on the yackie website.

Anyways, forget. I found a better solution. Because in Canada, you cannot distinguish between Cell and Landline. So, i'll probably go with a yackie local Canadian number and have enlinea call me on that number. 0.06 is pretty damn cheap. Unless there's something that I'm not understanding on Yackie's website about ordering a sim card and choosing a "local" number.

As far as Swiss, I'm only passing through. And for call quality: could care less since I'm only going to be calling home and checking up on them and letting them know I'm fine.

Anyways, Thanks so much for your help Matha and everyone else.