Phone plan for Europe and beyond (1 Viewer)

[Malcolm Bolt]

Having been told to get a new phone oh: I spent the last two days going in and out of mobile phone shops getting more and more frustrated. Each time I entered I knew exactly what I wanted. A large screen so I could see stuff clearly, large keys so I could press the one I wanted to without hitting the keys on either side and a lot of megapixels. :thumb: Simple - not likely!

In each shop I tried to compare the phones on display. Impossible. Most were on a string and not charged so I couldn't use the keys. A few were charged but fastened down so I could not hold them. I found the written specifications confusing simply due to the volume of information and use of terms I did not understand. Staff were very pleasant and in each store there was always one who took pity on me and offered 'help'. This was inevitably along the lines of 'I like this', 'My mum has one of these', 'This is very popular' or even worse 'This one is intuitive' - (what the hell does that mean?) :Sad:

It took about five to ten minutes before I felt the need to leave each one of them. I backtracked and started from scratch just picking up the booklets listing the phones, deals and bundles and adjourned for a coffee.

I found that I was more interested in the tariffs than the phones listed and one of the entries in the EE brochure got my attention big style. I read it several times and went home happy.

Next day I returned to the EE store and having confirmed the details I signed up to:-

Unlimited Calls, Unlimited Texts and 500mb for £26 per month. I thought that was OK.
But the best bit is that for another £5 per month I can extend the Calls and Texts to all Europe. :thumb::thumb::thumb:

For those of us fortunate enough to spend a lot of time over the channel I reckon that's the real deal.

Oh yes, a smart phone was included. I could choose from a Nokia running on Windows, a Blackberry and the one I got - a Sony Experia. I can't tell you what it is like, it's still in the box but if I don't like it I can always put the SIM in my old phone.

 

[ourcampersbeentrashed]

please dont take this the wrong way, but there are many of us mobile phone users, that put up with the technology available even though we find it not particularly easy to use.

I have bought up 12 of the mobile phones that I have found suits me best, purely because they dont entertain that "old technology" now.

I dont like the new ones, I find them too difficult to use.

My mother in law, in her 80s is now on the 3rd phone I bought for her back in the 90s because she finds the new technology far too complicated.

So if you are that way minded why not invent something thats not too difficult, suits your needs and who knows, could be a best seller in the future

 

[ourcampersbeentrashed]

and ps

out of the 12 Ive dropped two in the sea and one in the toilet (fell out of my pocket)

Mobile phones and water and me are not a happy medium

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[callumwa]

Hi Malcolm,

I think over the next few months we will see more big changes on charges, particularly for roaming within the EU. EU legislation continues to curb the prices that can be charged within the EU zone. We have seen the costs of texts and calls reduced significantly already.

So I would be reluctant to get tied into any potentially restrictive contract for any length of time.

At the beginning of last month "3" announced you could use your full home (UK) contract free of any charges in 7 countries. Three Mobile customers can now use their inclusive minutes, texts and data for free in Ireland, Australia, Italy, Austria, Hong Kong, Sweden and Denmark. It's called "Feel at Home".

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/phones/2013/09/three-mobile-scraps-roaming-bills-in-seven-countries

"3" hope to add further countries to this package soon and it is suspected that other companies will also reduce or even free up "roaming costs" even further.

If abroad for more than a couple of days I personally would find 500mb per month totally inadequate. I have a "3" contract with unlimited "all you can eat data" in the UK, which I believe is limited to 25 GB a month whilst roaming in these 7 countries on the Fell at Home deal..

So I will still use this combined with local sims. For example in Holland I use a "Bliep" sim which gives unlimited data access for a charge of €0.50 per day, and only on the days that you use it. I also have a Europa sim, with which I can connect to unlimited data for €3 a day throughout the EU, if my "3" contract or local sims do not give me free or cheap access.

I can also tether with all these current options, so if there are more than one of you, or you use several devices, laptop / tablet etc, this makes it even more cost effective.

 

[Chris]

Hi Malcolm,

Can't help with phones or tariffs but I did chuckle at your description of your shopping experience

Especially the "My Mum's got one of these" comment

 

[hilldweller]

I got - a Sony Experia. I can't tell you what it is like, it's still in the box but

It's an Android phone as used by many on here, inc me. JJ is a huge fan.

Give it a good go, you can even get on to FUN with it. The screen might be a bit small but if you just want to read a few messages, the pinch zoom will let you.

It takes some learning, you know where to ask for help !

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[ukbill]

i was given a htc phone which im still getting used to but as for a tariff i use 02 business (anyone can sign for a business phone) that got me 3 months free and just £21 a month which allows unlimited mins unlimited txt and 500meg of data when i use the phone abroad it costs me just 50p connection then the call comes out of my minutes which at unlimited is endless its a sim only 12mth contract and has saved me fortunes when im away the only thing i have to do is txt the person im gonna call 1st in case i get a bloody answer phone at 50p a hit that would be worthless

 

[Chris]

i was given a htc phone which im still getting used to but as for a tariff i use 02 business (anyone can sign for a business phone) that got me 3 months free and just £21 a month which allows unlimited mins unlimited txt and 500meg of data when i use the phone abroad it costs me just 50p connection then the call comes out of my minutes which at unlimited is endless its a sim only 12mth contract and has saved me fortunes when im away the only thing i have to do is txt the person im gonna call 1st in case i get a bloody answer phone at 50p a hit that would be worthless

I used to have an arrangement like that for Vodafone except it was a £1 connection fee and then it would come out of my home minutes. That was great for me as I would call my office every day and spend ages on the phone. Now though I pay 26p a minute which makes it a lot more expensive calling from abroad.

 

[ukbill]

its time they stopped charging this ridiculous prices for something which in fact costs nothing to use

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[Addie]

Seems that the staff in your EE store are more switch on then most, we've had lots of customers coming to us and thinking that the £5 also gets them the data use abroad which isn't the case.

It's relatively simple to get cheap calls now. Take the Link Removed for example - free incoming calls in Western Europe and a standard rate UK mobile number which means your friends and family can call you at no additional cost to them (in as far as if they have free minutes, the call would come out of them). You also get calls back to the UK for 3p to a landline while in a Toggle country.

It's really the data roaming which is the one I think is going to be a couple of years before things reduce. Here is how things stand now:
Link Removed