Chaletgirl2009 Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 As well as looking at getting mobile broadband it seems like a better deal to buy a PAYG mobile (or just a SIM) in France to ring other people and back to the UK, rather than get stung on charges from my UK mobile.I'm not sure what availability of phone places in my resort (La Plagne) will be like, so was thinking of purchasing it while I'm still here and taking it out with me. However, I'm not sure my French is up to decoding the terms and conditions on a site, so if anyone has any good PAYG deals that mean cheap calls and texts back to the UK, can you let me know below?Thanks again,Lindsey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 SFR do international texts for 13 cents each, the cheapest you can get. I got a sim card the other week, but it has zero reception where I am.Orange and the company beginning with a B (I forget their name) both charge 28 cents an sms internationally.In terms of calls, you're better off using skype or something like that. Most mobiles are very high in cost.Also, chek this site out www.nonoh.com Cheap texting and phone calls abroad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virginia.c Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Hi there. I'm no expert but I did look into trying to get a cost effective mobile broadband deal for the summer to use here in France. I couldn't find anything cost effective at all. The only thing I did find was that Vodafone did a summer promotion via a SIM deal where you could get up to 300 minutes and unlimited texts per month for £20. The minutes were to be used calling to the UK from France. It was called Vodafone Passport I think. I wonder if it is worth you just looking at the major providers to see if there may be anything similar for when you are here? I can't believe that we still can't get mobile broadband competitively outside of the UK. It's got to happen eventually, but probably not in time for your trip. Why not give Vodafone/Talk Talk/02 and the others a call and just ask the question?Good luck - it's a frustrating search! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaletgirl2009 Posted September 30, 2009 Author Share Posted September 30, 2009 Thanks both of you.Had hoped there'd be a simple solution, but it appears not - I shall carry on investigating! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velcorin Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 I get asked this question by colleagues who get transferred here from Germany or the UK. One of my pet subjects, which I avoid posting about on here, but I'm in a bad mood today.Putting it bluntly, don't expect to get in France anything like what you can get in the UK, the French PAYG/Mobile market is pretty stitched up by the local players. The credit times out, coverage is patchy, and SAV is non existant. OK, I generalise but it pretty well holds true. The only exception to the credit time out is LeClerc. I've got a contract with SFR. It's good for a signal in my area, and but nothing at the MiL's, holiday home or my office. My wife has an Orange contract, which requires 12 months notice to cancel[:-))], she didn't read the small print, and she's French. Most months Orange manage to take the DD at least twice, and once did it every day for a full month. She thought she had special phone insurence against loss. Phone stolen, found out doesn't cover that, bought new phone (at full price), left it on the roof of the car and drove off, found out it doesn't cover that, bought new phone (at full price) and cancelled insurence. Needs 3 month notice[:-))]I think what I'm saying is be very careful what you buy, as getting refunds can be "entertaining" (read impossible), and I'd think very long and hard about keeping your UK mobile. I've lived and worked in the UK, Spain and Germany, but France is "special".[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaletgirl2009 Posted October 1, 2009 Author Share Posted October 1, 2009 Thanks for your advice! Seriously, it's nice to know the 'truth' so I can try and get a better deal on a phone here to take with me rather than leaving it til I get there and being screwed by the system! My friends who live in Cyprus have bought good PAYG deals out there so I had presumed it would be a better option for me when living in France, but I think I'll just look around and ring the UK companies to get roaming rates or something!Thanks again,Lindsey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 [quote user="velcorin"] I've lived and worked in the UK, Spain and Germany, but France is "special".[;-)][/quote]You can say that again!I had an NRJ mobile with credit illimité but of course then they changed all that after sucking in the customers, they did allow you to top up before the month ended which would also be illimité and I put on €40 of which around €26 remain.Dependant on whether you check the balance by text or phone the credit will run out either in 2030 or 1930!They suspended my service including messagerie last month without warning," le numero que vous avez demandé n'est plus attruable"If it were Vodafone in the UK I would just phone them, get an apology and the service with my credit would be resumed, I know that I dont have a cats chance in hell here in France of using or being refunded my €26. I am waiting for a day when I fancy a good argument to contact them (they do at least have a contact number) before going to the CCRF De Picardie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 We lost about €10 on two mobiles registered with NRJ, as we did not remember to make a chargeable call in 6 months, as required by the modified contract. Both numbers are now dead.We have just bought a Leclerc SIM card for emergencies, as it's the only use we have for the mobiles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Ah well Clair you have saved me the phone call, I suspected that there may have been something like that in the modified contract.I dont trust any of the big businesses in Frnace be they banks, insurers, utilities or La grande distribution and to date it would seem with good reason.As a French woman, and a relatively wordly wise one at, that would you trust Leclerc's reputation to not shaft customers in the same way?I ask as like you my phone is only for emergencies and for the moment it has the Vodafone Sim in it.Would another answer be to buy a Simcard with say €5 of credit but not use it untill needed? I suppose then the proble would be how to add credit with an UK debit card, can one do that with Leclerc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Out of interest, do you know how much a leclerc payg costs to send texts to the uk? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 [quote user="Chancer"]would you trust Leclerc's reputation to not shaft customers in the same way?Would another answer be to buy a Simcard with say €5 of credit but not use it untill needed? I suppose then the problem would be how to add credit with an UK debit card, can one do that with Leclerc?[/quote]Re Leclerc's reputation, I guess I trust them as much as I trust any big business! [:D]I have bought their lowest-priced offer (called formule Mini), where you get €10 worth of credit + €1.50 for the first month of subscription. As I understand it, as long as I pay €1.50 a month by DD, the credit remains live for 12 months after the activation. To keep it live over 12 months, I need to buy a new credit (min €5). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 [quote user="Richard"]Out of interest, do you know how much a leclerc payg costs to send texts to the uk?[/quote]From another thread (I have not checked the tariffs again, but they can be found here) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 [quote user="Clair"]I have bought their lowest-priced offer (called formule Mini), where you get €10 worth of credit + €1.50 for the first month of subscription. As I understand it, as long as I pay €1.50 a month by DD, the credit remains live for 12 months after the activation. To keep it live over 12 months, I need to buy a new credit (min €5).[/quote]I should have also said this cost €14.90. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Getting back to the original question, particularly as you fancied something you could buy in advance and take with you, does this site look any good?I am sure there are others, possibly even better, like this one.I have no personal experience so can't recommend (or otherwise) these services. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaletgirl2009 Posted October 2, 2009 Author Share Posted October 2, 2009 Wow I am definitely going to get a deal here then - even if it's only PAYG but one which is better for abroad, as I don't speak good enough French to be able to read T+C's properly I suspect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaletgirl2009 Posted October 2, 2009 Author Share Posted October 2, 2009 Sorry, newbie error there, didn't click to the second page!Thanks Will, I'll have a look. Vodafone seem to do a good passport scheme, but I think it is only UK to abroad and have emailed to find out if it's the same vice versa... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 And how do you know if you can get reception where you live? I recently went for SFR as their international sms rate was 13cents each. Trouble is there's zero reception where I live for SFR. L'Eclerc looks a good deal though, but am not prepared to wave away more money for something that I might not be able to receive where I live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaletgirl2009 Posted October 2, 2009 Author Share Posted October 2, 2009 My theory was that all my UK providers have given me good signal when skiing before, so if I did go with them for a deal whilst away, I should (in theory) have reception, unlike what has been mentioned here about the French providers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Thanks Claire but that is still no good for me as I cant really have a direct debit going out each month, I dont want to use the phone apart from emergencies but would like people to be able to contact me.The problem is with friends and new people that I meet, they just cannot understand that I dont have a mobile number and worse still dont ever give out their home numbers themselves because "everyone in France has an abonnement with free minutes dont they?"I cant get them to comprehend that I wish to phone them from my home phone to their home number, that way it is free for me (with Free.fr), they in turn only want to call me on a mobile number because it is free for them, or so they think! You should see the reaction when after their insistance I give them my UK Vodafone mobile number [:-))] What gets me is that clearly they are tighter than I am but cannot see that it is costing them a lot more overall to have and use their mobiles, probably because they think that they are an essential and cannot imagine life without them.The end result is that I have no friends. [:(][;-)]All I want is to be able to buy some credit, to use it as and when I see fit, not be obliged to add to it or lose it nor pay a monthly abonnement or fee and not to lose my number and prepaid credit, its not rocket science exactly and Vodafone and as far as I can see the others in most developed countries except France have no problem in meeting my needs, but as was said "France is special" [6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 [quote user="Clair"][quote user="Chancer"][/quote]Re Leclerc's reputation, I guess I trust them as much as I trust any big business! [:D]I have bought their lowest-priced offer (called formule Mini), where you get €10 worth of credit + €1.50 for the first month of subscription. As I understand it, as long as I pay €1.50 a month by DD, the credit remains live for 12 months after the activation. To keep it live over 12 months, I need to buy a new credit (min €5).[/quote]So if I have got this right I pay them €15 and get €10 of calling credit, then over the next 12 months I have to pay another €16.50 for the priveledge of using my pre-paid credit, thereafter another €5 plus €18 per year to use my pre-paid credit.It might be be less unpalateable than the other offerings but a good deal it aint except for them [blink]I realise that it wasnt you Clair that called it a good deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 You pay €14.90 for the SIM card.You get €11.50 worth of credit.You pay 11x €1.50 (€16.50) to keep your credit and your number live for 12 months.Then you buy a €5 top-up to carry your existing credit over the 12 months.You carry on paying €1.50 per month... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 [quote user="Chancer"]I realise that it wasnt you Clair that called it a good deal.[/quote]Find me an alternative!! [:D][:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhonamck2003 Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Hi Richard,Im living in Paris for one year, i have just got a PAYG french SFR phone, i texted home and found it costs 30cents to text the UK. how do you get international texts for 13cents? any help would be much appreciated!Rhona Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 In their tarrifs guide book, on page 14, the price of texts to Europe + DOM is 13 cents each. To the rest of the world and TOM it is 30 cents a text. Not sure what TOM and DOM mean, but on their little map, the UK certainly is in Europe. Therefore, I'm not sure what they're playing at.My SFR sim card doesn't work anymore though, so I can't test mine for you. When I took it out of its box, I was standing over the dogs water bowl, and the sim card fell and landed in the water. So there goes €55 :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaletgirl2009 Posted October 7, 2009 Author Share Posted October 7, 2009 I've found this deal which looks to be the best PAYG so far (having exhausted the normal UK providers):http://simplyfone.com/simplytravelsim_details.phpCalls are approx 15p per minute, and texts around the same. No charges for receiving calls either!Can anyone see a catch?!Lindsey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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