Green Peace Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Victory...What Victory???? Though I do remember a certain trip to Spain in the late 90's where i ran up an £800 phone bill. My first Supra got stuck on a beach (Dont ask you dont wanna know... soz Dave:d ) I lost my wallet so calls related to that, and finding my ex work colleagues villa via some dodgy directions from a Spanish Amigo lol. Cellnet (now 02) even cut me off during my trip with no warning claiming id gone beyond my credit limit (Didn't even know i had one) So at one point I was left to make a 600 mile journey back to Port oif Bilbao through the night with no phone service if i'd broken down (Lucky i was driving a stock Supra then) I got charged 95p a minute to recieve a call and even during a coutesey call from Cellnet when i up'd my credit limit i had to even pay for their call to me. These days i buy a sim card as soon as i arrive in the country I now have a Spanish one and a French one so i just put those numbers on my voicemail when i go abroad and tell people to contact me that way...result my bills are no more than £40ish. 35p a minute is better..but i still don't see why we have to pay to recieve a call even if it has been reduced to 19p. What do you think? and have you had probs over the years with big roaming bills when you return! Its complete robbery still. (I could understand it better if they charged this for making a call in Peru, but not Europe) Winge winge:( .... sunny day out there:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveK Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 35p a minute is better..but i still font see why we have to pay to recieve a call even if it has been reduced to 19p. Because the charges are to pay roaming costs - and you are using the roaming network to receive calls as well as make them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Peace Posted May 24, 2007 Author Share Posted May 24, 2007 Because the charges are to pay roaming costs - and you are using the roaming network to receive calls as well as make them. Yes i hear you on that...but given the unbelievably huge profits they make and the fact that they all own each other etc..I mean for instance what about Orange France..if you have a UK Orange phone why do you have to pay a roaming charge if you use the Orange network there..I am on Voda...and same applies why should i pay to use Voda owned networks abroad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Haggas Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Thanks Si....keep em coming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveK Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Yes i hear you on that...but given the unbelievably huge profits they make and the fact that they all own each other etc..I mean for instance what about Orange France..if you have a UK Orange phone why do you have to pay a roaming charge if you use the Orange network there..I am on Voda...and same applies why should i pay to use Voda owned networks abroad? I kind of agree - I'm not saying I agree with the actual prices, just explaining the reason they charge. I guess part of it might be that you are essentially receiving an international call - and I don't think our laws allow the caller to pay that (they shouldn't be charged more because they didn't know you're out of the country). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Peace Posted May 24, 2007 Author Share Posted May 24, 2007 Thanks Si....keep em coming! No Probs:d It adds to the appreciating value Dave:p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Peace Posted May 24, 2007 Author Share Posted May 24, 2007 I kind of agree - I'm not saying I agree with the actual prices, just explaining the reason they charge. I guess part of it might be that you are essentially receiving an international call - and I don't think our laws allow the caller to pay that (they shouldn't be charged more because they didn't know you're out of the country). Yeah know what ya saying, makes sence...I think they should do a system where an automated voice comes up whilst calling someone whos roaming saying 'This person is in France and you will be charged 19p extra for this call please press the Hash key if you would like to continue with your call' and bingo 'The Mother In Law' (if ya have one) will think twice about calling you:p ..thats a much fairer way of doing it surely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Yes i hear you on that...but given the unbelievably huge profits they make and the fact that they all own each other etc..I mean for instance what about Orange France..if you have a UK Orange phone why do you have to pay a roaming charge if you use the Orange network there..I am on Voda...and same applies why should i pay to use Voda owned networks abroad? Because you're still roaming, and each network is run as an individual company even if they come under the umbrella of Orange or whoever. The operators incur charges for using third parties for international connections etc. I work on the technical side and gave up trying to keep up with the commercial side years ago. With all the roaming agreements and shared transmission it's impossible to keep up. I agree, the charges are outrageous but while they can get away with making a packet they will. Suits me, the more money they make the more they have to spend and that means work for me Buying a prepaid sim for the country you're traveling to is definitely the way to go. If you can't, then don't accept incoming calls and only dial locally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Peace Posted May 24, 2007 Author Share Posted May 24, 2007 Because you're still roaming, and each network is run as an individual company even if they come under the umbrella of Orange or whoever. The operators incur charges for using third parties for international connections etc. I work on the technical side and gave up trying to keep up with the commercial side years ago. With all the roaming agreements and shared transmission it's impossible to keep up. I agree, the charges are outrageous but while they can get away with making a packet they will. Suits me, the more money they make the more they have to spend and that means work for me Buying a prepaid sim for the country you're traveling to is definitely the way to go. If you can't, then don't accept incoming calls and only dial locally. Good advice thanks Nick....But dialing locally still incures an international charge dosn't it and if someone in the country calls you do you still have to pay the recieving roaming charge...or has this changed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveK Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 I think the most expensive call I've made is when I had to call Spain from France. Just over an hour long and cost about £150. Fortunately, I don't have to pay my bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 If you dial a local number I'm pretty sure you're only charged for the local call. You're treated as a local subscriber unless you receive a call, or make an international call. If the mother-in-law calls you then she pays the cost of calling your mobile as if you were in the UK, you're then charged the international (expensive) bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Peace Posted May 24, 2007 Author Share Posted May 24, 2007 I think the most expensive call I've made is when I had to call Spain from France. Just over an hour long and cost about £150. Fortunately, I don't have to pay my bills. Blooming eck...good job you didn't have to pay....would of been cheaper to fly there and have the conversation. Satelite phone would of been cheaper and the person calling you pays lol...i actually considered getting one once..think it was on the Iridium Network..mad i know...though the cheapest one was a dualband GSM/Satelite (think it retailed for £700+ so you could switch ...dosn't have a camera on it though:( And of course they arn't v reliable and difficult to use in built up areas...I think its the Iridium network cant remember...expensive way round but you dont get charged for others to call you and for the satelite side they did a system where you buy credit like pay as you go. mad way round ....and its a brick of a phone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Peace Posted May 24, 2007 Author Share Posted May 24, 2007 Heres a dual band Sat/Phone...apparently 'affordable' Just googled it... http://www.satphone.co.uk/networks/thuraya/index.shtml They have come along way though...i guess if ya abroad you just switch over to Satalite and people then pay to talk to you rather than the other way round lol. Bit over the top lol, but would of been a worthwhile option when the roaming charges were 95p a min Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyotasuprauk Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 I think the new charges are much better! Still expensive but as I would only use my phone abroad for short calls its not too bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishman Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 all forgein mobile phone charges are stupid and way to high IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 We'll all be using VoIP phones soon anyway so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ark Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Lets face it - most of the time, people running up huge international bills are businessmen, so the company pays for it, or idiots on holiday. I call them idiots, because if they will spend their fortnight abroad on their phone, then frankly they deserve to get shafted. My biggest phone bill was when I worked a week in India - about £400 and that was mostly received calls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Peace Posted May 24, 2007 Author Share Posted May 24, 2007 Lets face it - most of the time, people running up huge international bills are businessmen, so the company pays for it, or idiots on holiday. I call them idiots, because if they will spend their fortnight abroad on their phone, then frankly they deserve to get shafted. My biggest phone bill was when I worked a week in India - about £400 and that was mostly received calls. Depends, I mean I have to answer calls for work if i go on holiday as i work for myself and have to plan for the time i get back. There are so many nowadays that are self employed and of course they need a holiday too. Whilst they are on holiday they still need to be contactable. If you go on a package holiday to Spain (do the naff thing:p ) and you have a perminent job and you dont have freinds or relatives who live there etc...yep leave mobile behind...things are different these days though. I do remember the days before we had mobiles unfortunately:( How the hell did we cope then) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbeh Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 We'll all be using VoIP phones soon anyway so This is true.. my brothers phone in the US has a skype application built into it.. so he can call/receieve for nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 We'll all be using VoIP phones soon anyway so We are at home already... got a little box thing off eBay that lets the incoming BT calls in and goes out via VoIP via the Orange router... Free calls to over 100 countries, all UK landlines and Orange mobiles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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