Vodafone Spain
 

I didn't get any answer to my question from this thread so I took my chances and followed the documentation from shop and store.

Here's the story: I've got a SIM which was supposed to have 10 euros on it and it seems that it had 9 (hard to say because just checking your credit costs 11 eurocents).

I tried to activate "Tarifa Plana de Internet móvil para Tarjeta: unlimited surfing for € 3.50/week (€ 0.50 per day); to activate write TPTarjeta to 22521" which is present apart from our wiki on Vodafone's web site and in-store printed material (and known by in-store people) but there was no confirmation and internet used all my credit in less than one day (I used APNs airtelwap.es and airtelnet.es, they seem to have different and really strange billing).

People from Vodafone store were totally unhelpful and also unable to speak any other language (well, apart from the local dialect which apparently wasn't Spanish and of which they were very proud). On the other hand free support at "123" was multilingual (with quite a few language choices) except for the fact that you had first to get an operator, ask "do you speak english", they would transfer you to the menu where you could select your language and then ring an operator on that language (there was the option to save the language as well but that didn't work even after multiple tries so for each call you had to hunt through the menus for a spanish operator that would transfer you to this language selection menu).

Nothing to say about the support, they were helpful, knew the language perfectly well and were able to get me internet access. BUT here comes the funny part:
- they claimed sending SMS "TPTarjeta to 22521" would just subscribe you to some games and not activate any internet (although the option was on their web site and in printed documentation). In fact for me it did just nothing (I just had all my credit drained by the default data plan).
- of course I've got no refund
- however they have a plan that's nowhere advertised: 3EUR for 1 week unlimited internet, with throttling at 500MB. This in fact worked really well and even plain SIP voip wasn't blocked
- the plan is called "Bono Navegacion Movil semanal" and you have to call every week to reactivate it
- there's some confusion about prices, here is with VAT, here is without, etc
- EU SMS is 60 cents a piece!!!
- validity of the SIM without recharging is okish, something like 9 months
- registering for myvodafone was a big pain as it worked only partially the first time and I had to fight with it for quite a lot. Still better than the average as I always needed "human support" to register for the "web portal" for big operators (T-Mobile and Vodafone). Never had a problem with MVNOs though.

Checking credit by USSD (dial *134#) should be free of charge.

I'm quite sure this is what I used (based on google...) and it was also mentioned that it will be charged.
What's more after I reached zero credit I received the following "offer" from 22417:

Promocion Vodafone:
Te regalamos todas las consultas de saldo que solicites en los 2 meses desde el dia en que actuivaste tu telefono. Aprovechalor, marca *134#.

I don't know spanish but it looks like they would give me this "credit check" for free for two months. But this happened about one week after the SIM was activated so it doesn't come by default, it is related either to my credit running out either to me registering to myvodafone.

Never say "It can't get any worse.". Fast forward more than one month, nothing really changed: older non-existent plans still present on Vodafone's web page while the actual plan is nowhere to be seen, you still need to call each week the customer service to activate the weekly internet (and there's no monthly) but now there was a twist: they just couldn't activate it. Opened a trouble ticket, of course nobody bothered to call back. I continued to call until at some point they were able to activate it, after more than two days (keep in mind this is for weekly, even worse if you need it for monday-friday and they can't activate it for the first two days).

We really, really need some acceptable data roaming plans, at least for EU, each country has a different nonsense, I'm really getting tired of it.

That's the typical Spanish understanding of customer care unfortunately encountered quite often in this country. And then they wonder about their deteriorating economy. At least you could find someone speaking this exotic language called "English". I fear the EU will have broken apart before the vision of a single telecom market can become reality.

We really, really need some acceptable data roaming plans, at least for EU, each country has a different nonsense, I'm really getting tired of it.[/QUOTE]

I use the EuropaSIM.com - at 6 euros a day for up to 150MB, this does me in most situations across the whole of Europe with no preparation needed.

(Spain is a pig's a**e for PAYG cellular in that you have to hand over all sorts of info - payment card details + passport details etc for them to activate your SIM card)

+Steve :)

You haven't been to France, have you?

Toggle has announced their plans to introduce data packs for all toggle countries - given the fact that they use IMSIs from their local MVNO operations they could probably offer extremly good data rates in many countries.

[QUOTE=inquisitor;42134]You haven't been to France, have you?


Sadly I have encountered the non-joy of French mobile BB :)

I usually end up buying iffy cards on eBay to get me 1Gb for 20 euros or similar - when I visit for more than a few days.

Use them in a Novatel MiFi unit - supports up to five devices.

Tx for the tip about Toggle - will investigate :)

Spain: New Vodafone Prepaid blocks voice and video calls
 

Be aware, the new prepaid cards from Vodafone Spain block video and voice calls with VIBER, Skype, LINE, and Tango.
Vodafone does not publish this information and in the shops they do not know !

Back to Stone Age, thanks Vodafone Spain.
It's time that Management looks into this as well as the European telco agency !

I think this is just the start, the more the Mobile operators get pushed by the EU commision (or one or two looking to make a name) the more they will push back. If they had let the reductions in roaming continue as planned who knows, but pushing big business while trying to change the rules is not a good idea as its the consumer who always ends up footing the bill.:chair: As the going says there are no free lunches.

I still have this card and recharged not a long time ago, anybody knows how to check how long is the card still valid (before it used to be WELL hidden under Mi Vodafone >> Mis Datos now of course they messed up everything even more).

Also any idea if you can buy something (or even transfer credit) with Vodafone.es cards?

Also if somebody wants to borrow&use the card for a while PM me (I'm for now in Germany).

Hi f300

It's difficult to know the validity because they've changed the whole site.
I keep the sms received when I topped up last time.:)

Credit cannot be transfered now between PAYG, only from Contract to PAYG

Regards

Thanks for the answer, I didn't have the phone on at the time so I don't know...

What's more, it seems that they went from 9 months expiration time to 6 months + 45 days but there's no way to tell. I've had the last recharge on 10-10-2013 so I have less than two weeks left.

This combined with the fact that I can't really find a 5 eur charge that would cost me close to the real 5 eur (+VAT maybe) and I think I'll let the card just die rather than pour more money down the drain.

If anyone is interested I'll sell it for something like less than half the price (it has 20-something euros on it). But we need to move fast so it doesn't expire before that (you don't need the card to recharge it and a small envelope should arrive next-day just about anywhere in Europe).

Update: it seems that I might be wrong about those 6 months after all and the card should be valid 9+1 months (accordingly to recent messages on their forum). Although the only pdf I can find on vodafone.es about this mentions 9+3 months. Whatever. I think I'll just leave the card in a phone and see what happens, if any warning comes, etc.

If anyone wants to borrow it or buy it still contact me at any time in the future, I am quite sick of it.

Hello

Yes, It is 9+1 month validity

You should get a sms after that time informing that the sim card will be cancelled shortly.

BTW, you can top up in vodafone.es starting from 5 euros

Regards

Thanks.
I wish I could top up... it doesn't work with any Visa and Mastercard I have, they probably want Spanish ones. This reminds me of the french insisting on french ... AMERICAN express, yea, we only take those.
Maybe until next time I find somebody to top it up for me.

Is the service charge on topup.orange.com too high for you? The site is supposed to offer recharge of spanish Vodafone cards from the UK.

This looks jar dropingly good!!!

Less than half what I payed last two times and not a "fly-by-night" web site nobody heard anything about. I just can't believe Orange would recharge cards of other operators! Very very nice!

Recharging via orange worked like a charm (it looks super-dodgy done via a company from singapore or something but hey, it works)! Remember, this is Vodafone SIM.

I'm having trouble deciding what tarrif to use now that I really want to make use of the money I keep pooring down the drain.

It seems that I have:

And I want something for 2 weeks, light usage.

I think this would fit the bill but I'm not sure about how to disable it after I don't need it anymore (I assume it would continue to eat away 0.6 eur/day if I don't call 123).


This one looks good too but I don't understand precisely what's with it, is just 300MB without any time-limit? Or they don't mention and is for one month and it'll keep renewing itself?

Hello f300,

now the date until the card is valid can be more or less easily checked:

log in to vodafone.es with your number and password.
Go to "Ver tu consumo" (check your consumption)
Go to "Mi movil & SIM" (it's the last tab)
Here the last line shows validity date for your SIM Card.

Regarding tariffs, as far as I know you have the following options:

Vodafone yu
10 euros/month --> 600 Mb/20min/20sms within Spain + free calls to other VF Yu

15 euros/month --> 1200 Mb/60min/60sms within Spain + free calls to other VF Yu

20 euros/month --> 1600 Mb/100min/free sms within Spain + free calls to other VF Yu

I've got personally the first option and you can add benefits max. 3 months if you do not use them i.e. max.
1800Mb/60min/60 sms within Spain with the 10 euros/month tariff.

Vodafone facil

all calls 6 cent/min + 18,15 cent (set up charges)

Also you can change your tariff 6 times a year free of charge.

I've got today the Vodafone September brochure from a dealer. I could sent it to you (prepaid part). Let me know and I will check for a wifi point as I'm on vacation now.

Regards,

Really great hint with the expiration date! Thank you, thank you!

Also good to know the unused traffic can be carried to next month (within limits, but still)! I won't use it myself as I don't visit that often but is good to know and not at all obvious from the site.

I might end up with the 600MB or 1.5GB (15 euro) option. Can you cancel it easily from the web and return to the normal "no monthly charge" tarrif? Of course, within the limit you mentioned of changes per year but anyway I need to do it only once (twice if we count booking the 10 or 15 euro option in the first place). Otherwise I'm more inclined to take the 15 euro option as they won't be able to take the money anyway the second month (I just have 2x euros on the card).

I've no urgent interest in the written brochure as I'll book anyway whatever I can see on the site available for my account. It might be interesting for other people if you have the time (given the name of the thread and the low activity on the forum I'm sure anybody interested in Vodafone Spain would have a look here).

Hello f300

the vodafone YU 10 euro per month tariff for 600 Mb+20 min+20 sms should be changed easily from the website. I've only changed once from an old tariff to vodafone YU and it worked flawlessly.

Regarding the 1,5Gb data tariff, I cannot confirm if you can change to another tariff without monthly payment.

Regards,

Nice, finally everything I've tried works with vodafone.es.

I used the YU 600 MB+60 minutes plan (9.9x eur), I was thinking to use some higher plan but I used NO minutes (I'm not at all social while traveling, this sucks) and something like 2xx MB (that is thanks to unexpected hotel wifi).

I freaked out a bit because I couldn't return to "no monthly fee" plan (my old plan wasn't available) but finally I managed to find "Vodafone Fácil" and changed to that.

It is shocking how hard is to find information in english about vodafone spain prepaid plans.

If anybody (especially from Germany) is reading this - I still have almost 20 eur on the card and I'm willing to either sell it "at cost" or "rent it" (for absolutely no profit at all, just for the cost of the credit you'll be using).

Well, I can´t add pictures properly :o

Here you have some photos of vodafone brochure regarding prepaid cards:

1. This is for tourists with 900 Mb + 60 min nat/int. calls or 1,5 Gb Data
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qo1b7rgv58dohvl/vf00.jpg?dl=0

2. This is the same as the 1,5Gb Data and all allows you to buy a mifi
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4qfr5t2l8kwknmg/vf01.jpg?dl=0
Valid for 3 months

3. Classis VF YU already mentioned
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ktgajt6d4ag0f2h/vf02.jpg?dl=0

4. The tariff without monthly charges when you go back home.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yd1pi3o12y3gqhd/vf03.jpg?dl=0


Regards

Unfortunately Vodafone's site is not coded by the proverbial code monkeys but by what seem to be real monkeys.

Look what it says now about my expiration date (and I was happy they included this vital info, and it was working):

Fecha de caducidad: 20/07/1975

And no, the card isn't expired.

Hello f300,

be careful, at least one card with expiry date 1975 has been cancelled (That I'm aware of). In theory those cards should be cancelled shortly.

Vodafone ES has changed expiry dates and you must top up at least once every 6 months (+1 month to receive calls).

You should also call/text/use data at least one every 3 months, otherwise VF will be applying minimum charge (around 0,50 euros every 3 months in case of non-consumption)

Regards

Yes, the card was canceled. Maybe for the best, as I don't know when I'll get there next time. Many thanks for the info!