Lidl

[thermos]

You're so wonderful!
After putting the sim into my phone and turn on data roaming, I have used the USSD code to top up to total euro 25 just now. After that use *101# to check the balance is now euro 25. But in the service portal, it still shows the balance is euro 10, I guess it may take a few hours to update from the mobile network just like last night after I activated the sim card the portal shown the balance is zero but this morning it shown the balance is euro 10.
Now it seems perfect that I just need to subscribe the 15 euro monthly data plan just a day before my departure from home.

I recall someone in the forum reminded that it is better to change the data plan back to usage base before leaving Germany to save the money.

Anyway, you gave me a big help indeed!!

Cheers

[inquisitor]

Don't turn on data roaming!!! USSD does not require a data connection! I hope your phone didn't establish a data connection otherwise your credit might have been reduced significantly.
The service portal always lags behind a couple of minutes while balance inquiries by USSD (*101#) are always in realtime.

Yes, you should switch back to the volume-based plan as the subscription of the monthly flatrate will recur as long as you've enough credit left and so it may eat up your credit after leaving Germany. You can actually switch back to volume-based billing shortly after activating the monthly flatrate since this switch back will only take effect after those 30 days.

[thermos]

Noted with thanks

[Apllyn]

İ just want to ask if we can use lidl sim with an simlocked iphone which i use with gevey?

[RobF]

Can I use the Lidl SIM card in a Tchibo SIM-locked Huawei E173 modem?

Thanks for your answer, Rob.

[inquisitor]

I'm not sure if the netlock of Tchibo's USB modems is actually limited to Tchibo SIM cards or only to O2 SIM cards in general but if your modem does not accept Lidl SIM cards Mobile Partner would just require an unlock code, which you can obtain free of charge from http://a-zgsm.com/huawei.php within 30 seconds or so (depending on how fast you enter your device's IMEI).

[RobF]

Thank you, inquisitor!

Follow up question: removing the Tchibo netlock from the Huawei modem would not annul my capability of using it with the Tchibo SIM card again, in particular if I'm not using it in Windows with Mobile Partner but with MWconn or in Linux with the NetworkManager applet?

[inquisitor]

No, removal of a netlock does not affect operation with any SIM card or operator at all.

[RobF]

Originally Posted by inquisitor

No, removal of a netlock does not affect operation with any SIM card or operator at all.

Excellent! Many thanks!

[toofrequentflyer]

inquisitor, many thanks for your helpful responses to all these questions. Also for your web page at the PWIA site. One more Lidl question, if you can stand it...

I will be going to Germany in a couple of weeks and plan to buy two Lidl SIMs -- one for my phone, and the other for an unlocked USB data stick (or possibly my iPad). There should be no problem with the one for the phone.

However the activation instructions on the PWIA page imply that buying the data packages ("Tagesflatrate" or "Monatsflatrate") has to be done through SMS, and I can't do that with the data stick or iPad. Is it possible to select these over the web? If this will not work, I assume that I could put the SIM in my phone to sign up the data package, then remove it and put it in the data stick. But that seems a little awkward.

One more question... I will give my hotel as my address when activating the SIMs. If the registration letter arrives at my hotel after I depart, will they cancel the account? I will only be in Germany a few days but expect to visit again (to a different city) in a few months so it would be convenient to have a working SIM already. In fact it would even be useful when traveling to other places in Europe as I often have long connections at Frankfurt or Munich airport, where wifi is expensive.