Cbw Current Problems

herkdrvr · 19-01-2006, 05:23

Maybe its my luck, but for the last two weeks, CBW is really highly unreliable. It used to work pretty well in Germany but now can't even get call backs here. Hopeless in the rest of the world. Once in a while it comes through, but the vast majority of the time over the last two weeks I've gotten no call backs when triggering the number. The few times it works the quality of the call is poor and nearly unusuable. I've had to use by Riiing card straight through almost all the time.

Anyone else had a problem? Thanks!

MATHA531 · 19-01-2006, 08:29

As noted above, on this trip both cbw and enlinea functioned pretty well although sometimes I had to resort to using a 2nd phone....but I was in Germany only from 05 January 5 to 07 January....worked well very well as a matter of fact in Italy and even was pretty reliable in France for once.

gforaker · 22-01-2006, 18:58

My daughter is going to school for a semester in Luxemburg. CBW has been working perfectly for the past week. I only set it up for her on the 16th., so no recent experience before that.

Incidently, the charges have been lower than listed on their web site. They quoted around $. 20 to or from a Luxemburg cell phone and it has worked out to around $.13.

She is also set up with a German DT SIM and CBW account, but hasn't used it yet.

snaimon · 22-01-2006, 19:53

Rate from German mobiles is 34 cents. Not a bargain. Even callling German mobiles from the states is not a bargain. Best I've found is the MCI card. I think the rate is 15 cents per minute. Otherwise > 20 is the norm.

German land lines and CBW are worth while -- 9 cents?

Why not a prepaid card she can purchase locally either Germany or Lux in any of the countless call shops? USUALLY, they work in several countries. Suggest she start out with a LOW value card like 5 Euros to see how things go with the card. GO BANANAs and Hagenuk seem to be good options, but I cannot speak there from PERSONAL experience. I have used others -- names forgotten at this time.

Or you could try something like Enjoyprepaid (www.enjoyprepaid.com) which she can use from landlines OR possibly cell phones. There are several local German #s. I combo with either the XtraOne 9 e-cents / min WEEKEND rate or the XtraNONSTOP option, calls TO US are relatively inexpensive (3 cents? -- I'd have to check, but the rate is low). The only drawback I see is that they don't show individual calls and charges. Ditto MCI. Ditto ATT.

Stan

gforaker · 23-01-2006, 03:30

Thanks Stan, but I think you are confusing me with the one who asked the question. My college student daughter HAS purchased a local prepaid sim in Lux and its working fine. Since she will be there 5 mo with other kids, many calls and text messages will be local. Callbackworld is working fine for her to call us. I just added that I was surprised for cbw to only charge the rate for a call to a land line in Lux ($.13) and not the listed rate to a cell phone. ($.20) She already has a sim card from Germany and DT we used last August which still has some money left in it and was previously registered with cbw. I don't think it expires until next month. She needs to use before then. We bought the unlocked triband (maybe quad) phone on Ebay last year and it has worked great for two trips.

Much of the time she will be in Germany will be with friends of the family and we can use a land line instead of her cell. It will be interesting to check though, if cbw is only charging the land line rate instead of the cell rate in Lux, I wonder if they will charge the higher rate in Germany.

When she travels outside of Luxemburg or Germany she can just use pay phones and 800 access numbers or the intenet.

gforaker · 31-01-2006, 17:44

Just to add an update. Daughter went on a trip to Berlin last weekend and used the DT SIM we had previously used and registered with CBW. CBW worked fine in Germany with a German account but they did not have the mistake they make in Lux of only charging for the land line rate. They charged the full $.34 / min rate to a German cell phone that they advertise. I think Enlinea may still be cheaper in Germany.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

	(#1)
herkdrvr (Offline) Member Advanced Member Posts: 50 Join Date: 20 Sep 2005 Country:	19-01-2006, 05:23 Maybe its my luck, but for the last two weeks, CBW is really highly unreliable. It used to work pretty well in Germany but now can't even get call backs here. Hopeless in the rest of the world. Once in a while it comes through, but the vast majority of the time over the last two weeks I've gotten no call backs when triggering the number. The few times it works the quality of the call is poor and nearly unusuable. I've had to use by Riiing card straight through almost all the time. Anyone else had a problem? Thanks! UM and UM+ Card (Dead) TravelSim (so far, primary) TIM (new, just trying it out) Verizon (when I'm not traveling) Sony Ericsson k3001 for my sim cards, LG enV3

	(#2)
MATHA531 (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Specialist Posts: 869 Join Date: 15 Oct 2004 Country:	19-01-2006, 08:29 As noted above, on this trip both cbw and enlinea functioned pretty well although sometimes I had to resort to using a 2nd phone....but I was in Germany only from 05 January 5 to 07 January....worked well very well as a matter of fact in Italy and even was pretty reliable in France for once.

	(#3)
gforaker (Offline) Junior Member Newbie Posts: 5 Join Date: 22 Jan 2006	22-01-2006, 18:58 My daughter is going to school for a semester in Luxemburg. CBW has been working perfectly for the past week. I only set it up for her on the 16th., so no recent experience before that. Incidently, the charges have been lower than listed on their web site. They quoted around $. 20 to or from a Luxemburg cell phone and it has worked out to around $.13. She is also set up with a German DT SIM and CBW account, but hasn't used it yet.

	(#4)
snaimon (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Specialist Posts: 898 Join Date: 17 Mar 2004 Location: Richmond, VA USA Country:	22-01-2006, 19:53 Rate from German mobiles is 34 cents. Not a bargain. Even callling German mobiles from the states is not a bargain. Best I've found is the MCI card. I think the rate is 15 cents per minute. Otherwise > 20 is the norm. German land lines and CBW are worth while -- 9 cents? Why not a prepaid card she can purchase locally either Germany or Lux in any of the countless call shops? USUALLY, they work in several countries. Suggest she start out with a LOW value card like 5 Euros to see how things go with the card. GO BANANAs and Hagenuk seem to be good options, but I cannot speak there from PERSONAL experience. I have used others -- names forgotten at this time. Or you could try something like Enjoyprepaid (www.enjoyprepaid.com) which she can use from landlines OR possibly cell phones. There are several local German #s. I combo with either the XtraOne 9 e-cents / min WEEKEND rate or the XtraNONSTOP option, calls TO US are relatively inexpensive (3 cents? -- I'd have to check, but the rate is low). The only drawback I see is that they don't show individual calls and charges. Ditto MCI. Ditto ATT. Stan Phones: DASH V3 (3) Service: US T-MO post paid (2) - US T-MO prepaid (2) - UM+ - TravelSIM DE SIMYO - DE SUNSIM T-Mobile DE Calling Cards: Onesuite Enjoyprepaid AT&T MCI Mobivox

	(#5)
gforaker (Offline) Junior Member Newbie Posts: 5 Join Date: 22 Jan 2006	23-01-2006, 03:30 Thanks Stan, but I think you are confusing me with the one who asked the question. My college student daughter HAS purchased a local prepaid sim in Lux and its working fine. Since she will be there 5 mo with other kids, many calls and text messages will be local. Callbackworld is working fine for her to call us. I just added that I was surprised for cbw to only charge the rate for a call to a land line in Lux ($.13) and not the listed rate to a cell phone. ($.20) She already has a sim card from Germany and DT we used last August which still has some money left in it and was previously registered with cbw. I don't think it expires until next month. She needs to use before then. We bought the unlocked triband (maybe quad) phone on Ebay last year and it has worked great for two trips. Much of the time she will be in Germany will be with friends of the family and we can use a land line instead of her cell. It will be interesting to check though, if cbw is only charging the land line rate instead of the cell rate in Lux, I wonder if they will charge the higher rate in Germany. When she travels outside of Luxemburg or Germany she can just use pay phones and 800 access numbers or the intenet.

	(#6)
gforaker (Offline) Junior Member Newbie Posts: 5 Join Date: 22 Jan 2006	31-01-2006, 17:44 Just to add an update. Daughter went on a trip to Berlin last weekend and used the DT SIM we had previously used and registered with CBW. CBW worked fine in Germany with a German account but they did not have the mistake they make in Lux of only charging for the land line rate. They charged the full $.34 / min rate to a German cell phone that they advertise. I think Enlinea may still be cheaper in Germany.