Sim4Travel: First Impressions

[kupe]

Hey gang-

Got my Sim4Travel in the mail today. So far, it seems promising. I can't do extensive testing here in the US due to the costs, but I'll give it a full workout this week in France.

But, it registered quickly on T-Mobile here in the US. And most promising, I was able to get Callbackworld to complete a call to it on the first try using both Callback and 1-800 PIN2DEST- something I had not been able to do with United Mobile for the past 6 months- either to my UM +423 or +44. So this is very promising!

More when I have it...

Kupe

[bbob]

Received my sim yesterday through the mail.

small package that contains the sim, small booklet how to use it and and page containing call charges and coverage. The call charges are devided into zones so you can find paying.
The discussed daily charge is not listed on this page nor in the booklet !!!

Rates calling withing Europe (EU) are 25 pence. This is lower that the maximum 43 eurocents for EU based sim cards. Please note that EU has passed new regulation for sms to cost a maximum of 11 cents. So it will not take long for rates to come down.

When comparing the rates inside europe they are good, lower than travelsim.co.uk but when making a call when inside europe to a non european country say USA sim4travel cost is 29 pence, travelsim.co.uk only 19 pence.
Compred to travelsim only making calls when in europe to europe are cheaper but calling outside europe will be more expensive.
So when you are USA based and would like to use this card calling to the US from Europe it's not the cheapest solution

So the only conclusion is that travelsim might only be interesting for EU residents calling to other EU countries. This also depends on if you are making more calls or receiving more calls as their is a daily fee when using the sim.

Website.

How to contact Sim4travel, on their contact page they only list a telephone numer and mailing address. To me it's very strange why did do not include a email address and their are many customers that prefer email contact.

going to their term, you can find an email address:

13.2 SCN may from time to time send you information about our products and services. If you do not want to receive information about our products and services you should contact us in writing at s4t.support@sim4travel.com. We ask your permission, on the registration page, for your permission to send you information from our commercial and marketing partners. Please see our privacy policy for further details.

The mentioned email address looks like it can only be used if you don't want to receive promotions from them by email.

Subject to a daily Network Service Fee of £0.39 if you make or receive a call or send a text. is mentioned on the rates page.

Would I use the card.

I have mixed feelings about sim4travel. I don't like it that their is no email contact posible at least through the normal contact page. Looking at the rates the card only seems to be interesting if you are within europe and call europe. Calling outside europe is more expensive that other solutions. The daily fee applies to calling receiving or sending and sms. Depending on how you use the card it might be more expensive than other solutions that have no daily fees.

[hkr]

Well, I bought my S4T card(s) a year ago. At that time I already was using my UM+ card, but needed a second card for my wife who was to go to Croatia. UM+ did not provide service in Croatia, but S4T did, and what's more, it was free to receive calls there as well as most of Europe, so I bought the card for that particular trip, but also used it in Germany, there were no major problems. Then they introduced the daily connection fee, and then they changed the calling rates in several countries. At the same time, UM rearranged the rate plan and the coverage list, they also introduced a connection fee even in "free" countries...

I lent the card to a friend who went to Australia for some time, and he had no problems with the card, but the calls were more expensive than they were when I checked out the rates for him... Bad luck prices went up just in the meantime. But he is luck it was not my UM card...

My main gripe with S4T (beside the daily fee) is the lack of an itemized call record. It is very difficult (impossible) to track your expenses. UM was much better regarding this.

However, I have now ordered a travelsim card, mainly for receiving calls. I wonder how long it will take for them to introduce some fee on incoming...

[rfranzq]

I called them up last week and asked for an email address to ask questions:

info@sim4travel.com

[VladS]

I didn't realize they don't provide a CDR function on the portal. Would they email it to you on request?!

[bbob]

Originally Posted by rfranzq

I called them up last week and asked for an email address to ask questions:

info@sim4travel.com

Good to hear you called them, call them again and asked them to put it on their website so everyone else don't need to call them and ask for it.
It's still strange that you have a website don't put a emailaddress on it, you have to call them to ask them to find out they have one.

But enough about email, this is just a small part in the whole. As previous poster have written here their rates a're not what they used to be. Call records seem not te be available. Other companies do offer this and for some it's important.

Just adding up all small things make this card not the ideal card to use.

[kupe]

Just got back from France. Wow- how nice to once again have a working phone! Sent and received calls on all networks in Paris area. After several months of little or no service with UM, Sim4Travel worked great!

Kupe