Sim Card Advice: Buy online or in airport??

I have been looking into Sim cards for use in Germany and Hong Kong.
Many are available over the internet at prices ranging from US$60 to
US$100. This includes activation and a small amount of airtime.

My question is: Am I better off waiting and buying a card in, say, the
airport or a new kiosk on arrival, or are the prices over the internet
competitive?

(artweary) wrote in news:ddac83f4.0409071634.4cecf2c0
@posting.google.com:

I have been looking into Sim cards for use in Germany and Hong Kong.
Many are available over the internet at prices ranging from US$60 to
US$100. This includes activation and a small amount of airtime.

My question is: Am I better off waiting and buying a card in, say, the
airport or a new kiosk on arrival, or are the prices over the internet
competitive?

buy in country is the best way to go, however, if a Monaco (so called
International)card is desired Hop sells directly over the internet (though
they don't take all cards, bummer) Telestia and intouchUSA offer great
service, but at the aforementioned higer price.

I paid IntouchUSA the higher price becuase I was going to be unable to get
flexible enough in my schedule to get a card forthe first 3 days of my
upcoming France trip.

(artweary) wrote in news:ddac83f4.0409071634.4cecf2c0
@posting.google.com:

I have been looking into Sim cards for use in Germany and Hong Kong.
Many are available over the internet at prices ranging from US$60 to
US$100. This includes activation and a small amount of airtime.

My question is: Am I better off waiting and buying a card in, say, the
airport or a new kiosk on arrival, or are the prices over the internet
competitive?

some of the sites will sell over theinternet. I tried Orange for the
mobicarte but when I went to checkout it decided that there were "none in
stock" which I found a bit dubious.

"artweary" wrote in message
om...
My question is: Am I better off waiting and buying a card in, say, the
airport or a new kiosk on arrival, or are the prices over the internet
competitive?

If you value your time at about $40/hour, you might be better ordering it
over the Internet from some place like Telestial or CellularAbroad. If your
time is less valuable than that (like me) you might want to wait.

Check out www.prepaidgsm.net and BTW, there is a recent new offering from
http://www.mobalrental.com/. You sign up and register your credit card with
them and you get an O2-UK SIM for $19 or a phone with SIM for $49 and ZERO
monthly fee. The catch is that airtime is expensive, except incoming calls
in UK, which are free. This is a real great backup for those time when you
can't get a prepaid SIM and something goes wrong with your regular roaming
solution. (i.e. My replacement for easyRoam)

--
Donald Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net

On 2004-09-08 02:34:37 +0200, (artweary) said:

I have been looking into Sim cards for use in Germany and Hong Kong.
Many are available over the internet at prices ranging from US$60 to
US$100. This includes activation and a small amount of airtime.

My question is: Am I better off waiting and buying a card in, say, the
airport or a new kiosk on arrival, or are the prices over the internet
competitive?

In Germany you get a phone with SIM for about 40€ (~ $48) without any
monthly basic fee.
e.g. Nokia 3410 / Vodafone CallYa Basic - 39,95€ (includes 15€ assets).
Similar to Vodafone you find ads from D1 or O2.

"artweary" wrote in message
om...
I have been looking into Sim cards for use in Germany and Hong Kong.
Many are available over the internet at prices ranging from US$60 to
US$100. This includes activation and a small amount of airtime.

My question is: Am I better off waiting and buying a card in, say, the
airport or a new kiosk on arrival, or are the prices over the internet
competitive?

General advice in this situation is - neither. Airport and online are more
likely to rip you off.

Exceptions are where you buy directly from the network and not from a third
party supplier.

Otherwise buy in town where the locals get their SIM cards.

"artweary" wrote in message
om...
I have been looking into Sim cards for use in Germany and Hong Kong.
Many are available over the internet at prices ranging from US$60 to
US$100. This includes activation and a small amount of airtime.

My question is: Am I better off waiting and buying a card in, say, the
airport or a new kiosk on arrival, or are the prices over the internet
competitive?

General advice in this situation is - neither. Airport and online are more
likely to rip you off.

Exceptions are where you buy directly from the network and not from a third
party supplier.

Otherwise buy in town where the locals get their SIM cards.

"artweary" wrote in message
om...
I have been looking into Sim cards for use in Germany and Hong Kong.
Many are available over the internet at prices ranging from US$60 to
US$100. This includes activation and a small amount of airtime.

My question is: Am I better off waiting and buying a card in, say, the
airport or a new kiosk on arrival, or are the prices over the internet
competitive?

In HK just buy it off any mobile phone stores. They are all over the place.

(Bob) wrote in
om:

Last time I tried to get a prepaid SIM (Callya I think 3 years ago) in
Germany they insisted on a German bank account and proof of address in
Germany.

They have to register the ID and address of the holder for legal reasons,
but they don't need your bank account for a prepay SIM, unless you wish
to enable it for international roaming (did you?). That is specific to
"CallYa" because of their billing scheme, their competitors won't ask for
your bank account anyway.

Do they now allow tourists to buy a prepaid (with or without phone)
using just a passport as Id?

No, you need proof of residence in Germany.

Strictly speaking, anyway. Not all dealers enforce this rule, and "grey
market" ones such as flea market dealers won't ask for ID at all. There
are many stories of people who bought SIMs successfully without proof of
ID or residence in Germany, so it can't be impossible. It probably means
you have to try several shops. Another option is to ask a German friend
to lend you his ID for your SIM purchase.

Regards

--
Die Frau als solche ist aus unserer Gesellschaft kaum mehr wegzudenken

http://www.wschwanke.de/ usenet_20031215 (AT) wschwanke (DOT) de

(Bob) wrote in
om:

Last time I tried to get a prepaid SIM (Callya I think 3 years ago) in
Germany they insisted on a German bank account and proof of address in
Germany.

They have to register the ID and address of the holder for legal reasons,
but they don't need your bank account for a prepay SIM, unless you wish
to enable it for international roaming (did you?). That is specific to
"CallYa" because of their billing scheme, their competitors won't ask for
your bank account anyway.

Do they now allow tourists to buy a prepaid (with or without phone)
using just a passport as Id?

No, you need proof of residence in Germany.

Strictly speaking, anyway. Not all dealers enforce this rule, and "grey
market" ones such as flea market dealers won't ask for ID at all. There
are many stories of people who bought SIMs successfully without proof of
ID or residence in Germany, so it can't be impossible. It probably means
you have to try several shops. Another option is to ask a German friend
to lend you his ID for your SIM purchase.

Regards

--
Die Frau als solche ist aus unserer Gesellschaft kaum mehr wegzudenken

http://www.wschwanke.de/ usenet_20031215 (AT) wschwanke (DOT) de