STAY AWAY FROM RENT-A-CELLULAR

"David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" wrote in message
...
Steve Rainbird wrote:

"David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" wrote in message
...
tim..... wrote:

wrote in message
ups.com...
Need to rent a cellular while in EUROPE? Whatever you decide to use
while in europe, STAY AWAY FROM RENT-A-CELLULAR if you go to Europe.
They are perfect crooks. They will charge you international air
time
$2.45/ minutes for sms (all competitors will charge 10 to 14 cents)
,

I don't know about what a US carrier will charge you when roming
in Europe but you won't find a European carrier that charges 12c
pm with a 'normal' tarrif for a call to the US even when calling from
the home country.

It costs me 9p from the UK on tesco mobile, and 31.5p a minute from an
EU country. That's reflecting the 10% discount I get for auto-top ups.



I'm sorry, it costs you 9p to call the US from the UK??

Yes.

Assuming you are on the "Extra tariff" Then surely it costs you
£1.35 -10% =
121.5p = $2.40 a minute?

If I dialled direct, sure, but why would I want to do that?

Because that is what someone who doesn't know how to
play the system will do.

When complaining that the "rack" rate for something is
out of line with the competition, it is only fair to compare it
with the other "rack" rates. IMHO

tim

"S Viemeister" wrote in message
...
tim..... wrote:


I don't know about what a US carrier will charge you when roming
in Europe but you won't find a European carrier that charges 12c
pm with a 'normal' tarrif for a call to the US even when calling from
the home country. Most charge upwards of 1 Euro per minute and
2 Euro is not uncommon (I've just checked and mine charges GBP
1.29 = USD2.59). You can often opt into a special tarrif that gives
cheaper overseas calls but you have to know that you need to do
this (and it has a subriscription fee).


An Orange PAYG SIM gives calls from UK to US at 5p per minute, and texts
UK-US are 15p.

That is indeed very good, and I would suggest not the norm,
especially as with the same tariff, calls to the UK cost 15ppm!
I note that you do have to pay an extra subscription to get this
rate (which IS what I said would happen)

tim

tim..... wrote:

"David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" wrote in message
...
Steve Rainbird wrote:

"David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" wrote in message
...
tim..... wrote:
[]
I don't know about what a US carrier will charge you when roming
in Europe but you won't find a European carrier that charges 12c
pm with a 'normal' tarrif for a call to the US even when calling from
the home country.

It costs me 9p from the UK on tesco mobile, and 31.5p a minute from an
EU country. That's reflecting the 10% discount I get for auto-top ups.



I'm sorry, it costs you 9p to call the US from the UK??

Yes.

Assuming you are on the "Extra tariff" Then surely it costs you
£1.35 -10% =
121.5p = $2.40 a minute?

If I dialled direct, sure, but why would I want to do that?

Because that is what someone who doesn't know how to
play the system will do.

And so, I've just explained how to play the system. That's only one way
by the way.

When complaining that the "rack" rate for something is
out of line with the competition, it is only fair to compare it
with the other "rack" rates. IMHO

Not in this case, as there simply are no such things as rack rates for
mobile telephone calls. The inter-EU roaming rates go _some_ way to a
standard tarrif, but otherwise, it's simply far to complicated a system.
With certain UK contracts, that 'cost' of calling the US would be quite
a bit lower.

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
http://www.davidhorne.net - real address on website
"He can't be as stupid as he looks, but nevertheless he probably
is quite a stupid man." Richard Dawkins on Pres. Bush"

tim..... wrote:

"S Viemeister" wrote in message
...
[]
An Orange PAYG SIM gives calls from UK to US at 5p per minute, and texts
UK-US are 15p.

That is indeed very good, and I would suggest not the norm,

What is the norm then in the UK? There's a bewildering variety of plans
here...

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
http://www.davidhorne.net - real address on website
"He can't be as stupid as he looks, but nevertheless he probably
is quite a stupid man." Richard Dawkins on Pres. Bush"

"David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" wrote in message
...
tim..... wrote:

"S Viemeister" wrote in message
...
[]
An Orange PAYG SIM gives calls from UK to US at 5p per minute, and
texts
UK-US are 15p.

That is indeed very good, and I would suggest not the norm,

What is the norm then in the UK? There's a bewildering variety of plans
here...

Not so much for overseas calls. Most networks seem
to have one set of overseas rates which they use for
all their local plans. They also have a 'special'
overseas rate which you can opt into by paying an
extra subscription, but they know that most people
won't do this.

As to the 'normal' rate, I've alredy posted mine, and
yours (if you don't use a redialler) is in the same ball
park at circa USD 2.50 pm.

ISTM that using a mobile for a foriegn call without
looking for the best package exactly for that purpose
is just asking to get a big bill whatever sort of tariff
you are on. It has got nothing whatsoever to do with
the actions of the rental company that this thread
is about.

I am not saying that one cannot get better overseas
rates, only that the person doing the ripping off here
is not the rental company.

tim

tim..... wrote:

"David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" wrote in message
...
tim..... wrote:

"S Viemeister" wrote in message
...
[]
An Orange PAYG SIM gives calls from UK to US at 5p per minute, and
texts
UK-US are 15p.

That is indeed very good, and I would suggest not the norm,

What is the norm then in the UK? There's a bewildering variety of plans
here...

Not so much for overseas calls.

You've just seen three different prices quoted for calling the US.

Most networks seem
to have one set of overseas rates which they use for
all their local plans. They also have a 'special'
overseas rate which you can opt into by paying an
extra subscription, but they know that most people
won't do this.

I did it at various times on contract. It was never too expensive to
call the US on either t-mobile or orange, but still cheaper to use a
callthrough service.It's collapsed now, but easymobile's rates for
calling the US were also low.

As to the 'normal' rate, I've alredy posted mine, and
yours (if you don't use a redialler) is in the same ball
park at circa USD 2.50 pm.

There isn't a 'normal' rates- it's all over the place as I've
demonstrated.

ISTM that using a mobile for a foriegn call without
looking for the best package exactly for that purpose
is just asking to get a big bill whatever sort of tariff
you are on. It has got nothing whatsoever to do with
the actions of the rental company that this thread
is about.

It could well be part of it.

I am not saying that one cannot get better overseas
rates, only that the person doing the ripping off here
is not the rental company.

Could go both ways. You don't know how much the mobile company is
charging the rental company. Given that roaming rates historically had
no correlation with what the companies were charging each other, I'd say
it's quite possible, even likely, that the rental company makes quite a
cut...

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
http://www.davidhorne.net - real address on website
"He can't be as stupid as he looks, but nevertheless he probably
is quite a stupid man." Richard Dawkins on Pres. Bush"

"David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" wrote in message
...
tim..... wrote:

"David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" wrote in message
...
Steve Rainbird wrote:

"David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" wrote in
message
...
tim..... wrote:
[]
I don't know about what a US carrier will charge you when roming
in Europe but you won't find a European carrier that charges 12c
pm with a 'normal' tarrif for a call to the US even when calling
from
the home country.

It costs me 9p from the UK on tesco mobile, and 31.5p a minute from
an
EU country. That's reflecting the 10% discount I get for auto-top
ups.



I'm sorry, it costs you 9p to call the US from the UK??

Yes.

Assuming you are on the "Extra tariff" Then surely it costs you
£1.35 -10% =
121.5p = $2.40 a minute?

If I dialled direct, sure, but why would I want to do that?

Because that is what someone who doesn't know how to
play the system will do.

And so, I've just explained how to play the system. That's only one way
by the way.

To a few dozen people on an news group. How does
that help the rest of the world?


When complaining that the "rack" rate for something is
out of line with the competition, it is only fair to compare it
with the other "rack" rates. IMHO

Not in this case,

I disagree.

We are discussing a foreigner visiting for week who doesn't
have their own phone that they can bring with them and use.
They are therefore stuck using whatever it is that they can find
out about in the time available.

The people in question obviously had no time available to them
otherwise they would have been better prepared, Thus you
can't compare what they did with other things which require
preparation/prior knowlegde.

as there simply are no such things as rack rates for
mobile telephone calls. The inter-EU roaming rates go _some_ way to a
standard tarrif, but otherwise, it's simply far to complicated a system.
With certain UK contracts, that 'cost' of calling the US would be quite
a bit lower.

A choice of UK contracts is not necessarily open to someone
holidaying here for a week.

tim

tim..... wrote:

"S Viemeister" wrote
An Orange PAYG SIM gives calls from UK to US at 5p per minute, and texts
UK-US are 15p.


That is indeed very good, and I would suggest not the norm,
especially as with the same tariff, calls to the UK cost 15ppm!
I note that you do have to pay an extra subscription to get this
rate (which IS what I said would happen)


Where do you see an extra subsciption mentioned?
The GBP 1.00, is the one-off price for the SIM.
And if you already _have_ an Orange SIM, you can change to the
call-abroad plan with no extra charge.

tim..... wrote:

"David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" wrote in message
...
tim..... wrote:

"David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" wrote in message
...
[]
If I dialled direct, sure, but why would I want to do that?

Because that is what someone who doesn't know how to
play the system will do.

And so, I've just explained how to play the system. That's only one way
by the way.

To a few dozen people on an news group. How does
that help the rest of the world?

How does that matter, when what I'm pointing out is that phone rates
here are complex, and there are no standard rates for calling the US?

When complaining that the "rack" rate for something is
out of line with the competition, it is only fair to compare it
with the other "rack" rates. IMHO

Not in this case,

I disagree.

We are discussing a foreigner visiting for week who doesn't
have their own phone that they can bring with them and use.
They are therefore stuck using whatever it is that they can find
out about in the time available.

The people in question obviously had no time available to them
otherwise they would have been better prepared, Thus you
can't compare what they did with other things which require
preparation/prior knowlegde.

Huh? I wasn't doing that. I was responding to your point that the rates
applied by the rental company were simply a reflection of what people
would pay for such calls with domestic providers.

as there simply are no such things as rack rates for
mobile telephone calls. The inter-EU roaming rates go _some_ way to a
standard tarrif, but otherwise, it's simply far to complicated a system.
With certain UK contracts, that 'cost' of calling the US would be quite
a bit lower.

A choice of UK contracts is not necessarily open to someone
holidaying here for a week.

It doesn't matter- as two PAYG alternatives have already been suggested.
Of course, the OP was referring to calls made from Spain. True, I don't
know the rates for _Spanish_ mobile providers, but as a piece of free
advice, I can say it would have been a fifth of the price to have made
the US calls from Spain on a UK payg Tesco SIM.

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
http://www.davidhorne.net - real address on website
"He can't be as stupid as he looks, but nevertheless he probably
is quite a stupid man." Richard Dawkins on Pres. Bush"

"S Viemeister" wrote in message
...
tim..... wrote:

"S Viemeister" wrote
An Orange PAYG SIM gives calls from UK to US at 5p per minute, and texts
UK-US are 15p.


That is indeed very good, and I would suggest not the norm,
especially as with the same tariff, calls to the UK cost 15ppm!
I note that you do have to pay an extra subscription to get this
rate (which IS what I said would happen)


Where do you see an extra subsciption mentioned?
The GBP 1.00, is the one-off price for the SIM.

Obviously I misunderstood

tim

And if you already _have_ an Orange SIM, you can change to the call-abroad
plan with no extra charge.