Need to go easy with the texting

[Northerner]

Guy's

Just got my monthly phone bill for my mobile and it is a juicy £92

My tariff is £35 a month with unlimited text messages and 600 minutes talktime. All very well calling and texting the UK! But with the amount of texts I've been sending to Rizza, let's just say I've managed a good £45+ in text costs alone As each one I send is 10p, and if that is 3 messages in 1 then it is 30p a text

However, good news is I just got a new blackberry so maybe I can use the yahoo mesenger in work on my breaks more instead of texting. But is it also worthwhile to send Rizza a UK sim as well? Seeing as I use a pinoy sim to aid her cheap texts, would a similar one work for me? Although my initial search shows nothing

[JimOttley]

Guy's

Just got my monthly phone bill for my mobile and it is a juicy £92

My tariff is £35 a month with unlimited text messages and 600 minutes talktime. All very well calling and texting the UK! But with the amount of texts I've been sending to Rizza, let's just say I've managed a good £45+ in text costs alone As each one I send is 10p, and if that is 3 messages in 1 then it is 30p a text

However, good news is I just got a new blackberry so maybe I can use the yahoo mesenger in work on my breaks more instead of texting. But is it also worthwhile to send Rizza a UK sim as well? Seeing as I use a pinoy sim to aid her cheap texts, would a similar one work for me? Although my initial search shows nothing

Text is genuinely mobile, messenger doesn't cut it as the other end is going to be fixed location unless Rizza is on a 3G contract and has yahoo on her phone.

I have lost track of the money we have wasted on txt, I got it under control this year when I bought the device I posted about in the link below.

http://filipinaroses.com/showthread.php?t=18482

Now that Ana is back in Manila it's costs us 1 peso each way indeed Ana has so many free txt now that we wont have to buy load at either end for another 2 months.

Text from Phils to UK are 20 peso each, UK to Phils as you say 10p I guess you are with O2?

When Ana was in Korea my international txt messages were included in my Flext allowance effectively free as were about 200 minutes of calls a month. Now that she is back in the Phils my T-mobile contract does not cover the calls or txt, so it's 17p a txt and £1.11 a minute calls. :(

A Skype to Go number in the UK will let you call from your mobile to a local number (free in your contract) then you just pay Skype about 14p a minute for the call to a Philippine mobile and 10p a minute to a landline.

Skype to Skype is obviously best (free + video call) .

The Smart Plug n Talk is a godsend still not truly flexible but I have a computer just about anywhere I go.

Hope this is helpful to you Northerner!

Oh almost forgot Skype txt messages are 3.5p to the Phils but the reply number will be expensive for Rizza as it will be your UK cellphone number.


Jim

[Matt7]

10p texts abroad? You sure about that one mate?

[JimOttley]

10p texts abroad? You sure about that one mate?

On my O2 business account I had 10p txt to the Phils for years.

T-mobile now include calls and txt in your Flext allowance for certain international destinations, sadly not the Phils :(


Jim

[Matt7]

On my O2 business account I had 10p txt to the Phils for years.

T-mobile now include calls and txt in your Flext allowance for certain international destinations, sadly not the Phils :(


Jim

Nice....I think mine is 25p per text on vodafone. The calls are stupidly expensive though, we just use voip these days

[Northerner]

10p texts abroad? You sure about that one mate?

Well, 10.2p to be precise And yeah, I am with O2... But I am trying to budget now so it is something I am looking at (call costs).

Thanks for the advice Jim. Rizza knows to reply to me on the pinoy sim, I just wish there was a similar sim for me to give to her, making it inclusive in my unlimited text messages Which would be awesome

But I guess not

[JimOttley]

Nice....I think mine is 25p per text on vodafone. The calls are stupidly expensive though, we just use voip these days

Even most of the real VOIP (SIP) services are not cheap enough in my opinion :(

Skype is obviously the best though if you have a computer at both ends, when we had PLDT in the condo in Manila it was great but we are stuck with a SmartBro 3G modem in our current place because PLDT are to dumb to be able to keep a customer that moves house

The SmartBro still incurrs costs but it's only something like 30 peso an hour, I forget now need to look it up


Jim

[Dedworth]

Guy's

Just got my monthly phone bill for my mobile and it is a juicy £92

My tariff is £35 a month with unlimited text messages and 600 minutes talktime. All very well calling and texting the UK! But with the amount of texts I've been sending to Rizza, let's just say I've managed a good £45+ in text costs alone As each one I send is 10p, and if that is 3 messages in 1 then it is 30p a text

However, good news is I just got a new blackberry so maybe I can use the yahoo mesenger in work on my breaks more instead of texting. But is it also worthwhile to send Rizza a UK sim as well? Seeing as I use a pinoy sim to aid her cheap texts, would a similar one work for me? Although my initial search shows nothing

I'd forget sending them from the phone and sort yourself out a cheap deal sending them from your computer - if your getting a BB I guess you can use a PC to text thing from that. I've not bothered checking it out yet.

[triple5]

let's just say I've managed a good £45+ in text costs alone

Could've spent that on phonecards. You'd probably get at least a few thousand minutes talk time for that.

I've been using these for awhile now - https://www.eurocallingcards.com/

[JimOttley]

Well, 10.2p to be precise And yeah, I am with O2... But I am trying to budget now so it is something I am looking at (call costs).

Thanks for the advice Jim. Rizza knows to reply to me on the pinoy sim, I just wish there was a similar sim for me to give to her, making it inclusive in my unlimited text messages Which would be awesome

But I guess not

They will always hit you with roaming charges for a UK SIM abroad, the Plug n Talk is the absolute cheapest solution I have found.

What we really need is some serious innovation, development and network investment by the Globe and SMART networks in the Phils.

I'm guessing as I don't know the exact nature of their networks but I would not be surprised if most of the international telephone traffic out of the Phils was not on dedicated cables, I suspect it is being shared with the internet fibre for the most part but I may well be wrong.

Also a few years back the vast majority of IP traffic from the Phils was being routed through undersea cables going round the edge of the Pacific then across America then to Europe. There was a major cable breakage in 2006 that ruined internet bandwidth and phone connections for weeks (still worked but really slow for the net or very hard to get a call placed over the phone network).


Jim

[kenny]

ive seen a few of my mobile phone bills like that i think my biggest was just over one hundred and thirty pounds

[JimOttley]

ive seen a few of my mobile phone bills like that i think my biggest was just over one hundred and thirty pounds

That reminds me a word of warning to everyone, if your network does not automatically block or warn about online 3G/GPRS data access while roaming SWITCH IT OFF when you get to Manila.

I was well aware of data roaming charges and I was well aware of how my GPRS phone at the time behaved in Manila and I was always certain that data was only on if I had specifically requested it.

That was until late December 2007 when I was using a GPS (navigation app) called Mapking which even although it did not need or use it somehow managed to switch the GPRS connection back on.

I woke up on the 31st of December 2007 looking at my phone which had nothing running in Task Manager (Windows Mobile) clocking up 90kbps on spb GPRS monitor. It had been doing that for quite a few hours and the download monitor had it clocked at 167MB sadly this it turned out was not the first time on that trip and my total bill came in at £1600.

Never managed to get out of it despite months of arguments with O2, I can promise you that this was a rogue process of some kind, whether it was the GPS app that had switched on the data or something else, virus, god knows what, fact is the phone was sitting there in a loop nothing running no storage being used just running flat out in GPRS traffic, I've never felt so sick in my life when I looked at those log files. :(

So disable all HSDPA/3G/GPRS functionality of your phone the minute you step off the plane in Manila better still switch to your local phone and turn off your British one immediately you arrive.

This was my twelfth trip by the way, never had a problem before as I was always religiously careful with the phones.


Jim

[tiN]

I use O2 Your Country SIM, you have 100 minutes free calls per month, but every other month they extend another 100 minutes free call. Just make sure that you give credit to the phone atleast £ 10 a month.

And the text is the same rate just 10p per message.

[Northerner]

That reminds me a word of warning to everyone, if your network does not automatically block or warn about online 3G/GPRS data access while roaming SWITCH IT OFF when you get to Manila.

I was well aware of data roaming charges and I was well aware of how my GPRS phone at the time behaved in Manila and I was always certain that data was only on if I had specifically requested it.

That was until late December 2007 when I was using a GPS (navigation app) called Mapking which even although it did not need or use it somehow managed to switch the GPRS connection back on.

I woke up on the 31st of December 2007 looking at my phone which had nothing running in Task Manager (Windows Mobile) clocking up 90kbps on spb GPRS monitor. It had been doing that for quite a few hours and the download monitor had it clocked at 167MB sadly this it turned out was not the first time on that trip and my total bill came in at £1600.

Never managed to get out of it despite months of arguments with O2, I can promise you that this was a rogue process of some kind, whether it was the GPS app that had switched on the data or something else, virus, god knows what, fact is the phone was sitting there in a loop nothing running no storage being used just running flat out in GPRS traffic, I've never felt so sick in my life when I looked at those log files. :(

So disable all HSDPA/3G/GPRS functionality of your phone the minute you step off the plane in Manila better still switch to your local phone and turn off your British one immediately you arrive.

This was my twelfth trip by the way, never had a problem before as I was always religiously careful with the phones.


Jim

If I got a bill like that, I have no idea what I'd do (after screaming all sorts of things to the poor sap who took my call)

But thanks for the heads up! I'll be carefull if I go over with my blackberry.

[JimOttley]

If I got a bill like that, I have no idea what I'd do (after screaming all sorts of things to the poor sap who took my call)

But thanks for the heads up! I'll be carefull if I go over with my blackberry.

It wasn't the best start to a new year I had ever had, 2008 was pretty desperate year to be honest but we had the wonder of my daughter being born in the middle of the year.

The same daughter that is now 14 months old and saying "hello, hello, hello, hello, hello" down the phone in perfect English with no hint of baby speak actually it was a bit creepy that she didn't sound babyish phones are good even if the call costs a fortune when they let you hear things like that

Jim

[Northerner]

It wasn't the best start to a new year I had ever had, 2008 was pretty desperate year to be honest but we had the wonder of my daughter being born in the middle of the year.

The same daughter that is now 14 months old and saying "hello, hello, hello, hello, hello" down the phone in perfect English with no hint of baby speak actually it was a bit creepy that she didn't sound babyish phones are good even if the call costs a fortune when they let you hear things like that

Jim

I suppose so! Although my experience is limited in comparison to you, I do feel a sense when I hear Rizza over the phone that is not there with messenger. All those verbal nods and sounds which pass on emotions that a few smilies just fail on every time... For LDRs, the good old phone is what is needed...

[MarBell379]

Northerner - try using Chikka - www.chikka.com for texts. MUCH cheaper, free from PC, and dirt cheap from mobile - works both ways.

Rebtel (www.rebtel.com) is good for voice, although it seems that most of the VOIP services have suffered some degradation over the last few months. It also gives you an online call register which is easy to include in Visa applictions Just make sure you print it every 90 days or older entries disappear

[Alan]

That reminds me a word of warning to everyone, if your network does not automatically block or warn about online 3G/GPRS data access while roaming SWITCH IT OFF when you get to Manila.

I was well aware of data roaming charges and I was well aware of how my GPRS phone at the time behaved in Manila and I was always certain that data was only on if I had specifically requested it.

That was until late December 2007 when I was using a GPS (navigation app) called Mapking which even although it did not need or use it somehow managed to switch the GPRS connection back on.

I woke up on the 31st of December 2007 looking at my phone which had nothing running in Task Manager (Windows Mobile) clocking up 90kbps on spb GPRS monitor. It had been doing that for quite a few hours and the download monitor had it clocked at 167MB sadly this it turned out was not the first time on that trip and my total bill came in at £1600.

Never managed to get out of it despite months of arguments with O2, I can promise you that this was a rogue process of some kind, whether it was the GPS app that had switched on the data or something else, virus, god knows what, fact is the phone was sitting there in a loop nothing running no storage being used just running flat out in GPRS traffic, I've never felt so sick in my life when I looked at those log files. :(

So disable all HSDPA/3G/GPRS functionality of your phone the minute you step off the plane in Manila better still switch to your local phone and turn off your British one immediately you arrive.

This was my twelfth trip by the way, never had a problem before as I was always religiously careful with the phones.


Jim

Wise words of warning from Jim here!!!

I have heard of, and seen similar stories from people I have met over here.

Get off the plane - take out your UK SIM and shove a SMART SIM in it (P50) - and relax in the knowledge that you are not going to get a nasty surprise from your UK provider.

My experience only cost me £250 - but it still gave ME a shock!!!

BTW - I use Skype for contacting Blighty - but if I am not near my PC then I send a text at, as has been said, P20.

BTW part 2 - If your UK phone is locked and is not operable with a SMART SIM or similar, buy a cheap Nokia or summat over here - expect to pay around £10 - £15 for a decent (oldish) phone. Voila!!! Use your new mobile without any worries - AND - in the LIKELY event that it gets nicked whilst you are on a jeepney - you haven't lost much.

If you are going to bring an expensive mobile over here - PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!!! Remember what has been said in previous threads.

Al.

[New Shoes]

Could've spent that on phonecards. You'd probably get at least a few thousand minutes talk time for that.

I've been using these for awhile now - https://www.eurocallingcards.com/

Hey Triple5,

How do those calling cards work? What's the procedure?

Many thanks....

[triple5]

Hey Triple5,

How do those calling cards work? What's the procedure?

Many thanks....

Just pay for it online, anything between £5-£20. You'll then be emailed a pin number. You dial up, enter the pin, then call the phils.

On some of the cards there is a connection fee, so if you're making lots of short calls best to avoid these.

I do find these cards go along way. The one I usually get is called ASIA Tel, which is £10.49 and gets you around 200 mins.

[New Shoes]

Triple5, Thanks for the info. I think I'll give it go!

I'm currently just using my BT landline and it's costing about £1 a min.

Thanks again.

[KeithD]

I use these http://linkstochina.com/RingChina/iWorld.html The Royal Mail & Freespirit cards are fine.

[vbkelly]

Guy's

Just got my monthly phone bill for my mobile and it is a juicy £92

My tariff is £35 a month with unlimited text messages and 600 minutes talktime. All very well calling and texting the UK! But with the amount of texts I've been sending to Rizza, let's just say I've managed a good £45+ in text costs alone As each one I send is 10p, and if that is 3 messages in 1 then it is 30p a text

However, good news is I just got a new blackberry so maybe I can use the yahoo mesenger in work on my breaks more instead of texting. But is it also worthwhile to send Rizza a UK sim as well? Seeing as I use a pinoy sim to aid her cheap texts, would a similar one work for me? Although my initial search shows nothing

hi northener that's the same cased to my husband before when we started to text each other and the only way we can communicate each other. He was in vodafone contract and the vodafone was changed my husband contract with out knowing him, so when bills came comes to £150 his bills and my husband went to the city advice to claimed that the vodafone changed his contract with out knowing him and the vodafone paid my husband back the amount of £150.

[triple5]

Your welcome. £1 a minute You know what women are like - will talk till the sun goes down.

[vbkelly]

10p texts abroad? You sure about that one mate?

i use o2 mobile and 10p text abroad

[bornatbirth]

to be honest i hate texting!

so i never texted my wife that much,well nearly never.

i always kept it to yahoo messenger and as you have found out,it can be very expensive.

most filipinas can text like theres no tomorrow and im sure my wife wanted to text 50 times a day?

[triple5]

to be honest i hate texting!

Same here, very rarely send texts.

[KeithD]

You can text from Skype for 5p

[JimOttley]

Just pay for it online, anything between £5-£20. You'll then be emailed a pin number. You dial up, enter the pin, then call the phils.

On some of the cards there is a connection fee, so if you're making lots of short calls best to avoid these.

I do find these cards go along way. The one I usually get is called ASIA Tel, which is £10.49 and gets you around 200 mins.

So will these cards call Philippine mobiles at the same rate?

I guess some will but always remember that from a UK mobile 0800, 0845 and a few other access numbers are not free from a UK cellphone so your card call might be cheap but you can also be paying your mobile provider at the same time!

They are all VOIP services i.e voice over internet protocol services, same as Skype, does sound cheaper than Skype though so I need to try it and see what the voice quality is like.

Skype txt 3.5p + VAT, return message from the phils 20 peso (usually) :(


Jim

[triple5]

Yes Jim, before you select the card you choose the country you're calling and whther its a mobile or landline. You're right about 0800, I always call from a landline. Quality is usually fine, occasionally have the odd problem connecting.