Global Prepaid Sim?

Buyer beware 

All of us have several anxieties when we travel abroad. One of these is how do we stay connected? 

In India we are spoiled silly with the embarrassment of pretty good and affordable connect wherever we are. We use our cell for calls, text messages, email and all those new-fangled ways of instant connect like ‘Whatsapp’, and ‘Vergo’.

When we travel abroad, even to the US, Europe or South America, we are suddenly accosted by several systems available. But all more difficult to operate and offering much less than what we are used to in India.

When we send a group message to friends, relatives and associates, it’s so nice to tell them that we are going abroad and that we may be connected on some number,

Two companies in India, in a great marketing effort, have been able to cash in on this insecurity of ours. We must be fully aware of how they work or we are liable to get sucked into an infinity payment mode.

Payment terms

I)                   Post-paid seems so standard and all you do is let them use your credit card.  Buyer beware!!  Your billing continues way after you have returned.  I returned from a visit to the US, Canada, Belgium and Netherlands in September. This is my experience.  First, I got my bills by email with a copy to another with my name, Ronald. Next I got billed by Matrix for Dubai, a city I never visited. So the first lesson is check your bills.

II)                Rates are half of those of BSNL International (which connected where ever I went) but it varies. Both Matrix and Clay have a UK connect, so in certain countries in-coming calls are free. I received my last billing in December, three months after I returned. By then I had changed my credit card since I kept getting billed by Matrix.

III)            Payment solution : Take a prepaid card. This advice is non-negotiable.  You can recharge anywhere in the world with your card.

IV)             Using the card : Keep a full hour to be trained by the sales executive who gives you the card. Firstly, to make out-going calls besides the + before, you put a # after. Then you may have to disconnect. There is a place somewhere in cyberworld where they dial the India number and call back like it used to be when we had telephone operators.

V)              When others have to dial you they need to prefix 044, obviously routing your call thru the UK. The dialing in and out stays the same whether you use pre-paid or the post-paid mode.

VI)             Solution : get the SIM card delivered a day in advance and spend an hour with the sales guy. Keep his email and cell number.  Clarify and write how to make out-going and in-coming calls in each country. Also check where 2G or 3G work. For example, 2G works in Europe, Colombia and Dubai but 3G works in US. Dial direct in Europe and Dubai but with +44 in Colombia. Take it in writing. Clay responds with a return call in case of problems in Europe. Matrix sends at best an email (which of course you cannot access freely abroad). If you stay more than three days, go to any small store and buy a local card. That’s the cheapest for local and International calls.

VII)           I have spent two hours on this because I feel that all should know.

VIII)        Also, if only messaging works , just get the ‘Whatsapp’  application and you will find that most of the world has Wifi at home and in hotels. Then just switch off the Mobile network and keep your Wifi on. And now with ‘Viber’ you can kiss goodbye to MATRIX and Clay.

IX)              This gives me enough for my next travel tip on how to connect on free applications!