OneSim International SIM cards
 

This company claims to sell one SIM card that can be used in some 190 countries. The card cost $30, air time is extra...

Has anybody heard good or bad or used it? Is it reliable?

Thanks.

I use ebay #130339364168, "ekit SIM" costs $16 incl. shipping. Free incoming in Europe, 50ct to US.

Checked working in Germany, France, CZ, Austria, Italy. UK (Isle of Man) phone number. The card comes with $10 calling credit, but they want you you recharge at least $10 per year. Fair deal.

If you forget to use callback and dial direct, depending on your phone you might be charged far more. So read the manual and make sure you always use the code in the manual to initiate callback if you're unsure about your phone.

Thanks, logos.

We're planning to use this in Italy, Germany, CZ, France and Spain.

Question is, how's the reception quality... I read some reviews, and was a bit surprised to read some giving it 5 stars, others say it's a terrible service, bad reception, etc. But the number of those reviews is very low, 5-6 at the most, which makes it difficult to establish an opinion....

The ekit works nicely so far for about a year. The worst that can happen is that you lose those $16. Free incoming works great for me since calling a UK cellphone number is rather cheap from anywhere in Europe and I don't need to pay anything for receiving calls.

logos, I think the ekit card depends on how you will be using it. I've had it for about a year now and the good news is I just top off the minutes to keep it active. The bad news is that it is fairly expensive to use if you are calling mobile phones rather than receiving calls. I had several instances when I couldn't get service. It is 35 cents a call plus 84 cents a minute. I had several problems using it in Italy, Ireland and even the UK but it is cheaper than using my T-mobile in Europe. Deborah

The card I was planning to get is the Passport from Telestial (based in the USA), for $29, incl. $10 airtime.

They'll give me a USA number and a European number, so calling us from the US will be very convenient (and free for us). At least that's what it SHOULD BE...

DeborahAnn, check which Network it's using. If it doesn't work properly on one network, it'll roam on other networks too. You'll get service if you set your mobile on automatic (=default) network search. Basically, it roams on all networks I checked so far.
What you have to do is use the codes given in the manual to initiate a call. Direct dial sometimes doesn't work. It always works with the codes.
(I'm a frequent customer :-) )

mamamia2, it's the same card. Most companies that offerd such a service went bancrupt in 2008. There are just two services that remain. One is "Isle of Man", the other is from Estonia.
Call recieved on the US number will cost you airtime.

That's not what they say at Telestial.... If I purchase the $29 card in all, or most of European countries incoming calls are free....

Only if they call you on the UK number.

Is that what it says or implies there?

Yes. If call recieved on the US number would be free, 300 million Europeans would buy the Telestial card. :D
It's jaust a forwarding service.

Good point.

So now, Logo, please explain to me how this thing works.... From the very beginning, like you explain it to an idiot. OK, not an idiot, one who never used this kind of a system before...

..Thanks.

I purchased the OneSim card at the New York Times travel show where they had a booth.
The calls are on an Estonia number. So when you use it let me say in Italy, the calls are made with roaming through Estonia.
I placed the SIM in my phone and somehow I actually don't know what I did but the SIM locked an I never have been able to use it.
So it may be perfectly reliable but I haven't been able to use the one I purchased.

It comes with a multi page manual!! Point is, when you're dialing out, you dial *YYY*+1xxx xxx xxxx# , hang up and wait for the callback. Your phone will ring and after you pick up you'll be connected after a short "please wait, connecting your call".

If you dial +1xxx xxx xxxx, it may work too or maybe not, depending on your phone. Sometimes, there may not be a callback and you'll be connected instantly, which will be quite expensive.

Other than that, there's nothing you need to keep in mind. Incoming free, if called on UK number.

Forget about the Estonia SIM. Almost impossible to reach, even from Europe. It's good only if you travel to Russia.

I think that original company I mention, OneSim International is based in Estonia. This 2nd one, Telestial is a UK-based. the woman I talked to this evening was in the USA (I asked).

I think I'm gonna order their Sim card. Makes more sense than spend time looking for a new Sim card every time we cross into another country, and then having to let our family and friends (in our case our next-door neighbor) know the new number, which will be applicable for 3-4-5 days....

Besides, we would be able to use it again next time we go abroad....

Bookmarking.

An update:

I ordered the Passport Sim card from Telestial. Got it within 3 business days (UPS express) even though I did not pay extra. Took me couple minutes to instal the card in an unlocked GSM phone we got from a friend, used the new pin code (had to add a "2" for usage in the US), and bingo, the phone was working. I had to call customer support in Boston to get my US number (the only number printed on the card is my UK number. They don't print a US number 'cause it expires if not used for a certain time), and all was good.

My daughter will be able to use the phone when she's landing in Washington to catch her TransAtlantic flight, and when landing in Rome. We will be joining her for a trip in Europe 3 months later. Before leaving I will have a US phone number to leave with my next-door neighbor or family.

Still need to test it in action, working in Europe, but SO FAR this has been a positive experience.

Thanks for all the help, Fodorites!

I have had a Telestial phone for several years. Last August I bought a new one from them that had the US number too. The incoming calls to most European are free. I have never had a problem with either phone. Recharging the minutes is easy online.

http://www.telestial.com/view_produc...T_ID=MSIM-PP02
Quote:
"- There is a 19c per minute surcharge to receive calls on your US +1 number in all countries."

It's a bloody call forwarding service a not a US number attached to the card.

This service is great for incoming calls. My daughter wants to talk to us? She can email me, telling me when to call, or spend 49 cents calling me just asking to call back.

Calling her using the US number will cost me 19 cents a minute. Calling her using the UK number will cost me the same, since our long-distance company charges us 19C a minute to call a cell phone in UK.

Not sure though if the 35 cents surcharge is an ADDITION to the 49 cents, though....

Either way, this is not a service for chit-chat (we'll be using Skype for that...), this is more for emergency (hey, asking me if the price for some stupid T-shirt is not too high -- can be deemed an emergency...)

mamamia, My husband deemed it an emergency once when he couldn't find the syrup! Actually he calls me EVERY day 2-3 times per day. It doesn't cost much at home because he uses the 10-10-987. And the incoming calls to me are free. The calls are kind of inconvenient at times, but that's the cost me having the privilege to travel!

You need to keep the phone, replace the husband.

Thought about it!

Beware of E-kit and others with callback service and surcharges. I used E-kit once, never again.

Lately, I've been using Roam Simple Europe SIM. While not the very cheapest, everything is straightforward and billing is accurate. It's also extremely convenient never to have to top it off.

Is there an "international" card out there that works without callback service? Please give me an update. I'm not paying 50ct for incoming on Roam Simple as long as Ekit is free.
But I'm willing to learn :-).

ANY cheapo SIM bought in the EU has incoming roaming rates of 0.15€ + tax no matter from where the call originates, it's the law (=EU regulation). Only if you agree to pay more, or use cards sold by non EU companies, you'll be charged more. Starting this summer, the law will limit roaming charges to 11ct + tax.
So why not buy any card anywhere and let them call you.

You can easily (and cheaply - as in about $30) buy a whole-world cell phone that holds up to 4 SIM cards these days, and switch from one to another. The individual SIM cards are much cheaper than a global SIM.

mammamia2, I need to ask you questions about your daughter's study abroad trip - I am in the same position as you and would like to know how you were successful in getting her a couple of weeks longer to travel. Thanks.

Hope this is not too late of an answer... The program in Italy ended 2-3 weeks before the end of my daughter's school semester, so my daughter was able to get an assignment from a teacher in her school for those remaining 2-3 weeks, an assignment that was involving some traveling in Europe. The Italian consulate, based on a letter from the university, was willing to grant my daughter an extended visa.

Do not buy this product if you want inexpensive data plan or to send/receive texts. They use an Estonian mobile phone carrier called EMT who block inbound text messages which originate from servers of foreign operators with who EMT has no messaging agreement---> in the USA for instance only Verizon works. Also, Skype does not work either. Online customer service is useless and blame the individual foreign carriers for the lack of service. You can pay for an extra number but it ends up being a landline where one still cannot receive texts. Sigh.

p.s. Also I suspect the company had my review on Amazon flagged and removed.

I have used so far onlu lemonsim sim card, and I think it's great