SJC AA

Quite possibly, but I just use it for data, so I don't care.

Roger

You may not care and for data only it looks as though you're all set. But anybody relying on your earlier post may care.It's important to recognise that only Feels Like Home calls back to the UK have no roaming charges in this Three UK offer. Unless there's a similar offer in other Feels Like Home markets.

lhrsfo

I have now used Three's Feels Like Home in Italy and the USA and it works exactly as advertised and is absolutely brilliant.

But it doesn't do what it says it doesn't do - so, if you want to do other things, you need to institute a work-around, such as a simple calling card.

One thing to note in the USA is that data is only at 3G, not 4G speeds - not a deal-breaker but it does mean that things like Skype are still better left to times when on wifi.

mgo72

Is that On a prepaid offer? The link in The wiki is kor working analoge.

Anyone has a workaround for the topic with UK credit card.

Roger

Does this help?
https://www.three.co.uk/Support/Free_SIM/Order

SIM is free. You can also order a £10 top up using the link on the right.

Disclaimer: this may be UK only as it asks for a 'Postcode', implying UK delivery.

jsmeeker

I'm back from London (and Paris) where I used my Toggle Mobile SIM card. I would like to give a report on how things went in hopes it will help others considering it.

As mentioned before, I put the SIM into my phone while still in the USA. I got my UK number assigned to me. I was able to setup my Toggle account on-line and register the SIM. I topped up my account with £20 using my US issued Chase Visa card. I never made a call from it or sent a text or used data while in the USA, but it certainly appeared it would work, albeit with high rates.

When I landed in London, I turned on the phone. I went to the Toggle app (on my phone, it's in the app drawer in an app called SIM Toolkit). I did the manual "latch" to UK. I didn't get any direct evidence that it was successful. But after doing that, I think I got a text message welcoming me to the UK. I then did the text code to buy a 500 MB UK data bundle. I got an immediate response showing it was successful. From there, I tried to actually use data. No go. I waited a bit, hoping that APN settings would get pushed to my phone. That actually happened first thing when I put the SIM into the phone while in the USA. But looking at the settings on my phone, APN settings were gone.

So, I waited until I cleared immigration and customs and got to the arrivals lounge. Took a shower and then sat down with some tea while I figured out the data. Called up their support. It was answered quickly. A very patient person went through it step by step. Letter by letter. T as in Tom. O as in Oscar, etc. etc. It took a while, but I managed to get it all. I suppose I really should have saved/printed off the settings some place. Or maybe just hopped on line with my laptop using WiFi in the lounge. But in any case, once I got it all in and spelled right, I had data!! Did a quick test with Foursquare, Facebook, and Google map. Rock on!! I did send a text as well to my friend's US number cell phone as well. She got that so she was able to add that into her address book.

Things were good at LHR. Worked on the train in (HEX). Worked at Paddington. Everything seemed just normal. Like how I expect a phone to work. Later on after getting settled in, we headed out. Oxford street was a mad house. Just crazy crowded. And then I noticed data just not working. I wondered if it was Toggle or if it was just so damn congested. I ran into this A LOT in Central London. The phone would sometimes work brilliantly and other times not at all. I still wondered what was up? Toggle sucks? Is it a "london thing"? I met up with a friend for a pint. He has been living in London since February and told me that data just sucks in London. That made me feel a little better, but the data struggles really gave me fits. I was really counting on reliable data because all of my "to dos" and lists relied upon data. Getting around too. Google maps and the TFL website was my plan to navigate. Which line(s) and stations. Which way to walk. etc. etc. In the end, it worked out.

I also went to Paris. Registered for a French number the night before. Quickly got the number via text. After crossing through the tunnel (we took Eurostar), I turned the phone on. Used the app to "latch" to France. When I was in Paris, I noticed the data worked much better. It pretty much always worked without delay or issue. So, that made me feel better.

Back in the UK, I made a few phone calls. Calls to landlines back in the USA. Calls to a mobile in the USA. Calls to a USA mobile number where the phone was in London. Calls to a UK mobile. It all worked. It all got billed as expected. I did have SOME issues sending text messages. A lot of times, it would fail. But if I kept re-sending, it would eventually work.

The one thing I forgot to do was to turn off the renewal of my data bundle. By default, it renews every month. When I first set it up, it told me and gave me the code to turn off renewal. Really, I should have done that right away. But I didn't. And outside the UK, I don't think those short codes work. I suppose I will have to call. There is also a code to check the balance of your data bundle. I couldn't find the code, but an email to support promptly answered my question. So, props to support. They did a nice job.

In the end, I have £7.95 credit left on my account. Don't have a good way to see my data usage since it doesn't show on line and I am not in the UK to do the short code thing. I want to try to keep it active. I think as long as I have some activity every 90 days, the account stays active, I keep my balance and account and keep my permanent UK number. What I didn't do is register for a USA number. Not sure if that really helps me, though. It expires after 30 days unless I want to pay to keep it. I really don't need another USA number. I guess I can make a text once every 3 months at the high roaming rates? I think those are 48p a pop to send. Is anyone else doing something like that to keep their Toggle SIM and UK number active until you go back?


Anyway, I think I was pretty happy with Toggle overall. A true "UK Only" SIM may have been slightly easier to setup and get working and maybe (*MAYBE*) data would have been better. But for this trip, it worked out well. Being able to call or text a USA number at a good rate was something that came in handy. And while the data was 15p a MB in France, I was careful with my usage. Overall, if I had gone with O2 or Orange or something, I think I would have spent a lot more money for the same usage.

ajGoes

Congratulations, Jeff! You can understand now why I hesitated before recommending you try Toggle: it's a little complicated. Glad to hear you negotiated it OK.

You do have to use your Toggle card periodically to prevent it from being deactivated along with your remaining credit. Typically for Toggle, their web site gives contradictory information -- they "...automatically deactivate SIM cards if you do not make a call or send a text for 90 days", and they "provide you with an additional thirty (30) days" (user guide). I was assured that the user guide is correct, so you actually have to use the card only once every 120 days to keep the account alive. I've made a repeating alarm for myself with these instructions:

• Register US number at http://www.togglemobile.co.uk/
• Wait a day and verify the US number is activated
• Put card in the unlocked GSM phone, choose the USA profile in the Toggle Options SIM menu, and verify the network shows as "toggle"
• Call Toggle Customer Support at +44 7438 646 322

I'm afraid I can't remember why I included the customer support call in my list. Maybe it's just to verify I'm really on the Toggle network. In any case, having done that, you'll have to make a call or send a text with the card. A one-minute, £0.03 call should do it.

Roger

Thanks for the interesting report.

7p between Toggle countries.

Or just 3p for a phone call up to one minute.

I'm Europe based and already have UK and Swiss cellphones. I'm thinking of ditching my Swiss arrangement in favor of Toggle given my limited need for Swiss coverage. £5 a year to keep the number is a good deal.

I already do this for my US travels. People think I'm calling from NJ.

jsmeeker

can I register for a USA number and actually get it working without being in the UK? I was under the impression you had to register for the foreign numbers while you were actually in the UK. Also, what about getting the UK data bundle renewal turned off? As mentioned, I really should have done that while in the UK. It seemed just as easy to turn it on as it is to turn it off.

You are right that the website isn't quite the best. Can be hard to find all these little details about the various codes you can use. Some of it's there or in the guide book, but not all of it is.

ajGoes

I registered for a US number after returning home and it worked, eventually. This again contradicts what the web site says. Toggle added US numbers as I was leaving London so I couldn't register one beforehand. Just make certain the number is really activated and the phone's using the right network before you make a call. Thinking back, I think that's why I included the "call customer support" item in my reminder. It took half a day for my US number to activate, and the phone didn't "latch" automatically as advertised.

I don't know how to turn off the data renewal. A call to your friends at Toggle's customer support will get that sorted.

How was your trip? Did you use the phone a lot?

jsmeeker

How exactly do I make certain the number is really activated and using he right network? When I got to London, I did the steps to manually "latch" using the SIM App. Same in France. I never used "Automatic".

Trip was great. I used the phone "a lot" for data while in the UK. That was the main purpose behind the phone. I used it a bit for voice in text. Since I am not in the UK anymore, I can't do the short code to check my data balance. I suppose I should have remembered to do it while sitting on the plane, just prior to turning it off. But if I go by what the phone itself tells me, I think I used about 280 MB.

ajGoes

Call customer support and they'll tell you whether you're on the right network. You can manually latch it, but I'd call afterwards just to be certain. Once you've got your US number activated and latched, you can use the short code to check your data. All the others work, too.

Glad you had a good trip and found the phone useful.

Roger

In my case (UK customer), the network shows as TOGGLE MOBILE (all caps) in the UK and toggle (lower case) when roaming.

Currently in the UK, this shows alongside the roaming network o2. When I was in Switzerland a couple of weeks ago having registered the Swiss number, I got SwissCom on the screen alongside toggle.

jsmeeker

OK. While in the UK, that is what I saw. When in France, I am pretty sure Toggle Mobile was part of it, along with something else. I suppose in the USA with a USA number, it would be the same. Like Toggle Mobile/T-Mobile or something

ajGoes

It's not that simple, unfortunately. On the unlocked dumb GSM phone I used my Toggle SIM in in the States, the phone displayed this when it was roaming (£1.23/min):


When latched to Toggle (£0.03/min) it displays this:


That's why I suggested calling Toggle's customer support to verify you really aren't roaming.

I'm still having a leisurely conversation with Toggle about the overcharge the made early in September. Every few weeks I send a fresh query about the £7.20 I believe they owe me. I wait a while for a reply, send another one, wait again and repeat. Posting to their FB page seems to prod my customer support correspondent to reply, and she reassures me that she hasn't forgotten about my issue. On November 5th I was told the Head of Product was looking at my case but was traveling until mid November. I suppose a complaint to Britain's Office of Fair Trading would get me a result but I'm kind of curious how long this will take through the company's own customer support. I'll keep FT informed.