Looks like ScottC answered your questions re price, etc. I've got a tri-mode phone so just had to manually switch it to the non US freq. Adding minutes - topping-up - was so easy... just find a store that has the top-up logo posted on their door/window, hand them your E Top-Up Card and tell them how much you want to add and its done.

T-Mobile wouldn't sell me a prepaid SIM in the US unless I signed over my first born, it was truly obnoxious. They wanted Name, address, DOB, and a credit card (not just for the purchase). Maybe it was just some newbie sales clerk or something...

Has to be, cause I've purchased several and they just hand them over, the name and dob was even optional...

I bought one for myy wife to test out TMobile a couple weeks ago. No credit card or anything. I just gave them a name and 50 bucks as I recall.

At my local cell place I got a $40 T-mobile card with 120 mins which includes new activation... I just wanted to see if my phone was really unlocked, even though I was 99.9% sure it was... Oh well, I can switch cards around now on my AT&T Phone...

Btw can a T-mobile Sim from US work on T-mobile UK?

Edit: I wasn't even asked for my name or anything for that matter... Lol

No. There is NO roaming with a T-mobile USA prepaid sim anywhere.

Damn! How about with any other provider? No right?

Mobal?
 

Anyone have any experience with a company called Mobal?

http://www.mobalrental.com/

Looks like if you have a GSM phone which works in Europe, you can buy a SIM card for $19 and then pay just for the calls you make/receive. While the rates aren't nearly as good as pre-paid cards purchased in other countries, it seems like a good alternative for somebody who doesn't expect to make a lot of calls but wants the option available and for people who might be in multiple foreign countries and not want to have to buy prepaid cards in each place.

Any thoughts on this?

cnk

My experience is the same as Scott's. There is no "verification" and nothing to prevent one from claiming to be Donald Duck who was born yesterday (or maybe 18 years ago just not to run afoul of some kind of fine print that may or may not be there).

Where did you try buying it?

The T-mobile UK pre-paid is good in many places worldwide although you pay high roaming fees too. There are some Lichtenstein-based and Monaco-based pre-paid SIMs that are great if you want cheap incoming and wish to globally roam on the same number. Of course in-country SIMs have free incoming in many countries of the world.

There are some creative work arounds but then you will not have a US-based SIM to roam on.

Based on your needs and the nature of your incoming/outgoing call needs and locations, there are some good deals around. $.39/minute incoming regardless of where in the world you roam is pretty useful.

Lousy deal. I would look for something better priced.

What I have done is gotten some pre-paid SIMs that are linked to a "top-up" or similar feature and then have a local party (or go online and) get them re-charged as needed when roaming oversees.

This is a better deal for higher volume users.

http://www.hopmobile.com/explore_costs.html

http://www.hopmobile.com/cgi-hop/pub...T=DISP_COUNTRY

Other options to be found here too:

http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/international.html

I bought it at a T-Mobile store in the local mall. The whole transaction took 45 minutes. In contrast buying my Virgin Mobile prepaid in London took 2 minutes with no information requested at all. It's tough to find good help in the service industry here in the US anymore.
:rolleyes:

I always think that these international prepaid cards will get you put on some CIA/FBI/TSA watch list :D

FYI on the Virgin Mobile prepaid card (purchased in the UK). I just checked the fine print and you can't roam with the card in the US unless you go for the montly billing plan.