URGENT HELP NEEDED re cheap texting

Miss Fluff

Hey guys, hoping one of you can help me in a hurry. Had a corporate phone for years, keeping old number but moving to China soon. Will be getting a new work phone in China but networks are SO sh1t and there is serious difficulty in sending/receiving texts to Irish numbers. As such, I would like to keep my o2 phone and just use it for purely texting purposes to Irish mobile numbers only. I went into o2 today....clueless is not the word, couldn't offer me anything decent for cheap texts, went into Vodafone and asked can I change over, asking if they had a Passport type facility for texting while in the Far East. Again clueless!!!:mad: Going in a few days, anyone got any recommendations? Thanks a mill in advance.:)

drdre

Miss Fluff wrote:

Hey guys, hoping one of you can help me in a hurry. Had a corporate phone for years, keeping old number but moving to China soon. Will be getting a new work phone in China but networks are SO sh1t and there is serious difficulty in sending/receiving texts to Irish numbers. As such, I would like to keep my o2 phone and just use it for purely texting purposes to Irish mobile numbers only. I went into o2 today....clueless is not the word, couldn't offer me anything decent for cheap texts, went into Vodafone and asked can I change over, asking if they had a Passport type facility for texting while in the Far East. Again clueless!!!:mad: Going in a few days, anyone got any recommendations? Thanks a mill in advance.:)

Would you not be charged roaming for recieving a text in china :rolleyes:

Santa Claus

Only way you could send texts from china would be if you could use the web-texts from the o2 site. As Dre says anything you send from china on your sim would be classed as roaming because you're in China and your home network is Ireland.

If you don't want to pay a monthly fee to o2 just for webtexts you could use Jakass (see here) but you can only send from there and not receive (although it's free to send).

Random

You shouldn't be charged for recieving texts on an Irish handset while charging, none of the operators charge for it afaik.

Why pay a monthly fee to O2 for webtexts? Get a prepay SIM with them (if you need to text international) or with Vodafone / Meteor (if you need to text Irish numbers)

I don't understand what the OP means about clueless? They couldn't offer you a solution so they're clueless?

Miss Fluff

Santa Claus wrote:

Only way you could send texts from china would be if you could use the web-texts from the o2 site. As Dre says anything you send from china on your sim would be classed as roaming because you're in China and your home network is Ireland.

If you don't want to pay a monthly fee to o2 just for webtexts you could use Jakass (see here) but you can only send from there and not receive (although it's free to send).

Thanks for that Santa Claus, I'll try it! I don't mind paying a monthly fee with o2, essentially what I am trying to figure is out is whether they have a cheap international texting facility. AFAIK, Vodafone's passport makes texting to Ireland and texts from Ireland to abroad i.e. to your phone abroad, a lot cheaper????

Miss Fluff

drdre wrote:

Would you not be charged roaming for recieving a text in china :rolleyes:

OMG how insightful!! Wow, never thought of that!!:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Miss Fluff

ciaranfo wrote:

You shouldn't be charged for recieving texts on an Irish handset while charging, none of the operators charge for it afaik.

Ah ok, I had been under the impression that you had to pay roaming charges for received texts too?

One day I'll look back and think what a blonde, blonde moment....

Sam Vimes

My gf's in america at the mo and uses aft. Cant beat 2c texts

Santa Claus

Miss Fluff wrote:

Thanks for that Santa Claus, I'll try it! I don't mind paying a monthly fee with o2, essentially what I am trying to figure is out is whether they have a cheap international texting facility. AFAIK, Vodafone's passport makes texting to Ireland and texts from Ireland to abroad i.e. to your phone abroad, a lot cheaper????

AFAIK Vodafone's Passport thingy only applies in countries where there's a Vodafone network you can roam on (like uk or italy, etc).
If there's no vodafone/o2 in China then i don't think it'd work !

[edit] just checked and Chinas only 2 mobile networks are both state owned so no vodafone or o2 in China !

chrislad

Yeah, I don't think they're big on freedom of expression in China hence why there's only state companies.

Sam Vimes

aft mightn't work in china then. it would need an open internet connection and afaik the chinese government blocks a lot of the net

Random

O2 Speakeasy doesn't work in China .. yippee..

You could always get a O2 postpay SIM on data only (i.e. no monthly rental, pay for what you use) and that will let you roam in China. According to the O2 website they have GPRS roaming there too.

drdre

Commander Vimes wrote:

My gf's in america at the mo and uses aft. Cant beat 2c texts

2cent is nice an cheap