German PAYG Sim & Data Bundles Question

quintron

Heading to Germany in a couple of weeks for about a week.
Does anyone know if there are payg sim cards over there that include a data bundle? I'd like to pick a cheap payg sim up for checking emails etc as roaming with 3 in Germany is a no-no. Anyone familiar with the scene over there and could fill me in?
Much appreciated!

nazoil

quintron wrote:

Heading to Germany in a couple of weeks for about a week.
Does anyone know if there are payg sim cards over there that include a data bundle? I'd like to pick a cheap payg sim up for checking emails etc as roaming with 3 in Germany is a no-no. Anyone familiar with the scene over there and could fill me in?
Much appreciated!

check out the new package from vodafone ie launching next week.

Random

Vodafone Ireland launching a roaming bundle?

talkingclock

PAYG cards aren't that cheap in germany as here. you mostly pay 19.95 for the card with just 5 credit on it...

the big players are
www.t-online.de ("Xtra Data" as add-on to any "Xtra": 0.19€ per 10kb and per used hour plus 0.02€ per day when used)
www.vodafone.de ("CallYa": 0,19 € per 10 KB plus 0,02 € per hour)
www.o2online.de ("Loop": 0.10€ per 10kb plus 0.19€ per day when used)
www.eplus.de ("Free & Easy": couldn't find any details online)

There are a lot of smaller companies/resellers (like supermakret chains, coffee shops etc) but the tariffs are mostly identical.

nazoil

ciaranfo wrote:

Vodafone Ireland launching a roaming bundle?

http://www.vodafone.ie/livepricing/index.jsp
I called Business Care and they tell me it will include isp access too.

Random

50megs of usage per day for 99c per day WHEN ROAMING. Am I reading this correctly?

nazoil

ciaranfo wrote:

50megs of usage per day for 99c per day WHEN ROAMING. Am I reading this correctly?

That's what I'm reading. I'm going for the 500 meg monthly bundle for €9.99, that's 33 times more than the existing 15 meg bundle for same price. AND it's not confined to Vodafone group operators abroad

quintron

woo hooh! Bout time. Classic. I'm leaving on the 30th. I'll put my work (voda) sim in my E90 (3) and I'm set. Nice find. Appreciate all the other links as well. Must give Vodafone a call tomorrow.

chrislad

Wow. Way to go Vodafone.

nazoil

quintron wrote:

woo hooh! Bout time. Classic. I'm leaving on the 30th. I'll put my work (voda) sim in my E90 (3) and I'm set. Nice find. Appreciate all the other links as well. Must give Vodafone a call tomorrow.

Depending on bill day, it may not be working on the 30th. To clarify, if your bill is issued on day 10, the add-on wont be available until 10th September for you.

quintron

Called and spoke with 3 different people at Vodafone customer care today about this.

Exsuse my french and apologies for the forthcoming rant.. but....its a load of bollix! Too good to be true.. and it is.
The 50MB per day (or 500 MB per month) is for the Vodafone live portal only.

You cannot use your 50MB daily data allowance to, say, download RSS feeds to your phone via a 3rd party rss reader, check your email (your real isp email not vodafones email), browse sites through another browser as its not going through Vodafones portal, use any number of 3rd party java applets and *.sis applications that require internet access to function. e.g; Fring, Gmail et al.

So in summary its a handicapped offering that on the surface reads well and will probably be fine and a welcome price break for regular vodafone live users but if you are looking for pure unbridled data access, 500MB to do with as you please so to speak.. look elsewhere.

This is Vodafones data plan for the 21st century phone user and it sucks. If you want the above you will need to access Vodafones regular data plan which as it currently stands is €75+VAT per month for 500 whole mega "bites".

Say what you will about 3 but they offer 100MB for 6 euro that I've happily been using for the past 6 months on my personal phone ... and its perfect. I can use the data as I want without any of these desperate attempts to corral users into a p|ss poor portal system that still reeks of wapdom.

Stack 3's current baseline offering with Vodafones archaic and blatant daylight robbery and you end up with a sour taste as they're laughing toward the bank.

If this is the best that one of the most established networks in the country has to offer its users, its insulting.

Wake up Vodafone. Prove me wrong. Though I doubt it.

talkingclock

quintron wrote:

If you want the above you will need to access Vodafones regular data plan which as it currently stands is €75+VAT per month for 500 whole mega "bites".

Welcome to rip-off country. Vodafone Germany does - hold your breath! - 5GB for 49.95€. Yes, FIVE GIG for 50€ (inc VAT)!!! That's the most expensive data add-on they have. The cheapest it 30MB for 9.95€...

O2 Germany has 5GB for 25€

EDIT: This are pay-monthly rates...

quintron

^^ I'm shocked but not surprised.
Oh well, its obvious no one gives a damn in this country otherwise we would have some competitive pricing on data plans on par with some of our European counterparts. Tune in around 2009 I guess..

Very interested to see which network secures the iphone here now.... at current data rates you would need to plump up for a 2? year contract ..and re-mortgage your house to use it.