I text Morocco a lot.

Beau x1

Costs 25c per text on Vodafone. This is raping my credit. Any network do deals on international texts? Had Skype for texts and it was pretty cheap but tbh I hate having to send messages from my computer. Solutions lads?

Cheers

Macers

Beau x1 wrote: »

Costs 25c per text on Vodafone. This is raping my credit. Any network do deals on international texts? Had Skype for texts and it was pretty cheap but tbh I hate having to send messages from my computer. Solutions lads?

Cheers

Use Cabbage?

Beau x1

Macers wrote: »

Use Cabbage?

IIRC O2 offer 250 international texts a month, Vodafone's webtexts don't though, only national numbers.

Keano

Switch to o2 network but keep your number?

Beau x1

Keano A Legend wrote: »

Switch to o2 network but keep your number?

I guess I could, how long does that take if I already have a sim and just ring them up? Was thinking about it.

Sam Vimes

Macers wrote: »

Use Cabbage?

beau x1 is right. If he wanted to use cabbage to send texts to morocco he'd have to switch to o2, or just buy an o2 sim to use it's webtexts and tell the person he's texting to text back his normal number

if you want to switch to o2 you can't keep your sim. You go into an o2 shop, tell them you want to switch and they give you a new o2 sim with your vodafone number on it. The actual port only takes about 5 mins but you can be waiting 2 hours for it to start. And if you do it after 6pm the port will be done the next morning

but personally i'd just recommend getting an o2 sim to use it's webtexts. A bit more hassle for the person you're texting in that they have to remember to text back your normal number but you avoid all the hassle of porting

chrislad

If you don't want to use webtexts (which is the best option), Meteor International SMS are 15c per message. The O2 route is the best way to go but if you don't want to use webtexts or java apps, Meteor have the cheapest international rate.

andy0

If you can put up with getting and using a separate O2 number with Cabbage, then I assume that both you and the other person could use the same account (if you can trust them not to use it to loads of other people as well ...)

But if you decide that remembering not to reply to the sender number is too confusing, then look at other mobile Java programs like smsBug, mobisms, Vyke, the various Betamax VoIP brands, and Fishtext, costing from about 2 to 8 cents each, all of which allow you to set your main number as sender, and some which allow free messages between two account users who are both online (but be careful about leaving this mode on all the time, as constant pinging for updates uses up data - maybe pay for the first to set up a conversation then run both clients). Free trial credit on some of them (smsbug, Fishtext, Vyke)

culabula

Beau x1 wrote: »

Costs 25c per text on Vodafone. This is raping my credit. Any network do deals on international texts? Had Skype for texts and it was pretty cheap but tbh I hate having to send messages from my computer. Solutions lads?

Cheers

Why do you hate sending SMS from your computer? It's so handy.

I too text Morocco a lot (incidentally, their networks go down a lot and replies are not always so easy). Get a Speakeasy SIM from O2 IRL and hey presto, 3,000 free SMS to Morocco per annum.

A caveat however: replies to online SMS from there are a tad difficult. One network in particular does not like the originating '00' that O2.ie use. Tell your correspondant to use + when replying.

If you have a spare handset, then you're away on a hack. You might be nice to your correspondant and allow he/she to use the online account as well giving you 125 free SMS each per calendar month. You send to Morrocco, they reply to either of your 2 national numbers.

If you have an iPhone then I use Eirtext Pro for this very purpose on that handset. From a laptop I also use jSMS for ease of use.

If you are sending an awful lot of SMS to al-Maghribi, then get two (or more) Speakeasy SIMs. The small initial outlay on each one will save you an eventual fortune.

Beau x1

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I'll get my number changed to O2 tomorrow!

kelzer

Does SMS Bug always append '<smsbug.com>' onto each of it's messages or is it only for the 5 free messages it gives?

flodis79

Is only appends anything if the message is short, i.e. short enough for that words to fit. It will be appended to both free and pay for messages.

Lissoy

O2 have a business plan for 20 euro a month that gives free O2 - O2 calls and international text messages for 8c.

http://www.o2online.ie/wps/wcm/connect/O2/Home/Business/Price+Plans/Single+user+plans/Open+minute+plans/