Has anyone used Mobal when traveling overseas?

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

We will be heading to Italy and are seeking how to get a cell phone for emergency use, and I found this site, wondered if anyone here used this:

CLICK this word: Mobal

[joycapecod Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close joycapecod]

Katie,

I own a Mobal phone with a UK number. We use it when travelling. It is attached to a credit card and I pay for what I use. If you want more info email me privately.

Joy

[cirkus Member Find all posts View Profile Close cirkus]

They all come with a UK number, which makes it more difficult and expensive for others to reach you. It does allow text messages at 80 cents/incoming message , so that's how I tell others to reach me, and then I call them. They can send the text message for free from their computer. I haven't used it in Italy, but I lent mine to friends who did use it in Italy without a problem.
Bill

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

We have one, have used it and for our purposes it works great. I've found it to be less expensive and less hassle than renting a phone anytime we leave the country.

I first learned of Mobal when we were stranded in Spain thanks the the combination of a cruise ending the same time the fisherman were striking and blocking all Spanish ports. A genleman we had met onboard had a Mobal phone and had little problems rearranging plans while we had major issues getting anything done. I bought one soon after we got home.

As mentioned, once the phone is purchased you only pay for what you use. It's much easier than tracking down a pay phone and figuring out how that countries phone system works to make calls. There may be less expensive ways but this is the best combination of ease of use and reasonable cost that I've found.

[M. Henley Class President Find all posts View Profile Close M. Henley]

Mobal

The website indicated that incoming calls when used in England were free. Is that correct?

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

The website indicated that incoming calls when used in England were free. Is that correct?

That I'm not certain about. It is a UK number so I suppose a call placed from within the UK while you are in the UK could be free. But if someone is calling from home (say the USA), then they'll be dialing a long distance UK number from their home line and I'm sure will be charged for that call accordingly.

We use this phone as an emergancy only phone, which is nothing like we use our cell phone at home. While I find the rates reasonable for emergancy usage I'm afraid if I were planning on using it for convenience.....and using several minutes......it could become an expensive proposition.

However, when we were in Ireland we blew out not one but two tires on our way to the Cliff's of Mohr. Not only that but we did it on a Sunday. We limped into an open petrol station but there was no pay phone available. If not for our Mobal phone, we would have had great difficulty reaching the rental car agency who then found us an open repair shop and a tow truck to get us there. You might not think twice about finding assitance in the U.S. on a Sunday but in Ireland it can be an entirely different story.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

I used one last year that gave me free incoming calls. I got it from Auto Europe. I also know that I can get it with my Cell phone company Sprint. The cost with Sprint is double but I can use my # with the cell phone they mail me.

[chs225 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close chs225]

I have 2 phones. One stays with my daughter who lives in Scotland. The other I keep. I highly recommend the company, they have always been easy to deal with and easy to reach. They take your credit card number and charge the card upon usage. Costs are expensive so it should be used as an emergency phone only. We have used it extensively in Italy and have no complaints. we also have used in UK, France, Germany,Czech with no issues. Text messages are .80 cents (but that is for incoming and outgoing so if my daughter texts me it's 1.60). However it allows us to stay in touch when we arrive at different times and also to split up and find each other later. I believe all incoming to UK is no charge but not 100% sure but because there is no monthly fee, the phone has been a plus. Have had the phone for 4 years

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Incoming calls may be free in England but making calls in England are $1.25/min. It depends on the plan that person has himself. Calls to the USA and Canada are $1.50/min and to other countries are $2.95. We got one for Mexico because they changed their system so much that we didn't know what to dial anymore and Cingular was no help at all. Most of our calls are to cell phone numbers and they have a 44 in the number and so will yours.

I hope that we have better luck with this phone now we have bought it. We haven't tried it yet but renting a phone was not cheap either. I found the phone advertised in www.skymall.com.

To check all the rates, go to International GSM Coverage Maps and it will take you to that page. You will find Italy too.

[M. Henley Class President Find all posts View Profile Close M. Henley]

Calling Back from UK to USA

I intend to use onesuite.com to make calls back to the USA. They have a UK 800 number and the rate is $0.0990 per minute. I will use the phone in the Barnsdale CCF unit to call the UK 800o number, then call back to the US that way.
However, I will give my son access to the onesuite account and he can call the Mobal cellphone if an emergency comes up. The cost through onesuite will be $0.190 per minute to a cellphone, so I will also give him the Barnsdale phone number so he can call there to the unit for $0.034 per minute (assuming all this works out!!).

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Because of this thread it reminded me to order my phone. I paid the price using Sprint but I get to keep my # for the month. I toke the cheaper Nokia phone which was $87 shipped, The Motorola was $20 more but had lees battery life. I do not get free incoming minutes and pay $1.29 a min for any call I make or get.

[cirkus Member Find all posts View Profile Close cirkus]

Frank,
My regular cellphone provider is Sprint. What did you mean by paying the price with Sprint but keeping your number?
Bill

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Frank,
My regular cellphone provider is Sprint. What did you mean by paying the price with Sprint but keeping your number?
Bill

I have Sprint as well, If you call the International dept. They will send you a phone that works outside the USA that uses your current phone #. The cost is triple what I paid from Auto Europe last year. But I keep my same # in Europe. Cost was $87 for the cheaper phone and $1.29 for any call, No free incoming.

[cirkus Member Find all posts View Profile Close cirkus]

Frank,
Good to know. Thanks.
Bill

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

Well, for better or worse, we finally went with Telestial, find here at International Cell Phones, World Phones, SIM Cards, Satellite Phones and ordered a phone that can use SIM cards.

The package we got is The Stowaway, for $199, and it will allow us flexibility by using the appropriate SIM card for Europe, USA, or Aruba....at least that is what we understand.

If we are wrong, it will be a hard lesson....but I am keeping my fingers crossed that we did the right thing.

This trip planning stage has been grueling! I sure do hope we get to have a fabulous trip, 'cause I am near exhauted, and I haven't even thought of packing yet...six days until we head to the airport!