Moving to Spain - Mobile Phone Advice

Hi there, could anyone offer any advice.. My partner has just moved to Spain about 20 mins outside of Jerez in the hills where there is no wifi coverage.... He has purchased a pay as you go Spanish SIM card but is really struggling to stay in touch because his credit is being eaten not only when he texts/calls but when I text/call him from the UK.. Is that normal and if so is there anything he can do to help us stay connected a bit better, I am happy to call him but this is pointless if it's still costing him just as much, be grateful for any advice.. Thanks

Your partner has bought a sim card without researching the coverage it provides.

Can he/she not ask a local what company provides the best coverage for that area? I'm sure there will be one that the locals use that has a resonable coverage.

Pay as you go internationally is always going to be really costly, if you both have smartphones I would suggest your partner gets a sim that provides  3 or 4g with a good data allownace - you could then use apps like Skype etc

Team GB

Many thanks for your response.  I have to agree and advise that he has bought it with little in no research.  His brother lives close by and has done for 30 years so I am struggling as to why he hasn't got a better deal.

Is it normal that he would be charges for text/calls that he receives ??  I would have thought that I would have incurred the charges from rinigng Europe from a UK mobile but didn't expect him to pay to receive ?

As he has only just moved there right before Christmas he has't sorted out a bank account and IV ? number so can not get on contract as yet. 

His data allowance works where he is living but after 16 mins on Whatsapp he ran out of credit (15 euro) and I rang him ??

Both a little confused by it all...

Is it normal that he would be charges for text/calls that he receives ?? 

Yes until the new regulations come in fully (June 2017) I'm afraid it's true

Whatsapp calls are really good, I use it all the time to call family, you'll just have to find him some wifi to be in when you call him

Try Yoigo. I've been with Movistar,Hits and Orange and have found that Yoigo seems to give the best coverage.

Check out this link for providers and their tarifs.  Unfortunately all in Spanish.

http://catalogo.phonehouse.es/

Is it normal that he would be charges for text/calls that he receives ??

I have never heard of anyone paying to receive such calls. 

I have had a Spanish mobile for years and have used several different providers, but have never had to pay.

However, when my son comes to visit he uses his UK based phone and of course whenever he gets a call, text etc to that UK number., whilst he is out of UK, he pays.   When I go to the Far East for a couple pf months I always buy a local SIM card and never use my Spanish based card in the phone, for that very reason.  I have never ever been charged.

Have I just been lucky ?

Is it normal that he would be charges for text/calls that he receives ??

I have never heard of anyone paying to receive such calls. 

I have had a Spanish mobile for years and have used several different providers, but have never had to pay.

However, when my son comes to visit he uses his UK based phone and of course whenever he gets a call, text etc to that UK number., whilst he is out of UK, he pays.   When I go to the Far East for a couple pf months I always buy a local SIM card and never use my Spanish based card in the phone, for that very reason.  I have never ever been charged.

Have I just been lucky ?

Hi John zx,

I don't know is the honest answer, he has a spanish number (spanish PAYG Sim) and is charged for both making/receiving calls/texts.  Team GB replied earlier and confirmed this to be correct until at least 2017 ?   

Getting hold of him is proving a nightmare as he is always out of credit after just a couple of calls etc.  I don't know if this is just a problem with PAYG and not contract, as soon as he has his Bank Account etc sorted he will need to sort out a contract.

Thanks 

I have never had a contract on my mobile, alway PAYG. 

Including others,  I have been with Hits, Vodaphone and now with Lebara.

Never  any such charges

I think the confusion may be arising as to how you are your friend are using the phone. In your earlier post you said 

QUOTE His data allowance works where he is living but after 16 mins on Whatsapp he ran out of credit (15 euro) and I rang him ?? UNQUOTE

"Whatsapp" is an application that uses datta allowance to make Voice Over Internet phone calls and text messages and a voice conversation uses quite a lot of data. Even received calls will be using data allowance and hence charged.

I am quite sure your friend will not be charged for receiving a normal phone call, but that would entail you calling the Spanish number as an international number.

If you look a company like LEBARA, you can buy monthly packages of data and phone calls to deignated countries like the UK. No NIE number is required but a passport. Here is the link http://www.lebara.es/?isoCode=en_GB in english. This will work calling a UK landline but may incur charges calling a UK mobile.

Hope this helps clear some confusion

Saludos

Hi juansheetisplenty

Sorry yes I understand the data usage when on Whatsapp Calls/Messages, but he is also being charged for normal Calls/Texts that he receives.   As he does not have WIFI I called his mobile (normal call) on NYE and he was cut off and his brother then text me to say he had ran out of credit.

I am going over at the end of the month so I will be better placed to speak to him and look at what he has got as in Provider/Package etc.  I am not getting the full detail due to lack of communication which is not more then the odd text here and there when he has WIFI.

Thanks to everyone for your help, tips and links I will sort something out for/with him when I see him.  I just wondered if being charged for normal calls/texts being received was normal before I told him to go back to the provider about the SIM he has.

xx

I bought a Digi Mobil sim card for my phone, to use when I visit Spain. Reasonable call rates to the UK, plenty of data and the ability to use Whatsapp, as already mentioned.

Mark