[Anonymous]

I was just reading a thread on another forum about PAYG phone charges in Spain and a few poster complaining about the credit reducing when they have not used their phone.. so I thought I would check mine.. seems I have the same problem.

My Vodafone SIM is new, bought it back in Easter last year as the last once got cancelled as it was not registered. It’s only used by my wife when we are in Spain, otherwise it’s not in a phone. My wife topped it up while in Spain over Christmas and it had 27 Euros credit when I checked on 5 Jan 11 when back in the UK. Since then it’s not been in a phone, just re-inserted it now and it’s down to 17 Euros.

( I know the previous credit exactly as I receive a SMS when I do a balance check, hence I have the date, time and balance in a SMS on 5 Jan !!)

That SIM has only ever been on for a maximum of 4 weeks whilst in Spain. We have not subscribed to a premium SMS service or indeed ever received a SMS on it except for vodafone publicity.

A commenter on the other tread wrote the following about the problem

“Basically you are dealing with an endemic spanish problem IMHO. Corruption is now so commonplace in spain that now people who would otherwise be honest justify being dishonest as there is no point fighting the system…… “

I am pretty Mobile phone literate as I develop Mobile Phone software for a major European Handset manufacturer and I know that the Credit balance is being reduced either fraudulently by a 3rd party or Vodafone themselves.

Anyone else had the same problem?

[Anonymous]

I am aware that PAYG if you do not use it for six months or so you for go your credit irrespective of the amount, including the telephone number that had been alocated to you. The same applies in Italy. I had not come accross extracting a few €’s every month. I took this as a thread on the subject as to being taken for a ride by the telephone company. Most of the forum users felt it was ok for the telephone company to do so.

I had decided long time ago that I will not get another sim card & not to mention the photo copy of passport etc and use mu UK phone. At least if I going to be ripped of by some one it should a provider who I have a contract & provides me with a service/product round the year.

The only pain is I get a welcome message within a few minutes/hours of landing which is worrying as I am mostly on the motor way and it distracts my concentration.

[Anonymous]

@shakeel wrote:

The only pain is I get a welcome message within a few minutes/hours of landing which is worrying as I am mostly on the motor way and it distracts my concentration.

I also have a Vodafone PAYG mobile (UK sim). Last year I was on a ship sailing from Greece to Northern Italy (a 22 hr. trip). At 2am, asleep in my cabin, my mobile started ringing and woke me up. Worrying there was some kind of emergency at home, I found it was a message from Vodafone saying “Welcome to Italy”. I was so angry I couldn’t get back to sleep for ages. Like you Shakeel, I then also had them everytime I crossed a border while driving back to UK. Annoying!!

When I complained to the Vodafone shop once back in UK and asked if there’s anything I could do to block them, they said it’s automatic and can’t do anything to stop them. Am wondering if Vodafone charge us for receiving these ‘overseas messages’.

[Anonymous]

It’s not difficult to turn the ringer off or indeed switch the phone off when you go to bed.

[Anonymous]

Agreed 🙂

….but the whole point of having my mobile with me when travelling is in case of any emergency at home and to use it as an alarm clock, not to receive unwanted/untimely messages from Vodafone stating the bl***y obvious.

[Anonymous]

Charlie, I have an elderly mother at home & its purely for this reason that I carry my phone. I am happy to carry an old fashion alarm clock. I had also raised this issue with my than provider who said to me that it cannot be done & my argument was if it can be done that a message can be sent when a signal is detected why cant the reverse is done. After all vodafone switched all the signals in EGYPT.

[logan]

I was interested to read this thread because I am experiencing the same problem, disappearing credit. I have a Spanish ‘pay as you go’ Vodafone mobile which I use when on business in Spain. I usually put 50 Euros in it when ever I travel from France. Recently the credit just evaporates after a short period of time with very few calls. I have also a French SFR subscription phone and find it’s cheaper to use that even though the call costs in Spain are high.
So be warned folks either Vodafone or someone else is stealing credit on these type of phones in Spain so I’ve chucked mine in a drawer never to be used again. Very irritating.

[logan]

I was interested to read this thread because I am experiencing the same problem, disappearing credit. I have a Spanish ‘pay as you go’ Vodafone mobile which I use when on business in Spain. I usually put 50 Euros in it when ever I travel from France. Recently the credit just evaporates after a short period of time with very few calls. I have also a French SFR subscription phone and find it’s cheaper to use that even though the call costs in Spain are high.
So be warned folks either Vodafone or someone else is stealing credit on these type of phones in Spain so I’ve chucked mine in a drawer never to be used again. Very irritating.

[Anonymous]

I have stopped using a Spanish phone, apart from the fact that if I am not there every six months or so . I lose the credit, the number etc & to have a new one I must have a passport etc & waste time queing up that is if I can find the shop open.

The forum readers can imagine how much business they are losing with this rip off policy.

[Anonymous]

I have stopped using a Spanish phone, apart from the fact that if I am not there every six months or so . I lose the credit, the number etc & to have a new one I must have a passport etc & waste time queing up that is if I can find the shop open.

The forum readers can imagine how much business they are losing with this rip off policy.

[Author]

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