Good mobile phone contracts?

AlexInHelsinki · Post by **AlexInHelsinki** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:47 pm

Can anyone reccomend a good mobile phone service for texting? I have kolumbus now, but it stinks. I've already blown through 30 euros in about a week just from texting. I know back in the UK, when you topped up a certain amount, you got a certain amount of free texts along with the talk time, but I haven't seen anything like that here. With the amount of texing I heard everyone does, I'm surprised to not be able to find good text packages all over the place. Anyone have any ideas? I text the UK a lot, too, which I'm sure would make a difference somehow.

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Mikie · Post by **Mikie** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 9:29 pm

A quick look at Kolumbus's website I see 100texts for 1,99€ and 300texts for 5,99€. Not sure how many texts you're sending, but that seems more than reasonable. For texting the UK, I would get a smartphone that does email and/or skype. With skype you can text for your home country's rates. And with email, you can text with a phone via email. Have the other person text to your email address, and you reply to their "email" to their phone. Not sure about the UK, but works like a charm to the states.

AlexInHelsinki · Post by **AlexInHelsinki** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 10:48 am

Thanks for the help!!

The tough thing is that I can't read Kolumbus' website, so I have no idea what the the fine print says, or even how to reload credit other than buying a 20 euro voucher from an RKioski (which I'd rather not shell out all at once).

ajk · Post by **ajk** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 11:01 am

Personally, I don't know anyone who uses these prepaid schemes here - it's easier to just pay the bill every two months. Anyway, there are lots of cheap SMS packages, a quick look at Saunalahti brings up one with a €7.95 monthly charge that covers 1000 messages (and €0.09 apiece if you exceed that). Perhaps you should drop by some shop in town, I'm sure they will be able to explain the different packages in English. Here's the link to the Saunalahti offer.

chickensexer · Post by **chickensexer** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 10:18 pm

Mikie wrote:A quick look at Kolumbus's website I see 100texts for 1,99€ and 300texts for 5,99€.

I'm not good in Finnish but from what I understood that sms option is offered on top of regular package - 18€/38€ - and can't be ordered separately. The 1000sms/8€ still sounds like a good deal though.

jas_rho · Post by **jas_rho** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:07 am

30€ a week just for text messaging is crazy... just call the person, have the conversation, and save time and money. I haven't ever really understood the need for people to have conversations with sms. Its good to let someone know something or send a reminder etc. but its funny to chat back and forth when usually a phone call would be cheaper and faster.

AlexInHelsinki · Post by **AlexInHelsinki** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:25 am

Well, phone call wouldn't really be cheaper...it's mostly between here and the UK and international calls are EXPENSIVE

I learned my lesson calling Barclays in London and being put on hold for 10 euros worth of time. That wasn't a happy moment. Skype is good, but I have no clue how to set it up on my mobile, so I have to be home at my computer to use it. Making do for now, but would be nice to find a mobile solution.

Anyway, since my original post, I've done a bit of research, and not only do you need to put down a ridiculous deposit if you haven't been in Finland for 2 years, but the contract plans only give you free domestic minutes and texts, anyway, so they wouldn't be much use for me at the moment since I don't know anyone in Finland yet

jas_rho · Post by **jas_rho** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:30 am

To get around that deposit problem try ordering online from Saunalahti. I at least did that when I had been less than two years in Finland and it worked for me. I don't know if it still works with them but give it a shot. You fill out the whole application online and there is even a place asking if you are Finnish or not and whether you want your answering machine in finnish or english etc. and even after that info was given I didn't pay any deposit.

Mölkky-Fan · Post by **Mölkky-Fan** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:48 am

For phoning home, we use our home phone and 995 33, that is 4 cents per minute to UK... and I think there are even cheaper schemes. For 30 Euros as you pay now that would be 12.5 hours per week!

I am not sure if there is something similar for mobile phones?

smilesalot · Post by **smilesalot** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 2:21 pm

Mölkky-Fan wrote:For phoning home, we use our home phone and 995 33, that is 4 cents per minute to UK... and I think there are even cheaper schemes. For 30 Euros as you pay now that would be 12.5 hours per week!

I am not sure if there is something similar for mobile phones?

Skype is probably the cheapest, and Like Molkky-Fan says Landlines are cheaper except if your calling a cell phone then the taxes are the killer. Check out Hotcom.fi .012 cents per minute to a land-line vs .099 cents a min to a cell in the UK.

smilesalot

Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.
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sinikala · Post by **sinikala** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 3:27 pm

AlexTroublemaker wrote:Skype is good, but I have no clue how to set it up on my mobile, so I have to be home at my computer to use it. Making do for now, but would be nice to find a mobile solution.

I installed http://www.fring.com/ it allows you to connect to your Skype account (including Skype out) and works quite well on my Nokia N91 when at home (over Wlan at home, which is connected to a 100 Mbps broadband) ... but when using Skype through my phone's internet connection, the quality is a bit sketchy.

Don't Windows smartphones come with Skype as standard?

kitty wonka · Post by **kitty wonka** » Wed Aug 20, 2008 9:07 am

i am on a dna contract which thus far has been cheap as chips (~10 euro/mon, except when roaming). we haven't been here two years and for whatever reason did not need to put down a deposit. we only needed to have our social security number.

we also use the 995 33 for all international calling and it works a charm. we use it from our mobiles b/c we don't have a landline in our flat. that number only works, however, if your mobile phone is on a contract. all of our family is far away and we can now call them often without having to worry about the cost.

smilesalot · Post by **smilesalot** » Wed Aug 20, 2008 11:14 am

Just for the record the website for the 99533 is http://www.teleale.com/rates.php?language=english I linked you directly to the price list, unfortunately it isn't in english, but as you can see the rates for the UK (iso-britannia) are 4 cents per minut for land lines and 32 cents per minute for mobile phones. I just need to say sometime this year you will be billed with taxes for phone calls made using these long distance services. I have on both my telefinland and dna account. The phone calls were to both the US and EU (Italy and France). This tax payment only happened with my accounts that I made monthly payments. My prepaid card (only worked with Hotcom) I did't have to pay the taxes, I use my prepaid to sms the US because its cheaper than service agreement accounts 6 cents per text message vs 23 cents

smilesalot

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