Marakai

OK, I'm sitting here trying to slowly breathe in and out of a paper bag, so I don't go into shock...

... because I looked at pricing for mobile phones and rates in Australia.

Now, I never expected that it'd be anywhere near as cheap as in the US - where I can get unlimited minutes with phone for US$30/month or even lower. There is a reason all the telecoms here are teetering on the brink or are in bankruptcy and not making any money.

But having a bit of a look-around on imobile.com.au and seeing that the cheapest deal for a pre-paid amounts to 40cents a MINUTE (Virgin Mobile) makes my eyes pop in horror.

Are there any better deals? Anyone have advice on where to find something that won't break the bank within weeks?

How do Australians afford to use them?? I'm not one who has a phone glued to their head like kids apparently do, but even I'd be fainting every month that I get my phone bill at these prices.

</rant>
Mike

markeh

:scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:

Markeh

    :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:


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Wol

I don't know what phone you use but when I had a mobile in the States the prepaid numbers were pretty similar to the Oz ones, allowing for the exchange rate.

Also, bear in mind that the US$ has been taking a beating recently.

Wol

Oh - and one more thing!

(Talking about highway robbery)

The company I used was apparently aquired by another while I was in England (no-one told me) and the new one refused to honour the prepayments! AND insisted we bought new phones.

Bullying tactics: not unusual there, I'm afraid.

bondipom

virgin mobile are probably the best value PAYG and they use the OPTUS network. I use them and have had no issues so far.

Peter

You don't pay to receive calls on a cellphone in Australia either, unless something has changed.

I'm not sure who's bright idea it was in the US to tie a *mobile* phone to a land line area code.

They should be on their own prefix like nearly everywhere else on Earth.

bondipom

With virgin you don't pay for voice mails as well. You can also assign one number for half price calls eg your partner to nag em.

JAJ

On the other hand you don't pay a fortune to *call* a cellphone in the US ...

Jeremy

Peter

True, but don't you think it's illogical to have to pay for calls you receive?

I don't know about you, but I like paying for things that I initiate myself, not by somebody else.

Putting cellphones on land line area codes forces the creation of more area codes as numbers get used. The US will probably not move to 8 digit numbers any time soon, so they're forced to create overlay area codes.

The upshot of this is that LATA's get smaller, and what defines a toll call changes and people end up paying more for what was originally a local call.

It's a rort.

PommieLeague

The Yanks for ya! They have to be different or they wouldnt be Yanks!

Peter

The Canadians are on the same deal. Then again, that's Canada's fault for being on the US's telephony schema. Country code 1, 3+7 digit calling, etc.

MarkMyWords

My UK Virgin pre-paid is 15p/minute, which is almost exactly the same rate. I don't see a problem here. Pre-paid is always (much?) more expensive than a contract package. If one intends to make a reasonable number of calls, one should avoid pre-paid and shop around.

biggy

we have Voafone mobiles here the more credit u put in the cheaper the calls are....I am a text freak and if u put $30 credit in you get 50 free texts and if you put $50 in you get ummmm 200 free me thinks(need to check)....also Vodafone to vodafone is only 20c a minute so canny complain at that, as long as you top up every 60 days all your remaining texts and call rate rolls over

HUP

Many will have problems avoiding pay as you go when they first arrive. If you havn't got a job it is very difficult to get a phone contract.