One of the biggest expenses while travelling overseas for many people has been the bill shock received once returning home from a trip using a mobile phone in a foreign country. Roaming costs are extreme with the local phone networks blaming the overseas providers for overcharging them for customers using another network.
While only recently Australian telco’s have started to reduce foreign roaming charges and forge alliances with other counties to bring the cost down, it is still an expensive exercise to use your local sim overseas. So how do you save money on your phone costs when travelling?
On of the best options out there on the market comes from leading supermarket chain Woolworths. They have come up with the Woolworths Global Roaming SIM which can be purchased conveniently online.
In the past I have used other global SIM cards from other providers including ekit which you will find is what organisations such as Flight Centre, Topdeck and travel insurance provider Covermore will try to sell you, or give to you for free. But of course the reason it is provided free is because the rates are more expensive.
I didn’t have such a great experience using this service and would not recommend it. This is because not only did I find it expensive but when I used an ekit SIM I was in the middle of my Topdeck Mega European Tour when leaving Istanbul I tried to put more credit on my account and I was rejected. Thinking that their was something wrong with my credit card I called them up (28 Degrees MasterCard) and everything was fine, turns out when I rang ekit they wouldn’t accept my money because I had put too much credit on over the past month. Well if you don’t want my money, then you won’t get any of it!
So what do you get with the Woolworths Global Roaming SIM and what are the features?
- $29 for the SIM including $10 credit to get you started
- Auto top-up available
- Top-up online at the Woolworths Global Roaming website
- Dial *120# for balance
- Voice and data roaming available in over 180 countries
- Ability to add local land line numbers meaning family and friends can contact you for the cost of a local call
- Send text’s online to family and friends for 6 cents
- Purchase SIM online
- Purchase SIM at Woolworths