Best Banks for Long Overseas Stay.

[RooFlyer]

Things have changed . I take my Telstra phone overseas and don't use any local SIM, as its my business phone and I want the number to stay active. I block data roaming. It used to be $15 per MB roaming but at last the charges dropped to just expensive, rather than criminal.

I still get umpteen SMSs from Telstra every time I travel to a new country though, but no charge.

There is so much free wi-fi about these days that its easy to stay in touch with phone e-mails and internet without using data via the telephone networks. But if I think I might want to use data for some reason, I buy a data pack and you get warning SMSs (no charge) when you have used 50%, 75%, 90% etc of your data allowance.

Still not happy with Telstra's charges and mucking about, but a lot better than they used to be.

 

[medhead]

Maybe I'm out of date, but my recollection was that the last time I took an Australian phone overseas about 10 years ago, I hardly used it and it cost me big time ($400 for hardly any usage). No one in Australia was charging money to receive SMSs, but that didn't mean the overseas carriers weren't charging them. I haven't taken one across since.

Certainly, as I drove around Europe with an Italian SIM card two years back, I had 8 Euros credit in the SIM card, drove through 9 countries, got a welcome SMS in each country, and found my balance suddenly reduced to zero when I go back to Italy.The only use the card had was receiving SMSs - I couldn't use it for phone calls in the countries.
Regards,
Renato

Your experience with an italian sim isn't really indicative of using an australian phone. I'd have to check my bills but I don't recall being charged to receive SMS while in Europe in 2005, 2007 or 2011. Definitely haven't been charged to receive SMS in Europe or Asia for trips during 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. All with Telstra post paid.

 

[Renato1]

I use one called SMS Gateway but I'm sure there are others.

It also lets you configure an incoming email address that it will poll, which lets you send SMS messages via email as well.

Thanks, I've always wondered about SMSs that I may be missing while away. This solves the issue.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

Your experience with an italian sim isn't really indicative of using an australian phone. I'd have to check my bills but I don't recall being charged to receive SMS while in Europe in 2005, 2007 or 2011. Definitely haven't been charged to receive SMS in Europe or Asia for trips during 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. All with Telstra post paid.

I use Virgin Mobile post paid.
If foreign carriers charge Italian SIM cards to receive SMSs, I am unsure why they'd leave Australian ones alone.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

I have no trouble with Westpac while travelling. They only use SMS codes for new payees, and I have most of my regular bills sent directly to the bank account, for easy bpay. Sometimes I setup up a bpay for Amex or Visa before i leave based on what I expect to pay at various hotels, and worry about any minor balance to sort out on return.

I guess my problem with Westpac arises because when I go away I tend to load up several accounts including Westpac - since I've been in situations where one bank's card didn't work and the another one's did (at ATMs and checkouts). So I don't have a big payee list at Westpac like you have, which isn't my main account.

But I am always buying stuff from places like the astronomy site that I visit, and paying money into people's accounts. It's a couple of clicks with ANZ, and a lot of stuffing around with the other two banks - though I wouldn't be doing much buying till I was close to coming home from overseas.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[medhead]

I use Virgin Mobile post paid.
If foreign carriers charge Italian SIM cards to receive SMSs, I am unsure why they'd leave Australian ones alone.
Regards,
Renato

Each telephone company makes their own deals for roaming. An Italian sim provider having a different deal to Telstra is hardly surprising.

 

[Cynicor]

I use Virgin Mobile post paid.
If foreign carriers charge Italian SIM cards to receive SMSs, I am unsure why they'd leave Australian ones alone.
Regards,
Renato

There is nowhere I know of in the world, with an AU carrier, that charges to receive SMS on roaming, Italy included. I was in Milan 5 weeks ago, no hassles.

Even 10 years ago I had no issues with roaming and SMS receipt, so your hefty bill was more likely something else, but I was not in Italy at that time.

 

[RooFlyer]

Your experience with an italian sim isn't really indicative of using an australian phone. I'd have to check my bills but I don't recall being charged to receive SMS while in Europe in 2005, 2007 or 2011. Definitely haven't been charged to receive SMS in Europe or Asia for trips during 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. All with Telstra post paid.

I use Virgin Mobile post paid.
If foreign carriers charge Italian SIM cards to receive SMSs, I am unsure why they'd leave Australian ones alone.
Regards,
Renato

Its not often I agree with medhead but ...I do here

Not sure about Italy, but I have not been charged by Telstra for receiving an SMS in Canada, USA or Sth America recently (have checked bills to hand). Send SMS - 75c.

 

[opusman]

I carry enough technology with me without having to lug an extra phone around just to receive the occasional text

 

[Renato1]

There is nowhere I know of in the world, with an AU carrier, that charges to receive SMS on roaming, Italy included. I was in Milan 5 weeks ago, no hassles.

Even 10 years ago I had no issues with roaming and SMS receipt, so your hefty bill was more likely something else, but I was not in Italy at that time.

You have been all around the world with all the Australian phone carriers? Who when you read their charges for international roaming say they can't be sure about what one will be charged, because it all depends on what carriers overseas charge, and that changes all the time?

I remember that back in 2009 there was some move in the EU to limit the cost of mobile calls to around two Euros a minute because of the outrageous fees being charged to foreign tourists.
Regards,
Renato

 

[medhead]

You have been all around the world with all the Australian phone carriers? Who when you read their charges for international roaming say they can't be sure about what one will be charged, because it all depends on what carriers overseas charge, and that changes all the time?

I remember that back in 2009 there was some move in the EU to limit the cost of mobile calls to around two Euros a minute because of the outrageous fees being charged to foreign tourists.
Regards,
Renato

1) you raised an issue with SMS in Europe not all around the world

2) it only depends on the charges by your phone provider. Those do not vary depending by roaming carrier.

 

[Cynicor]

Renato, you can argue all you want, but you don't understand telco roaming agreements. As medhead states, it is not dependant on the overseas carrier. You can look up your own telco here and see their roaming rates, there is nothing extra added.

And yes, I can read my phone bill. Not sure why you can't, so I can tell what has been charged and what hasn't. It's not written in code.

If your AU carrier doesn't have a roaming agreement with a network, your phone will not work on that network, so you can't be socked for fees magically.

Like I say, I cannot definitively rule out that Italy was different 10 years ago, but I highly doubt it, and I guarantee is isn't that way currently.

 

[Renato1]

Things have changed . I take my Telstra phone overseas and don't use any local SIM, as its my business phone and I want the number to stay active. I block data roaming. It used to be $15 per MB roaming but at last the charges dropped to just expensive, rather than criminal. I still get umpteen SMSs from Telstra every time I travel to a new country though, but no charge. There is so much free wi-fi about these days that its easy to stay in touch with phone e-mails and internet without using data via the telephone networks. But if I think I might want to use data for some reason, I buy a data pack and you get warning SMSs (no charge) when you have used 50%, 75%, 90% etc of your data allowance. Still not happy with Telstra's charges and mucking about, but a lot better than they used to be.

Yes, but when overseas I stay for the main part in a house without internet or phone. I have to use a local SIM card - else I can't get the internet without driving into town, and my auntie can't ring us up to go over for one of her huge meals. Cheers, Renato

 

[Renato1]

Renato, you can argue all you want, but you don't understand telco roaming agreements. As medhead states, it is not dependant on the overseas carrier. You can look up your own telco here and see their roaming rates, there is nothing extra added.

And yes, I can read my phone bill. Not sure why you can't, so I can tell what has been charged and what hasn't. It's not written in code.

If your AU carrier doesn't have a roaming agreement with a network, your phone will not work on that network, so you can't be socked for fees magically.

Like I say, I cannot definitively rule out that Italy was different 10 years ago, but I highly doubt it, and I guarantee is isn't that way currently.

Well, I don't have my bill from 10 years ago. I note that looking at current Virgin Mobile indicative rates there is no way I could clock up a $400+ bill today, with the minuscule usage I did back then.

As for zero cost to receive an SMS - for the current top 10 most visited countries, Virgin list it as zero, but I haven't found a comprehensive list for other countries.

But contrary to the statement that one never gets charged for receiving SMSs - it does certainly happen for the Welcome SMSs,
https://community.virginmobile.com.au/t5/Phones-knowledge-base/International-Roaming/ta-p/42
"Cost of Roaming
While roaming, you will be charged for;
Outgoing and incoming calls and outgoing messages, including 'Welcome SMS' received when first connecting to an overseas network"
Regards,
Renato

 

[Cynicor]

Read that sentence (theirs, not yours), it doesn't make grammatical sense really. It could be read as saying no cost for welcome SMS. But I can't find anywhere else that people have listed an actual cost for the welcome sms, so it doesn't seem like they charge for it.

They are also really opaque with their roaming rates, which sucks for you. I suggest finding a better and more forthcoming carrier in Australia, or use the Vodafone roaming packs.

 

[Renato1]

Read that sentence (theirs, not yours), it doesn't make grammatical sense really. It could be read as saying no cost for welcome SMS. But I can't find anywhere else that people have listed an actual cost for the welcome sms, so it doesn't seem like they charge for it.

They are also really opaque with their roaming rates, which sucks for you. I suggest finding a better and more forthcoming carrier in Australia, or use the Vodafone roaming packs.

As I said elsewhere in this thread, Welcome SMSs chewed up all of my 8 Euros in credit from my Italian SIM card when driving around Europe two years ago - and the SIM card didn't even work in those countries. I doubt Australian SIM cards would be exempt.

I'll never get rid of my Virgin phone. I'm on their most ancient introductory plan - I pay zero a month for the service, and only pay for what I use. (Though I think Virgin would like to get rid of me - but they honour their generous agreement)
Regards,
Renato

 

[medhead]

To go back around the circle, the Italian sim is not indicative of what an Australian sim will change. Different service providers, different charges. No charges on Telstra sim for the 3 welcome sms. I probably do have my bills from 10 years ago at home.

 

[RooFlyer]

You have been all around the world with all the Australian phone carriers? Who when you read their charges for international roaming say they can't be sure about what one will be charged, because it all depends on what carriers overseas charge, and that changes all the time?

<snip>

I believe the salient words of cynicor's post you query in that first sentence is I know of . Pretty clear that cynicor is speaking in terms of their own experience, not "all around the world"

As I said elsewhere in this thread, Welcome SMSs chewed up all of my 8 Euros in credit from my Italian SIM card when driving around Europe two years ago - and the SIM card didn't even work in those countries. I doubt Australian SIM cards would be exempt.

I'll never get rid of my Virgin phone. I'm on their most ancient introductory plan - I pay zero a month for the service, and only pay for what I use. (Though I think Virgin would like to get rid of me - but they honour their generous agreement)
Regards,
Renato

TBH you seem to be labouring to be at pains. if you want to stick with Virgin, that's great. But if it was me, I wouldn't complain when they charge me things I don't like when other people on this thread say how those charges can be avoided. You can ask the question, but to ignore and nay say all the responses isn't helpful to anyone, I suggest.

 

[Renato1]

TBH you seem to be labouring to be at pains. if you want to stick with Virgin, that's great. But if it was me, I wouldn't complain when they charge me things I don't like when other people on this thread say how those charges can be avoided. You can ask the question, but to ignore and nay say all the responses isn't helpful to anyone, I suggest.

As I wrote above,
"As for zero cost to receive an SMS - for the current top 10 most visited countries, Virgin list it as zero, but I haven't found a comprehensive list for other countries."

What point am I labouring about?
Regards,
Renato

 

[RooFlyer]

.

As I wrote above,
"As for zero cost to receive an SMS - for the current top 10 most visited countries, Virgin list it as zero, but I haven't found a comprehensive list for other countries."

What point am I labouring about?
Regards,
Renato

No mention of a 'point'; I'm looking at posts beyond the one you just quoted . If we go back to your topic of best banks for o/s ... I note a comment up thread that

I've reduced my dealings with CBA to near zip, after a big switch to cards that earn flying points

Are you aware that CBA cards - or at least all the ones I'm familiar with - earn either QF or VA points, or Flight Centre (shiver) spend? Between 1.5 and 3 points/$ for Amex (depending on level), and between 1 and 1.25 points/$ for the Mastercards. 3points/$ very tasty for ATO spend. As I mentioned up-thread the CBA phone application is sensational - ability to lock and unlock cards on the fly, check balances, pay, transfer funds on the fly ; ... and no security sms