# Using a UK O2 phone in Spain



## Anglo_American

Hi everyone,

Does anyone here use a UK based O2 phone when they travel to Spain? I tried to talk to one of the muppets in the O2 store here in London and I got nowhere fast. A quick search for "O2 UK" on these forums yield no results. 

What's the best way "bolt-on" to use?

Thanks

Steve


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## jojo

Anglo_American said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> Does anyone here use a UK based O2 phone when they travel to Spain? I tried to talk to one of the muppets in the O2 store here in London and I got nowhere fast. A quick search for "O2 UK" on these forums yield no results.
> 
> What's the best way "bolt-on" to use?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Steve


I use O2 and have bolt-ons, but I dont know what they are, I´ll ask my OH and get back to you

Jo x


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## Anglo_American

jojo said:


> I use O2 and have bolt-ons, but I dont know what they are, I´ll ask my OH and get back to you
> 
> Jo x


Hey Jo,

Thnx for that. We arrive tomorrow, Friday (yah!) and we've already got a couple of viewings lined up. Other than Heatherspoons, any other expat haunts you can recommend for Friday and/or Saturday night?

Steve


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## SteveHall

Sure - you can use it here. You will pay hideous roaming charges and ridiculous outbound charges but it will work fine. If it is unlcoked just go to any Eroski, Carrefour hypermarket or any phoneshop and buy a Spanish SIM. Probably about 10 or 20 euros with 5 or 12/15 euros worth of "free calls".


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## SteveHall

jojo said:


> I use O2 and have bolt-ons, but I dont know what they are, I´ll ask my OH and get back to you
> 
> Jo x


Is that another word for a boob job? Whilst I am sure your OH would know, I'd have thought you would have realised when you came around from the anaesthetic !

Send me some photos and I will give you an opinion LOL

I still say Ana Obregóns' are natural (Much in the same way as I believe in the tooth fairy!)


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## jojo

Anglo_American said:


> Hey Jo,
> 
> Thnx for that. We arrive tomorrow, Friday (yah!) and we've already got a couple of viewings lined up. Other than Heatherspoons, any other expat haunts you can recommend for Friday and/or Saturday night?
> 
> Steve


I still havent spoken to my OH about phones, had a bit of "an afternoon", the childrens school reports are in 

I dont get out much , so I dont know of any other places in Benalmadena, dunno if Steve Hall does????? I think he does a meeting "thing" on a friday over in Mijas costa, if you have a hire car, you could meet him there??? I might even venture over... with the children... if I havent nagged em to death about trying harder at school by then 

Jo xx


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## jojo

SteveHall said:


> Is that another word for a boob job? Whilst I am sure your OH would know, I'd have thought you would have realised when you came around from the anaesthetic !
> 
> Send me some photos and I will give you an opinion LOL
> 
> I still say Ana Obregóns' are natural (Much in the same way as I believe in the tooth fairy!)



My "bolt-ons" are all my own work Steve, thats why they´re not that impressive LOL

Jo xxxxx


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## EP GAZZ

I used my AT&T phone in Spain on my recent trip it works fine for everything as Steve says though majorly expensive.

Would like to get phone when I arrive but think I need to have had a bank account etc for a while so may end up having to eat high charges for a while!

The not fun side about moving the starting all over again bit, bank accounts,cars,phones,internet all a pain without having lived there before.


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## jojo

I have just a Spanish bolt-on, but its not cheap and I´m about to change service provider cos my contract is up apparently!!

Jo xx


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## SteveHall

You do not need a bank a/c to get a phone. Just a credit/debit card.


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## jojo

SteveHall said:


> You do not need a bank a/c to get a phone. Just a credit/debit card.



I thought you needed an NIE number to get a contract phone???

Jo


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## SteveHall

There is absolutely no benefit in getting a contract phone nowadays. Especially for somebody just jumping off a plane and not knowing contract patterns etc


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## jojo

SteveHall said:


> There is absolutely no benefit in getting a contract phone nowadays. Especially for somebody just jumping off a plane and not knowing contract patterns etc


I like contract phones. you never run out of credit, you get a phone and insurance thrown in and an upgrade every year and you can keep tabs on phone numbers and people always know yours...... well maybe thats a bad thing for some?? 

Jo


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## SteveHall

All that now available on a hybrid plan like Midas Mobile Spain Home page - Cheap Mobile Calls - Spain - Cheap International calls from Spain


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## EP GAZZ

SteveHall said:


> There is absolutely no benefit in getting a contract phone nowadays. Especially for somebody just jumping off a plane and not knowing contract patterns etc


Steve I with nature of my work need my email etc on the go so is such a beast available with full roaming in US and Europe as well as at home in Spain on a pay as you go basis.

We do not have that situation over here.


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## SteveHall

EP GAZZ said:


> Steve I with nature of my work need my email etc on the go so is such a beast available with full roaming in US and Europe as well as at home in Spain on a pay as you go basis.
> 
> We do not have that situation over here.


Yes, standard stuff here - Vodafone: Telefonía Móvil


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## EP GAZZ

SteveHall said:


> Yes, standard stuff here - Vodafone: Telefonía Móvil


Is this your line of work Steve?

Could do with a bit of advice if it is off line perhaps on PM


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## SteveHall

Only 30 years! Getting used to it now [email protected]


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## decgraham

SteveHall said:


> All that now available on a hybrid plan like Midas Mobile Spain Home page - Cheap Mobile Calls - Spain - Cheap International calls from Spain


Steve, I checked out the site and it looks very good, question though, can you tell me what it costs to call the Midas mobile? When I was in Spain in February I used my PAYG Spanish Vodafone and a friend of mine who was there was using the one that's advertised from the guy from "Only fools and horses". When I called him it was costing me nearly 40 cents a minute, didn't notice until I logged into my account and saw the cost. Calling other providers was much cheaper. Appreciate your feedback. ATB


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## SteveHall

Hi, 

I don't see how calling other than your own operator would ever be cheaper than a standard charge. (The guy from Only Fools and Horses (Boycey?) is with an Orange reseller) 

I was on a high user Vodafone tariff paying 34 cents+ 16% = ca 40 cents to call another mobile. So 40 cents looks about right from Vodafone. That is what it would be TO a Midas mobile as it uses the Vodafone network. 

Vodafone: Tarifa plana de Voz 60X1

With Midas it is just 7 cents to any other mobile if you port your number 15 if you do not.


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## decgraham

SteveHall said:


> Hi,
> 
> I don't see how calling other than your own operator would ever be cheaper than a standard charge. (The guy from Only Fools and Horses (Boycey?) is with an Orange reseller)
> 
> I was on a high user Vodafone tariff paying 34 cents+ 16% = ca 40 cents to call another mobile. So 40 cents looks about right from Vodafone. That is what it would be TO a Midas mobile as it uses the Vodafone network.
> 
> Vodafone: Tarifa plana de Voz 60X1
> 
> With Midas it is just 7 cents to any other mobile if you port your number 15 if you do not.



Steve,

Many thanks for the feedback, yes my mate is with Boycey, I just double checked and realise the other people I was calling are all on Vodafone and with the plan I have (Vitamina 60x1 24h) I can speak to them or a landline for up to 60 minutes and only pay for 1 minute which costs me 50 cents. So the Midas option looks good for my wife, you know how women like to "chat". I want to get her a Spanish number (she's been using her UK or Q8 Mobile which with the roaming charges is not cheap!). Will they post the sim to Kuwait do you know? or can I get them to post to my Spain address and pick it up when we get there in July? Once again thanks for your feedback on this, you are obviously the man in the know. ATB


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## SteveHall

decgraham said:


> Steve,
> 
> Many thanks for the feedback, yes my mate is with Boycey, I just double checked and realise the other people I was calling are all on Vodafone and with the plan I have (Vitamina 60x1 24h) I can speak to them or a landline for up to 60 minutes and only pay for 1 minute which costs me 50 cents. So the Midas option looks good for my wife, you know how women like to "chat". I want to get her a Spanish number (she's been using her UK or Q8 Mobile which with the roaming charges is not cheap!). Will they post the sim to Kuwait do you know? or can I get them to post to my Spain address and pick it up when we get there in July? Once again thanks for your feedback on this, you are obviously the man in the know. ATB


**Yes, that's what I thought. If you ask Vodafone now you should be able to get them up to 90 minutes for the price of one. (They had that last month) The issue is that by Spanish LAW (NOT Vodafone's or Midas) it needs a signature on the doc and the signature must be that of the customer. Tomorrow I will find if it can be sent to Kuwait. Whatever happens we will have a resolve for you. 

Here to help. 

Steve


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## decgraham

SteveHall said:


> **Yes, that's what I thought. If you ask Vodafone now you should be able to get them up to 90 minutes for the price of one. (They had that last month) The issue is that by Spanish LAW (NOT Vodafone's or Midas) it needs a signature on the doc and the signature must be that of the customer. Tomorrow I will find if it can be sent to Kuwait. Whatever happens we will have a resolve for you.
> 
> Here to help.
> 
> Steve


Thanks again Steve, forget about Q8 I've been having a lot of problems with the post here especially if it feels like a card (I have had to have my replacement Credit Cards sent by courier as the ones that were sent in the post where stolen at the post office here!!)
My Spanish address would be fine though for the sim but if a signature is required normal letters are getting through to Q8 without a problem. ATB


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## SteveHall

No problems, I'll find out tomorrow what can be done.


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## EP GAZZ

Thanks to help of Steve and his associates I have come to conclusion that I will keep my AT&T account here in the USA so when I am back over for work its cheaper as a contract phone and as a newly arrived in Spain certainly to begin with I would go PAYG for 3 cells in Spain we need.

Seems that like with many things the phone companies have heavily limited use in first few months due to economic downturn

So its off to buy an unlocked set of phones downtown MSP and bring them to Spain and buy sim cards there.


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## SteveHall

How much will you pay for the phones in the USA - you can get them for 40 USD each here. Worth waiting?


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## EP GAZZ

SteveHall said:


> How much will you pay for the phones in the USA - you can get them for 40 USD each here. Worth waiting?


Depends on phone of course I am looking at a $299 for an 8300 Curve,Nokia 1208 is about $40 and a Razr about $99.

No doubt my 11 year old will want her usual pink blinged phone.


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## SteveHall

NOt much different here. Entry levels dirt cheap but if you want something to look at rather than use you will pay top dollar unlocked. 

I am looking to bring iPhones (ish!) and Blakkberries (sic) in but the Koreans still want to charge silly prices just because of what they look like!!


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## EP GAZZ

SteveHall said:


> NOt much different here. Entry levels dirt cheap but if you want something to look at rather than use you will pay top dollar unlocked.
> 
> I am looking to bring iPhones (ish!) and Blakkberries (sic) in but the Koreans still want to charge silly prices just because of what they look like!!


I know the pitfalls like my little one's current Prada bloomin phone

I don't care what mine looks like but certainly need the roaming and the email.


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