Best Mobile Prepaid/Contract Option For 3-Month Stay?

AngryAngMo · Post by **AngryAngMo** » Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:42 am

Hello,

my girlfriend is coming to Singapore and she needs a mobile card for being reachable.
She will probably stay for approx 3-4 month and is expecting calls from Canada and HK, means she needs an option where incoming calls wont cost her a fortune.

Any ideas?

Cheers and thanks!

DimWit Kid · Post by **DimWit Kid** » Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:06 pm

Starhub's Green prepaid has free incoming calls feature.
Singtel's hi Card you will be charged for incoming calls.

AngryAngMo · Post by **AngryAngMo** » Tue, 06 Jan 2009 3:45 pm

Are you sure??

this is what i found:

# A fee of 59¢ will apply for each activation (including re-activation) of on-demand Free Incoming Calls feature.
# A daily deduction of 59¢ will apply upon activation of On-demand Free Incoming Calls feature

DimWit Kid · Post by **DimWit Kid** » Tue, 06 Jan 2009 3:58 pm

Yes, my bad not to say that there's no free lunch... Starhub and M1 has similar "free incoming"scheme.
It's either that or 8 cents per minutes airtime. It depends on how many calls she think she will get a day and how long the conversation would be.... If she talks on incoming calls for more than 8 minutes a day this is the cheaper option.

60 cents a day for 4 months means $72 - not a fortune, no?

Otherwise, for a completely free option buy a skype enabled phone (or a wifi mobile phone), register at any hotspot outlet (so many of them anyway) for wireless@sg and ask the friends to call via skype...

AngryAngMo · Post by **AngryAngMo** » Tue, 06 Jan 2009 4:27 pm

Ah thanks, yes, in the meantime i have checked singtels Hi! card and the green card, and they almost look identical to me, even the 128SD topup offer is the same O_o

I believe that i will go for one of both, since they also both offer the "free" incoming call option...just....which one?

) Where is the difference?

Post by **jpatokal** » Tue, 06 Jan 2009 7:10 pm

Why not sign up for a second postpaid phone in your own name, and give it to her? Eg. SingTel's "iOne Super Value" plan goes for $15/mo, including real free incoming calls, free 80 min/mo local calls, 50 free SMS/mo etc, and IIRC there's no minimum commitment if you supply your own phone. I'm sure M1 and Starhub have similar deals.

durain · Post by **durain** » Tue, 06 Jan 2009 8:58 pm

i was so excited when i saw the word "free incoming" for pre-paid sim, until i read the small print!

for a few months in singapore, just get a pre-paid. for post-paid, you are locked in for a minimum duration of 12 months contract.

with starhub pre-paid, you can sms for free (yes, this time it is really FREE) on the internet to the mobile. singtel has similar but need to setup an account.

there's not much difference between all the telco pre-paid rates and charges. all the telco follow each others.

amiee40 · Post by **amiee40** » Tue, 06 Jan 2009 9:49 pm

I have star-hub prepaid and when i activate the free income calls, it says one time activation fee of 59c.

Perhaps i should read the fine print. No wonder why $18 balance disappears within 3-4 weeks and when i only use the free sms.

AngryAngMo · Post by **AngryAngMo** » Wed, 07 Jan 2009 9:35 am

Hey thanks for the info, yes, the problem with the postpaid contarct is the 12month im glued to it...

Regarding the Starhub "Free Sms" from the internet, what does that mean? I can only send free sms from the internet and not my mobile?

durain · Post by **durain** » Wed, 07 Jan 2009 9:19 pm

AngryAngMo wrote: Regarding the Starhub "Free Sms" from the internet, what does that mean? I can only send free sms from the internet and not my mobile?

correct. you can send sms using the internet to the starhub pre-paid mobile for free. to send sms on the pre-paid mobile, the cost is 5 cents a pop for local mobile number (cross network) and 15 cents for global mobile number. receiving sms is free even when roaming. depending how you use it, you get some freebie stuff as well. have a look at starhub website.

AngryAngMo · Post by **AngryAngMo** » Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:23 am

Just did so,
guess i will just get me that one...and by the way, these IDD calls they always mention, where you can call certain destinations for free.

Is that really working as promised? You just dial the resp. prefix and then you can call for free? Or are there any limitations like limited quality, lines,time etc..

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Thu, 08 Jan 2009 1:06 pm

AAM, you really should do you homework. That or just give us the ftp for your blog and we'll do all the work for your "guide"! And you can still take all the credit for "assembling" all the data.

Some people are rather transparent.......

AngryAngMo · Post by **AngryAngMo** » Thu, 08 Jan 2009 2:24 pm

excuse me what???

SMS, i seariusly dont know whats wrong with you today...
Is it normal that you are such a "over-curious" person? I should probably write a whole bunch to defend myself, but I seariously dont feel like it (this is the second version of my post since i took the time to settle down my anger and rewrite it)...

Just some points
- My girlfriend is arriving this Sunday 11.40AM from HK and will stay for 3 month, shes applying for jobs means she needs a mobile number to be contactable. I will visit a mobile shop this sat with a friend who knows more about it to get the card. If you believe that or not is up to you, and seariously not concerning me.

I joined this platform not long ago and by now have realized its highly usablity and option to get quick answers to questions that are on your mind reg singapore expats.
If it is "unnormal" for you when someone asks a lot of questions, you should probably really think about a "per-day-limit" otherwise you will end up accusing a lot of more people that they use this forum for any kind of strange reasons...

Now, i dont know where you get the above idea from of "using" this information for my blog, but if you had checked all my posts and topics that i ever made here you would see that...

- From 7 Topics i started NONE is even close to any of my posts on my blog

- From 35 posts I made to other topics, trying to provide information and help, ONE (http://www.singaporeexpats.com/forum/ft ... highlight=) i referred to my blog where i had once written a post about the Singapore Online maps which came in useful since someone was asking for it

So please...before you accuse me again of something like this...just think about it again. Thanks.

durain · Post by **durain** » Thu, 08 Jan 2009 7:27 pm

AngryAngMo wrote:Just did so,
guess i will just get me that one...and by the way, these IDD calls they always mention, where you can call certain destinations for free.

Is that really working as promised? You just dial the resp. prefix and then you can call for free? Or are there any limitations like limited quality, lines,time etc..

where got free la. you got to read the small print or the condition. just like the "free incoming" is not actually free. so the international calls might be free, but you have to pay to call the access number. somewhere, there's a catch.

the cheapest way to call international landline or mobile is by using 3rd party VoIP. calls to/on mobile will always be expensive.

Post by **jpatokal** » Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:08 pm

durain wrote:for a few months in singapore, just get a pre-paid. for post-paid, you are locked in for a minimum duration of 12 months contract.

Not so! That applies only if you get their phones. Read the small print:

2. Duration of Service and Termination
2.1 The Minimum Subscription Period for the Service shall be:
(a) a period of three (3) months; or

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Best Mobile Prepaid/Contract Option For 3-Month Stay?

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