Local sim card top-ups

doofus · Mar 14th, 2006, 22:33

I have only just got back from Goa. Whilst there I got a local sim card (IDEA).

Maybe someone can help with this question.

There are top-ups at various amounts. I bought a card for 375 rupees but it only registered 199 rupees talk time. The same discrepancy is with other amounts as well. I was under the impression that the amount you pay for the card is the amount credited. Not the case apparently. The seller had no idea why eother.

Please dont tell me I can make calls to home from local pay phones as I do already know that. I like the idea of texts sending and receiving and also to be able to receive calls wherever I am.

cheers.

goangoangone · Mar 14th, 2006, 23:02

TAX

crvlvr · Mar 15th, 2006, 00:55

the same company willoffer different top up amounts and the "missing minutes", as a percenage of the amount will vary. You might that you are getting a better deal on the Rs100 top up than the Rs300 top up. When I was in India, I got 8 Rs 100 top ups in staead of the Rs800 top up.

thelaukik · Apr 21st, 2006, 18:48

A prepaid recharge voucher has the following components to its pricing:
1. talk time
2. validity charges
3. tax

A Rs. 375 topu up card gives you Rs.199 talk time valid for 30 days. The 176 extra rupees taht you pay are for using the facility for 30 days ( like rent on your telephone).
There are zero validity cards and zero talk tome cars as well.
Zero validity cards eg. Rs.300 card will give you a talk time of approf Rs 275 (Rs. 25 TAX...forget it not) but to use those talk minutes you should have bought a validity card. Generally a Rs 100 card with xero talk time gives 1 month validity.
I know its a bit confusing.

capt_mahajan · Apr 21st, 2006, 19:56

what a user is mainly interested in is the amount, in rupees, of talk time he gets and the validity (in months) of the top up card. This is what you need to see when you buy the top up card

Unless there are promotional offers going on, there will be deductions along the lines of earlier posts here.

exacta · Apr 22nd, 2006, 20:19

this is the case anywhere in India, Rental charges,tax abd CLIP charges are deducted from your total recharge amount

dani · Apr 22nd, 2006, 20:32

that's completely nuts!
But thanks for the info, I wondered myself too why I didn't get as much as I paid..

Nick-H · Apr 22nd, 2006, 21:15

Yep, it is completely nuts. A scam even.

On the positive side, calls are relatively cheap, and even sending SMSs home won't cost you much.

When you buy your card make sure that it is able to do international calls! Or it will all be a waste!

I recently fell for another Indian Telecom scam: it is called the lifetime sim. It never runs out. You pay Rs1000 or so for this privalage ---and that of paying more for your calls, more for your SMSs etc etc etc. But to undo it I have to get a new SIM with a new number.

john.sw · Apr 22nd, 2006, 23:02

Even with the deductions, mobile phone charges are still relitively cheap.

I have received two SMS messages from India today which cost the sender Rs.3.5 each.

I replied from the UK and each reply cost me ove Rs.24/-

... it's not so bad for you after all!

dani · Apr 23rd, 2006, 03:40

Sure it is quite cheap, but very confusing. They could just include all those extra costs in the minute rate, and all would be fine!

Mar 14th, 2006, 22:33	#1
doofus Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Uk Posts: 61	Local sim card top-ups I have only just got back from Goa. Whilst there I got a local sim card (IDEA). Maybe someone can help with this question. There are top-ups at various amounts. I bought a card for 375 rupees but it only registered 199 rupees talk time. The same discrepancy is with other amounts as well. I was under the impression that the amount you pay for the card is the amount credited. Not the case apparently. The seller had no idea why eother. Please dont tell me I can make calls to home from local pay phones as I do already know that. I like the idea of texts sending and receiving and also to be able to receive calls wherever I am. cheers.

Mar 14th, 2006, 23:02	#2
goangoangone Monsoon Loon Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Goa Posts: 1,535	TAX __________________ GoanGoan......here

Apr 21st, 2006, 18:48	#4
thelaukik Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 40	top ups A prepaid recharge voucher has the following components to its pricing: 1. talk time 2. validity charges 3. tax A Rs. 375 topu up card gives you Rs.199 talk time valid for 30 days. The 176 extra rupees taht you pay are for using the facility for 30 days ( like rent on your telephone). There are zero validity cards and zero talk tome cars as well. Zero validity cards eg. Rs.300 card will give you a talk time of approf Rs 275 (Rs. 25 TAX...forget it not) but to use those talk minutes you should have bought a validity card. Generally a Rs 100 card with xero talk time gives 1 month validity. I know its a bit confusing. __________________ Adventure ---> Risk Management

Apr 22nd, 2006, 20:19	#6
exacta according to my best recollection i don't remember Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: GALAXIES Posts: 78	this is the case anywhere in India, Rental charges,tax abd CLIP charges are deducted from your total recharge amount __________________ To a man with imagination, a map is a window to adventure

Apr 22nd, 2006, 21:15	#8
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,692	Yep, it is completely nuts. A scam even. On the positive side, calls are relatively cheap, and even sending SMSs home won't cost you much. When you buy your card make sure that it is able to do international calls! Or it will all be a waste! I recently fell for another Indian Telecom scam: it is called the lifetime sim. It never runs out. You pay Rs1000 or so for this privalage ---and that of paying more for your calls, more for your SMSs etc etc etc. But to undo it I have to get a new SIM with a new number. __________________ . Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

Mar 15th, 2006, 00:55	#3
crvlvr Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Hollywood Posts: 4,498	the same company willoffer different top up amounts and the "missing minutes", as a percenage of the amount will vary. You might that you are getting a better deal on the Rs100 top up than the Rs300 top up. When I was in India, I got 8 Rs 100 top ups in staead of the Rs800 top up.

Apr 21st, 2006, 19:56	#5
capt_mahajan (in charge of navel affairs) Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 10,509	what a user is mainly interested in is the amount, in rupees, of talk time he gets and the validity (in months) of the top up card. This is what you need to see when you buy the top up card Unless there are promotional offers going on, there will be deductions along the lines of earlier posts here.

Apr 22nd, 2006, 20:32	#7
dani मेरा नाम Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Switzerland Posts: 499	that's completely nuts! But thanks for the info, I wondered myself too why I didn't get as much as I paid..

Apr 22nd, 2006, 23:02	#9
john.sw Up in the hills with my head in the clouds... Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: India/UK Posts: 1,019	Even with the deductions, mobile phone charges are still relitively cheap. I have received two SMS messages from India today which cost the sender Rs.3.5 each. I replied from the UK and each reply cost me ove Rs.24/- ... it's not so bad for you after all! __________________ www.nilgiris.asia your guide to the Nilgiris, Ooty, Coonoor, Kotagiri and Gudalur Last edited by john.sw : Apr 23rd, 2006 at 03:42.

Apr 23rd, 2006, 03:40	#10
dani मेरा नाम Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Switzerland Posts: 499	Sure it is quite cheap, but very confusing. They could just include all those extra costs in the minute rate, and all would be fine!

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