Hey

This is a bit of a rant and I am hoping someone can help me or give some advice. I am getting ripped off by Lebara and whenever I try to call them I keep getting told I’m in the wrong by someone who does not listen and repeats things like a computer.

Story is I have had Lebara since March to call the UK which is good at 9 (rapaan sorry if that’s wrong) but I have been calling Lebara to Lebara which they say is free but I still get charged. I have read the small print and they charge you 19 (Swiss p) for connection and the first hour is free. Every hour thereafter is 1.95 chf per minute. I went on to their website and checked my call history and for some reason I am getting charged 20 (Swiss p) for GPRS charges when my phone cannot even go on the internet. It totals to approx 3 chf per week that they are taking out of my credit for nothing. I have tried to call them so many times and it’s like banging my head against a brick wall. I want to find out if anyone knows who regulates them or who I can complain to? I have asked to speak to a Manager but the agent refuses saying they will only tell me the same thing that she is.

hope someone can please help.

Probably a rip off. Are you calling to a mobile ? If not, this one is cheap (0.03CHF/M)
http://www.10787.ch/rates.php#U

On their website I got the impression that Lebara to Lebara is only free for calls within Switzerland.

Lebara to Lebara CHF 0.-* (in Switzerland)

also make sure your phone is locked to Lebara, and your not roaming onto another network by mistake!

its usually in the network option in the phone, if your phone can't connect for whatever reason, eg cell full, low lebara signal etc or your nearer a cell over the boarder, then you'll connect via orange (for example) and so all your cheap calls etc go out the window! lock your phone to lebara only!

if you cannot connect via voice then you may well be connecting via gprs (and using voice), again check your phone and turn off gprs.

That is correct from my experience. As for calls to abroad from CH, I found it very affordable ( esp. to Australia ), got a bonus for reloading as well as a CHF1/- credit for every 15 mins spent on a call. No issues whatsoever.

The Lebara sim was bought in Baden and also the person I am calling has a Swiss Lebara sim and she is the only person I use to call from this phone. I have had no problems calling the UK its only now that I have used it Lebara to Lebara that I am finding my credit getting taken for nothing. As for the GPS charges I would never have known if I had not checked online for my call summary and I am getting charged data charges for nothing. Sorry if I am repeating myself guys do they have a regulator like offcom or something?

Lebara is a "hidden" cost operator. Their rates seem lower than most operators but:
1. They do round on the minute. This means that if you speak 1 minute and 1 second they will charge you for two minutes.
2. They have a connection establishment fee.
3. You already seen their support.

They do say they do that for points 1 and 2 but in the small print. Thus they're perfectly legal and depend on you presuming per second rounding and no connection fees are standard. Yallo is a bit better I think... It all depends on your needs at the end.

How do we lock our phones to teir network?

I have an unlocked phone and I put in my new Lebara sim card and I cannot use it. I have an error message of SIM cannot be registered?

if you get that error message then your phone isn't unlocked

not knowing what phone you have makes it kinda difficult to tell you how to 'lock' it to the network operator!

Usually its under 'Network Select' this is usually set to auto, you can change that to manual and select Lebara, that was you'll get Lebara or nothing, at the moment you probably get Lebara, or if thats not available you'll roam onto another network.

I have a Nokia N81. It is 100% unlocked. I purchased it in the US as an unlocked phone and so far have used Migros Mobile, T-Mobile (USA), and Vodafone (NZ) with it. I have never had problems with a SIM card until i put a Lebara one in it.

ok silly question, have you registed the sim card with Lebara? or has the card been deactivated from lack of use?

no, i bought the card direct from a dealer/stand. There are no instructions for me to do any special activation nor is there any suggestions that i do so on the website

Try this:
https://mypages.lebara-mobile.ch/lebara/servlet/Start

Try forgot your password

tried....in both instances an sms or an email is sent to the phone number

Then use it to log on: username is your mobile number 076xxxxxxx password is what they've sent you

actually, completely unrelated to this.....i just fit the SIM card into the phone again and I was no longer getting the error message and it now DOES work......strange

maybe the activation took a few days and the new number is now activated...either way....i am stoked