Recharge Amena PAYG SIM from UK?

Hi,

The 25 euros credit on my Spanish Amena PAYG SIM is due to expire in a
couple of weeks, and unfortunately I'm not visiting Spain in time to add
some more credit to keep it alive.

Anyone know how I can do it from the UK? I tried the RECHARGE button at
http://ingles.amena.com but it doesn't seem to like my PIN for some reason.

Thanks,

Fred.

These folks below sell the recharge, and can probably recharge it for
you at a fee. Click on services, and you will see the option there. At
least they did last year.

http://www.spainsim.com/home.htm


--
mrcamp

> These folks below sell the recharge, and can probably recharge it for
> you at a fee. Click on services, and you will see the option there. At
> least they did last year.


Thanks, but I've just discovered that Amena have an alliance with O2 which
means I can go and buy an O2 top-up voucher, and add that from the UK which
should keep my credit alive for another 12 months.

A follow up question, anyone know if you can call Amena customer services on
470 free from the UK, or if it only works from Spain? I need to have them
activate GPRS I think, ready for a trip later this year.

Fred.

I believe the sims are already activated with GPRS. You will need to get
the settings to your phone though. When I used the sim in spain last
year, the GPRS icon was showing on my phone. I did not have the
settings on my phone, because I did not plan on using it.


--
mrcamp

Fred Finisterre wrote:
> A follow up question, anyone know if you can call Amena customer services on
> 470 free from the UK, or if it only works from Spain? I need to have them
> activate GPRS I think, ready for a trip later this year.

It's the same cost as any other call from the UK to Spain. But GPRS
probably already comes activated, you may need to configure your phone
though...

http://www.gsmspain.com/config/

deadmail@burnt.org.uk wrote:
>> >Thanks, but I've just discovered that Amena have an alliance with O2 which
> >means I can go and buy an O2 top-up voucher, and add that from the UK which
> >should keep my credit alive for another 12 months.
>
> Are you sure about that? O2 are owned by Telefonica.

It's a bit more complicated than that. O2 and Amena were both members
of the Starmap Alliance, which has recently set up this mutual top-up
facility.

Part of the agreement for Telefonica taking over O2 was for Telefonica
to leave the Freemove alliance and join Starmap. Until this moment,
Amena was still in Starmap despite being owned by Orange which is in
Freemove.

So the question is - has Amena been transferred to Freemove? And I
can't find out the answer to that at the moment.

If not, then the top-up facility mentioned may well be possible, and
the fact that someone has mentioned that they've seen it recently [and
it must be recent, as this facility is still quite new] seems to
support that. Needs checking though, and don't be amazed if not.

andy wrote:
> So the question is - has Amena been transferred to Freemove? And I
> can't find out the answer to that at the moment.
>
> If not, then the top-up facility mentioned may well be possible, and
> the fact that someone has mentioned that they've seen it recently [and
> it must be recent, as this facility is still quite new] seems to
> support that. Needs checking though, and don't be amazed if not.

Amena's website still says that they're introducing top-up with O2
Ireland cards from 1st April and still mentions Starmap. Starmap's
website still mentions Amena.

Amena changes over to Orange in November, so maybe Amena will switch to
Freemove in November too.

Dan wrote:
> Amena's website still says that they're introducing top-up with O2
> Ireland cards from 1st April and still mentions Starmap. Starmap's
> website still mentions Amena.
>
> Amena changes over to Orange in November, so maybe Amena will switch to
> Freemove in November too.

Thanks. It's a bit odd that there was resistance to moving Amena to
Freemove while Telefonica was still there, but now no objection to them
ending up in the same one after all

It seems to me that part of the motive for these alliances is
"co-operating" on roaming charges, so I'm surprised the EU hasn't made
more objections

> Are you sure about that? O2 are owned by Telefonica.
>
> I've a memory that France Telecom/Orange own Amena.

The O2 announcement is fairly recent:

http://www.o2.com/media/latest_pr_1309.asp

I've mislaid the URL of the Amena announcement.

Fred.

> It's the same cost as any other call from the UK to Spain. But GPRS
> probably already comes activated, you may need to configure your phone
> though...
>
> http://www.gsmspain.com/config/

I bought the SIM in July 2004, and it was put on the Tarjeta Duo tariff
which I think is now obsolete (when I log into the Amena site to display my
tariff name - it says Unknown). Whilst you would expect it to be GPRS
activated, I have vague memories of not having the the GPRS logo available
when I used to use it in my T68i in Spain.

I've put it in my unlocked Orange SPV C500 and configured the Amena GPRS as
per that site (and others) with no joy. I have the big white 'G' which
suggest GPRS is available, but it won't connect. I don't think I'm doing
anything wrong, I've previosuly configured GPRS internet on several
different UK PAYG SIMS with no probs. I can only assume that the phone needs
activating for GPRS full stop or maybe GPRS roaming. I'll try it when I get
to Spain and call 470 if I have no joy.

Thanks,

Fred.

Fred Finisterre wrote:
> I bought the SIM in July 2004, and it was put on the Tarjeta Duo tariff
> which I think is now obsolete (when I log into the Amena site to display my
> tariff name - it says Unknown). Whilst you would expect it to be GPRS
> activated, I have vague memories of not having the the GPRS logo available
> when I used to use it in my T68i in Spain.

If it's because of your tariff, there's no particular reason to stay
with Duo any more. The advantages were you could call anyone for 3c/min
but everyone else was 30c/min and you were charged by the second after
the first minute. Now you can nominate a number as Mi Preferido (my
favourite) on any other tariff and all other tariffs charge by the
second after the first minute as well now.

> I've put it in my unlocked Orange SPV C500 and configured the Amena GPRS as
> per that site (and others) with no joy. I have the big white 'G' which
> suggest GPRS is available, but it won't connect. I don't think I'm doing
> anything wrong, I've previosuly configured GPRS internet on several
> different UK PAYG SIMS with no probs.

In theory you can roam onto any network in the UK except Vodafone for
GPRS, and the cost is 1 euro to connect and 43.7c per kilobyte (!).

If it still doesn't work you could try going to this page, clicking on
'desde aquí', and entering your SIM number and phone model, and the SIM
may be provisioned with GPRS if you don't have it already (I'm not sure
but it can't hurt to try)...

http://www.amena.com/amena/particula...edia/34_1.html

Or you could sending a message with CONFIGURA WAPGPRS or CONFIGURA
INTERNET to 222.

Thanks Dan. I just got the GPRS settings sent by SMS with the SIM in a
t68i - but still no joy.

I'd like to try changing my tariff, but as far as I can tell you can't
change it on the website, and I can't understand the Spanish voice
instructions when I phone 232. I don't suppose you know the number
combination I would press to change to a definitely GPRS friendly tariff? Or
is it possible to press something to get the instructions in English?

Cheers,

Fred.

> Thanks, but I've just discovered that Amena have an alliance with O2 which
> means I can go and buy an O2 top-up voucher, and add that from the UK
> which should keep my credit alive for another 12 months.

Grrrr! I bought a £10 O2 top-up voucher, and tried adding it in the same way
as you do when in Spain, and get something along the lines of "Credit not
added. Please call the free number 470". Except, of course the 470 number
isn't free from the UK, it's 1.4 euros a minute. So in order to add the £10
credit in order to not lose my 25 euros old credit, I'd probably have to
spend £20 calling Spain.

Starmap Alliance my arse! And now I have a useless (to me) O2 voucher.

Fred.

Are you sure that the number is chargeable? Some networks have such
numbers free even when roaming

"andy" <andy.ggrps@googlemail.com> wrote in message
news:1145214457.730212.66060@e56g2000cwe.googlegro ups.com...
> Are you sure that the number is chargeable? Some networks have such
> numbers free even when roaming
>

Yes, unfortunately. I can login to the Amena site and see my recent calls
and they're charging me 1.4 euros a minute for the numbers that are free in
Spain (232 & 470). I called them for 10 secs each to see if they would be
charged, and paid 1.4 euros for each (as Amena bill a minimum 60 secs for
the first minute).

Fred.