© 2015 COLOGNE First Trade GmbH | All rights reserved | * Prices include statutory VAT plus shipping costs Lebara mobile might seem attractive, but they are a nightmare to deal with - especially if you're travelling from overseas into the UK. I bought a Lebara SIM because I had used Lebara in Spain, and it was very easy. But, in the UK, it chewed up all my credit in just a few days. And then, when I tried to top-up my credit, I ran into the ridiculous problem of Lebara ONLY accepting UK credit cards. What kind of company that wants to attract travellers only accepts UK credit cards????? The stupidity of this defies belief. What was even more painful, is that when you try and recharge online they don't tell you this. You just keep on getting error messages without explanation. When I did call (and sat on hold for 10 mins), they finally explained that international credit cards aren't accepted.(Even more stupid, when I used my international credit card just fine in Spain to recharge my Spanish Lebara Sim)

The only solution they provide is to hunt-down an on-street seller of Lebara credit. This is doable, but it would be good if they simply advised on their website they don't accept international credit cards. <> I think that will be your usage of it, I doubt it did it of its own accord :-) << And then, when I tried to top-up my credit, I ran into the ridiculous problem of Lebara ONLY accepting UK credit cards. What kind of company that wants to attract travellers only accepts UK credit cards????? The stupidity of this defies belief.>> Now THAT is bizarre, ridiculous, etc. Many UK phone networks only allow online topup to UK registered cards. Probably an anti-fraud measure. UK and Spanish financial laws are different. Finding a store that sells Lebara top-up is hardly difficult though. Any shop displaying the green Top-up symbol where you'd top-up any other network, Payzone, Paypoint, Post Office, Phones4U, Carphone Warehouse, Asda, Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsburys.

It's not like it's some strange small company where you can only top up at 3 places in London and they're all in Hounslow. Actually - it's pretty unbelievable. I've travelled all over the world and never encountered this kind of small minded approach to credit cards. And it especially doesn't make sense when lebara in Spain doesn't have this condition - nor does it explain this restriction on its website.imking backpack It's typical British poor customer service attitude.aoking backpack with wheels I'd say its a typical Lebara attitude. snowpulse backpack saleNo need to make a blanket condemnation of an entire country on account of one company. swissgear backpack 1900

Especially when, AIUI, its dutch owned :-) I'd definitely agree-DO NOT buy a Lebara sim. We got them at the airport and they seemed ok, really cheap calls to Australia and free messages to Lebara, as well as data for maps etc. However, once the data is expired there's no way to opt out and renew again or get a different pass. If you run out of data after 20 days, you are stuck for 10 days not being able to get a new pass, you can "recharge" credit but not the data or pass, and you are stuck being charged an exorbitant amount for data (ours lasted 2 days with this option-10 pound down the drain). After calling customer service and spending about half an hour on the phone were told you can only have one active pass, and even if you opt out, you can't get a new one before 30 days (no where in terms and conditions does it say anything about that). Furious about the situation. Try t mobile or anyone else. I bought Lebara sim card, added Data Plus 500 Pass for 15 GBP. They declared: "Mobile Data: Unlimited".

After 5 days they cancelled my Data Plus pass without prior notice and switched my sim card to pay-as-you-go tariff, 1 GBP for 0.2 Mb, after that all my Lebara balance was withdrawn in 10 minutes. I called them to find out what happened. They said that they applied their amendment: "UNLIMITED data (subject to no naughty abuse of our offer terms and fair use policy)". So, I downloaded 3 Gb of data and they considered that it is not "fair". Beware of this tricky company called Lebara. I have to say it is low cost mobile network. But I had a few problems with their network connection. My friends have told me a few times that they cannot through when they call my number even my mobile is free. I really don't want to miss any important calls. It's same to me when I calling other people. Lebara's customer services is poor as well. Just cannot rely on Lebara's service. Same happened to me- bought Lebara Dataplus 500 internet pass and topped up my payg balance in the same time.

After 2 days my balance was zero and I had to call customer service. After like 40 minutes they activated the internet pass, and put back almost every money to my PayG account. Now a month later, they hid the Dataplus so well that there is no way to renew it. For the same amount of money you can only buy a 3 GB package only. DO NOT buy a Lebara SIM. Their customer services are simply appalling to deal with. They actually made it impossible for me to switch my old mobile number over to them. Part way through the procedure, the call was cut off. When I called back, I had to repeat all the PUK and PAC codes (understandably) and answer how much credit I had. Since it was a new card I just had the £10 but they said as I got a security question wrong (how much credit) they would not deal with me. I later discovered that the original call had taken 10pence off my credit which I did not realise so gave the wrong answer. I have binned the SIM! With regard to Lebara sim cards, I have been to the UK twice in the past 3 years, bought a Lebara sim and never had a problem.