Story Telecom : Frequently Asked Questions

Questions

Answers

Story cheap Calling Cards

Q- How does the service work?
A- It is very simple and full operating instructions are given at the back of the card or will be sent to you in an email if you buy online.
                1. Dial any of the access numbers (0208/ 0800/ 0845)
                2. Enter your Pin number
                3. Dial your destination Number (00 + Country Code + National Code + Telephone Number)
                4. To make another call, dial *

Q- Is the billing for your services per minute?
A- Yes, our billing is per minute billing.

Q- Can I use my credit to call from any phone?
A- Yes, you can dial the access number from any landline or mobile phone and then enter your pin number when it asks you to do so.

Q- Can I use the phone card from my mobile?
A- Yes, you can. You would need to check with your mobile operator as to how much they will charge you on your tariff for dialing 0800/ 0208/ 0845 access numbers. Apart from the 0800 access other access numbers might be deducted from your free minutes allowance from your mobile.

Q- Can I call from a UK payphones?
A- Yes, but there will be a surcharge of 10p per minute when using BT public payphones. This rate is in line with the industry norm.

Q- Can I use my Phone card overseas?
A- Yes, you can use your phone cards from 20 International Countries.To view the countries click international access numbers

Q- How will I know how much credit I have left?
A- When you make your call you will hear a voice prompt which will advise how much credit is left.

Q- How do I know the rates for the country I want to call?
A- You can check the rates and the suitable card from the Rates and Cards option on the website.

Q- Will the Phone card expire?
A- From the first use the validity for the cards is as below
                £5 – 30 days
                £10/£20 – 60 days
                £50 – 180 days

Q- Are your services suitable for calling non-standard phone numbers?
A- Our services are not suitable for calling non-standard or non-geographic phone numbers (e.g. national or international Freephone numbers, personal numbers, premium numbers or other audio text services) and if such calls are made they will be charged at rates substantially above the prices advertised.

Q- Do your call rates change?
A- Yes, we are continuously monitoring our rates to ensure that they are competitive and reliable. Very rarely rates to particular destinations might increase. Rate changes take place without notice that is why it’s important to pay regular visits to our website.

Story Mobile - Story Mobile - Story Text & Talk

Q- What is Story Mobile Card and Story Text & Talk?
A- These services allow you to make very cheap international calls from your mobile or landline with no need to set up an account. The service operates on a pre-pay basis and calls are made using the available credit.

Q- How do I top up?
A- Simply text MOBI or STORY to 80556 for a £5 call credit. The cheap text message will be charged to you by your mobile provider and for this we send your pin number with £5 credit along with the local and free phone international access numbers.

Q- How do I use Story Mobile Card or Story Text & Talk?
A- Simply dial any one of the access number included in the confirmation text message, listen to the message, if dialling from a different phone from that which you topped up from, then use the PIN included in the welcome text, enter the full international number - do not press send / call again. That's it your connected.

Q- What if I have sent a text requesting a top up, but have not received a confirmation message back?
A- Generally a confirmation message is sent instantaneously, however very occasionally for example at peak times the mobile networks maybe congested which means that the confirmation message maybe delayed. Do not resend the message as you will be charged twice.

Q- Are there any administration or subscription fees?
A- There is no administration or subscription fees. There is however a 0800 surcharge of one pence per minute from any international mobile or landline and a 10p per minute surcharge from a payphone. A connection charge equal to the rate per minute for the relevant destination is charged on each call. A disconnection charge between one to twenty pence applies to each successful call.

Q- Where can I find the rates for my destination country?
A- On Story Mobile and Story Text & Talk webpages

Q- Is there a maximum amount of topups that I am allowed in one day?
A- Yes, you can not topup with more than £20 in one day i.e. 4 X £5 topups.

Q- Is there any expiry date?
A- Yes, your calling credit will expire 90 days after the last topup was made

Story Dial Now

Q- Are there any subscription or registration fees?
A- No! Story Dial Now is immediately accessible from all land lines and mobiles without any subscription or registration fees. You can make cheap international long distance calls at any time.

Q- How can I find your rates and access numbers ?
A- We offer competitive rates to most of the countries around the Globe, for price list click Dial Now.

Q- Can I use Story Dial Now from my mobile?
A- Yes. But please check the rates for 08- and 09-numbers with your mobile provider. Depending on your calling plan, certain access numbers can be truly useful for you to make cheap or even free international phone calls from your mobile:

Q- Can I use Story Dial Now access number from a payphone?
A- Yes. But 08- and 09-numbers can be charged at a higher rate from payphones.

Q- How do I know about the latest rates and destination updates?
A- Call rates are announced before each connection, this way you are always in control of your costs.

Q- Are the Story Dial Now numbers charged the same by all landline service providers?
A- The rates mentioned for the access numbers are with respect to BT. The charges for customers from NTL/ Telewest or any other service provider might vary a little and we always recommend checking this with your provider in advance.

Q- I was told by my service provider you charge at premium rate, which is really expensive?
A- Only 09 numbers are classified as premium rate; however prices for premium rate numbers vary enormously depending on which number you are ringing. Premium rate is not necessarily expensive as charges start from as little as 1p/min.

Story Roaming SIM (for travel SIMs bought before 1st May 2008)

Q. What is roaming and how does it work?
A- Anytime you go abroad and use your mobile phone you incure charges. When you enter a new country your phone connects to the local phone network(s), this is called roaming. The new operator (visited network) will now handle the calls you make and receive. Rather than charging you for their services the new operator charges your home operator (your home network, e.g. O2, Orange UK , etc.) who passes this expense onto you on your next bill. You could find yourself paying up to £2 a minute just to receive a call while you are abroad! Our cheap roaming SIM card will then dramatically cut your international roaming costs.

Q- On what phone can I use this SIM card?
A- You can use the Roaming SIM on any mobile phone which is unlocked. If you are unsure whether your phone is locked try inserting a SIM card from another network into your phone. If it works normally, your phone is unlocked and ready for our Roaming SIM card. If a message such as ‘SIM card restricted’ appears you will then need to unlock the phone.

Q- I want to buy a Roaming SIM. How do I do this?
A- You can buy from travel SIM main page or call our sales line on 0800 65 12345.

Q- How do I unlock my phone?
A- You can speak to your network operator to obtain the unlocking code or you can unlock most phones at Unique Phones from £3.99

Q- How do I make a call?
A- Dial *117* country code & number# and press the Send/Call button.

For example: *117*00442084979295# Send/Call
Or *117*+442084979295# Send/Call

There will be a short pause, with no sound or line tone. Your phone may (depending on handset model) display an on screen message saying “Thank you for using the service. Your call will be connected soon.”
After few seconds, your handset will ring and when you answer, you will here a voice message saying “Please wait while we connect your call” You will then hear a normal ring tone and you will be connected to the number you dialled. When finished – please hang up as you would normally.

Q- Can I send text messages
A- Text messaging will be avaible in the very near future.

Q- How do I top-up?
A- We offer an automatic top-up service so you will never be left without credit on your Roaming SIM. To set up your SIM on our automatic top-up service, please call our Customer Service department on 0044 (0) 208 497 2345 or *117*80404# from your handset. One of our customer service representatives will arrange the auto top-up for you.

When your SIM credit runs below £3 we will automatically top-up your account by charging you the amount agreed upon at registration. You can choose between £10 - £50. Every time a top-up has occurred you will receive notification both via a text message and an e-mail stating your credit card has been charged.

Q- Can this SIM card be used in the UK
A- Yes it can. Because it is a roaming SIM it will roam between all the UK networks to give you the best coverage.Prices for using it in the UK can be found on coverage & tariffs

Q- How much does it cost to use abroad?
A- Using the cheap Roaming SIM card service abroad will save you hundreds of pounds in roaming charges. To see how much you can save, check the coverage & tariffs, simply enter the name of the country to which you are travelling.

Q- How do I check my balance?
A- You can check your balance by dialling *117*0#. You will receive an on-screen message telling you how much credit you have in your account.

Q- Will I save money even after the new EU roaming price caps?
A- YES! Even after the new EU regulations come into effect to prevent mobile networks from charging extortionate rates we will provide a substantial saving on all your international calls.

Q- What mobile number will I receive with my new Roaming SIM?
A- The SIM card originates in the UK . You will get a UK mobile number, starting with +4478

Q- Can I keep my UK mobile number?
A- No, unfortunately international number portability is not possible.

Q- Does the SIM card/credit expire?
A- Neither the international SIM card nor the credit expires. However, if you do not use the Roaming SIM card for 12 months, we will de-activate the card. Should you wish to use your SIM card again; we will re-activate it, which may incur a small re-activation fee.

Q- When do the charges start?
A- You will start to pay once the call is connected.

Q- Will it be expensive for others to call me?
A- Not at all. Calls made to your Roaming SIM number will pay no more than 18p per minute at peak times form BT landline.


For any of the products if you cannot find the answer to your query then please contact our customer services team who will be happy to help. To contact us please click here.

Story TravelTalk SIM (for travel SIMs bought on or after 1st May 2008)

Q. What is roaming and how does it work?
A- Anytime you travel abroad, your phone connects to a network in the country you are visiting. This is called roaming. When you make a call while roaming, you incur charges that are much higher than your local charges. The network operator located in the country you are visiting will handle the calls you make and receive. Rather than charging you directly for their services, the new network operator charges your home network operator e.g. O2, Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange. Your Home network operator adds up its share and you face a hefty bill at the end of the month.
You could find yourself paying as much as £2 a minute (and sometimes even more than that) just to receive a call while you are abroad.

Q- I want to buy a TravelTalk SIM. How do I do this?
A- You can buy it online at www.best4roaming.com or www.storytelecom.com/traveltalksim/

Q- On what phone can I use this roaming SIM card?
A- You can use the TravelTalk SIM on any mobile phone which is unlocked. If you are unsure about your phone, try inserting a SIM card from another network into your phone. If it works normally, your phone is unlocked and ready for our TravelTalk SIM card. If a message such as ‘SIM card restricted’ appears, you will then need to unlock the phone. You can speak to your network operator to obtain the unlocking code or you can unlock most phones at many high street mobile shops

Q- How do I make a call?

  • Dial country code & number and press the Call/Send button
  • For example 00442084979295 ‘Call’ or +442084979295 ‘Call’*
  • There will be a short pause without any sound or line tone
  • Your phone may (depending on handset model) display an on screen messages saying, “Thank you for using the service. Your call will be connected shortly”.
  • After a few seconds, your handset will ring. When you answer you will hear a voice message saying, “Please wait while we connect your call”.
  • You will then hear the normal ring tone and you will be connected to your dialed number.
  • When finished – please end the call and hang up as you would normally do.

Q- Can I send text messages
A- You can send and receive text messages! Please check the coverage list as some destinations are not currently covered.

Q- How do I top-up?
A- We offer an automatic top-up service so you will never be left without credit on your TravelTalk SIM. To set up your SIM on our automatic top-up service, please call our Customer Service department on 0800 651 2345 or 0208 497 2345 or 80404 from your handset. One of our customer service representatives will arrange your auto top-up.

When your SIM credit runs below £3 we will automatically top-up your account by charging you the amount agreed upon at registration. You can choose to top-up between £10 - £50. Every time a top-up has occurred, you will receive notification both via a text message and an e-mail stating your credit card has been charged.

Q- Can this SIM card be used in the UK
A- Yes you can. Because it is a roaming SIM, it will roam between all the UK networks to give you the best coverage. Prices for using it in the UK can be found at the TravelTalk Rates Calculator or at www.best4roaming.com.

Q- What mobile number will I receive with my new TravelTalkSIM?
A- The SIM card originates in the UK. You will get a UK mobile number, starting with +4478221

Q- Can I keep my UK mobile number?
A- No, unfortunately international number portability is not possible.

Q- Does the roaming SIM card/credit expire?
A- TravelTalk SIM card will initially be active for 12 months, after this time we will de-activate the card unless you have registered for the auto top up. In that case we will automatically take the £10 annual activation fee from your registered credit card. If your SIM card expires any remaining credit will be lost. If you are not registered for the auto top up we will send you a text message and/or email approximately 30 days before the expiry so you can call us and renew your SIM card’s lifetime.

Q- Can I unsubscribe to the pre-arranged top up service when my credit reaches the £3 threshold?
A- You can contact our Customer Services department on 0800 651 2345 or 0208 497 2345 – or 80404 from your handset once you are using the TravelTalk SIM.

Q- When do the charges start?
A- You will start to pay once the call is connected.

Q- Will it be expensive for others to call me?
A- Calls made to your TravelTalk SIM number should be charged as follows:

BT
Peak time: 18 pence per minute
Off peak: 12 pence per minute
Weekend: 8 pence per minute

UK Mobile networks
Most networks will charge between 20 – 30 pence per minute
We advise customers to check with their telephone provider for up to date charges.

Q- Should I take my usual SIM card with me while traveling abroad?
A- When traveling, take your regular phone as a back up, but use TravelTalk SIM as your main contact number for making and receiving calls. That way you are covered in case of emergency numbers or breaking of telephony contracts.

For any of the products if you cannot find the answer to your query then please contact our customer services team who will be happy to help. To contact us please click here.