Cheap Australian Mobile Data for Holiday - 40G and unlimited calls for $4.90

Forums › Travel (planes, train, cruise) › Cheap Australian Mobile Data for Holiday - 40G and unlimited calls for $4.90

KrazyKid

917 posts

Ultimate Geek

Subscriber

#257100 15-Sep-2019 11:23

I'm off to Aussie soon and I've found an Australian $4.90 plan with 40G data and unlimited calling to AU and NZ numbers.
The data lasts 30 days.

It's the same Kogan deal that they have started offering in NZ, but Aussie based and seems to be a regular on and off promo in Australia (eg 4 weeks off 4 months on).

Sign up here.

They mail you a sim so you will either need an address in Aussie to receive it, or it looks like you can buy a sim from 'selected' 7-11 stores and united petrol stations.

Within an hour I got an email with an activation code so sent to you, pop in the sim when you get to Australia and set it up.
(I suspect you will have to remember deactivate auto billing etc but I can do that)

Someone on the ozbargain site states that you can have up to 6 sims associated with 1 credit card number.
So between me and my wife credit cards we should have no trouble with 3 sims I have ordered for our family.

PeterReader

5855 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#2318044 15-Sep-2019 11:23

Allow me to introduce you folks to our new travel community: TravelTalk NZ.

We hope to see you there!

I am the Geekzone Robot and I am here to help. I am from the Internet. I do not interact. Do not expect other replies from me.

MrBob

87 posts

Master Geek

#2318137 15-Sep-2019 15:43

Nice.

Thanks for sharing

Peppery

873 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#2323914 24-Sep-2019 13:11

I bought this for a recent trip and elected to buy my own SIM, however the two 7/11 stores I tried, despite being specifically listed on the Kogan website, didn't stock the SIMs so I ended up going with another provider.

However, if anyone is headed over there anytime soon and does get a SIM, here's a code, valid through til the end of Jan 2020.

jamesrt

1022 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2324021 24-Sep-2019 14:40

We're going over there soon on Hols, so I'll be picking up one of these for my better half; my work will be paying the standard daily roaming charge for my phone.

Which, at $7/day these days, means my roaming charge for the holiday will be just over $100 - quite the difference to $4.90!!

Guess where the Telco's make their money these days?

jamesrt

1022 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2334988 10-Oct-2019 13:04

Update: On holiday; SIM ordered two weeks ago hasn't arrived at the AU address I provided; and none of the vendors listed on the website/email actually sell them either. So a complete waste of time and money as far as I'm concerned.

Wife now using a Coles prepaid $20 for 25Gb or some number like that [it could be 28 or 30, I forget exactly]; which was on sale for only $10.

Works well.

Don't waste your time with Kogan is the obvious takeaway.

Fred99

11112 posts

Uber Geek

#2335187 10-Oct-2019 19:00

In the news: Consumer watchdog CHOICE reveals SHONKY awards for 2019

“Kogan is a serial offender when it comes to consumer rights - from January to July this year it has topped the New South Wales complaint register with over 300 complaints," Kirkland said.

"Kogan must simplify the process for refunds, repairs and replacements to meet community expectations and the law."

KrazyKid

917 posts

Ultimate Geek

Subscriber

#2335256 10-Oct-2019 22:36

Just got back from 2 weeks in Melbourne today. Sims were waiting for me at my mother in law's house. Put them in on and activated them on line no trouble. All worked fine.

I've removed my credit card details and deactivated the auto renew plan so assuming I don't get billed next month all should be fine. Don't expect to get billed.

Obviously other milage has varied but for me as a cheap 2 week Mobile plan I can't fault it.

The only issue I had was that I can't read and the plan didn't cover calls to NZ, only Aussie numbers, but that was fine for me
I just Skyped home as needed.

elpenguino

1478 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#2343310 24-Oct-2019 21:56

I was looking forward to using one of the deals mentioned in this thread but saw a 'deal' at the airport in Oz. The deal was from Telstra labeled 30GB for $30. Seemed like ample to me since I use <500MB per month here - and the deal was on a deal for $15. Wow, I thought, that is so much data to have available <sucker>.

I found I had to register the SIM using my passport and was advised this takes 'up to' 4 hours which means it actually takes 4 hours.

When the data stopped after 4 days I was using very little data and wasn't too bothered but eventually logged into the portal to see I had used a whopping 250MB and some texts to NZ at 35c each. All totted up it looked like I could have used 300MB at that rate.

So somehow I used 1% of the 'deal' and that was my lot.

There might be some fine print somewhere - caveat emptor !

Fred99

11112 posts

Uber Geek

#2343406 25-Oct-2019 10:08

elpenguino:

I found I had to register the SIM using my passport and was advised this takes 'up to' 4 hours which means it actually takes 4 hours.

That's annoying. I've been using a Vodafone sim which (IIRC) when first installed was working by the time I left the desk at the airport.
This thread reminded me to check before I go over in a couple of days. Annoyances have started. I couldn't get the sim slot of my phone open - it was really jammed up tight, I had to get the back off the phone to get at it. When I finally get it open, there's the remains of a sticky self adhesive label goo that was jamming it. I look at the Aus Vodafone sim and the rest of the sticky label is still on it. Maybe before they installed the sim they should have removed the sticky label. Anyway problem solved I hoped - but nah, the Aus Vodafone sim is dead, it hasn't survived in my wallet.

elpenguino

1478 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#2343409 25-Oct-2019 10:19

Fred99:

elpenguino:

I found I had to register the SIM using my passport and was advised this takes 'up to' 4 hours which means it actually takes 4 hours.

That's annoying. I've been using a Vodafone sim which (IIRC) when first installed was working by the time I left the desk at the airport.
This thread reminded me to check before I go over in a couple of days. Annoyances have started. I couldn't get the sim slot of my phone open - it was really jammed up tight, I had to get the back off the phone to get at it. When I finally get it open, there's the remains of a sticky self adhesive label goo that was jamming it. I look at the Aus Vodafone sim and the rest of the sticky label is still on it. Maybe before they installed the sim they should have removed the sticky label. Anyway problem solved I hoped - but nah, the Aus Vodafone sim is dead, it hasn't survived in my wallet.

Yeah I know, and when you're away you dont have many resources to use unless you thought ahead and brought it with you. I forgot I needed some kind of paper clippy thing to get the SIM drawer out of my phone and spent ages thinking of how I was going to macgyver a solution.

After a while I had another look in the SIM packet and saw they had included a little pokey tool - phew!

Fred99

11112 posts

Uber Geek

#2343436 25-Oct-2019 11:20

If I remember, I'll post what the assorted deals are at the moment at Sydney airport phone co service desks next week. If I was only going for a few days I'd just get a roaming data pack, being ripped off by $20 or so to avoid hassle...
My SO was there a couple of weeks ago for two days, forgot to get a roaming pack, used 500MB = $50 (billed to my CC - silly me).

jamesrt

1022 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2343455 25-Oct-2019 11:29

We bought a Coles [supermarket] prePaid SIM which came with $20 credit and could be used for their $20 28Gb 'bonus' plan - 30 days expiry and the first three recharges have 25Gb bonus data [normally 3Gb, from memory]. SIM in sale for $10. So, in effect $10 for 28Gb data, unlimited calls and texts, AU only. Valid for 30 days. Optus network. Worked well.

elpenguino

1478 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#2343516 25-Oct-2019 14:26

jamesrt: We bought a Coles [supermarket] prePaid SIM which came with $20 credit and could be used for their $20 28Gb 'bonus' plan - 30 days expiry and the first three recharges have 25Gb bonus data [normally 3Gb, from memory]. SIM in sale for $10. So, in effect $10 for 28Gb data, unlimited calls and texts, AU only. Valid for 30 days. Optus network. Worked well.

Was this purchased in a coles store?

It appears my earlier trouble was because I was on a casual rate = 10c /MB

With any of these things it's well worth logging in to the portal and checking - the Telstra portal took hours to approve my email address.

jamesrt

1022 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2343521 25-Oct-2019 14:30

elpenguino:
jamesrt: We bought a Coles [supermarket] prePaid SIM

Was this purchased in a coles store?

Yes; activation via website took only a few minutes; we needed to use a credit card as a means of verifying identify, but it wasn't charged. Just make sure you select the right plan and don't enable any auto topup or refresh.

Fred99

11112 posts

Uber Geek

#2344635 29-Oct-2019 01:54

Fred99: If I remember, I'll post what the assorted deals are at the moment at Sydney airport

I took photos of the offer boards, problem is that Optus and Vodafone have deals that finish end of Oct and who knows what the deal will be next month. Best deal seemed to be Vodafone, 55GB + 1000 minutes calling Aus and NZ, unlimited texts, 35 day expiry, $25.
Bought two sims, activated in a minute then on our way.
I think we get ripped in NZ.
To add insult to injury, I just checked speed test on the Vodafone 4g network, and it's 152 down and 48 up.