Virgin Mobile US to T-Mobile UK. Can we connect?

June 6, 2008 4:28 AM

Virgin Mobile US to T-Mobile UK. Can we connect?

My friend is on a Virgin Mobile US phone. I'm on a T-Mobile UK phone. I can SMS her, but she can't text or call me ... can you suggest reasons why this could be?

Virgin Mobile customer service claim that I need to be on a certain network, one of which given is ... the network I'm on!

posted by electriccynic to technology (7 comments total)

She's in the UK at the moment with you? Virgin Mobile in the UK IS T-mobile, in france they use Orange. In the US its Sprint. All moot, shouldnt be a technical reason why she cant call you.

The problem with her phone, not yours (unless she can call everybody else).

I take it she's roamed on to T-Mobile? If she cant call you - or anyone - she probably needs to call VM US.
posted by daveyt at 4:51 AM on June 6, 2008

Nope, she's in the US, I'm in the UK. I've told her to use the 011 44 codes and all that...
posted by electriccynic at 5:31 AM on June 6, 2008

Hi - you mentioned the 011 44 codes etc, etc - she should be dialling 00 44 for a UK phone or +44 e.g. to call your UK number 07812 511 511 she should dial [phone]? (NB. Number made up)

Does that give you any success?
posted by eb98jdb at 6:28 AM on June 6, 2008

What happens when she tires to call you? Does she get a recording? What does the recording say?

A Virgin Mobile USA phone won't necessarily have a way to dial "+", so you're on the right track with the 011 44 business. Make sure she leaves off the trunk code (the 0 after the 44).
posted by Juffo-Wup at 7:17 AM on June 6, 2008

Does her plan allow her to dial internationally? (Can't think why it wouldn't, but these things happen. She might need to activate it - I know I did when I got my T-Mobile UK plan)
posted by djgh at 11:24 AM on June 6, 2008

I've been in this situation. Best thing to do is get an international calling card and use that. You'll save loads of money and it'll definitely work. It'll also go a lot further if she calls a landline rather than a mobile.

I'm not sure about the texting situation though. Have you tried just using 0044?
posted by Magnakai at 12:26 PM on June 6, 2008

She's omitting the initial zero of your UK phone number, right?

It's +44 7.... and not +44 07....

(And I've never seen a phone which won't let you enter a +, by the way. It's usually obtained by pressing either the *, # or 0 key twice or three times in rapid succession.)
posted by genghis at 8:46 PM on June 9, 2008