Mobile Phone contract with Free

[chris_and_julie]

Probably the wrong bit to post in - feel free to move it!

I read yesterday about a recent shakeup in the French mobile telephone contract market = well about blooming time!!!!  i read here that the French mobile phone operator "Free" had a 2 Euro a month contract offering what seems to me to be a wealth of goodies for us:

Their low-cost offer is €2 a month, for which you get 2 hours of free calls, including to fixed lines in 100 international destinations, as well as mobile phones in France, USA and Canada. It also includes unlimited SMS messages. Access to the internet is limited 50Mb a month.

So does anyone have any experience of the Free company and/or this particular contract?

Many thanks

Chris & Julie

[Brian]

I have a phone on this €2/month contract. It works and I have never been changed more than the €2/month. Network coverage seems good so I am a happy customer.

Brian

[chris_and_julie]

I have a phone on this €2/month contract. It works and I have never been changed more than the €2/month. Network coverage seems good so I am a happy customer.

Brian

Thanks. Chris & Julie

[Huw]

Hi Chris & Julie
I tried Free a couple of months ago as the deals are pretty good - unfortunately the 3G coverage in Montmorillon (rue Solferino ) and Briguil le chantre was non existent ( phone was ok) had to send a registered letter to cancel the SIM as they wouldn't accept by email or phone call!
We had good coverage on orange(expensive and unhelpful)
Am currently with Lyca - good coverage in Briguil & Montmorillon(wasn't originally everywhere in town but seems to have improved to cover most of Montmorillon now) doesn't get 3G in Lussac les Eglises
Their recharge website is in French or English - though they have, in my opinion, a very odd recharge system, which is not especially intuitive,but for those like myself, who struggle with reading call/internet plans in French, it can be useful.
For what it's worth, at our addresses as above Orange and SFR worked well Bouygues (& free) didn't. "Coverage" on their maps all showed it was supposed to be there but we only found out it wasn't by getting the SIM and testing it out.
Of course they seem to expand coverage often so things may have changed! Would love to hear if anybody finds a good mobile data that allows tethering (wireless hotspot sharing)
4G didn't seem available here yet but hopefully may soon?
Cheers Huw

[chris_and_julie]

Hi Chris & Julie
I tried Free a couple of months ago as the deals are pretty good ........
Cheers Huw

Thanks Huw. I've signed up and we'll see what the coverage is like to the north of Montmorillon. Useful advice re the need for a registered letter to cancel.

Chris

[Huw]

No problem Chris - perhaps you could post here how you go with frees' coverage once you find out
Cheers Huw

[chris_and_julie]

The Sim arrived in a couple of days - there is a ten Euro charge for this that i had not seen in the small print so be warned.  We were about to use it when we realised that the phone was tied to Vodafone so ... next trip in a couple of weeks and there will then be an update.

Watch this space - on this excellent forum!  

Chris

[chris_and_julie]

We were about to use it when we realised that the phone was tied to Vodafone so ... next trip in a couple of weeks and there will then be an update.

No reception in Jouhet.    Meant to try it around Montmorillon but kept forgetting to take it with us/keep it charged etc.

I'll try again in a couple of weeks when next in the area.

Chris