Mobile for me
I have a mobile. What do I need to know?
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
Your mobile probably contains private information. In addition, anybody who steals or finds it could use it to make a phone call and use up data volume. Protect your mobile with a four-digit PIN! Think about who should have your number and who should not.
I telephoned a number by mistake and then paid several euros per minute.
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
A call to added-value numbers costs a lot more than a usual phone call. You can easily fail to see that you are dialling such a number. You can ask your provider to block such numbers on the mobile. You can also do that yourself on some mobiles.
Do I need a mobile phone?
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
Almost everybody can be reached by mobile phone. Many people no longer expect that somebody cannot be reached by mobile or Internet. In most cases, it is expected that you respond quickly to phone calls, SMSs or other messages.
What is important when buying a mobile phone?
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
In addition to the price for the mobile, there are fees for phone calls, SMS and data. Sometimes, there is also an annual fee (flat-rate service fee). A lot is included in the price; a lot costs extra.
If I sign a mobile contract, the mobile costs less or even nothing. Isn’t that cheap?
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
A mobile contract runs for 2 or even 3 years. Buying a contract mobile is nothing other than a loan. You pay less or nothing for the mobile but you will pay for it like a loan, hidden in a higher monthly fee. With a prepaid mobile, the bill is simpler.
What is included in a mobile contract or a prepaid card?
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
Both a contract and a prepaid card include conversation minutes, SMS or data volumes. It can become expensive when these are exceeded. You can check online how much volume you have already used. But that is laborious and many forget to check. That is why you should choose a provider who warns you against exceeding your data volume and then makes you a low-cost offer (e. g.: “You have used 90 % of your data volume. We will increase your data volume for this month for 5 Euros.”). Or you buy a SIM prepaid card. Although you have to keep on “topping it up”, you can buy the prepaid cards in many shops.
How many free SMSs should my contract include?
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
That depends on how many SMSs you write. Overall, increasingly fewer SMSs are being written as an increasing number of people are using message services like WhatsApp or Facebook. What you write there is not an SMS; instead, it is billed with the data consumption. When you write on Facebook or WhatsApp or Twitter, think particularly carefully about what you are posting and who can read it.
If I have a mobile contract for longer than 2 years, will I then pay less afterwards?
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
No! If the minimum term of contract has expired, your mobile has been “paid off”. But unlike with a loan, the mobile contract continues to run, and you will continue to pay the high monthly fee. The period of notice is normally 3 months. Many forget to terminate the contract in a timely manner. Tip: Make a note when you buy the mobile that you terminate or change the contract 18 months later. Write the date for termination in the last day of the calendar and then transfer the note into the calendar for the next year.