I wrote about Lebara a few months ago.
Lebara is a SIM-only, pay as you go option piggybacking on the Vodafone network and aimed at those who make lots of overseas calls. You also get £20 credit to start you off. It's been heavily promoted at mainline stations and tube stations in the London area; not sure about outside London.
The rates sounded good, but I hadn't heard from anyone using it. Then today I got this from Petimi, a Hungarian who runs a web design company:
mobile. Absolutely flawless voice quality and very reasonable prices.
I also wrote a quick Lebara review on my blog. ind it here if
interested: http://blog.pi-imagedesign.com
The bottom line is that when Petimi calls home he pays 4p per minute for a landline and 14p per minute to a mobile.
He seems a happy bunny but I can't verify the authenticity of the review having not talked to him directly.
Meanwhile in other news Lebara has announced that it is to sell top ups through 1,900 Tesco outlets. This apparently relates to 26,000 till locations, bringing the retail outlet total for Lebara to 90,000.
Lebara is brilliant, i recommend everyone to use this service for low cost international calls
Posted by: Tauseef Zahid | July 01, 2008 at 09:22 AM
Lebara is actually quite terrible. I don't understand how so many people can be satisfied with their low cost calls when, firstly, the cellular connection is so unreliable, if nonexistant at times. I've had to walk around the city (London) to try to find a location at which I can dial without seeing 'No Service', then, 'Call ended' on my screen.
Initially, I thought there was a problem with my GSM unlocked phone. I tried placing the Lebara Prepaid Sim Card in my friend's LG Phone. It did not work. Lebara customer services, through e-mail, repeated to me the exact same instructions I was given over the phone (to go to Network Settings, switch to manual, etcetera). It worked for neither phone.
Lebara seems not to work at all inside buildidngs, like this apartment in SE1.
Secondly, and what's even worse, Lebara's customer service line is impossible to reach. I have sent two e-mails now, and have called the office at least 20 times (10 pence per minute on my friends' phones, 7 cents on Skype), have been put on hold for four minutes every time by a machine which lies, 'some will be with you shortly.' It hangs up after it says, 'all of our representatives are busy please hold.'
I do not recommend Lebara at all. It has been nearly a week since I've arrived in London. I still do not have connection in most places.
I purchased the Lebara UK Prepaid Sim Card through a company called Cellular Abroad in order to have a cell phone before I left the US. It charged me 50 dollars for an the Sim Card when I could have purchased it directly from Lebara at £2.99 and £5. That was my carelessness. But even so, I now wish that I hadn't heard about Lebara at all.
I have not, however, been careless about asking Lebara to follow through in its promises to consumers listed on its website: http://www.lebara-mobile.co.uk/en/
I have spent very much time and a rather large sum in hopes of reaching someone on the other line at customer services. I got through once. She gave me the Network-Settings instructions, told me to call back, then never picked up.
Do not be fooled by the reassuring look of Lebara's website. If the company follows through on what it claims to do in other countries, then I restrict this comment to UK phone users only. Otherwise, Lebara is the least reliable, trustworthy phone company I have thus used, and regret it deeply.
Posted by: Lauren Kim | January 10, 2009 at 06:07 PM
I bought a Lebara SIM in St Pancras station with the promise of an extra topup if I registered online within 14 days - this I did, and the topup never came. I also emailed customer services three times during the fourteen day period and nothing happened there either, never once got a reply. So what I would say is: avoid them like the plague!
Posted by: Rory | June 22, 2009 at 03:34 PM
I bought a LEBARA SIM card from 99 p store,
My friends uses this for free if all of you uses LEBARA SIM card, we are happy using it ,I used to have monthly contracts from 3 network,I spent a lot of money,now I'm with LEBARA everything is fine,saves money free calls among LEBARA members,we are happy.
Posted by: alan | August 05, 2009 at 02:04 AM
Now it is not totally free. You have to top-up at least 5 pounds to get 100 min Lebara to Lebara credit for one month.
Posted by: lin | October 02, 2009 at 04:59 PM
I bought a Lebara SIM in Norway but for some reason I cannot receive sms from neither T-mobile nor Vodafone when sent from the UK. I contacted customer service whom were less than helpful and immediatly dismissed it as a problem with the UK carriers. Guess I will need to swich carrier soon as what is the point of having a phone if I can't use it as intended.
Posted by: twitter.com/StigDrabloes | October 14, 2009 at 06:31 PM
BEWARE OF LEBARA!!!!!
To all Lebara Users: check out your online accounts they are blatantly shortcharging you 20°%! Then when you make a complaint they disregard you and your online account dwindles!
Posted by: khf kjfkf | October 14, 2009 at 07:38 PM
I'm trying to phone India but it doesn't connect at all. When I got the sim in september everything was working. I spent around £100 in september and October but now I have topped up and all I can do is send text messages. My friend in india can ring me but I can't ring him. It makes two beeping noises and then I get a man saying the person I'm trying to call is unavailable please try again later. I have been trying for the last two weeks but only got through twice. I know my friends phone is switched on because he texts me to ring him and then when I do I never get through. Sometimes I spend 2 hours trying to get through but with no luck. Terrible
Posted by: gfdfga | November 19, 2009 at 02:34 PM
My best friend worked there for one year and,believe me,the have no idea what they are doing.
It is a fraud,I have tried it myself and the network is the worst ever,they disconnect thousands of numbers everyday because they need to "recycle" them,and they do it before the legal time taking advantage of foreigner customers.
AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE.
Posted by: Sarah | December 02, 2009 at 03:25 PM
I bought a $10 SIM card yesterday in Bondi, Sydney, Australia, as I need to phone the United States on a regular basis. The cost to the U.S. is 5 cents per minute whether its a landline or mobile. It worked perfectly well. As good as any Vodafone call which makes sense as it uses the Vodafone Network here. I spoke for an hour and a half for about $4.50. Good value, worked very well, no complaints here.
Posted by: Andrew Schlter | December 05, 2009 at 08:40 AM
This is the first time i bought Lebara $10 package as a friend's recommend. After trying to activate it told me that the sim has not been activated. Later on, I tried to contact them on phone and the phone keep being automatically picked up without attending, at the 11th call, a guy picked up and said that their phone line got problem! I am told that accidentally transferred my own number to Lebara service which i did not even realised when did i was asked for that but maybe i was careless, however, they seem very unhelpful when i asked to reverse that transferring as im been enjoying using my mobile company service. Still the most annoying thing is trying to contact them, never seen any communication service that such disappointed! And the reception just so bad, wonder they realised i was using Lebara simcard to call them at that time!
Posted by: Disappointed customer | February 14, 2010 at 04:40 AM
Mipay Lebara have set up a direct debit on my account without my knowledge, and took £30 last month. Now I have to wrestle to get it back. Virgin Mobile have done the same thing, but this may be fraudsters with my account details. Not a happy bunny!
Posted by: Janis Searle | April 01, 2010 at 09:06 PM
Hate the website. I used the website once when I wanted to topup online, it was a real mess. I recommend to use www.opwaarderen.nl/lebara/ when you want to topup online.
Posted by: sweetfox | April 26, 2010 at 01:17 PM
Mipay Lebara have set up a direct debit on my account without my knowledge, and have just took £30 from the account also.......... Got to ring the bank and battle it out now!
Posted by: not happy! | May 26, 2010 at 07:08 PM
Mipay Lebara have also set up a direct debit on my account but never got the money due to insufficient funds. I went to my bank who blocked it and they gave me a number and address for this bogus company which is 02071122121 and 01483794984 and are based in Brookwood, Surrey.
Posted by: Tracy | June 01, 2010 at 03:34 PM
Mipay Lebara have set up a direct debit on my account without my knowledge, and have just taken £30 from the account - how on earth can this happpen? Now I shall have to call Barclays to cancel it and get the money back. We are a charity that teaches people to play the piano using a new approach.
Posted by: Peter S Jackson | June 22, 2010 at 04:55 AM
Lebara Mobile BROOKWOOD appeared on my bank statement as a visa, the thieves have some how gotten hold of my car details (I live nowwhere near surrey so not sure how this happened) and have been taking £30 from my account each month since august. Bank has changed my card and stopped the present one. I will be filling in a fraud form to recover the £60 this bogus company stole from me.
Posted by: Hayley | September 30, 2010 at 11:38 AM
We have never heard of Lebara until about £95 of direct debit charges appeared on our latest bank statement. We have no idea how they got our bank card details. This is clearly a rip off company. The police should get involved.
Posted by: Laura | October 23, 2010 at 11:19 AM
I had a direct debit set up taking money from my account. It is nothing to do with labara, they are a legitimate firm. It is fraudsters using your account details to buy credit.
Posted by: Mike | October 30, 2010 at 12:27 PM
Many of these posts sound very disturbing, in the light I have just purchased two sim cards in France.
Posted by: Robert | December 06, 2010 at 11:10 AM
Consumers beware do not set up any top ups by card as this company keeps taking your money after you cancel service and are very reluctant to return same.Would not recommend this service to anyone
Posted by: iancrabb | December 14, 2010 at 04:40 PM
I have used Lebara for over 2 years, I top up when needed, get all the free texts and minutes I "earn". I call overseas often with good reception, I use it in Africa too when on holiday. My own experience is that it is good. Reception all over the uk without a problem. I have no cause for any complaint. I have suggested to many to go with Lebara, they have and they too are happy. Maybe I'm just lucky eh! Why are people using banks? Top up as you need it. My only gripe is that they say they cant cancel my pay as you go Sim, other than by me not topping up, I have some unwanted texters I want them to know its not a valid line rather than it simply expire.
Posted by: Martin | January 30, 2011 at 02:10 PM
Lebara are a rip off company, the only people that are defending them here. Obviously work for them.
I was out of the country for 6 weeks, and they decided to terminate my two sim cards. I purposely put £20 of credit on the sims before leaving so they would not do this.
Scammers !!!
As far as customer service goes, the worst on the planet.
You call them and then get passed around what I call the zoo. I say that because I was passed back to the same person that forwarded me to them, "Oh, didn't I just speak too you ?", "Yes, you did. The animal, on the other side could not understand the question"
Then theirs "The sorry, I don't understand ?" question.
"what don't you understand you Baboon!"
"Your company, has stolen my money! It's very simple"
"Give me my money, and keep your rotten card and crap service".
The reason why the calls are so cheap, is because they're scamming so many people. That they're subsiding the service.
Posted by: Ibrahim | March 20, 2011 at 07:10 PM
hi.i have used Lebara for over 1 year.The signal is wery bad.The internet is wery slow.
Posted by: marcel | June 29, 2011 at 02:42 PM
I have come across a great service called RABBIT RABBIT for low cost international calls from my mobile, without the need to change my SIM card, telephone number or provider, the customer care and call quality is superb! check out: www.rabbitrabbit.net
Posted by: Gary Booth | July 14, 2011 at 11:52 AM