How do I get a Free.fr SIM card?

I have a Catch 22 conundrum and I don't know how to get round it. I have internet with Orange but don't want to lumber myself with a mobile contract with them. I got a LeClerc SIM a couple of years ago but have never really used it - continual top-ups for expired credit but lack of use through having no reception at home.


So my bright idea was to get a Free SIM, pay my €2 a month and whoopee have a mobile in case of emergencies. But I can't apply for it.


All address details entered - great.


Bank details accepted - great.


They want a €10 payment for the card - would be great except that I'm sent an SMS from the bank with a security number on it that I have to insert. But of course I have no reception. So I can't enter the number. If I run outside, stand on one leg on top of a molehill and the wind is blowing in the right direction I may get one bar and get the message but by the time I run back upstairs the application page is timed out.


How do you activate a mobile without having a mobile ...?


I think I'll have to get the bank to change the notification method Debra. Great idea about the 2nd person/phoning but I only have a 9 year old 'helper' so he'd probably get lost or totally confused and just recently either my old Leclerc SIM or the phone itself has stopped working. It simply says "no network" even though I know they're out there somewhere floating on the air waves ... Isn't this fun!?!

I did it last month - ie transferred mobile only from Orange to Free. It all went very easily but I did not get the bank confirmation thingy, just a snail mail form I filled out and sent off to Free authorising direct debit (and my guess is they activated the SIM before they got this as I was a bit late in posting).

I was transferring my old number across and it took about a week to activate but all went quite smoothly. If it makes any sense, another Aussie in the village signed up at the same time but was getting a new SIM and not transferring an old number. She did have to do the bank verification thing (same bank as me). Different process doesn't make any sense to me but may to someone else

Steve

Aha - so I am not alone. Thank you Simon. I feel reassured now that I'm not simply missing something obvious. I will have a word with the bank because it's dumb.

I didn't see anything international on there Vic - it was either option A that came with a phone or option B yer basic SIM + number. I'll have another look though as I don't need international at all. It's purely so the school can contact me if I'm out/something dodgy with the car type of thing. I looked at their map thing and it seems to be reasonable coverage so I'll persevere. Just fed up with topping up 10 or 20 euros a throw which expires without evening being used. €2 I wouldn't mind so much.

Free is good. We have two mobiles on it with no probs. we didn't pay anything up front for the cards but did have to pay 10 euro for each when we asked for international stuff. That was fine as we didn't use the international bit & each month's bill for the next 5 months was zero . Good luck with your problem.

you can ring your bank and ask them to send you email verification number , I have the same problem !