Problems Staying Connected During First 4 Days in Italy

May 27th, 2009 • Mark Guim • Filed Under •

Before leaving for Italy, I already planned how to stay connected to the internet using my Nokia N85 (version RM-333) and a prepaid SIM card. It proved to be harder than I thought during the first four days of my stay. I’m not sure whether the problem is the phone or the SIM card.

We checked out the fruity houses in burano venice

I purchased a TIM prepaid card once I arrived in Milan. I bought it from a friendly staff that spoke English at Central Station. They only needed to see my passport and not a Codice Fiscale that people mentioned. The card by itself was 12 euros. I had to add 20 Euros for a feature called Maxxi Alice Facile, which the staff told me I would be able to use 1GB of internet data for 30 days. They also told me to wait about 30 minutes before using it.

The TIM card worked flawlessly after using it on my Nokia N85. I was snapping photos and quickly uploading them to Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr, using Pixelpipe. I was even surprised of getting 3G speeds while uploading data during the 2 1/2 hour train ride to Venice. Unfortunately, it stopped working a few minutes before arriving in Venice.

I was unable to access the web or upload photos. Since we had a busy itinerary, I was able to visit the only TIM store in Venice during Day 3. I had a difficult time trying to speak Italian, and they had a difficult time trying to speak English.

The person helping me told me that I already used up my voice credit, so I cannot use data anymore. I didn’t believe him because I did not make any voice calls at all. I was told to purchase 5 Euros of credit and wait 15 mins for my data to work again. After 30 mins, no luck.

I went back to the store and told them it didn’t work. The person became frustrated and told me that I already used up the 5 Euros of credit I purchased just 30 minutes ago. I was surprised because I was unable to access the web during that time and how can 5 euros worth of data can get killed in 30 minutes? He told me there is something wrong with the phone settings that is killing my credits. I showed him the APN settings on my Nokia N85 which were correctly set to ibox.tim.it. He then told me that the problem is that the Nokia N85 is not compatible with Europe and that he couldn’t help me. The TIM coverage map also shows Venice as completely covered as well, so it cannot be the phone.

Even after trying to explain to him it worked the first few hours after I activated the card, he told me he couldn’t help me anymore. I called the customer service (119) posted on my card, and was told I cannot be transferred to an English-speaking person for help. They hung up right away when I couldn’t continue the conversation in Italian.

This situation does not ruin the trip. I can still upload my photos when we get back to the hotel using wifi, but I was really hoping to use the service I paid for. We are leaving for Florence tomorrow and will check with another TIM store to find out what’s the problem. If it stays unresolved, I’ll have to purchase another SIM card from another company called WIND and hopefully not face any problems.

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  • francesco
    hi, i'm from italy... then i try to explain to you what happen...

    "I had to add 20 Euros for a feature called Maxxi Alice Facile, which the staff told me I would be able to use 1GB of internet data for 30 days"

    this feature will be active in 24 hrs and not 15 minute! so you use your voice traffic for data, then tim take your credit not in real time, but for example after 30 minutes, so you spend much more of your credit, i want to say you have 10 euro, but you spent 20 euros, so your credit in -10euros, if you recharge 10 euros, your credit will be 0.

    so, if your feature is not active, you spend 1euro/15minutes of connection, so if you made traffic or not, when connectione is established you spent 1 euro, then you have traffic or not.

    TIM USUALLY DO THIS.

    if you need wap connection use VODAFONE then you spent 3euro/week and pay 29cent every connection, or TREE if you need web connection, but i don't know about the payment.

    i'm sorry for you, but you can ask 119 for your lost credit, if not, you tell them that the next call will be done by your lawyer! they made this fraud to all!

    then... the operators of timpoint or 119 are kid, with no expertise..
  • I told you to use H3G...Tim is a robbery, for data plan.
  • Ivan
    I had some problems too (In Rome):
    3 (H3G/Tre) - One store sells prepaid, but not without codice fiscale. Other store does not sell pre-paid

    VodaFone - simcard is soldout (after 1 hour waiting, one person bought the last one before me)

    TIM - One store is soldout too, the other sold the simcard with data plan, is working fine. Data plan are not soo good as the others but is working.
  • ...well...i love to say it....these are the inevitable results of TOO MUCH government involvement in what should be a TOTALLY PRIVATE INDUSTRY!
  • Frankie
    I believe I now what's the problem.
    Problem is that they activate a different service than the maxxi facile in first place. That's why it was consuming all your voice balance. I'm facing a similar issue here with Claro 3G in Dominican Republic.
    That's pretty odd for a tourist area that nobody speaks english or even worse, no english in the TIM customer service support.
  • Thanks everyone for the tips while I'm here in Italy. My SIM started working a few train stops away from Venice! It looks like the problem was TIM not covering Venice for data.

    They need to change that info on their website because their map says they cover Venice for EDGE and 3G. I'm glad it's working again and I haven't found any problems getting connected here in Florence.

    We'll be here for the next couple of days, then off to Rome!
  • Derick
    I think there's a minimum threshold at which your data will stop working on prepaid. I don't know what that figure is but I know when my balance gets below €10 I can't retrieve my email anymore. So maybe the €5 top-up wasn't enough. And might you have a program running in the background that's eating data - like a weather app? Also whenever I reinsert my TIM card it asks (or sends an SMS) to configure my connections. It's possible a connection you had set for WiFi only got switched over to WAPTIM or whatever. If you can follow the other posters' advice and get on the TIM website and register, you can get a very detailed breakdown of your usage. I know I'm always shocked at how quickly my recharge disappears on TIM.

    buon viaggio
  • Goodluck Mark! hope that TIM will be solve.
  • never trust italian customer care... you could try to register you sim to www.tim.it and check (and manage...) by yourself fares and bonues active on your subscription.

    http://www.privati.tim.it/eng
  • Ahhh, the infamous Italian (lack of) customer service! I'm sorry you had such a hard time, these things tend to happen in Italy :) Still, we love this
    Sunny peninsula
  • Hmmm... Here in Greece Wind bought TIM and as Wind is Italian i thought the same happent everywhere!
  • what asynadak is saying is false, TIM an Wind are two completely different company, Wind bought another company called Blu which suffered bankrupcy.

    I am Italian and I am really sorry for what is happening to you, Unfortunately those companies are trying everyday to fool the costumers and you see inTV false advertisement or partial infos. TIM is the most known company in the country, Wind is the smallest one, my advice is to keep the sim card and promptly check your credit calling 4916 or via the website www.tim.it, they have a part of the site calle 119online which allows you to check your credit and who or what you have called or texted during previous days.
  • I am also leaving to Europe (Germany) in a few days, I hope to find a good service, please keep us updated how the problem solved!
  • Well, i've been to Italy a couple of times and telecommunication is not their favorite thing. Anyway, just to warn you... TIM and WIND is the same company. TIM was bought and now it is called WIND. So, try vodafone or something!
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