Mobile credit aggravation!

Duo SIM…

Before moving to Spain I opted to buy a duo SIM phone in order to still be able to use my English number, but also to have a Spanish SIM card to avoid extra costs and ensure I got the network coverage that I needed. So, I bought the Duo phone, popped my English SIM in and bought a Spanish pay-as-you-go SIM when I got to Spain.

As part of my ‘welcome’ and the whole ‘settling in’ process the English head accompanied me to El Corte Ingles to help with the translation of buying the SIM card and putting credit on it. Which I was quite grateful for. Not only was there all the kerfuffle with the language barrier and asking for what I needed, but I was kind of all over the place and out of sorts. For the first week or so I felt like I was walking around in a dream world! I think it was just the whole moving and having everything to organise. I just needed a few days to get settled and familiarise myself with my new surroundings. However, at the same time, I also needed to be with it to get things organised and set up! So, I was thankful that my new colleagues were keen to help me out in setting these things up.

So, Spanish SIM all topped up with credit and I was good to go with my Duo SIM phone. I hadn’t used a Duo SIM phone before, but it all seemed to be working ok. I was able to text and phone my colleagues and housemates, and I was also still able to use my English contract SIM as I usually would.

Needing a top up…

So, all was good and well until the day came when I had run out of credit and needed a top-up. This can be done online, so using my top-up card and Google Translate I attempted to top up my phone credit. I logged on to the Vodafone site and got as far as putting all the necessary details in, but for some reason, it wouldn’t go through. I tried again, and the same thing. An error message just popped up on the screen and the payment just wouldn’t go through! I came to the conclusion that it just wasn’t going to go through! So, I bit the bullet and made my way back to El Corte Ingles to ask a shop assistant in Vodafone to swipe it just like you would at Asda or Tesco.

Topping up…

I get to the store. My palms are sweaty, my chest is pounding and I’m trying to keep my breathing under control so I’m not panting and puffing at the shop assistant. Really, it was something relatively quite simple, but still my nerves were to shot. Thankfully, the shop assistant is dealing with another customer so I get a few moments to calm myself. Whilst waiting I get the text up saying that I’m out of credit and need to top up or ‘recargar.’

It’s my turn to be served. Here goes… I begin with ‘Hola, pardon, no espanol!’ Her eyes widen as I say those dreaded words. I can tell she’s thinking, ‘Oh god, this is going to be a job and a half!’ She sort of half smiles at me as I continue… ‘movil/telefono recargai? Credito? Por favor?’ I had Google translated the main words that I needed before I left the apartment. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to pronounce ‘recargar’ correctly, but nonetheless, I needed to try. I felt like I was just gargling at the assistant. The poor girl looks at me with a very puzzled face. So, I resort to showing her the text from the network and attempting again to say the word ‘recargar…credito?’ Or at least trying to without gargling at her! She instantly responds with ‘Ah!’ Followed by a huge look of relief.

How much?

The next step is adding the amount that I want to top up. I am not overly sure about numbers yet. I know 5 or ‘Cinco,’ but I need to put more than 5 euros on to last me a few weeks. She asks the question ‘Cuanta?’ I get the gist of what she’s asking, and I have the answer, but I don’t have the answer in Spanish! So now I’m the one standing with a puzzled look on my face!

All of a sudden, she bursts out with the most spectacular English and starts reeling off all these numbers! ’10 euro, 20, euro, 25 euro…’ This time it’s me who has the ‘Ah’ moment and sudden look of relief! I hold out and unclench my fist giving her the scrunched-up 20 euro note that I’ve been holding onto since the start of this conversation.

Before putting it through the till she stops and points at the Vodafone sign and then points back at me and says, ‘You Vodafone, Si?’ Well, this would be the height of embarrassment if after all this I’m on a different network wouldn’t it? I nod at her and reply, ‘Si.’ She puts it through the till and hands me the receipt. I smile and thank her for her help, ‘muchos gracias por tu ayuda.’ Or at least attempt to with my dodgy pronunciations of broken Spanish. She just smiles and turns to serve the next customer.