Path: csiph.com!aioe.org!news.swapon.de!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail From: "Rod Speed" Newsgroups: comp.mobile.android Subject: Re: Who pays for a phone call to a US phone number, italy to italy? Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2015 09:57:34 +1000 Lines: 106 Message-ID: References: <1441f$55abc986$43da7656$24535@nntpswitch.blueworldhosting.com> <200720151647352171%YourName@YourISP.com> <79685$55ae6569$43da7656$23251@nntpswitch.blueworldhosting.com> <51c48$55b3c385$adb2d18a$25839@nntpswitch.blueworldhosting.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="UTF-8"; reply-type=original Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: individual.net 0BrRNZVlmpNolc4a1meOEwBGqoXmQFBub6vZj0znOErrY8TDg= Cancel-Lock: sha1:pZfix7b4c78eycoJakx7TXkAUgc= In-Reply-To: X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal Importance: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Windows Live Mail 14.0.8117.416 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V14.0.8117.416 Xref: aioe.org comp.mobile.android:21327 "Dieghettino" wrote in message news:slrnmr84tj.c8r.d@news.eternal-september.org... >> M.L. wrote: >>> On Fri, 24 Jul 2015 14:36:48 +1000, Rod Speed wrote: >>> >>> > They only do that for foreigners, not even those from other EU >>> > countrys. >>> >>> I don't know the answer, but I *think* they give the passports to the >>> local *police*, whom you apparently have to *register* with. >>> >>> Again, this is all foreign to me, so, those who actually know *why* they >>> physically held the passports the entire week, should let me know too. >> >> Well, except for a few know-it-alls in this group, most of us have >> rather limited mind-reading capabilities and our crystal balls are >> worthless as well, but the most *likely* explanation is that just wanted >> to make sure that you would pay the bill. As I said before, what they >> did is probably *illegal* in Italy, but heh, they're Italians, so what >> the heck has the law got to do with anything!? > > Many things have been said on this topic, most of them wrong. > I will try to shred some light (or to confuse them definitively...) > > Here in Italy we have many personal identification documents which, with > regards to being identified with, are equivalent. Mains are: > > - passport (as everybody) > - "Carta d'identità" (namely: identity card. Many other european > countries have a similar one and are accepted in Italy) > - Driving license (yes, it is accepted as ID. I mean: the italian one) > - Gun licence (yes, we are so strange that, to buy a gun, we need to > obtain a license which is issued by an authority and is an ID. If you > can't understand why we are so strange, don't bother: that's > reciprocal...) > > There are a few others, but they are not so widespread. Well, gun licence > is not common at all either... > Many have a driving licence so, has long as > you do not need to go abroad, you can live happily (and legally) on your > driving license. If you happen to go abroad, then if you stay inside UE > the > identity card is good enough and it is MUCH cheaper than the passport, > so you never apply for a passport until you don't plan to go outside UE. > Many people live all their life (happily) without ever holding a passport. > > In any case, the identity card in Italy is considered the main ID. > I think that nearly everybody has the "carta d'identità". > > As for being registered at hotels. > Believe it or not, they don't do it because they fear you don't pay: if > you happen not to pay, they have to sue you and the expenses and the > hassle is MUCH bigger of the value you owe them. If they don't trust you, > they ask you to pay in advance or they swipe your credit card (as > everywhere else in the world, anyway). > Registration at hotels happens > simply because there is a law which forces them to do it. This law > goes back to 1931 and, if you are good at history, you should realize that > at the time the italian prime minister was.... guess who? > Yes: Benito Mussolini. This, I think, should be enough to explain the > origin and the meaning of the law. > Well, time is gone since then... but... when they get you used to it... > why to change...? ;) > So, we still have that law which simply says that everybody which sleeps > in > an hotel must be registered and communicated to the police enforcement. > Believe me: it is a great hassle for hotel keepers and they would really > get rid of it but, clearly, it is not in their power. > Moreover: in principle, the law also forces them to register clients > _in the very moment_ they register in, so they should give you back your > ID > (whatever it is) together with the key. But since it is such an hassle, > they usually postpone this boring and time-consuming duty to downtimes: > this is why they ask you to leave your ID. > But if you urge them that you need your ID for wathever reason, usually > they do it straight away or, at least, take a copy of your ID. > That's all of the story. > > As for italian sims. > I am not an expert, anyway in Italy we have mostly prepaid sims. The > reason is simple: on contracts there is a tax which makes sense only if it > is not a private sim. > Main operators are: TIM, Vodafone, Wind, 3. > There are also virtual operators. > You subscribe for a basic fare (something like 0.15 €/min for voice calls) > but you hardly ever use it: usually you put a monthly option on top of it. > Something like 9 €/month for 200 minutes, 200 sms, 1 GB (it is only an > example, but this is the order of magnitude). > > This means that during the month, you can make for free (well... free > but for the 9€ you already gave them...) 200 minutes of outgoing calls to > ITALIAN numbers, send for free (as before...) 200 sms to ITALIAN numbers > and use 1GB of free (...) data. All this holds only as long as you use > your > phone from within Italy, otherwise you start roaming as your option does > not apply while you are abroad. If you happen to run out of, say, minutes > then you call using your basic fare till your option is renewed at the end > of the period. > And yes: we belong to that small minority of people in the world > who don't get charged for incoming calls, wherever they originate in this > strange planet. Vast majority in fact.