Mobile Phones In America???

[RachaelAitken]

Presently i have a very basic mobile...pay as you go Nokia with Virgin. Obviously when we go in May i would realy like to have a mobile in case anything happens whilst we are out and about in the car.
I very much doubt mine will work there but does anyone know if they can be hired or which UK ones may work, Hubbie seems to think they sell disposable pay as you go phones out there too which may be any idea.
Please share your experiences or ideas??

 

[gilld]

My Triband phoned worked perfectly but obviously the calls are expensive.

 

[kristieuk]

Most newer mobiles these days are tri-band. You should check if yours is, because if it is, you will be able to use it without any problem - although as Gill says, it will be expensive for you to make or receive calls.

If you look up the model online, I'm sure you will be able to find a list of specifications for it.

If it is not tri-band, you can rent phones whilst you are out there - I haven't needed to do this personally, but I think I recall other people doing this, and they should be able to help.

 

[Meezers]

There is a HUGE Virgin store at DTD...if you phone takes a SIM card I bet you could get an American pay as you go card to use while you are here...I am pretty sure that is what some of the British people do.

 

[patdavies]

It still needs to be a tri-band mobile as the US frequencies are different.

We have bought a couple of these and re-register them whenever we visit the US

www.tracfone.com

Walmart sell them and we paid $29.99 each (plus tax of course) complete with US charger

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

It still needs to be a tri-band mobile as the US frequencies are different.

We have bought a couple of these and re-register them whenever we visit the US

www.tracfone.com

Walmart sell them and we paid $29.99 each (plus tax of course) complete with US charger

Yes, we have done the same. they work very well for the money.
They also work almost in any state as well.

Someone was looking to start a system on here of loaning them out to people who were going to the US.

 

[Kaslee]

Virgin Mobile
You need to take your phone to a Virgin store and ask. We did this at the beginning of 2005 so my info may be out of date now. The info on their website was confusing but the store advice was good and practical.
There is a difference between pay as you go on a top up voucher basis and "pay as you go" which is a monthly bill just for your calls during 1 month and paid in arrears. Only the second type worked in the caribbean and also California and Nevada areas. The service was good though not cheap and my DD even used it to phone home from the Grand Canyon. We have not used it in Florida yet, so I'm not sure what the service is like there.
It was easy to switch to the monthly bill system and there is no minimum payment, make no calls and pay no bills. They also gave me some advice on the settings to alter the phone to to avoid paying for "diverted calls" ( not sure what this was or how to do it, they did it for me)
Kay

 

[squitty]

Another vote for tracfone. We just bought one for $20 and then $20 for a top up card.

 

[carolfoy]

AS a total non-techy could anyone answer me why my tri-band mobile (a nokia) worked fine but I couldn't get it to recharge?

 

[Miffy2003]

AS a total non-techy could anyone answer me why my tri-band mobile (a nokia) worked fine but I couldn't get it to recharge?

Another non techie here Carol

When you say it wouldn't charge, did it plug in okay etc? And just never charged? Sorry to be dense!

I am guessing (!!) here and for what it's worth (not much from a non techy bod I suspect) could it be the different voltage?? Anyone know??

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Have a look at your charger, it should say the voltages it will work at. My Nokia tri band works from 110 to 240 volts, but the Nokia Tracfones only work around the 110 volt mark, however, i used that charger to charge my Tri Band.
The other thing I do is take my car charger and charge on the journeys around the area.

It should have charged if its a multi volt charger.

 

[carolfoy]

Thanks folks, its probably to do with it not being a multi volt charger then!! When I bought the phone I asked for one that was triband as I frequently travel without my son and need to call so I guess the charger they supplied is not the right one!
I had plugged it in through the adapter ok but it just wouldn't charge.

 

[Scottish-Helen]

Hi Carol,my charger wouldn't work either and the same thing happened to my room-mate on the fam trip last year so I bought a new one over there for when i am in that part of the world.

I got a T-mobile pay as you go sim when I was in San Francisco but I have a feeling that it has to be topped up within a certain amount of time so we may have to buy another sim next time.

 

[Imzadi]

I'm in America & have had a Tracfone for about 5 years and I love it. http://www.tracfone.com/

Tracfones are great if you are going to use the phone a moderate amount, for emergencies usage. The battery & charger come with the phones. They have a package deal for 120 minutes with a reconditioned phone included for between $14.99 (Target) - $29.99 USD. I *think* the "reconditioned" phones are when someone returns a used phone after testing it out under their return policy, Tracfone has to wipe the old telephone number from it's memory before selling it again. They can't simply be put back on the store shelves. (In the years I've had my phones & been reading various forums, most people have not been reporting much trouble with the reconditioned phones.)

Tracfone doesn't have their own cell service, per se. What they do is RENT cell service from existing major carriers in the areas you will be in. Instead of getting a Verizon cellphone, & only having serviced dedicated to Verizon, when I've traveled, the Tracfone SWITCHED to whatever carrier was available to me, in that area.

When I've been in the boonies with friends & we all turned on our phones. The Sprint people almost never had coverage because of the all digital network. If there was a carrier out there that Tracfone works with, I usually had service. Of course, in some areas, none of us had any service.

On the Tracfone website, there is a place to enter the zip codes to see if they have coverage in the areas you will be in. Tracfone Coverage

The best way to utilize the Tracfones while you are here is to buy 2 phones for you & Hubbie. Have them mailed to the hotel you will be staying at, so they are here when you arrive, if you buy them off the Tracfone website. Although buying one from Target or Walmart may be better, so you can immediately exchange the phone if there is a problem with that phone.

Get a Referral to activate the first phone. This gives you 100 free bonus minutes along with whatever phone package you buy. You get 20 minutes at activation + 60 days service or more. Plus there are ALWAYS promo bonus codes for another free 40 minutes or more, to add onto whatever Minutes Card you get. So if you bought the 120 minute phone package, you will be getting 20 min activation + 120 minute card + 40 bonus minutes + 100 referral minutes = a total of 280 minutes + 60 days (or more) airtime, all for about $29.99 USD.

Once the first phone is activated, use that phone's email account to send a referral to the second phone's email. (If your hotel does not have internet service, there are many internet cafes and libraries around so you can log online & activate. Takes about 10 minutes. You DO need to be in the area you will be using the phone to activate, so the cell tower can locate you.) The first phone will get 100 minutes to add on for sending the referral + the second phone will get the 100 bonus referral minutes. Then each phone will have the 280 minutes + 60(+) days of airtime, (depending on when you add on all the minutes.) The first phone will actually have 380 minutes.

I can send a referral to anyone interested in the 100 free bonus referral minutes, when you are ready to come over. I also include detailed directions to help you get set up & activated and will be available online to answer any/all questions you have about the phones.

Just send me a Private Message when you are ready or need more info.

 

[leise]

Wow Imzadi, that is great. I am currently looking into this as I have an Orange dual band pay as you go, so was thinking of getting a triband phone as I will need to call friends while we are in Florida.
Hadn't occurred to me to get a phone out there, but that sounds like a gret deal. Thanks for the information.

Love the avatar too! I may PM you nearer the time of our trip...

 

[MrsJobba1]

Do you use the same phone number when calling from a mobile eg 44 191 (missing the 0) then number or is there another number you put infront of the 44.

I just can't remember?

 

[carolfoy]

I just normally use the speed dial thats on the phone anyway, have never had to put in the additional +44 etc when using my mobile

 

[Amyrlin]

I always put in the +44

 

[Imzadi]

Hadn't occurred to me to get a phone out there, but that sounds like a gret deal. Thanks for the information.

Many people here in the states get a Tracfone just for vacationing or business travel. They get an extra phone for family members who don't normally have a cell phone. Since they know the whole family may split up & go in different directions while in the parks, they can stay in touch with each other & coordinate. After the trip, they let the phone deactivate and store it in a cupboard drawer until the next trip somewhere.

There is no activation charges or fees to reactivate a phone. Simply buy a new Minutes Card to add on the appropriate amount of minutes needed & will have service again for another 60 days. A new phone number will be assigned with reactivation.

They also have a plan for International long distance minutes from the U.S. I don't know anything about it though. But it may give you an option to be able to call home. The U.K. is listed.
http://www.tracfone-ild.com/index.jsp