Where to buy mobile phones in Orlando

[eyoreaud]

Hi guys

Where is the best place to buy a mobile in Orlando? Are there any web sites? I have heard people talk about track phones, are they the same as an ordinary mobile? We have 2 way radios which are fine short distance (as long as theres not too much noise )but not if we're in different places, ie shopping malls etc i think being able to call or txt each other would be much better
Thanks xXx

 

[disneyger]

DH bought net10 mobiles phones in Best Buys back in November 2008 and they came with $30 credit on them and they cost $30.00 They were really good value and I think that we got about 600minutes talk time. We never even used it all.
Geraldine

 

[eyoreaud]

Just had a look at net 10's web site, they seem to be great value for $'s!

Thanks Geraldine! Much appreciated

 

[wicket2005]

We bought tracphones from Walmart at $10 each, plus bought a talk time/service card for $20. They are ideal as we can now split up in shopping malls.

 

[eyoreaud]

We bought tracphones from Walmart at $10 each, plus bought a talk time/service card for $20. They are ideal as we can now split up in shopping malls.

Hi and thanks

Can those be re used on another trip? Or are they just like net 10 phones that cannot be used after 60 days of non use?

 

[wicket2005]

We bought them in July 08 and had service running till December 08. I renewed the service time on the net, then updated the phones via my laptop whilst there in December.

Service is due up in March so I am going to pay for service that will take us through our next holiday in July. Doing it this way means you never lose the money you already have on your phone.

 

[disney13]

Hi,

I use a tracfone each year when I go to Oregon and have used the same one for the last few years (cost me $14.99 from Target). When you buy minutes for a Tracfone it comes with a specific length of service e.g. 100 minutes comes with 90 days service. You need to use all the minutes within that period or the minutes are lost IF you don't buy more minutes which will then extend the length of service on the phone. There are loads of codes on the web which give you more minutes or extra days of service or both. These codes need to be used when you add minutes to the phone. Now the good thing about Tracfone is that if the service has expired you can go online and reactivate the phone. This is what I do every year before I go to Oregon. The other excellent feature when using a Tracfone is you can call International numbers for the same price as calling local or mobile numbers in the US.

Hope this helps,
Andy

 

[Neoshoegal]

We've also used the Net10 phones. Costs $30 and get $30 of credit. It's only $0.10/minute for calls and text messages in the US, and $0.15/minute for international calls.
One ting I've always found a bit strange in the US, is that you also pay that amount to receive a call or text!

 

[Kristina]

Hi,

I use a tracfone each year when I go to Oregon and have used the same one for the last few years (cost me $14.99 from Target). When you buy minutes for a Tracfone it comes with a specific length of service e.g. 100 minutes comes with 90 days service. You need to use all the minutes within that period or the minutes are lost IF you don't buy more minutes which will then extend the length of service on the phone. There are loads of codes on the web which give you more minutes or extra days of service or both. These codes need to be used when you add minutes to the phone. Now the good thing about Tracfone is that if the service has expired you can go online and reactivate the phone. This is what I do every year before I go to Oregon. The other excellent feature when using a Tracfone is you can call International numbers for the same price as calling local or mobile numbers in the US.

Hope this helps,
Andy

See why I love these boards ! I have an older model cell phone and I really don't mind it but since I can't use it from the US I had planned on getting a new one, and now I don't have to! Brilliant since I have so many other things to pay for this year !

 

[Mad Mum]

Good idea, as I was going to take some walkie talkies, but I suppose reading through the thread that if you are a longer distance away, it could cause problems with the walkie talkies.

Also, Tracphones are they just PAYG phones? If so, can you use them in the UK?

 

[eyoreaud]

Good idea, as I was going to take some walkie talkies, but I suppose reading through the thread that if you are a longer distance away, it could cause problems with the walkie talkies.

Also, Tracphones are they just PAYG phones? If so, can you use them in the UK?

Hmmmm .... i think thats a good question, can the tracphones be used in the UK as well as the US?

 

[Macl1uk]

Personally I use my own mobile and purchase a USA T Mobile SIM card whilst still in the UK, you can buy them on Ebay and then when I return I sell my SIM cards on Ebay. That way I have a phone to use straight away, rather than hunting around for shops. Previously we have bought walkie talkies in the Disney park, however the range was limited and no good if one of you were off site or there are more than two of you, there are three of us and we sometimes split up.

Make sure that your mobile phone is unlocked and is either tri-band or quad-band, both will work in the USA

I buy USA T Mobile SIM cards off Ebay and activate them myself within 90 days of the return date. By activating them myself, the seller does not know when you are going to be abroad, your home address is normally registered with Ebay and the seller can pull this info even if you have the SIM’s posted elsewhere.

USA T Mobile has one of the best coverage’s available:-
http://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/pcc.aspx

To activate:-
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/activateprepaid.aspx

Select the state FL and area code as 407 for Orlando or Kissimmee

To top up USA T Mobile in the UK:-
http://pinzoo.com/

Once in the USA you can buy top ups very easily, far easier than getting the SIM cards.

 

[wicket2005]

The tracphones are pay as you go. They do have a website that can answer any questions you have.

You can only use them in the US as far as I know.

My son went down the sim route a couple of years ago and bought a sim/minutes from a kiosk in the Florida Mall, cost him about $50 at the time. So buying from EBay sounds a good option if you want to go down that route. We did struggle finding top up cards at that time but were looking in Malls, I think places like Walmart will have stacks.

Our own phones are locked to a network so we don't have that option at the moment. However, we did find the tracphones extremely cheap to use and for £30 for two phones with minutes/service was a price we were happy with.

 

[disney13]

Hi,

Tracfone handsets definately do not work here in the UK.

Cheers,
Andy

 

[eyoreaud]

Personally I use my own mobile and purchase a USA T Mobile SIM card whilst still in the UK, you can buy them on Ebay and then when I return I sell my SIM cards on Ebay. That way I have a phone to use straight away, rather than hunting around for shops. Previously we have bought walkie talkies in the Disney park, however the range was limited and no good if one of you were off site or there are more than two of you, there are three of us and we sometimes split up.

Make sure that your mobile phone is unlocked and is either tri-band or quad-band, both will work in the USA

I buy USA T Mobile SIM cards off Ebay and activate them myself within 90 days of the return date. By activating them myself, the seller does not know when you are going to be abroad, your home address is normally registered with Ebay and the seller can pull this info even if you have the SIM’s posted elsewhere.

USA T Mobile has one of the best coverage’s available:-
http://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/pcc.aspx

To activate:-
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/activateprepaid.aspx

Select the state FL and area code as 407 for Orlando or Kissimmee

To top up USA T Mobile in the UK:-
http://pinzoo.com/

Once in the USA you can buy top ups very easily, far easier than getting the SIM cards.

Thanks for that but my phone is locked into t-mobile, it is a quad band though and have used it to send picture texts home a few times but calling home is very expensive. I think it'll be less hassle to pick up a cheap n cheerful tracphone rather than buying and selling sim cards on e-bay (never bought/sold anything on e-bay before) I'll see what Dh thinks, he may prefer the sim card thing, how much does it cost to get your phone unlocked?

 

[eyoreaud]

The tracphones are pay as you go. They do have a website that can answer any questions you have.

You can only use them in the US as far as I know.

My son went down the sim route a couple of years ago and bought a sim/minutes from a kiosk in the Florida Mall, cost him about $50 at the time. So buying from EBay sounds a good option if you want to go down that route. We did struggle finding top up cards at that time but were looking in Malls, I think places like Walmart will have stacks.

Our own phones are locked to a network so we don't have that option at the moment. However, we did find the tracphones extremely cheap to use and for £30 for two phones with minutes/service was a price we were happy with.

Hi, looks like with the tracphones being so cheap to buy (and are the same price to send messages or phone home as in the US) it would definitly work out to be he cheaper option The one we were looking at was only $29 .

 

[Pootle]

If so, can you use them in the UK?

LOL, definitely NO as others have said. 18 months ago we drove into Canada from the US, and I was surprised that the Tracfone stopped working virtually at the border!

 

[madmumof2]

Thanks for that but my phone is locked into t-mobile, it is a quad band though and have used it to send picture texts home a few times but calling home is very expensive. I think it'll be less hassle to pick up a cheap n cheerful tracphone rather than buying and selling sim cards on e-bay (never bought/sold anything on e-bay before) I'll see what Dh thinks, he may prefer the sim card thing, how much does it cost to get your phone unlocked?

Most phone shops will do it for you for a fiver or less. I took mine to one and it cost £4. It was done withing seconds too.