Cellphones: Calling-Using-Buying-Importing-Activating-Renting

I appreciate the information. I think I have all the info I need.

Sounds like the only difficulty will be getting an local address to have them send the paperwork to. One situation at a time.

Suerte,

Stowe

You don't need a local address if you go with CTI Movil.

I don't quite remember about needing a local address when I got my SIM card from CTI on Paraguay and Florida. If I did I must have given them my hotel address.

They did ask for my passport. I did not have it with me at the time and I just gave them the driving license and that was good enough.

[QUOTE=MoonDog]

The credits are good for 90 days, and the card good for six months. After that, you might have to get a new SIM card or have the old one re-activated. [/QUOTE]To MoonDog or any other knowledgable member,

If I need to "reactivate" my sim card that I haven't used in 6 months, is it going to cost money to reactivate? Or is it simply going to the main office and having them reactivate it / buy some more recharge credits?

Thank you in advance.

My information was for Personal Light and comes from their web site. Each carrier has its own policy which it may or may not follow closely.

I didn't see anything on the web site about being able to reactivate the card by going to the main office.

[QUOTE=Team Stream]To MoonDog or any other knowledgable member,

If I need to "reactivate" my sim card that I haven't used in 6 months, is it going to cost money to reactivate? Or is it simply going to the main office and having them reactivate it / buy some more recharge credits?

Thank you in advance.[/QUOTE]I think you will have to go to the main office, but I'm not exactly sure.

Moondog

Mongers-

I am coming back to Buenos Aires in a week, more or less permanently, and I want to get my Kyocera KX2 phone hooked up here. I called up Kyocera, and they told me they do business in Argentina and the phone should work. The phone is CDMA based with Verizon service in the USA, and will not work on roaming in Argentina because Verizon has no roaming agreement with any Argentine provider. All the talk about phones in this thread has been about GSM servers, but reliable sources tell me that the CDMA network is more reliable in Argentina, plus I want to keep my phone. I used PhoneRental for the 6 months I previously lived in Argentina and although it was a poor value, the service was good. Any experiences, recommendations on this would be appreciated.

Suerte,

Dirk Diggler

[QUOTE=Hewy300]My tri-band GSM Nokia 3100 worked for me during my February 2005 trip to Buenos Aires. You might consider "unlocking" you phone and purchasing a "local" pre-paid SIM card to avoid the roaming charges. Please see the first web link for more information. The second web link has additional GSM information.

[url]http://www.thetravelinsider.info/roadwarriorcontent/nokiaunlocking.htm[/url]

[url]http://www.gsmworld.com/index.shtml[/url]

Hewy[/QUOTE]Hi,

I never had a chance to respond to Hewy's post and link for The Travel Insider. I had a Sony Ericsson T-226 cell, I had bought cheap and had used the same model last year in Colombia and it worked great (I slipped out of my pocket in a Taxi and was gone. So after seeing this post I thought it would be a great chance to unlock it for my next trip. I sent the PayPal payment and I even took advantage of there offer for a SIM holder, which I thought would be great, as I travel to multiple countries often. I followed the intructions they have and received a confirmation for receiving the Cell Phone and the return reciept. On the return e-mail it stated the SIM holders are back ordered and I would receive it as soon as they were back in stock. I received the phone as promised, from the e-mail. But it was DOA, it would not power on and would take a charge. I tried every troubleshooting method and e-mailed TTI. I received an e-mail asking for more information, PayPal info etc. I never got really angry, as it wasn't like it was a brand new phone, but it was in excellent shape and I had used it with no problems here for several months. I then asked since I had lost confidence in there service could I please receive a refund for at least the extra I paid for the SIM card holder, since they were back-ordered and never received it. I never received another response or my SIM card holder. I do not know if Hewy the original poster had used this company with success, I just wanted everyone to know I don't agree with the way they do business, and to be aware if you choose to use them.

Mongers-

Last Thursday, I went to the main offices of Movistar, Personal, and CTI down on Corrientes and its vicinity. Movistar said that they would not hook up my phone without the "factura", the receipt of original purchase. Of course, I did not bring the receipt with me, the phone was bought over a year ago. So after trips to Personal and CTI, with no success (they claim their networks do not have the technology to use my phone) I returned to Movistar and agreed to just buy a GSM phone, they had Motorolla Razrs, so I said what the hell. Then, they tell me their network is down, and I can come back tomorrow and buy a phone. I leave and on my way back to CTI, I stop at an electronics store on Florida and they inform me that I can only get a prepaid phone, because as a non-resident I cannot sign a contract, and the best part, all the prepaid phones are pieces of shit. So, I buy a shitty motorola (with 50 pesos of credit free) for $100AR, and off I go.

Also, I noticed that my Verizon service DOES work here, with full reception and capabilities, it is just roaming and thus expensive.

Suerte,

Dirk Diggler

DNI, CUIT/L and recent utility bill required (exactly the same for opening a bank acct) to get regular cell phone/plan here. With Movistar at least. 70 pesos/month including 250 "free" nationwide minutes/mo.

Has anyone experienced problems sending text messages from your T-Mobile phone (USA) to Movistar phone numbers in BA?

After limited research, I have not been able to narrow this down - as I do not know the service provider of my other chica friends.

Thanks

My apartment that I rented came with a cell phone but no time left on it. Can someone give me intructions on how to reload this thing? I know that I can get a card from a local store or kiosko but the instructions are in spanish and a bit too fast for me. After I buy the card, I scratch the number off and then what? Thanks in advance.

Buy your card and then You go down to Excedra buy a Chica a coffee or a coke and have her do it for you.

Exon

[QUOTE=Exon123]Buy your card and then You go down to Excedra buy a Chica a coffee or a coke and have her do it for you.

Exon[/QUOTE]I did that very thing last night, then I also rented the chica. Eat your heart out Exon!

Damn, that's a great idea, I wish I had done that. Instead, I asked some elderly lady with poor vision working at locatorio to do it. There were a lot of of pissed off people behind me in line.

Few times after I bought the CTI card, the phone-in system was not working. I even took it to the CTI store and asked the front ask receiptionist to phone it in for me but still no joy. Instead they took the card and recharged it off-line. Five minutes later the credit appeared. Since then I only buy the card on the second piso of the CTI store on Paraguay and Florida during office hours and asked them to recharge it for me at the ground floor reception.

Ok, I went to a locutorio which advertised "venda de chips" today. I have a GSM unlocked cell phone from the US which I showed to the fucktard sales douchebag. He installed the card and then started babbling as fast as humanly possible in caste-ZHano, ignoring my pleas to slow down (there was absolutlely no one waiting behind me) A friend who speaks better Spanish then I was with me and also understood nothing. When the dude finally slowed down, we gathered that he said I had to call a number on a flyer he gave us tonight (why, I have no idea) and that I absolutely could not buy a pre-paid cellular card today. I would have to wait until tomorrow. When I tried to ask what would happen if I bought it today (I don't quite have perfect command of the subjunctive mood) I couldn't really understand his answer. He then gave me the rest of the card, a short "manual" and said "listo." He didn't say "get the fuck out of here" or "vete, pendejo," but probably wanted to.

Here's the deal. When I left the store, the phone read "Movistar." I didn't try to make any calls since I had no pre-paid time, no account (as far as I knew) and I then realized I didn't have the slightest idea what my number was.

I called the number on the flyer tonight, and the guy just told me my phone number. The phone now reads "SIM error."

What's going on? Will following the directions on a card which must be purchased tomorrow (not today! Solve the problem?

Thanks

[QUOTE=Dirk Diggler]. I stop at an electronics store on Florida and they inform me that I can only get a prepaid phone, because as a non-resident I cannot sign a contract, and the best part, all the prepaid phones are pieces of shit. So, I buy a shitty motorola (with 50 pesos of credit free) for $100AR, and off I go. [/QUOTE]Can someone please tell me how to say "I want to buy a prepaid phone and phone card" in spanish?

If you write it for me, I can show him the message.

Pop till you drop,

Hojo

Hojo-

Tell the sales associate "Quiero a comprar un telefono celular prepagado". All the prepaid phones come with some amount of credit included in the purchase price, and the sales associate will set the phone up, activate it, and install the initial credit that comes with the phone. When you run out of credit, stop at a kiosko, and ask "Tenes tarjetas celulares". The kiosko guy will ask you how much credit you want, and from my experience, the kioskos generally sell $10 and $20 pesos phone cards. There are instructions on the back of the cards that explain how to add the credit to your phone, naturally they are in castellano and the recorded message system that you deal with to install the credit is only in castellano as well.

Suerte,

Dirk Diggler

This subject may have been covered but I can't find where.

I need to buy a US cell phone and I would like for it to work overseas as well. Everyone tells me to use Verizon (they seem to be in every shopping center) but I asked a sales rep about it and he said that since their phones use CDMA, they rarely work overseas. Shit even my happy meal Argentine phone works overseas, in USA at least. Its a cheap Motorola from Movistar but I guess it has GSM? No idea.

I had a T-Mobile phone issued by an employer a few years back and it worked everywhere I went, which was many countries/continents. It was a basic model with no color/camera and sometimes I had to change the band(?) on the menu options upon arriving to a new country, but it never failed anywhere I went.

What should I buy in USA then? The phone will be used mostly in USA, but it's very convenient sometimes to have a phone that works internationally, if just to make a single life-saving 2 minute call from a Budapest backalley.

Thanks for your advice,

Moore

Moore-

Verizon is the best phone service for use within the USA, however, CDMA networks are limited outside of the Western Hemisphere and Japan. I have my Verizon phone here in Buenos Aires and it does work here on roaming because Movistar has a CDMA network here that it can utilize. CDMA phones are superior in data transfering capabilities to any GSM phone, however just about every country worldwide (with the possible exception of Japan, which uses a CDMA technology far more advanced than the Verizon Qualcomm tech) uses a GSM network, so if you get Cingular in the USA, it should work essentially worldwide, and if you unlock it you can get a SIM card with a local number just about anywhere in the world.

Suerte,

Dirk Diggler

Thanks for the reply - the sales rep was also telling me about the superiority of CDMA technology and, as I mentioned, everyone has told me that Verizon is the best US provider. If I go with a Cingular GSM phone, what do I forfeit by using inferior technology? Is the connection not as clear? The (probably) GSM cheapshit phone I have from Argentina is clear as a bell, sometimes people I called overseas would even comment on the "next door" clarity.

"Superior" technology is debatable. All the USA services work well some of the time and work poorly some of the time. It theory, with digital, it either works or it doesn't but I think everybody experiences call quality problems at some point. There are just too many variables for there to be a single best choice. Kind of like boliches in BA.

If your primary interest is making phone calls, coverage is the #1 issue in the USA. Find the service that works best in the areas where you need it to work and buy that. Everybody tends to have decent coverage in the big cities but in the sticks, Verizon tends to be best (which is not the same as always working)

If you get a GSM service (Cingular and T-Mobile) your phone will be locked so you'll need to find someone to unlock it. It's usually not hard to do but takes a bit of investigation. If you want to use it when roaming, make sure you get a quad-band phone so that all the frequencies are covered.

My personal view is to make the best choice for the USA and buy a cheap GSM phone for use with a local SIM when traveling. That way you won't be sad when it gets stolen or lost. The cheapest way to get one is to buy a used phone in a place like Thailand or via E-Bay in the USA.

International roaming charges are a nightmare. It's easy to run up a $500 bill on a short trip.

[QUOTE=Easy Go]My personal view is to make the best choice for the USA and buy a cheap GSM phone for use with a local SIM when traveling. That way you won't be sad when it gets stolen or lost.[/QUOTE]You're probably right in almost all cases. But sometimes it's nice to be able to make a crucial call from an unknown country before you even have a chance to get a local SIM or local rental phone. Like you arrive very late on an improvised flight into the Rio airport and a two minute (albeit 10 dollar) call to your hotel transport desk is a life saver. Happened my first time there - no one was waiting for me, don't speak the language, taxi line had gone, etc.

First service that has a decent plan is from Personal - unfortunately, no matter how many years of service I was willing to offer to pre-pay or have them charge on my credit card right now, no DNI - no service of any kind that requires a contract and all Blackberry plans require contract according to the Personal rep I talked to at their store in Retiro.

The rate was $AR 99 per month for the Blackberry service - unlimited emails and bandwidth. On top of that, a separate 41p per month charge for 100 minutes talk-time, but text messages at 15 centavos each. Or a 49p plan for 100 minute plus 100 text messages included. Required 1yr contract to start. Cost of buying a Blackberry 7290 was around $610, with tax and everything else about $650 US.

No DNI on my part, so for now, I'm still local-Blackberry less and forced to use my USA one on world access roaming.

Moviestar has ads showing Blackberry but the one store I walked into didn't have any idea about that and referred me to another main HQ store which I haven't visited yet.

Mongers,

Could someone in possession of a Movistar GSM cellular phone please post what number is programmed into their phone to check their voicemail. I recently got a new phone from the USA and put my SIM card in the new phone, and the voicemail number did not carry over, I need to program it into the new phone. The number should be *followed by several numbers.

Suerte,

Dirk Diggler

Dial 555, by default password is 1234 for any cellphone

I was there a few yrs ago and got a phone. I don't remember the details. What is the absolute easiest way to get a phone for a week? I do alot of Clarin so I make many calls. I'm looking for a quick setup. Last time a guy met me at Art Suites and brought it over. All help appreciated.

Gg

[QUOTE=WhiteCat]I was there a few yrs ago and got a phone. I don't remember the details. What is the absolute easiest way to get a phone for a week? I do alot of Clarin so I make many calls. I'm looking for a quick setup. Last time a guy met me at Art Suites and brought it over. All help appreciated.

I think you are better off buying a phone and buying the phone cards for it. I bought a phone from Citi movil for 110ps it came with a twenty peso credit.

Whitecat-

If you are going to go with the buying a phone route, I recommend buying a movistar phone which you can get for $99 AR including $50 AR of phone credit. Movistar is the best service in Argentina, sort of like the Verizon of Argentina. I know several people who use CTI and they all assure me that it totally SUCKS. Personal is better than CTI but still inferior to Movistar.

Suerte,

Dirk Diggler

Although I do recommend having a cell phone (I agree with Dirk that it is worth buying a prepaid rather then rental, especially if you are planning on coming back) keep in mind that most Clarin ads will not send anyone on a "date" if they cannot verify your address by calling back a listed land-line number, preferably listed in your name.

This can be a problem in a hotel with no phone in the room, or in an apartment, because frequently apartment phones are blocked from calling cell phones (due to the surcharges on calls to cell phones)

You can ask in advance if you can call cell phones from an apartment you are planning on renting, but be prepared to be unpleasantly surprised when they say yes but it turns out to be no. In fact, many apartments which say they have a phone, although technically true, in real life have the service turned off and can't be activated in the time you have available on a week or two vacation, especially if you don't speak enough Spanish to do it yourself!

Since most of those Clain ads are for Privados, it may be worth the trouble to call, get the address and go visit the place. This will also let you pick your date, rather then taking pot luck!

If you do buy a phone, don't overcharge it with credits, as they expire after a month or so, and try to carry an extra 10 peso card with you, as running out of credits is a pain, and frequently (esp. At night) buying a card can be tough.

Movistar may arguably be the "best" service, but Personal is cheaper. This is hard to quantify, because per minute rates are figured in some cryptic Argentine way so it appears impossible to calculate the exact cost, but 10 pesos of Personal credit lasts longer then Movistar. This may be due in part to the fact that it costs less to call someone on "your" network then a different one, and most chicas seem to use Personal.

However, Movistar is the only service which will sell you a phone without a DNI, although used-phone stores will sell you a prepaid phone for any given network they have in stock.

Just my 2 centavos!

David

[blue]==============================================

Greetings everyone,

Let me append Dave's comments by adding that the land-line telephones at my apartment and at Capt Dave's Mansion [u]are not[/u] restricted and thus may be used to call cellphones.

Thanks,

Jackson[/blue]

[QUOTE=Capt Dave]However, Movistar is the only service which will sell you a phone without a DNI, although used-phone stores will sell you a prepaid phone for any given network they have in stock.

I have bought two cell phones from Personal without any problem of DNI?

Get Peter Coors to buy your cell phone for you. He just got a DNI. Oh wait a minute, that was a DUI.

Mongers-

The way it works with Movistar prepaid phone cards is that the more credit you buy, the more value you get for your money. For example, if you buy a $20 card you get a better rate on minutes than if you buy the $10 card. Plus with the $20 card you are given an allottment of text messages free of charge. If you buy the $50 card (harder to find at kioskos) you get an even better rate (essentially the same one, minute per minute, that a person using the $50 per month contract would get) All of this information was obtained by simply reading the back of the phone cards and by listening to the automated Movistar system.

Suerte,

Dirk Diggler

Please, can anyone recommend a shop where cheap cell phones are for sale along with a Moviestar chip?

Thanks,

Jackpot

I believe this has already been covered.

I think you can go to the main Movistar office on Corrientes 645. Without a DNI you can only get a prepaid phone IIRC. They also have branches throughout Capital, including at least one on Santa Fe in Barrio Norte.

Check out their site at [url]http://www.movistar.com.ar/[/url].

For all the CTI users beware of a recent change in their credit balance carry-over policy. Until recently, if you had a credit balance - it would remain in place even if you only recharged after the air time window expired. NOT anymore, recharge before the expiration or lose it - I learned the hard way.

Would be interested what Movistar and Personal are currently doing on this same front - if some others could provide feedback. When the CTI messaging system was down for most of this weekend, I failed to recharge before expiration - losing all my credit. The CTI response: "Sorry - but that is the way it is"!

Alan

Unfortunately, I experienced the same. CTI got less user friendly in several ways. First, about a year ago, they started to enforce the half year rule (after 7 months, I think it's 6 plus the running, of not using your phone your SIM card and with that your number expires) and now that.

In fact, that's nothing more than a hidden price increase.

Another thing, these days it was incredibly difficult to credit one's accoun t. 9 out of 10 times instead of accepting the "tarjeta's" code, I heard nothing or a mesage that they would be unable to process my request at the time. Also, the main office at Florida / Paraguay declared to be unable to sell me 50 or 100 peso cards due to "computer problems".

In short, presently CTI sucks.

El Alemán

[QUOTE=Alan23]

Would be interested what Movistar and Personal are currently doing on this same front - if some others could provide feedback. When the CTI messaging system was down for most of this weekend, I failed to recharge before expiration - losing all my credit. The CTI response: "Sorry - but that is the way it is"!

Alan[/QUOTE]Same happened to me yesterday with Personal. They told me something about 8 month validity. Will get a new one today for 5 pesos as they said.

Credit is lost. I am used to it from Brasil. I was so fed up that I let them expire now and I'm getting a new number every trip.

[QUOTE=Moore]This subject may have been covered but I can't find where.

I need to buy a US cell phone and I would like for it to work overseas as well. Everyone tells me to use Verizon (they seem to be in every shopping center) but I asked a sales rep about it and he said that since their phones use CDMA, they rarely work overseas. Shit even my happy meal Argentine phone works overseas, in USA at least. Its a cheap Motorola from Movistar but I guess it has GSM? No idea.

I had a T-Mobile phone issued by an employer a few years back and it worked everywhere I went, which was many countries / continents. It was a basic model with no color / camera and sometimes I had to change the band (on the menu options upon arriving to a new country, but it never failed anywhere I went.

What should I buy in USA then? The phone will be used mostly in USA, but it's very convenient sometimes to have a phone that works internationally, if just to make a single life-saving 2 minute call from a Budapest backalley.

Thanks for your advice,

Moore[/QUOTE]Get any motorola quad band gsm phone. Bands are 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHZ.

They are functioning, under gsm, every where in the world.