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

[Jaimito Cartero]

I got one at Radio Shack for $25 or so. It's worked in every country I've gone to. You should note that for the output of your items. They had two different "sizes", and one size would only recharge shavers and such, while the larger one would handle a lot more things.

[Sportsman]

The one I went to was on Corrientes between Florida and Ave Julio de 9th. Closer to the 9th. I think they only have one tech, she's downstairs in the hot box.

Here's another tip. Make sure your phone charger can take 220volts. I bought a used phone for the trip and just assumed that everything is 110/220volts noiw days. It worked fine for one charge but I went to recharge this morning and it was dead. I looked at the back and it's 110volts only. Anyone know where I can get a cheap charger for a Nokia?

JGB,
Instead of a 220V charger for a phone, I recommend buying a universal voltage coverter kit. I got mine for about $30 few years ago and it has a converter and 5 set of plugs for just about anywhere in the world. I use it for all my protable electrical/electronic devices (shaver, toothbrush, phone, laptop) when I travel out of the country.
Sportsman

[Jaimito Cartero]

If you don't want to read the long story. Here's the bottom line. Go get a CTI MOVIL simcard with 50 pesos of credit for 50 pesos.

Great report. Are the cards valid for a certain amount of time? I rather detest cell phones in the US (I carried one around for 15 years and got tired of people being able to find me!), but am thinking of getting a monger phone.

I'm also thinking of getting a Vonage account so I can make business calls when I'm away too. As I understand it, you can take the box with you and hook into any high speed line and it's like you're dialing from the states.

[JustGotBack]

The one I went to was on Corrientes between Florida and Ave Julio de 9th. Closer to the 9th. I think they only have one tech, she's downstairs in the hot box.

Here's another tip. Make sure your phone charger can take 220volts. I bought a used phone for the trip and just assumed that everything is 110/220volts noiw days. It worked fine for one charge but I went to recharge this morning and it was dead. I looked at the back and it's 110volts only. Anyone know where I can get a cheap charger for a Nokia?

[Knuckhead]

JGB, for the good of the board, just post which CTI movil store you went to. As a bonus, also post which hot tech agent you talked to!

Three weeks ago the CTI movil in Florida and Paraguay said they do NOT sell prepaid SIM cards! Go figure!

[JustGotBack]

If you don't want to read the long story. Here's the bottom line. Go get a CTI MOVIL simcard with 50 pesos of credit for 50 pesos. No need for names, passports or anything but 50 pesos. If you want a Personal sim card, shop since the price quotes varied from 25 to 40 pesos with 0 credits for me.

By the way, here's what I said in my California Spanglish to ask for the card:
"Yo queiro compra prepagos simcard." Some of them referred to the simcard as "el chip".

At first I stopped by a local mom and pop store Palermo by my hotel. She quizzed me about the phone but then said I could get a Personal simcard for 30 pesos and buy time in increments of 10 pesos each. Being the super cheap bastard that I am, I decided to shop. I went all along Florida street and asked numerous Telefonica shops and some Personal shops about a pre paid simcard. All the Telefonica shops said you can't buy one and all but one of the Personal shops said the same. The one that didn't wanted 40 pesos for the sim card. I turned on Correintes to head back to Palermo. I stopped by the big main Telefonica super center there. Everyone hear speaks English. Many of the conversations with the customers are in English. The receptionist said they sold prepaid simcards but I would have to get my phone approved first. I went to the tech window. The tech and I had a discussion about wheter my phone would work in Argentina. He says no, I say yes. He finally relents after he pops in a simcard and it works. He says I'm good. I asked him how much a prepaid simcard is. He says 20 pesos and that I should talk to an agent. I get to the agent and he tells me they don't sell prepaid sim cards anymore. I wished everyone else knew that before putting me through the process. I head out and stop by another local mom and pop. They are selling Personal simcards for 25 pesos. I almost bite but decided to check with another place since the prices are so variable. I stop by CTI Movil. I saw a ton of their shops but didn't stop because I didn't think they were an option. Jackpot. They sent me to a tech as well to check out my phone. We had the same discussion as the last tech which got resolved when she put her simcard in and it worked. I didn't mind at all this time since she was hot. Anyways, I got a CTI Movil simcard for 50 pesos that also has 50 pesos of credit. The best deal of them all. They didn't ask for my name or passport or anything other than 50 pesos. My advice is to just go to CTI Movil.

[Bacchus9]

I made the same discovery on arrival in January. In addition to the bad news at Movil, the lines were packed should you want to establish service.

Wandered down Florida and found Personal, bought a Personal Lite subscription. One add-on to the experience, after getting the SIM card, the guy walked me out into the Florida median to buy some Personal recarga cards from a kiosk. SIM and cards in hand I still didn't have phone service. Had to wait a couple of hours, call the guy back at his little office and they read the phone number to me over the phone. After that I had a number for the phone and I believe it was after that when I could charge the phone with pesos and become active. The phone is registered in the seller's name, not mine, so calling up the phone company I always have to explain why it's not my name. One more issue to be navigated in Spanish.

A couple of other "issues": when you recharge the phone you must navigate the instructions in Spanish, then enter the special numbers you've scratched to on the back of the Personal Lite recharge card. Sometimes the computer voice will tell you you've entered an invalid number. DON'T give up, just re-enter the number, keep re-entering until it accepts it.
: sometimes trying to get to the recharge service can take more than one call. Your call may drop, repeatedly, before you get through.
: if you run out of money on the phone, don't expect to be able to re-charge it with fresh pesos and keep on going. It can take 30 to 120 minutes to get service back. If you, wisely, charge it up while you've still got some credit on there it's a seamless process and there's no interruption.
: with Personal Lite you can charge up to $100 pesos. You buy cards in $10 or $20 pesos sizes

[Knuckhead]

JGB, to answer your question about pre-paid SIM cards:

I was previously under the impression you can buy a pre-paid SIM card from CTI at Florida and Paraguay. A few weeks ago I went there and they said they do not sell these without a phone and service. This was the exact opposite of what I had heared and seen discussed here.

OTOH, "personal" sells pre-paid SIM cards. I went to one of their branches in Florida and the clerck said he needs my passport. When I returned with the passport, I couldn't find that exact store, so I just went in another one of those kiosks with the "personal" logo. This time they asked for nothing at all, and just handed me a SIM card for 70 Pesos (30 Pesos for the card and already pre-loaded with 40 Pesos for calling).

It just goes to show how inconsistent things could be from one store to another! My suggestion is just walk along Florida and go to any "personal" kiosk you see, and eventually one of them just sells you the card without asking for anything but the cash.

[JustGotBack]

Heading to BA today. Can't wait for the flight to leave. Can I buy a simcard for my GSM phone at any Telefonica store or is there a central one I have to go to?

[Jackson]

Dialing sequence for calling from the USA to cellphones in Argentina.

011-54-911-XXXX-XXXX

011 = The code for making an international call.

54 = The country code for Argentina.

911 = The prefix for cellphones (replaces the 15 in the cell phone number.)

XXXX-XXXX = The last 8 digits of the cellphone number.

[Jackson]

Thread Starter.