Another Cell Phone Question
Sep 14th, 2006, 05:06 AM
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Another Cell Phone Question
I just purchased a Sony Ericsson J210 GSM unlocked phone.I am running out of time to purchase a sim card from United Mobile and have it sent to me.( www.united-mobile.com)
What other sim cards would someone suggest that i purchase in Europe when i get there?
I land in Paris ( buy at airport) and have 4 hours there untill my flight arrives in Rome. I will be in Italy for 4 days untill i board a cruise ship that will go to ( besides parts of Italy) Spain, Dubrovnik and Cannes.Thanks, from someone that knows zilch on this subject so excuse me if i sound ignorant
What other sim cards would someone suggest that i purchase in Europe when i get there?
I land in Paris ( buy at airport) and have 4 hours there untill my flight arrives in Rome. I will be in Italy for 4 days untill i board a cruise ship that will go to ( besides parts of Italy) Spain, Dubrovnik and Cannes.Thanks, from someone that knows zilch on this subject so excuse me if i sound ignorant
Sep 14th, 2006, 05:35 AM
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What it comes down to as always is just how much you want to use the mobile phone...if it's just for emergencies then you don't need necessarily to buy any sim card if you already have a gsm carrier (I assume you're in the USA)...if you have either cingular or T Mobile USA, just activate your international roaming and pay their asininely high rip off prices..it will still be cheaper than going the UM directon.
If you feel you want a functional cell phone, given your itinerary, my advice is still to go with United Mobile any other carrier say an Italian carrier will leavehuge roaming fees in the other countries.
If you feel you want a functional cell phone, given your itinerary, my advice is still to go with United Mobile any other carrier say an Italian carrier will leavehuge roaming fees in the other countries.
Sep 14th, 2006, 05:45 AM
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I just bought a SIM through United Mobile. Since it was relatively close to my travel dates, I did pay for expedited shipping - was $35 from Switzerland - but reached me in short order. Hated to pay the shipping, but I do plan to use this phone in various countries in Europe for the next couple of years, so UM was what I wanted.
Sep 14th, 2006, 05:52 AM
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In my experience, you can buy a SIM card from almost any mobile phone store in Europe for around 20 euros or less. Unless you want to know the telephone number before you leave, there's not really any need to buy the card here and pay for expedited shipping. At least this is what I do routinely when I got to Europe and am planning to travel for a week or more. I know there are mobile phone stores in CDG, though I can't tell you where.
I did this most recently when I went to Greece (just popped into the mobile phone store next to my hotel) and had more than enough minutes for 10 days.
However, since you are going to be on a cruise and probably won't be making a lot of local phone calls, it might be more advantageous to just use your own service and pay the surcharge for overseas use; this way people can call you on your regular number if they need to reach you. If you were going to be land-based and making a lot of reservations and calls, then it would make more sense to get a SIM card in Europe. Having a European SIM card doesn't really save you money if you want to call home; you would be better off buying a local phone calling card for that and using a pay phone.
I did this most recently when I went to Greece (just popped into the mobile phone store next to my hotel) and had more than enough minutes for 10 days.
However, since you are going to be on a cruise and probably won't be making a lot of local phone calls, it might be more advantageous to just use your own service and pay the surcharge for overseas use; this way people can call you on your regular number if they need to reach you. If you were going to be land-based and making a lot of reservations and calls, then it would make more sense to get a SIM card in Europe. Having a European SIM card doesn't really save you money if you want to call home; you would be better off buying a local phone calling card for that and using a pay phone.
Sep 14th, 2006, 06:00 AM
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Doug..
The only problem with your suggestion, at least today, is that you can only buy local country sims in mobile phone stores say in France and while the EU is working on it, roaming rates are still asinely high.
I could suggest, for example, the op buy an O2 sim card for the UK before leaving...I know merchants where they are dirt cheap but the problem would be activating it and putting time on it as they don't accept "foreign" credit cards (outside the UK)..but they currently have a plan where all calls coming in and out are 35p/minute which is not all that much cheaper than T Mobile's 99¢/minute but if the op doesn't have a gsm carrier at home, it might be an alternative.
At this writing, if one wants a truly functional mobile phone (that means making a good many calls and receiving a good many calls) at reasonable rates, probably the best direction to go is still United Mobile paired with an account with callbackworld as described on several threads here.
The only problem with your suggestion, at least today, is that you can only buy local country sims in mobile phone stores say in France and while the EU is working on it, roaming rates are still asinely high.
I could suggest, for example, the op buy an O2 sim card for the UK before leaving...I know merchants where they are dirt cheap but the problem would be activating it and putting time on it as they don't accept "foreign" credit cards (outside the UK)..but they currently have a plan where all calls coming in and out are 35p/minute which is not all that much cheaper than T Mobile's 99¢/minute but if the op doesn't have a gsm carrier at home, it might be an alternative.
At this writing, if one wants a truly functional mobile phone (that means making a good many calls and receiving a good many calls) at reasonable rates, probably the best direction to go is still United Mobile paired with an account with callbackworld as described on several threads here.
Sep 14th, 2006, 06:09 AM
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We were in Italy and on a cruise with a very similar schedule that you seem to be doing. I just called cingular a week or so before we left and had my phone turned on to international band. It was a monthly charge of $5.99 plus charges for calls. I found this to be the easiest for me. I mostly planned to use my phone to contact college students and my father occassionally. It was easy for everyone to just use my regular number.
For the last several years I have rented a phone to take with me - just taking my phone was certainly easier.
I did find that my charger worked just fine while on the ship, however when I got to Rome I wasn't so sure about plugging in the hotel. I had taken my car charger as well so one day while we were on a tour in a private van I charged my phone in the van. The next day I got adapter at the desk in the hotel and plugged it into the electric shaver outlet in the bathroom...it worked just great
I had made most dinner & tour reservations before I left the states leaving the hotel number as well as my cell number with the restaurants, etc.
Once we got to our hotel the front desk was most obliging about confirming or making any new reservation.
It's nice to be able to be in contact with those we love while traveling.
My total calls for the 2 weeks we were traveling came to about $25.00.
1jan1
For the last several years I have rented a phone to take with me - just taking my phone was certainly easier.
I did find that my charger worked just fine while on the ship, however when I got to Rome I wasn't so sure about plugging in the hotel. I had taken my car charger as well so one day while we were on a tour in a private van I charged my phone in the van. The next day I got adapter at the desk in the hotel and plugged it into the electric shaver outlet in the bathroom...it worked just great
I had made most dinner & tour reservations before I left the states leaving the hotel number as well as my cell number with the restaurants, etc.
Once we got to our hotel the front desk was most obliging about confirming or making any new reservation.
It's nice to be able to be in contact with those we love while traveling.
My total calls for the 2 weeks we were traveling came to about $25.00.
1jan1
Sep 14th, 2006, 06:16 AM
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Thank you to all so far.I primarily will be using the phone to stay in contact frequently with our son and contractor. Its down to crunch time on our home being built so no doubt, lines of communication need to be opened. We also are using it to stay in contact with other family members staying at different areas of Rome for three days prior to all of us being on the ship together.So my guess is, at times i will use this at the different countrys we will visit.
My carrier for now is Verizon.Not good.
I am gathering then perhaps that United Mobile might fit the bill?
One word of advise for all dont procranstinate!!It costs you more money in the end!!
My carrier for now is Verizon.Not good.
I am gathering then perhaps that United Mobile might fit the bill?
One word of advise for all dont procranstinate!!It costs you more money in the end!!
Sep 14th, 2006, 11:55 AM
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Ok xyz123, Doug or anybody!!! Since i procrastinated on this, i have run out of time to have it shiped here.( United Mobile sim card) I leave Sat.the 23rd.
My phone will be here Monday.
The more i thought about this, most of my time will actually be in Italy. 4 port stops total. Sicily, Livorno,Venice,Naples. Besides pre cruise in Rome for three days.So, just buy a sim card in Italy and dont worry about the other two countries right?
My phone will be here Monday.
The more i thought about this, most of my time will actually be in Italy. 4 port stops total. Sicily, Livorno,Venice,Naples. Besides pre cruise in Rome for three days.So, just buy a sim card in Italy and dont worry about the other two countries right?
Sep 14th, 2006, 04:21 PM
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I don't know if this info will help but here I go. I bought an unlocked GSM Motorola phone off of ebay for $50.00 for my trip to Ireland this summer. It worked great. I just went into the Vodafone store in the airport and got a SIM card for 20 Euro. The clerk at the Vodafone even put it in my phone and activated it, they were very helpful. I then used my phone through out Ireland. To call home to Washington State I used the phone and my Costco MCI calling card. The phone then only was charged for a local call. I charged the phone in the room at night with the wall charger and an adaptor. While in our rental car we used the car charger. From now on will always take my trusty ebay phone when I'm in Europe.
Oct 8th, 2006, 04:39 PM
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Although xyz123 is very knowledgeable about cell phones, I'm not sure he's right about United Mobile. I received a United Mobile SIM at the start of last week, and it works for incoming calls but not for outgoing. Every time I make an outgoing call it gives me a "network busy" signal.
I assume United Mobile will respond to my emails someday, but I'm not holding my breath. In the meantime, I'm exploring two other services, ekit.com and rangeroamer.com.
I assume United Mobile will respond to my emails someday, but I'm not holding my breath. In the meantime, I'm exploring two other services, ekit.com and rangeroamer.com.
Oct 8th, 2006, 04:53 PM
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Oh I'm right about United Mobile but because of the nature of the system, it sometimes (not often) doesn't work on all phones.....also the way it works is with a callback...you dial the number you are calling and get a message of some sort and about 10 seconds later you get a callback and will or should hear the phone ringing.
Where are you using it? I most highly recommend you don't use it in the United States as the charges for calls are very high (and if you are using it in the United States, which network are you roaming on...sometimes switching the roaming network resolves this problem...some networks in the world have tried to block calls to United Mobile)..
Finally, you should be pairing United Mobile with an account with callbackworld anyway....when in any free roaming area of united mobile (much of the world) you dial the trigger number assigned to you, you will get some sort of message callnot completed, wait for the call back, answer it, hear a ringing tone, hang up, wait for a 2nd call bakc and then follow the instructions of call back world (please dial phone number followed by the number sign key now)...charge is 14¢/minute US to call from anywhere United Mobile has service to the United States or Canada.
But trust me, it should work and I know what I'm talking about.
Where are you using it? I most highly recommend you don't use it in the United States as the charges for calls are very high (and if you are using it in the United States, which network are you roaming on...sometimes switching the roaming network resolves this problem...some networks in the world have tried to block calls to United Mobile)..
Finally, you should be pairing United Mobile with an account with callbackworld anyway....when in any free roaming area of united mobile (much of the world) you dial the trigger number assigned to you, you will get some sort of message callnot completed, wait for the call back, answer it, hear a ringing tone, hang up, wait for a 2nd call bakc and then follow the instructions of call back world (please dial phone number followed by the number sign key now)...charge is 14¢/minute US to call from anywhere United Mobile has service to the United States or Canada.
But trust me, it should work and I know what I'm talking about.
Oct 8th, 2006, 05:35 PM
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We just returned from our trip to Romania and the combination of United Mobile and Callbackworld worked really well - we got the 800 number as well.
We had some important financial things happen at home while we were gone, and needed the phone more than we thought we would. It took me a little while to get used to the way United Mobile would call back (after sending what looked like an error message) to complete the call.
It was also a little bit tricky to use it with Callbackworld. Several times I'd get through all of the steps up to the point where I entered my destination phone number in and then I would push the green call button instead of the # and have to start all over again. Force of habit, I guess. Anyway, it did become second nature by the end of the trip. And I loved the 800 number - my husband could call from work.
The biggest problem I had was adding $$ to the United Mobile account from the cell phone. I ended up having someone at home do it from their computer.
We had some important financial things happen at home while we were gone, and needed the phone more than we thought we would. It took me a little while to get used to the way United Mobile would call back (after sending what looked like an error message) to complete the call.
It was also a little bit tricky to use it with Callbackworld. Several times I'd get through all of the steps up to the point where I entered my destination phone number in and then I would push the green call button instead of the # and have to start all over again. Force of habit, I guess. Anyway, it did become second nature by the end of the trip. And I loved the 800 number - my husband could call from work.
The biggest problem I had was adding $$ to the United Mobile account from the cell phone. I ended up having someone at home do it from their computer.
Oct 9th, 2006, 01:57 AM
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I did the things xyz123 suggested before posting my original message, but nothing works. Unless T Mobile and Cingular are both blocking my outgoing calls, something's wrong with United Mobile. What really irks me is the inaction of their support staff. They've given me a case number, and that's about it. I'd like to thank xyz123 for his advice and to express the hope that eventually United Mobile gets around to helping me.
Oct 14th, 2006, 08:56 AM
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Using a different phone did indeed cure my United Mobile problem. Specifically, United Mobile works on a Motorola Razr, but not on an older Motorola, a v190.
Many thanks to people in this forum for their help.
Many thanks to people in this forum for their help.
