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TijuanaMax

Aug 6, 2012, 11:07 PM

Post #1 of 14 (4621 views)

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AT&T Viva Mexico Plan

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As a small business owner, I always want to carry my US cell phone with me. So I switched my cell phone plan to Viva Mexico. I chatted with an AT&T agent last night and was told that my phone must remain in the US soil more than 50% of the time. If I miss this requirement two consecutive months, my cell phone service will be suspended.

So I read the terms on the Viva Mexico plan but could not find the information provided by the AT&T agent.

Has anyone experienced any suspension with the Viva Mexico plan?

Thank you in advance

joaquinx

Aug 7, 2012, 5:21 AM

Post #2 of 14 (4606 views)

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Re: [TijuanaMax] AT&T Viva Mexico Plan

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In Reply To

It appears that you have to read the lines on the bottom of the contract.

http://forums.att.com/...co-plan/td-p/2828013
_______
My desire to be well-informed is currently at odds with my desire to remain sane.

robt65

Aug 7, 2012, 9:15 AM

Post #3 of 14 (4542 views)

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Re: [TijuanaMax] AT&T Viva Mexico Plan

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I have had the AT&T Viva Mexico plan for about 3 years and some months now, two days after Viva Mexico plan was introduced. e it both in the USA and in Mexico. I was never told of any such restrictions and I have never had a problem with it. I do spend my time about 50/50 NOB and maybe that is why I have not had any problems, I do not know. My roll-over minutes continue to accumulate and I have had no problems with those either. Just my personal expierence.

robt65

TijuanaMax

Aug 7, 2012, 9:51 AM

Post #4 of 14 (4537 views)

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Re: [robt65] AT&T Viva Mexico Plan

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I read the terms on the Viva Mexico plan but could not find the statements made by the AT&T agent. All I found is that one cannot exceed the amount of usage in Mexico more than the anytime minutes. In my case, I have 750 minutes with family plan. So I cannot exceed 750 minutes a month while staying in Mexico.

TijuanaMax

Aug 8, 2012, 9:47 AM

Post #5 of 14 (4420 views)

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Re: [TijuanaMax] AT&T Viva Mexico Plan

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I confirmed with another AT&T Customer Care agent that there is no percentage of time required me to be in US or Mexico to maintain the Viva Mexico plan. The plan does not allow me to exceed the usage in Mexico more than my anytime minutes.

barmarr

Aug 12, 2012, 8:55 PM

Post #6 of 14 (4219 views)

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Re: [joaquinx] AT&T Viva Mexico Plan

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I went to one of the corporate AT&T offices in California when the Viva Mexico Plan first became available and I was told that the phone had to be used inside the continental U.S. at least once every 2 months. As I stay in Mexico for 5 1/2 months every winter I did not convert my plan.
It would be great to know if AT&T has changed this policy.

robt65

Aug 13, 2012, 6:21 AM

Post #7 of 14 (4187 views)

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Re: [barmarr] AT&T Viva Mexico Plan

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Good Morning Barmarr,

I don't know if it policy or not as I am guilty of not reading the "fine print".

I spend about half my time in Mexico and the other half NOB, for a number of reasons. I have never had a problem of not being able to use the ATT Viva Mexico Plan. Now I have had problems on reception in both directions and from both using my phone in Mexico and in the USA. Evidently this occurs depending upon which towers (i.e. Tel Mex, Tel Cel, Movie star) towers you happen to get connected to at any given moment. At least this is the explanation I have received from AT&T, when I have called for tech support to address such problems.

I have also learned that apparently there insufficient towers located along the border at this time and supposedly more are being installed.

robt65.

barmarr

Aug 13, 2012, 6:32 PM

Post #8 of 14 (4120 views)

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Re: [robt65] AT&T Viva Mexico Plan

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Hi Robt65,

It sounds like you cross back and forth over the border frequently and that is probably why you do not have an issue with the AT&T restriction on the Viva Mexico Plan.
If in fact, you frequently stay in Mexico for longer than 2 months at a time, then I need to re-contact the AT&T office.

robt65

Aug 13, 2012, 6:33 PM

Post #9 of 14 (4118 views)

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Re: [barmarr] AT&T Viva Mexico Plan

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I do indeed. . . . . . . . I go back and forth for my VA care. I also only found out this past week when I was having a lot of difficulty dialing either Mexican numbers or NOB numbers from my Cel Phone down here that now AT&T is not only in bed with Carlos Slim but also most other Mexican phone companies as well now, such as “movie Star” and others. Evidently their Cel towers work differently and whose ever towers AT&T at the time is using it may take a different number to allow the call through. When I called AT&T tech support, they told me to try holding down the "0" until a + sign shows on the screen, then add the number 1 and continue adding first the USA area code and then the rest of the number. If you are having troubles dialing a Mexican number first hold down the "0" and then when the + sign comes up on your screen add the number 52 and then continue adding in the phone number you are trying to reach.
Good Luck,

robt65

(This post was edited by robt65 on Aug 13, 2012, 6:50 PM)

Phil in SLP

Aug 14, 2012, 8:05 AM

Post #10 of 14 (4065 views)

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Re: [robt65] AT&T Viva Mexico Plan

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This discussion should also be interesting to Verizon customers living in Mexico. I use the US-Mexico Verizon plan, and have had no problems. However, recently an agent told me that Verizon was losing money on this plan and was going to require in the near future that customers on this plan use their cell phone at least half of the time in the US. Otherwise the plan would be cancelled. So, there is something astir in the cell phone industry. Since I seldom go to the US I could lose my service.

robt65

Aug 14, 2012, 8:28 AM

Post #11 of 14 (4053 views)

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Re: [Phil in SLP] AT&T Viva Mexico Plan

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Hi Phil in SLP,

I signed up on the AT&T plan "Viva Mexico" on the first day it was presented to the public several years ago. I remember being in the AT&T company store (not a franchise) in Mission, TX and told a customer that AT&T was not selling this plan anymore; that was about a year ago. Then for some reason that escapes me for the moment, I mentioned to a AT&T customer service rep when I called for some service problem, that I was sorry to see the Viva Mexico Plan was not being sold anymore. She corrected me and said they did cancel it for a while, but had reinstated the plan. So now I am sure that it is still being sold and it has worked pretty well for me and my needs for the past several years.

From time to time, I have had problems, service wise or required some tech service, but AT&T was gracious in correcting the problems, (a couple of times I had to threaten that AT&T was not keeping their end of the plan), but to their credit, once they figured the problem really was their fault, they also credited my account with several dollars anytime I did have a tech or service problem with the plan.

There is something that AT& T has called a "save" customer service person, different from a regular "customer service person" and one time I had to use that after spending actually over an hour trying to correct the AT&T problem (not my phone) and they erased my whole months bill. If your particular situation gets a little out of hand, simply insist on speaking to the customer “save department”. At times you may have to get a little strong with them, (keep it polite but strong). After being with AT&T for more than 20 years now, they didn't want to lose my business. I give AT&T credit when they deserve it, but when I hear the many horror stories of other providers, I figure they are all about the same and need to be brought back in line once in a while . . . . . . just to remind them who is paying their wages. (smiling)
Regards,

robt65

playaboy

Aug 17, 2012, 9:36 AM

Post #12 of 14 (3887 views)

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Re: [Phil in SLP] AT&T Viva Mexico Plan

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In Reply To

Phil, if you have the newer Verizon Mexico plan than more than half your calls over a certain period of time must originate in the USA. The older"grandfathered" North American Plan has no restrictions.

Foreign phone companies are not allowed to sell full time service in Mexico. There is some kind of law or treaty preventing this. The same thing applies to TelCel not selling full time service in the USA.

JuanCha

Aug 25, 2012, 10:40 PM

Post #13 of 14 (3561 views)

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Re: [TijuanaMax] AT&T Viva Mexico Plan

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Suggest you call ATT International Customer Service: (800) 335-4685 or (916) 843-4685.

I have an ATT cell and had Verizon previously. I reside in Mex (Chiapas) 4-7months per year over the last 6 years. (I also have a TelCel cell phone). I have had four different ATT plans, and I check VERY carefully before each time I return to Mexico.

It has been my experience that customer service and sales reps in USA companies (telephone, banks, FedEx, UPS, DHL, Western Union, etc etc) are very poorly trained with regard to services while the customer is in Mexico. They frequently unknowingly give incomplete and erroneous information.

There are many "gotchas" and hidden requirements and USA reps are seldom knowledgeable in cross-border products and services. One needs to be particularly careful and thorough with regard to text messaging and wifi/Internet.

I dropped Verizon when they gave me the wrong plan despite my clear and explicit instructions. Verizon over-billed me almost U$1,000 in one month, clearly acknowledged their error (my communications were in their database) BUT they refused to adjust or remove their over-charges. That is why I am now with ATT who has made their own errors (e.g. failed to tell me that my plan only allowed 40% of allowed minutes while I was in Mexico).

It is caveat emptor all the way. I now talk to more than one rep (often 4 or 5) and even then I'm never sure I have a complete and correct picture. Ask a lot of questions.
JuanCha de: Santa Fe NM, San Cristobal de Las Casas Chiapas, San Diego CA

atomant

Oct 14, 2012, 8:14 PM

Post #14 of 14 (2212 views)

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Re: [JuanCha] AT&T Viva Mexico Plan

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I have had att for 4 years and had no trouble until I bought a new phone. Then people would email me and ask why I wasn't answering my phone. Well for 2 years I have been taking out my sims card and putting it back in and that seemed to work. Now nothing works. I call CS and they call me on my att cell and I get the call but when I tell my daughter to call she says it goes to voice mail. I just tried to call Tennessee and the phone doesn't even ring it shows on the screen "conditional forwarding" "call ended".
And you're right.....customer service in the US don't know s#@t about anything in another country !!!!!
The last time I was in the US was November last year (2011) so ya'll may be right about the usage % in the US vs Mx.
These companies aren't worried about us just their dollars.
Has anybody found a solution yet ????????