Forums > Specific Focus > Technical Mexico

jennifer rose

Apr 4, 2005, 10:47 AM

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Best Cel Phone Roaming Plan

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I'm looking for the best, viz. the cheapest, cel phone plan in Mexico which offers roaming for use in the US. Ideas?

johanson / Moderator

Apr 4, 2005, 6:50 PM

Post #2 of 8 (1257 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] Best Cel Phone Roaming Plan

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I was hoping someone might have a suggestion. Those I have talked to who work on both sides of the border, end up getting a cell phone for each country. Those I KNOW who live in the states and come to Mexico like the Verizon North America plan.

I sure hope someone has a better idea, I'm in the states maybe 3 months per year and would love to know of a good plan originating from Mexico.

olalla

Apr 4, 2005, 8:32 PM

Post #3 of 8 (1245 views)

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Re: [johanson] Best Cel Phone Roaming Plan

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Does anyone have experience in the US with the GO phone, which I think is set up like cell phones in Mexico. That is, you buy a card with so many dollars on it.

MG Rabon

Apr 5, 2005, 9:40 AM

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Re: [johanson] Best Cel Phone Roaming Plan

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We have Verizon's North Americas Choice plan. Great phone and service in the US but problematic and expensive to use in Mexico, relegating it to emergency only use for us. Just ends up being another US bill for something we don't use down here - can't wait for the contract to expire.

Compórtate bien, y si no puedes, invítame!
MG Rabon

sfmacaws

Apr 5, 2005, 1:12 PM

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Re: [MG Rabon] Best Cel Phone Roaming Plan

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Why is it problamatic and expensive for you to use in Mexico? I have the same plan, used it extensively for the last 4+ months in MX and it worked great. Good service along the pacific coast everywhere except Mazatlan, good service in GDL, SMA, Zacatecas and AGS. Really, Maz was the only disappointment, I had full bars signal but roaming.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

MG Rabon

Apr 5, 2005, 1:46 PM

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Re: [sfmacaws] Best Cel Phone Roaming Plan

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I don't know why, it just is. It has never worked for an incoming call in Mexico from the US. It does almost always work for outgoing but I guess I'm not rich enough to think that 65 cents a minute - if I'm lucky enough not to be roaming - is inexpensive. Most of the calls we made before we got the first bill with Mexican calls on them were between $1 and $4 per minute, with one when we broke down in the boonies at almost $8 a minute. Plus local people who needed to call me had to make an international call to the US that they had to pay for, and then I had to pay the international fees back to my cell phone. Good thing that I'm deaf enough that I don't talk much on the phone or Verizon might have owned my house the first month we used their phone in Mexico. LOL

As I said, expensive and problematic - I dare not even turn the thing on these days!

Your experience may vary.

Hasta,

Compórtate bien, y si no puedes, invítame!
MG Rabon

sfmacaws

Apr 5, 2005, 2:11 PM

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Re: [MG Rabon] Best Cel Phone Roaming Plan

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That doesn't sound like Verizon's North America plan to me. All outgoing calls, whether to MX or US or CA, are charged only the minutes of the plan - no additional per minute charge. We received all incoming calls from the US without a problem. It is inconvenient for people in MX to call you as they may have to pay intl charges, for that reason a pay as you go phone on a MX carrier can be convenient. We have 800 day minutes and 1000 night and weekend minutes for about $80 a month. It's a local call to those in our phones area code and a US call to everyone else. I was sitting alongside the road having lunch about 60 miles outside Zacatecas and got a call from my tax accountant telling me my return was ready. I was kind of shocked that I had reception out there, there really wasn't anything much in sight. Sorry it doesn't work better for you, it's been a big improvement for us.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

bdlngton

Apr 24, 2005, 11:26 AM

Post #8 of 8 (1126 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Best Cel Phone Roaming Plan

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I'm a little late jumping in on this discussion, but having switched to the Verizon North America plan for the time I was in Ajijic duirng December, I learned a few things. My phone always said roaming, which I didn't know if it was good roaming or bad roaming. When I got back to the US I called Verizon and found out what the problem was. When I made the switch over the phone the rep did not tell me that I needed to punch in a code while in the US in a Verizon area to set up my phone to use while in Mexico. I'll remember to ask specifically about that when I switch again in June for my summer trip down.
Because I was not told that by the rep, and by my calls Verizon could tell that I was calling from non-roaming areas, they did not charge me for those calls. Also, when I spoke to the rep when making the switch to the North America plan I told him that I expected to change back around January 6. I didn't realize that he set my plan to automatically switch back to just the America Plan on that date, so I made some calls to Mexico after that date, assuming I was still on the plan. So when I spoke to Verizon about the other problem, I also mentioned that and they did not charge me for those calls either. I like that fact that I can switch back and forth between the two plans so I'm only paying the higher rate for the actual time I am in Mexico, if that's what I want to do. The rate is prorated by day.
Since i signed a new contract last summer, I'll have to figure out whether it's better to keep the contract when I move down in October or to pay the penalty for cancelling before the contract is up. Probably friend and family from the US would prefer I keep the plan because then they can call me free. Maybe they should pay for the plan . . . I could send them each a bill in my annual Christmas letter for the minutes used. :-) But then I might want to get a Mexican cell phone too, but I don't want to carry two cell phones in my tiny purse.
Susy