US cell phone works in Punta Cana???

keepcoming

Moderator - Living & General Stuff
May 25, 2011
4,734
2,492
113
I just got back from a weeks vacay in Punta Cana. Had family come in from the US and decided Punta Cana would be best. Anyway one of my family members has service with AT&T and while they were in Punta Cana they were able to use their cell to call and send texts. On their phone it came up saying Orange network. Just curious though if they will be paying at a "roaming" price for these calls and texts. I have no experience/knowledge of this so if anyone knows I would appreciate it. Thanks much!!!!
 

Tamborista

hasta la tambora
Apr 4, 2005
11,747
1,343
113
I just got back from a weeks vacay in Punta Cana. Had family come in from the US and decided Punta Cana would be best. Anyway one of my family members has service with AT&T and while they were in Punta Cana they were able to use their cell to call and send texts. On their phone it came up saying Orange network. Just curious though if they will be paying at a "roaming" price for these calls and texts. I have no experience/knowledge of this so if anyone knows I would appreciate it. Thanks much!!!!

Be prepared for the largest AT&T bill you have ever seen!
Standard roaming charges with no international roaming plan cost you $2.29 a minute from DR.
Text messages are .50/message.

Good luck!

tambo'
 

Gemcee

New member
Dec 30, 2009
59
0
0
Be prepared for the largest AT&T bill you have ever seen!
Standard roaming charges with no international roaming plan cost you $2.29 a minute from DR.
Text messages are .50/message.

Good luck!

tambo'

Indeed...roaming charges are killer if you are unaware.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
My Verizon phone issues me a warning about the cost of RD roaming - therefore I never sign up.

It wasn't aproblem until last year b/c Verizon and Claro were both mexican (Carlos Slim ?)

Now, even w/ Verizon roaming, the cost is prohibitive - Claro was sold and there is no further affiliation.
At least thats how it was explained to me.

Better to buy a cheapie phone and minutes.
 

Taino808

Bronze
Oct 10, 2010
959
44
0
Your family member is going to pay lots and lots of roaming fees. By the way Orange Telecom, owns a large portion of AT&T stocks, that's why his phone said Orange as his service provider while in Punta Cana.
 

augustus

New member
Dec 19, 2007
363
53
0
Hundreds of dollars, they charge you for incoming calls, answered or not...........even if you have the international plan............
 

augustus

New member
Dec 19, 2007
363
53
0
I don't think they can charge for a call that isn't answered. But I paid no attention one trip and just answered the phone when it rang, and got charged a bit over $300.00 when I got back home.
They were amenable to letting me pay $100 a month against it though.
Der Fish

Because I didn't leave my phone off or on airplane mode, I got charged and told I mine as well answered all calls, because I was charged for all of them...........:(
 

bienamor

Kansas redneck an proud of it
Apr 23, 2004
5,050
458
83
My Verizon phone issues me a warning about the cost of RD roaming - therefore I never sign up.

It wasn't aproblem until last year b/c Verizon and Claro were both mexican (Carlos Slim ?)

Now, even w/ Verizon roaming, the cost is prohibitive - Claro was sold and there is no further affiliation.
At least thats how it was explained to me.

Better to buy a cheapie phone and minutes.

Codetel and Claro are both owned by Carlos, Verizon has had nothing on this Island since 2006!
 

Tamborista

hasta la tambora
Apr 4, 2005
11,747
1,343
113
Might be true... but didn't Slim own them all?

You are correct WW!

He changed the name back from VZ to Jodetel/Claro.

I forward my calls from my NY Cell to my Dom Cell as to not miss bidness calls. I call my clients back.

Roaming is insane!!!
 
Last edited:

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
Whew !!
Salvation!

The world changed last year for foreign -aka Verizon - phones.
I am "Dual" now.... North American phone and another RD type.

Actually, the NA calls on the Rd phone are quite reasonable - I'm surprised - and happy
 

keepcoming

Moderator - Living & General Stuff
May 25, 2011
4,734
2,492
113
Thank you all....I have sent the warning to my cousin to be prepared for a large cell bill. Why do they not listen. A couple of glasses of vino and everyone was like " ha ha lets see if our cell phones work". Lord knows I told them that unsure as I was in this, that somehow, someway it was going to cost. As usual I will sit back and let the events unfold because somehow and someway this will turn into my fault. I guess they did not hear my warning, " I would not do this if I were you, it could cost mucho $$$$$". Oh well....;)
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
You did a good deed.

As has been said before - "No good deed goes unpunished"

Yes, it will be your fault - just a matter of when
 

jrjrth

Bronze
Mar 24, 2011
782
1
0
~And if they have an Iphone and had not turned it on Airport mode....Heaven Help them....$1.99 per minute for as long as the phone was turned on~

Yikessssssssssssssssssssss...better take out a mortgage for that one!!
 

greydread

Platinum
Jan 3, 2007
17,477
488
83
~And if they have an Iphone and had not turned it on Airport mode....Heaven Help them....$1.99 per minute for as long as the phone was turned on~

Yikessssssssssssssssssssss...better take out a mortgage for that one!!

Not just the iphone...any 'smart phone', androids and crackberry included included. I don't even trust 'airplane mode'. Go into the menu and disable all data roaming. No internet, no satnav, no email, no nothing. Just phone calls and texts. Leave it on the charger and check it twice daily for important stuff. A $20 Claro phone and the occassional $250RD card has kept me in the loop for years.

GF wants to phone stalk me to make sure I'm not having a good time? Go ahead, I've got free incoming and she's got a $300US bill. That only happened once LOL.
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
6,247
113
South Coast
Best bet is to just take out the battery altogether.

Not doable with the iPhone, no accessible battery. I kept mine on airplane mode for months earlier this year, no problems at all. Used it as an iPod only. Next trip I'm bringing a 2nd iPhone that someone gave me, my music is already on it, so all I have to do is unlock it and pop in a sim card. The other iPhone will be turned off completely and stored away until we land back at JFK.

AE
 

augustus

New member
Dec 19, 2007
363
53
0
Not just the iphone...any 'smart phone', androids and crackberry included included. I don't even trust 'airplane mode'. Go into the menu and disable all data roaming. No internet, no satnav, no email, no nothing. Just phone calls and texts. Leave it on the charger and check it twice daily for important stuff. A $20 Claro phone and the occassional $250RD card has kept me in the loop for years.

GF wants to phone stalk me to make sure I'm not having a good time? Go ahead, I've got free incoming and she's got a $300US bill. That only happened once LOL.

IPhone - airplane mode only with AT&T.........2 DR cheapies and in emergency ...no reception on cheapies....Iphones reception was perfect thru VIVA........at $ 1.90 min........but in an emergency worth it....... I wouldn't risk texting or incoming calls with AT&T.............or Sprint........MagicJack at a call center $1.00 an hour or good internet connection is part of the answer and call USA to retrieve messages on home phone or buy Dominican minutes and call home phones for messages..........Works for me fine, without getting into much money...........:):bunny::bunny::bunny: