cell phone use

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irishpaddy

Bronze
Sep 3, 2013
1,172
468
83
I will be in d.r. for a month in frebruary and I was wondering what is the best and most economical way to have a cell phone in the d.r.
I used my u.s. cell phone one year ...and ended up with a bill of almost $3,ooo
would I be better buying a cheap phone putting cash up front on it or buying a new sim card for my regular cell phone
I appreciate any help ...thanks
 
La Profe_1

La Profe_1

Moderator: Daily Headline News, Travel & Tourism
Oct 15, 2003
2,302
874
113
If you want it just for telephone calls, you can buy a cheap Alcatel phone for under $20 here and load as much money on it as you want.

Using your own phone gets you into having it unlocked and then figuring out which carrier here is most compatible with your phone. For example, I have an unlocked T-Mobile phone that I use here. It has a Claro sim in it and is fine for calling. If I wanted internet, however, I could't get more than 2G/Edge since T-Mobile phones work better on the Orange network rather than Claro.
 
M

MJSantoDomingo

Bronze
Apr 13, 2011
680
0
0
Get a cheap local phone and local prepaid minutes for the month you are here (like LaProfe said) for all your local DR calls while in the DR.
But if your bill was that high, then you probably called and received calls from the US - schedule yourself times to be in an area with wifi and use your computer to do those calls using Skype, Google Voice, Viber... - they call all be used on your computer and if your are in a free wifi area, then all those calls can be free...
 
M

Mountaintrout

New member
Feb 9, 2013
119
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irishpaddy said:
I will be in d.r. for a month in frebruary and I was wondering what is the best and most economical way to have a cell phone in the d.r.
I used my u.s. cell phone one year ...and ended up with a bill of almost $3,ooo
would I be better buying a cheap phone putting cash up front on it or buying a new sim card for my regular cell phone
I appreciate any help ...thanks
Click to expand...

Did you pay that?
 
P

PeteyPablo

Bronze
Apr 30, 2011
726
1
0
irishpaddy said:
I will be in d.r. for a month in frebruary and I was wondering what is the best and most economical way to have a cell phone in the d.r.
I used my u.s. cell phone one year ...and ended up with a bill of almost $3,ooo
would I be better buying a cheap phone putting cash up front on it or buying a new sim card for my regular cell phone
I appreciate any help ...thanks
Click to expand...

Ouch that bill smarts. I thought mine was bad when I arrived at STI and forgot to turn off my data while at the airport and incurred a $300 bill in a matter of MINUTES. Damn smart phones and their data usage.

Best suggestion is to get an unlocked AT&T phone stateside or a Claro phone DR side and get a prepaid sim through Claro. If you need data the phone will support the 3G on Claro's network.

If you are savvy enough, you could activate a Blackberry internet plan for the allotted time of your trip (even if your phone is not a BB). The advantage is that the data plans are cheaper and you get unlimited data for the time you activate it.
 
Xavier_Onassis

Xavier_Onassis

Gold
Aug 6, 2006
8,775
12
38
ATT phones like flip phones do have SIM cards, and you simply insert a SIM card that can be used in the DR, as I understand it. Flip phones, rather than smart phones can be purchased very cheaply in the US. I bought one in the box that never had been used for $5.00 US. It was originally for T Mobile service. I have not activated it here.

There is a booth at SDQ that offers SIM cards for sale. I do not know what they charge, or whether this is the best place to get a new SIM card, if you add up the cost of traveling to find someone to sell you a SIM card. Perhaps someone here can recommend a better place or give advice about whether the service at SDQ is a reasonable deal.
 
C

Criss Colon

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
21,843
191
0
38
yahoomail.com
I gave up my cell phone almost 2 years ago.
Guess What??????
I didn't DIE!!!!!!
If anyone needs to talk to me, they know where I live, or they can call my house phone.
I like having no phone.
"Call Me"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 
Tamborista

Tamborista

hasta la tambora
Apr 4, 2005
11,747
1,343
113
Criss Colon said:
I gave up my cell phone almost 2 years ago.
Guess What??????
I didn't DIE!!!!!!
If anyone needs to talk to me, they know where I live, or they can call my house phone.
I like having no phone.
"Call Me"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Click to expand...

How do you reach out to your harem?
I know your not using GOOGLE Voice to SMS message them.
I can see an old fashioned rolodex in a shoebox with stars in red pen!
 
J

Jeepito

New member
Dec 22, 2011
212
0
0
3 years ago I bought a used unlocked AT&T LG shine on Ebay for about $40.00 U.S.
Each trip, I stop at a Claro kiosk somewhere in the city and pay anywhere between RD100 and RD150 for a new SIM. The reason being is, that, after about 3 months or so of inactivity they recycle the numbers .It usually includes minutes and I do a recarga for about RD500 . It should last you a while if used sparingly, and of course you get a number where you can be reached. I pre program the local numbers to my Embassy, Jetblue, Miami air ambulance etc.. The clerk will usually write the number down on a sticker and show you how to check your balance. Do not try to get a SIM at the airport, they will rip you off, guaranteed!
 
Xavier_Onassis

Xavier_Onassis

Gold
Aug 6, 2006
8,775
12
38
Jeepito said:
3 years ago I bought a used unlocked AT&T LG shine on Ebay for about $40.00 U.S.
Each trip, I stop at a Claro kiosk somewhere in the city and pay anywhere between RD100 and RD150 for a new SIM. The reason being is, that, after about 3 months or so of inactivity they recycle the numbers .It usually includes minutes and I do a recarga for about RD500 . It should last you a while if used sparingly, and of course you get a number where you can be reached. I pre program the local numbers to my Embassy, Jetblue, Miami air ambulance etc.. The clerk will usually write the number down on a sticker and show you how to check your balance. Do not try to get a SIM at the airport, they will rip you off, guaranteed!
Click to expand...

My experience has always been that there are no bargains at airports, anywhere. Now I know what it should cost to get a SIM, so many thanks. I doubt that I will need a phone much, but I will need one every once in a while.
 
C

Criss Colon

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
21,843
191
0
38
yahoomail.com
"69-69-OU8-1,2"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Tambo", NEVER call THEM!!!!!!
Wait for them to call YOU!!!!!!!!!!
When you show no interest in a "Dominicana" it makes the like "AVIS", they are only #2, so they have to "Try Harder"!!!!
Maybe I SHOULD write a book!
"TWAT" I have learned about "Chicas", or something like that!
A guidebook for guys who can't get laid, if we don't pay for it!!
Want the First Signed Copy?????????????????
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 
P

PeteyPablo

Bronze
Apr 30, 2011
726
1
0
Jeepito said:
3 years ago I bought a used unlocked AT&T LG shine on Ebay for about $40.00 U.S.
Each trip, I stop at a Claro kiosk somewhere in the city and pay anywhere between RD100 and RD150 for a new SIM. The reason being is, that, after about 3 months or so of inactivity they recycle the numbers .It usually includes minutes and I do a recarga for about RD500 . It should last you a while if used sparingly, and of course you get a number where you can be reached. I pre program the local numbers to my Embassy, Jetblue, Miami air ambulance etc.. The clerk will usually write the number down on a sticker and show you how to check your balance. Do not try to get a SIM at the airport, they will rip you off, guaranteed!
Click to expand...

Pre programming those numbers is a great idea. What's the scoop on the Miami air ambulance?
 
P

PeteyPablo

Bronze
Apr 30, 2011
726
1
0
Xavier_Onassis said:
ATT phones like flip phones do have SIM cards, and you simply insert a SIM card that can be used in the DR, as I understand it. Flip phones, rather than smart phones can be purchased very cheaply in the US. I bought one in the box that never had been used for $5.00 US. It was originally for T Mobile service. I have not activated it here.

There is a booth at SDQ that offers SIM cards for sale. I do not know what they charge, or whether this is the best place to get a new SIM card, if you add up the cost of traveling to find someone to sell you a SIM card. Perhaps someone here can recommend a better place or give advice about whether the service at SDQ is a reasonable deal.
Click to expand...

X, chances are you are in for a surprise when you pop in a chip.

Those "cheapie" prepaid phones are almost always locked to the carrier. If it can be unlocked, you will end spending more on unlocking it than you paid for the phone. The bad news is that some of those cheapie's cant even be unlocked.

Make life easy...buy a slightly better phone that is already unlocked or just pick up a Claro cheapie phone......DONE
 
D

DavidZ

Silver
Aug 29, 2005
3,512
238
63
www.vipcigartours.com
A friend of mine just bought a Claro micro-sim for his unlocked iphone...It was only 100 pesos...with 25 pesos for calls/text! That's practically free - and they had regular and micro sims available (at the Claro store in Playero, Sosua). They offer data packages...1 GB for 600 pesos, 500mb for 400 pesos (I think) - both are good for 30 days. He just bought regular talk/text time - and it seems you can actually use that for data as well...after checking his email and a little surfing, he had used less than 100 pesos.
 
Xavier_Onassis

Xavier_Onassis

Gold
Aug 6, 2006
8,775
12
38
How does one know that a phone is locked? There is a website for unlocking them, Getmyphoneunlocked.com.

What I have is a Samsung flip phone sent to someone who never used it. It was not a prepaid phone.

I will check and see about this before I leave. Thanks for the heads up.
 
AlterEgo

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,142
6,308
113
South Coast
I've had multiple AT&T phones unlocked at Claro over the years. Very cheap, the most expensive was an iPhone, and I think that was only 500 pesos to unlock.

It's also easy to buy an unlocked phone on eBay.
 
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