Pre paid cell phones?

hjvkm

New member
Oct 8, 2002
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I was wondering if pre paid cell phones would work in the D.R.?
As a business?
 

ricktoronto

Grande Pollo en Boca Chica
Jan 9, 2002
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They are everywhere, now.

hjvkm said:
I was wondering if pre paid cell phones would work in the D.R.?
As a business?

Sold by Codetel, Tricom and Orange, plus some new company these things are as ubiquitous as platains. I think the phone companies are pretty doubtful as to take on the risk of monthly billing so you buy the phone, the Communicard, Tricom card, Orange card and load it up and there you go.

I live in Canada but I have a Codetel pay as you go cell phone for use when I am down there.

As a retailer I am sure you could always compete but as a concept it is not new at all.
 

earosemena

New member
Aug 18, 2002
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Ricktoronto:
The phone you bring to DR, do you have to activated or do you just "load" a prepaid car? Can you use the same phone do you have in Canada or a separate on? Do you know, if you use the same phone that you have at home and use a Cotodel pay as you go, would it affect the service you have at home?
Any information would be appreciated. Thanks
 

CaribbeanGeorge

"Creature of Leisure"
Jan 3, 2002
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www.fuentesdellago.com
Any will work

Any phone will do the job, wheter is activated or not, tricom & codetel only charge u 100 pesos for activation & u have to buy a 100 pesos card, the minute is about 5-7 pesos.
Some models can be activated in digital form, some in analog form.
However the only service you have is a message box, you can not have caller ID or so in this prepaid service.
I would recomend codetel (Jodetel) wich is "better" than tricom and Orange, it has more area coverage.
 

ricktoronto

Grande Pollo en Boca Chica
Jan 9, 2002
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I Bought the Phone in Sto. Dgo. and it was....

earosemena said:
Ricktoronto:
The phone you bring to DR, do you have to activated or do you just "load" a prepaid car? Can you use the same phone do you have in Canada or a separate on? Do you know, if you use the same phone that you have at home and use a Cotodel pay as you go, would it affect the service you have at home?
Any information would be appreciated. Thanks

Delivered to me in Boca Chica by the guy, activated with a Codetel # and $RD300 preloaded by him as well. The phone has call display including showing the number of calls to me from Canada, and a voice mailbox - but I cannot use it in Canada, e.g. no roaming on pay as you go phones ( ditto with my Canda phone).

My Canada phone at the time was TDMA and that was a very limited protocol not in use with other than Rogets/ATT here. My current phone is a GSM phone but one for each country suits me more.

Frankly I am not wild about figuring out or using dual numbers on one phone and this DR phone was so cheap that why bother?

If I add $RD150 or more the loaded time is good for 90 days so since I am down every 60 days or so it never expires, plus I think you can keep the number valid beyond the card expiry (and receive calls) for at least another 60 days.
 

earosemena

New member
Aug 18, 2002
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Thank you sooo much guys. This info will help me solve my communications problems. I'll let you know how it went when I try it. Heading East to DR 30Nov. (I also try to make it every 60 days or so.)
Esther;-)
 

Jerry

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Jan 1, 2002
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www.livinginsantiago.com
Last time I went down to Santo Domingo I had my cellphone with me. My provider here is Verizon Wireless. I could not receive any calls but I bought a codetel card and was able to dial the number and use the card with my phone and did not have to get it activated.

Jerry
 

La Profesora

New member
Jun 23, 2002
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I have a cell phone which is activated with Verizon Wireless in the States, and activated here with Codetel. Switching numbers is easy, and I find it very convenient. There was no charge for activation in digital mode and I have voicemail, caller id and messaging.
 

earosemena

New member
Aug 18, 2002
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I tried buying a card and using my phone, but was unable to use it. It may be the service I use, (Cingular). I may have to activate a different phone anyway, since one of my main issues is being able to be contacted from the USA.
 

ricktoronto

Grande Pollo en Boca Chica
Jan 9, 2002
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Best Bet: Buy a New Phone

earosemena said:
I tried buying a card and using my phone, but was unable to use it. It may be the service I use, (Cingular). I may have to activate a different phone anyway, since one of my main issues is being able to be contacted from the USA.

Rather than trying to roam, recieve calls from US via a second NAM and paying roaming fees etc., buy a phone in DR if you expect ANY sort of volume ( by the way you don't PAY to receive calls so that is a lot less than in the USA).

You should not have to pay over $100 US for a digital phone, activated on Codetel. Plus the communicards, but they start at only $RD30.
 

La Profesora

New member
Jun 23, 2002
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Jerry said:
Once activated can you swap between the numbers yourself or does Codetel need to do it?

My cell phone is a tri-band Motorola Star Tac. I switch it myself. It takes less than a minute. Only thing is, you have to double check that Codetel does not overwrite the programming of the first nam. If they do, you can get Verizon to move your US number to the alternate nam.