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Prepaid sim card in los angeles |
Mallouck
Joined: Oct 18, 2002
Posts: 0
From: France
PM |
I am a French boy and I own a Motorola Timeport T280.
This phone is tri-band and not locked !!!
I will come to LA for two weeks and half in November and I may come again and again soon (I am looking for a position in LA...)
I don't want to subscribe a phone plan (I don't stay long enough and won't come to LA very frequently) and I want to use my phone so prepaid SIM card seems to be THE solution for me.
For the moment I saw that both AT&T and Cingular sell prepaid SIM cards. My friend has a AT&T mobile phone so I may take the AT&T prepaid SIM.
I could not find the price of AT&T SIM card... someone knows it ?
Cingular price is 55$ with 30$ worth minutes.
AT&T minutes seem cheaper than Cingular ones if I buy a lot of minutes (12c Vs 10c-35c), aren't they ?
Are there any other prepaid SIM cards available in LA ?
Should I go for the AT&T one ?
Is Cingular better ?
Do you always have to pay for received calls in USA ? That sucks !!!
By the way, where could I buy such a card in LA ? Is it easy to find a store that sells them ?
Thanks for your help...
[ This Message was edited by: Mallouck on 2002-10-22 09:46 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Mallouck on 2005-08-09 15:11 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Mallouck on 2005-08-09 15:12 ] |
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cparekh
Joined: Oct 18, 2002
Posts: 0
From: Chicago, IL
PM |
AT&T does not sell prepaid GSM, only TDMA. T-Mobile has prepaid GSM. Their prepay is regional (i.e. serveral states), not national. Still, it would work if you are just visiting L.A. and traveling around from there.
cp |
Mallouck
Joined: Oct 18, 2002
Posts: 0
From: France
PM |
Quote:
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On 2002-10-18 21:22, cparekh wrote:
AT&T does not sell prepaid GSM, only TDMA. T-Mobile has prepaid GSM. Their prepay is regional (i.e. serveral states), not national. Still, it would work if you are just visiting L.A. and traveling around from there.
cp
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Damnit, you are right... 
AT&T prepaid SIM is only TDMA, I haven't noticed that...
How can I get information (costs, where to buy, ...) about T-mobile prepaid SIM for GSM ?
Maybe I will save money if I buy AT&T prepaid phone (99$) ?
Is T-mobile the only one who sells prepaid SIM for GSM ?
What about Cingular ? |
jnonhoffzieg
Joined: Sep 02, 2002
Posts: 268
From: Newport Beach, California
PM |
Mallouck, both Cingular and T-Mobile sell pre-paid GSM SIM's, and you can buy them in many convenience stores (7-11, Circle-K, etc...) Can't give you any price recommendations, though...
T68m -> R2F0004 on Cingular - I want my MMS! |
Mallouck
Joined: Oct 18, 2002
Posts: 0
From: France
PM |
Could someone give me pricing details for both Cingular and T-mobile prepaid GSM SIM card ?
I can't find them on the web. |
jnonhoffzieg
Joined: Sep 02, 2002
Posts: 268
From: Newport Beach, California
PM |
I'll check next time I see them somewhere but it may take a while... Anybody else?
T68m -> R2F0004 on Cingular - I want my MMS! |
Mallouck
Joined: Oct 18, 2002
Posts: 0
From: France
PM |
I'll be in L.A. on October 31 (in 10 days).
Actually I need to know if I should buy a prepaid GSM SIM card for my phone or buy an AT&T TDMA prepaid package (SIM+phone)... |
jnonhoffzieg
Joined: Sep 02, 2002
Posts: 268
From: Newport Beach, California
PM |
You'll be here just in time for Halloween. Get your friend to take you to a costume party, always fun...
It doesn't seem like it would be worth buying a non-GSM phone package if you're only here for a couple of weeks, but I'll see what I can find out for you. Check back tomorrow or the next day. 
T68m -> R2F0004 on Cingular - I want my MMS! |
Mallouck
Joined: Oct 18, 2002
Posts: 0
From: France
PM |
>You'll be here just in time for Halloween. Get your friend to take you
>to a costume party, always fun...
Actually, she has already planned something like that. 
I am sure it is going to be a lot of fun.
I land at 1pm so I'll have plenty of time to get prepared for that.
>It doesn't seem like it would be worth buying a non-GSM phone >package if you're only here for a couple of weeks,
Well, if I buy a AT&T package (100$) and an AT&T 100$ recharge, I would pay only 10c/minute...
> but I'll see what I can find out for you.
> Check back tomorrow or the next day.
Thanks a lot. |
jnonhoffzieg
Joined: Sep 02, 2002
Posts: 268
From: Newport Beach, California
PM |
OK Mallouck here's the story on Cingular prepaid:
The "SIM statrter kit" costs $45 and you can buy it at any Cingular store (all over SoCal) or online:
http://www.cellularoutlet.com/pacwirprepdi.html
http://www.batteryoutlet.com/cingular.htm
You get the SIM with $30 credits (lasts 90 days + 30 day grace period before losing credits and your phone number)
You can buy refills over the phone (dial #777) with credit card or at 7-11 and Circle-K stores which are all over the place. They cost:
$10 - lasts 30 days
$30 - lasts 90 days
$50 - lasts 90 days
$100 - lasts 90 days
Calling rates are:
M-F 7am - 9pm $0.35/min
M-F 9pm - 7am $0.10/min
S-S anytime $0.10/min
mobile-to-mobile $0.10/min
You can also call home to France for $0.39/min
Check back tomorrow for T-Mobile...
T68m -> R2F0004 on Cingular - I want my MMS! |
Mallouck
Joined: Oct 18, 2002
Posts: 0
From: France
PM |
Thank you very much for the information about cingular.
45$ for the starter kit seems OK to me (the price was not given on cingular web site... ).
Nevertheless I still have some questions... 
On cingular web site, http://onlinestore.cingular.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ES_PROD_PP.jsp?storeId=11451&langId=-1&catalogId=11451&storeAlias=scalax&svcAreaId=null
it is written that international costs are in addition to regular airtime charges. Does it mean that I will pay $0.39+$0.35/minute if I call France on M-F between 7am-9pm ?
Moreover they say mobile-to-mobile is always $0.10/min. Is it really mobile-to-mobile or is it rather cingular-to-cingular ? My friend has an AT&T cellphone (818-207-xxxx) so it makes quite a difference to me...
Regardless, we never pay incoming calls in Europe. Do you always do that in the USA ? So weird... |
jnonhoffzieg
Joined: Sep 02, 2002
Posts: 268
From: Newport Beach, California
PM |
Wow you're right - the international call fee is a surcharge to the regular rates. Cingular website says: "Rates are in addition to airtime charges." That makes it pretty expensive.
Good question about the mobile-to-mobile calls. I'll try to find out.
In the US we have a different way of billing than in europe. For people with contracts, we don't really pay per minute. Instead we have a certain number of "airtime minutes" per month which are included in the base monthly fee. We only pay per minute if we go over that amount. AT&T recently introduced an unlimited minute plan for $99/month and Cingular is currently offering to "roll-over" unused minutes to the next month, but these are new billing models. So in a way we pay for incoming calls, but not really on a "per minute" basis. However on a pre-paid plan, you will be charged for incoming minutes.
I just saw the "MyCircle Plan" on the Cingular web site. If you can get this plan without having to buy the phone, that may be your best bet because you could choose the 3 numbers you will be calling most (like your girlfriend's I'm sure )and always only pay $0.10/min. I'll try to find out if you can get that without the phone...
T68m -> R2F0004 on Cingular - I want my MMS! |
Mallouck
Joined: Oct 18, 2002
Posts: 0
From: France
PM |
Thank you.
Anyway, I don't really care about internationnal calls. I will probably phone France once a week only... I just wanted to know if I understood Cingular way of billing...
Concerning the "MyCircle Plan" I also doubt I should take it. My friend (not girlfriend by the way ) will surely be the one I will call the most but there are also a bunch of other people I will call and most of all, with this "MyCircle plan", incoming calls are always 0.35$/min.
Regardless, I am still very interested in T-mobile pricing policy and in clarifications about what Cingular means by "mobile-to-mobile"
Nevertheless I may choose Cingular because the pricing seems OK to me... Is Cingular's quality of reception good in LA ? I know AT&T sucks over there...
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Posted: 2002-10-18 17:22
