Cell Phones
May 8th 2005, 6:01 pm
#31
I love Marmite, she don't
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 454
Re: Cell Phones
The 2 phone systems are so far apart - even the different carriers use such different technology...
A couple of points :
RELY on NOTHING anyone tells you in customer-dis-service over the phones. Most people who work in these departments know less than my 10 year old.
I think a new thing that is starting to grow (thans to WallMarts pushing) is pay-as-you-go... Apparently it's HUGE in the UK so give it 5 years
If you want a great phone though, for now forget it for PAYG.
You need to get to a store when you get here and find someone really smart (few and far between) but when you do, they will go out of their way to help you.
Good Luck.
A couple of points :
RELY on NOTHING anyone tells you in customer-dis-service over the phones. Most people who work in these departments know less than my 10 year old.
I think a new thing that is starting to grow (thans to WallMarts pushing) is pay-as-you-go... Apparently it's HUGE in the UK so give it 5 years
If you want a great phone though, for now forget it for PAYG.You need to get to a store when you get here and find someone really smart (few and far between) but when you do, they will go out of their way to help you.
Good Luck.
May 13th 2005, 8:32 am
#32
Just Joined
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3
Re: Cell Phones
Go buy a base model Cingular Wirelss phone & SIM package. Then stick your new Cingular SIM into your own phone you brought with you. They rarely check the EIR for lost/stolen/grey phones. And besides, as your tri-band phone is new, it won't even be registered on any EIR anyway! (Equipment Identity Registry)
All you have to do is copy the Cingular service numbers to your new phone... Stuff like voicemail, helpdesk numbers, GPRS settings et al...
You can keep the new phone as a back up, of flog on e-bay!
Martin
All you have to do is copy the Cingular service numbers to your new phone... Stuff like voicemail, helpdesk numbers, GPRS settings et al...
You can keep the new phone as a back up, of flog on e-bay!
Martin
May 14th 2005, 10:12 am
#33
Just Joined
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 4
Re: Cell Phones
Some useful stuff here. Just come back from 3 weeks in the States and Mobile phones were certainly an eye opener!
The USA are a couple of years behind on Phones and buying a Tri Band from the UK first makes perfect sense. I called in Cingular,T-Mobile and a whole host of other Network shops, being given Shrugged Shoulders everywhere when I mentioned Sim Cards.
I went in Walmart and bought a Cingular Pay as you go Sim Card for $24, put it in my Unlocked Tri Band phone and Viola it worked. Didn`t try Picture Messaging so I don`t know on that one.
Hope this helped.
The USA are a couple of years behind on Phones and buying a Tri Band from the UK first makes perfect sense. I called in Cingular,T-Mobile and a whole host of other Network shops, being given Shrugged Shoulders everywhere when I mentioned Sim Cards.
I went in Walmart and bought a Cingular Pay as you go Sim Card for $24, put it in my Unlocked Tri Band phone and Viola it worked. Didn`t try Picture Messaging so I don`t know on that one.
Hope this helped.
May 14th 2005, 10:17 am
#34
Just Joined
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 4
Re: Cell Phones
Some useful stuff here. Just come back from 3 weeks in the States and Mobile phones were certainly an eye opener!
The USA are a couple of years behind on Phones and buying a Tri Band from the UK first makes perfect sense. I called in Cingular,T-Mobile and a whole host of other Network shops, being given Shrugged Shoulders everywhere when I mentioned Sim Cards.
I went in Walmart and bought a Cingular Pay as you go Sim Card for $24, put it in my Unlocked Tri Band phone and Viola it worked. Didn`t try Picture Messaging so I don`t know on that one.
Hope this helped.
The USA are a couple of years behind on Phones and buying a Tri Band from the UK first makes perfect sense. I called in Cingular,T-Mobile and a whole host of other Network shops, being given Shrugged Shoulders everywhere when I mentioned Sim Cards.
I went in Walmart and bought a Cingular Pay as you go Sim Card for $24, put it in my Unlocked Tri Band phone and Viola it worked. Didn`t try Picture Messaging so I don`t know on that one.
Hope this helped.
May 14th 2005, 4:56 pm
#35
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 172
Re: Cell Phones
Originally Posted by ukmancoll
Ok, again, I am leaving for the US in a month and I am going through all of those things that after a while just start to piss you off!
Latest thing - Cell Phones.
I have recently bought a new Triband phone to use when I get to the States, and got my fiancee to call Cingular to find out about adding me, etc. Basically, they said that they won't let me use their service unless I buy one of their phones!!!!!!!!!!!!
Outrageous!!
I have my own phone thank you very much! I am a potential new customer, and I want to use your service - give you MY business - but I already HAVE a phone!!
Now my fiancee thinks that every operator in the country is like that. You can't use your own phone with a different operator.
The reason I thought Cingular would be ok is my fiancee told me they have a Sim card system (like in Europe), unlike a lot of phones in the US. If I have a Sim card, I can just pop it into any phone no??
Does anyone have any knowledge or experience with this? Did anyone take their phone over with them? Is she right, that every operator will be the same??
It may seem like I am overreacting - but it is the fact that I have bought this new phone coupled with the whole principle of the thing! That I can't use their service unless I buy their phone.
Please help... someone....
Latest thing - Cell Phones.
I have recently bought a new Triband phone to use when I get to the States, and got my fiancee to call Cingular to find out about adding me, etc. Basically, they said that they won't let me use their service unless I buy one of their phones!!!!!!!!!!!!
Outrageous!!
I have my own phone thank you very much! I am a potential new customer, and I want to use your service - give you MY business - but I already HAVE a phone!!
Now my fiancee thinks that every operator in the country is like that. You can't use your own phone with a different operator.
The reason I thought Cingular would be ok is my fiancee told me they have a Sim card system (like in Europe), unlike a lot of phones in the US. If I have a Sim card, I can just pop it into any phone no??
Does anyone have any knowledge or experience with this? Did anyone take their phone over with them? Is she right, that every operator will be the same??
It may seem like I am overreacting - but it is the fact that I have bought this new phone coupled with the whole principle of the thing! That I can't use their service unless I buy their phone.
Please help... someone....
I went to T-mobile on two occasions and got just a sim card without any problems at all. I told them I had my own phone and it wasn't a problem. I just signed up for the year contract like you would at home, they gave me a SIM (for $74), I popped it in and off I went!
