Bob

Won't help if you use it in Europe, but the Tracfones aren't bad, have 90 days to top up, and left over minutes are kept..even if you dont' top up, if you do within 90 days of being cut off, you keep the minutes you had, lose the number though as they give you another one.

It ain't the best, but the coverage is good, and the roaming isn't all that bad either, bit hit and miss, I can get most of the way through maine before I get the roaming tag, but some days, it's roaming when I'm at work, 3.6 miles from home *l*

wtkp0u

Any idea if making a call to the number or sending a text message would keep it alive?

Sarah

you could always just give it to your mum or someone to use in your absence.

Buchan6

UK PAYG phones have to be used at least one in 6 / 9 months subject to provider. The credit in the phone doesn't not have a time limit.

As long as you make a call in the timescale your phone / credit remain active. You can also top up on line via credit card with your network.

neil

I've had an Orange SIM card for years - it said that after 6 months of inactivity you would have to call to reinstate the account. However, I went back in July after an absence of 14 months and it worked as though I'd never been away.

Incidentally I have had T-mobile over here for a while - I asked them to unlock my phone which they did for free, so now when I go over I just swap the SIM card for the Orange one. Very easy and better than having 2 phones.

Buchan6

Sarah,

In the UK Virgin use T Mobiles's network so what I said earlier applies.

Personally I would not bother with one of the so called "Travel SIM's" as they will cost you about 30 Pounds to buy and you may need to unlock your phone.
Thats before you add credit to them.

For a simple solution, take a look at two of the majors www.O2.co.uk and www.vodafone.co.uk
Both work in the USA and calls will typically cost you about 1 Pound / Minute on the overseas rate to both send and receive calls in the US. In the UK, receiving will be free and dialling say 20p / minute.

Both providers have options for reduced calling rates when travelling but at the moment this is just inside Europe.

UK PAYG phones have to be used at least one in 6 / 9 months based on the network provider. The credit in the phone doesn't not have a time limit. As long as you make a call in the timescale your phone number and credit remain active.

Even at $1.80/Minute a UK phone could be a cheaper option especially if used infrequently.

Also you can top up on line via credit card with your network.

Regarding system compatability, my experience is there is no problem.
My Vodafone PAYG worked in New York a few weeks back and I called my mate on his O2 mobile when he was down in Florida the other week.

Big D

Our Orange one has to be in the UK to be used - so we leave with parents if we are going to be over 6 months as they are usually the first stop on the way back anyway!! But according to next post it might all be bull crap anyway!!

blaze

I have always had a signal wherever I have travelled with my Verizon phone too. Never a problem (except in areas of Albany, NY where for some reason no network ever works) and it's a capital bloody city!

Jerseygirl

I have a Carphonewarehouse pay as you go phone that I paid about 10 quid for. I use this when I am in the UK...I also text a lot more when I am there. If my husband or daughter want to call me from the US, they use the 10-10-987 prefix for 4 cents per min, plus 53 cents connection charge...although it may be slightly more to call a UK cell phone.

My husband has a company Blackberry type Cingular phone that he can use worldwide.

RoadWarriorFromLP

Buying a SIM in the UK is easy. If you can't find a phone shop at Heathrow, you'll find them on practically every corner. Last time that I was in the UK, I had a new SIM card from Virgin Mobile within five minutes after exiting the tube station.

Virgin Mobile phones from the US don't work in the UK because Virgin US uses CDMA technology, not GSM. (Virgin uses the Sprint PCS network.) Ditto for the Canadian variant of Virgin, which also uses CDMA, rather than GSM.

The only US carriers that use GSM are Cingular and T-Mobile. (There are others, but they are reselling airtime from one of these two providers,typically Cingular.) However, you can buy "world phones" from carriers such as Verizon, which utilize CDMA networks when in the US but can roam on GSM whilst in Europe. The phones are a bit bulky, though, because they need to employ two different technologies.

Contrary to BigD's point, I would say that most US GSM phones are NOT tri-bands or quad-bands. Most of the phones on offer are dual-bands that will work in North America, but not in the UK or continental Europe.

Big D

[QUOTE=E

Contrary to BigD's point, I would say that most US GSM phones are NOT tri-bands or quad-bands. Most of the phones on offer are dual-bands that will work in North America, but not in the UK or continental Europe.[/QUOTE]


Quick look on the cingular site and the vast majority are tri or quad band phones - older ones may not be - but clearly you need to check when you get a phone if this is a requirement.

You are right about sim cards in the UK though as you can buy them everywhere these days

wtkp0u

Hi,

Just got back from UK so thought I'd post my phone info here for future reference.

I couldn't find a phone shop in Heathrow Terminal 3, but ended up travelling to Victoria Station and there's a Vodafone shop there. The bloke in there told me their phones were locked to Vodafone network and that I should go upstairs to Carphone Warehouse. Went there and bought a tri band Sony Ericsson with a Vodafone paygo SIM and was immediately up and running. The account needs to be topped up at least every six months but that can supposedly be done online, so no need to be in the UK or make a call, etc. Incoming calls are free, including from the US (though haven't had the US home phone bill yet!).

Also fired up the phone in the airport back here and it connected to the Cingular network, then fired it up at home and it connected to T-Mobile - haven't tried making a call since I know I can't afford the roaming charges

Sarah

Sounds like you got a really good deal in the end. Hopefully its just a matter of time before they stop charging ud for incoming calls here in the US.

Buchan6

The "free" incoming calls from the US are only whilst youre in GB.

A call from the US whilst you're in the US will have a roaming call tariff applied and would cost in the region of $2 / minute.

Big D

why free in ''? In the UK they are free as the cost to call a mobile is higher - in the US its the same cost as calling a land line - the costs are the same however its how they are apportioned. Unlikely to make free in the US as they would have to alter the numbers so you know you are calling a mobile.

Once you use any UK phone abroad you pay for incoming as effectively you are paying for the international section of the charges.