- 02-27-2006, 11:38 AM #1Junior Member
- Posts
- 8
I have an old GSM phone which I use in europe. I do not yet have cell phone service in the USA.
I see that both Cingular and T Mobile also use GSM technology. My questions are :
Looking at the Motorola RAZR specs, I see it operates on all GSM frequencies. If I sign up with one or the other US service provider, will they"unlock" the RAZR so I can plug in the european SIM card when visiting there? (I asked at a local Cingular shop & the employee said it would cost between $50 - $100, since they have to send the phone out to get it unlocked).
If one has a GSM phone not presently on the Cingular network, does Cingular provide their own SIM card if one signs up for a domestic plan? Or do they have to "modify" a non-Cingular phone & lock it?
› See More: Cell Phone for USA & Europe ?
- 02-27-2006, 06:15 PM #2Phone Addict
- Posts
- 405 - liked 14 times
Originally Posted by wwt
- 02-28-2006, 10:04 AM #3Junior Member
- Posts
- 8
More questions
Originally Posted by roberts1953
Is the phone number contained in the SIM? If so then each time you buy a SIM, you get a new number?
If buying a SIM on ebay or from Cingular or Tmobile, how is billing for usage done? Could a SIM obtained on ebay be stolen or have an outstanding balance?
With respect to prepaid SIMS in the US, am I correct in understanding that even if not used there's a monthly fee which can cause your prepaid balance to go to zero, thus making the SIM worthless in the future?
- 03-01-2006, 03:00 PM #4Phone Addict
- Posts
- 405 - liked 14 times
Originally Posted by wwt
Usually the SIMs on ebay are new and unactivated. So whn you activate it is a new account. Also, most resellers are company dealers or resellers at a small store and simply using ebay as an easy way to reach a larger market. If you buy from someone with lots of positive feedback, don't worry. If you would rather you can buy from an "authorized" store, but you will pay more. Usually if a sim is lost or stolen the party would report it and have the account closed. Plus, if you notice on ebay, the SIMs are selling for $0.99. with minutes, then add $5 for shipping. This gives you the an idea of how profitable stealing sims would be. Also the mark up at the brick and morter stores.
In the US it is usually not the monthly fees that kill an account, but the expiration dates. Typical cards are for $10-20 and last for 30-60 days. You have to add more to keep it active. Once the balance is at $0 for a period of time the phone # is lost. You could probably buy a another refill card and reactivate the old sim with a different #, or just buy another SIM and put it in the phone. Some prepaids, incluing cingular do have a daily fee. Personally, I would avoid any daily fee, such as cingulars go phone, way too expensive.
Another way to overcome expirations is to pay $100 and get 1 year cards. You can then keep the number. This is only a good idea if you will use a large amount of minutes.
Good ideas for GSM prepaid are
http://www.t-mobile.com/prepaid/overview.asp on its home network
www.gobeyondwireless.com and http://www.o2wirelessservice.com/index.htmland. Both resell cingulars home network.
all no fees and a cheaper then cingular's expensive gophone plansLast edited by roberts1953; 03-01-2006 at 03:03 PM.
Similar Threads
- General Cell Phone Forum
- For Sale/Wanted
- For Sale/Wanted
- For Sale/Wanted
- Verizon
Desnudar fotos
in General Cell Phone Forum