Scott Hastings Wrote:
> Hello everybody,
> I frequently read the stuff written in this NG, but this is my first
> post. I am taking a trip to London next month to visit my sister and
> brother-in-law (I'm in the USA). My mother is worried about me since I
> will
> be spending the days alone exploring the city while my sister is at
> work.
> She wants me to have a cell phone. My brother-in-law said that if I
> bring
> an unlocked, tri-band cell phone with me, then I can buy a SIM card
> over
> there to use, and it would be cheaper than renting one for the week.
> So I
> have a couple of questions. First, what is an unlocked cell phone?
> Second,
> what exactly is a SIM card? I've read some stuff on the internet, but
> don't
> fully understand what it is. My last question is where could I buy a
> really
> cheap cell phone? I've looked at ebay, but they all seem really
> expensive.
> I don't need a top of the line one, just one that will work. I've
> tried to
> find a website that sells refurbished phones, thinking that would
> reduce
> cost, but haven't been able to find one. Thank you all for any help
> you can
> give.
>
> -Scott Hastings


Hi Scott!

For starters. A SIM card is a tiny chip that goes into your cell phone,
it comes with a phone that you buy from a cell phone retailer, or online
or wherever. It's in the corner of a credit card sized piece of PVc
plastic, that you twist and turn til it snaps out, then you take it and
place it into the designated area of your specific phone, each is
different but usually behind the battery on straight phones, if it's a
flip top it can be in the top half on the cover under a little
removeable piece. Now what the sim card is, is a computer chip that
holds all the phone information, it runs the progam of your phone, from
TMObile or whomever you may use for a service provider for you cell
phone. Anyway, now you asked what is unlocked. Well. let me tell you.
It's when you buy a used phone and it's been used by some person who
didn't pay their bill, or it was stolen and had it shut off, and it's a
way for that person to stop someone from using it and costing them
money, or at least to stop them from using it altogether. So they call
the company or their service provider, maybe sprint, cingular, or
Tmobile, who ever and they say thier phone was lost, or stolen and the
phone is shut off and locked. Or, it's when someone owes money and the
service provider shuts you off and lock the phone so you can't go and
use it with another serivce provider. For example, say I have my phone
shut off with TMObile which I wouldn't, because I love TMoblie, and I
want to try and have it turned on with another service provider, or
sell my phone, or something like that. The first provider which was
Tmobile we'll say, would lock the phone, there fore you need to get it
unlocked before being able to use it. If you still are not clear, email
me and I"ll email you back. If you still need a phone, let me know. I do
have one that you can buy, it's unlocked but you need a sim card. So,
you can either get a service of your own, I maybe able to rent you
mine, depending on certain things, or you can get service with a sim
card and pay prepaid still. I am not sure about how that works, but if
you still need help. just email me. Thanks. Lorie at
[email protected]


--
pellerie


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