cell phones

O.K. my techie friends. I'm looking to get my very first cell phone. I know, a luddite.

Here's what I need if possible.

1. A cellphone that works all over Mexico.
2. One where you buy minutes that only run out when you've used them all, none of those crappy monthly lost minutes for me.
3. One which can connect to your answering machine so that robbers can't call to check if you're home.

If it's not too expensive that would be nice too. I'm pretty cheap when it comes to technical devices. The one and only reason we have any cool stuff is the kids who think we're both older than dirt, and so far behind the times we're just unbelievable. They're probably right, but anyhow any help would be greatly appreciated.

1. Telcel
2. I believe you can buy a large number of minutes that are good for one year...
3. You would simply use call forward from your home line to your cell phone..... or any other phone for that matter...

Welcome to the Future!!

It would be great of the Techies to explore and explain Cell plan options.
Hocks, I don't know what plans are available here, I am not on a contract, and usually have to buy 100 pesos worth of cell time to reactivate minutes frozen.

Cell phone usage charges in Mexico are anything but futuristic. Not being on a plan, I call you Cell to Cell....over 7 pesos a minute.....I make the call from my land line.....less than 2 pesos per minute. I call your cell it costs you nothing, you call from your cell to my land line 4-7 pesos per minute.

When I put money on my phone, I am not buying minutes..... PLEASE someone put a logical spin on Cell Charges/ programs.....maybe limit to Telcel for a starter. GRACIAS...

The telcel office across from the parking lot entrance for the El Torito complex has a very helpful woman running things. Down around the corner from the Casino.
I just bought a cheapee there to replace my scrunched one. I like to have one when traveling. Anywhere.
Yes, I'm on the Amiga plan for 100 pesos every other month. I now have 1700 minutes accumulated. A chatty soul, obviously.

All our kids think we are fossils from the stone age. What else is new?

So confusing to me, I was buying 2 fer minutes last year. Bought 500 pesos got matching for a total of 1000, discovered later, not minutes, but pesos, and @ 7 pesos per minute for not contract calls, less than 150 minutes.

Thanks to all. Now how about having calls forwarded to your cell if your landline rings. Anyone have any goodies on that deal?

Whole new world for this old lady.

gringal wrote:The telcel office across from the parking lot entrance for the El Torito complex has a very helpful woman running things. Down around the corner from the Casino.
I just bought a cheapee there to replace my scrunched one. I like to have one when traveling. Anywhere.
Yes, I'm on the Amiga plan for 100 pesos every other month. I now have 1700 minutes accumulated. A chatty soul, obviously.

All our kids think we are fossils from the stone age. What else is new?

O.K. gringal mi amiga, have you actually built up 1700 minutes? Or did you go on a phone up everybody spree and actually use all those minutes.

How cheap is cheap?

E-raq wrote:Thanks to all. Now how about having calls forwarded to your cell if your landline rings. Anyone have any goodies on that deal?

Whole new world for this old lady.

Raq, That's a central office feature of Telmex, not Telcel, never looked into it here, assuming call forwarding is available from Telmex, should be simple, you forward home to cell and pay for feature, plus call time to cell.

Jim W wrote:

E-raq wrote:Thanks to all. Now how about having calls forwarded to your cell if your landline rings. Anyone have any goodies on that deal?

Whole new world for this old lady.

Raq, That's a central office feature of Telmex, not Telcel, never looked into it here, assuming call forwarding is available from Telmex, should be simple, you forward home to cell and pay for feature, plus call time to cell.

Thanks Jim, I was kinda figuring we had better get the cell phone first then request the call forwarding service.

If you have a package from Telmex that includes internet and phone you will have call forwarding and voice mail. Ask the office for the instructions the have a friend translate them for you. Not much different fron NOB to use.

Jim W wrote:So confusing to me, I was buying 2 fer minutes last year. Bought 500 pesos got matching for a total of 1000, discovered later, not minutes, but pesos, and @ 7 pesos per minute for not contract calls, less than 150 minutes.

Yes you're buying Peso credit not minute because call have various costs. If you go to the Telcel store mentioned they'll set you up to call at n/c to the two people you call the most. Then they'll set up the next 10 numbers you call often so that you pay only 1.7 Pesos per minute.

David wrote:

Jim W wrote:So confusing to me, I was buying 2 fer minutes last year. Bought 500 pesos got matching for a total of 1000, discovered later, not minutes, but pesos, and @ 7 pesos per minute for not contract calls, less than 150 minutes.

Yes you're buying Peso credit not minute because call have various costs. If you go to the Telcel store mentioned they'll set you up to call at n/c to the two people you call the most. Then they'll set up the next 10 numbers you call often so that you pay only 1.7 Pesos per minute.

I didn't even want to get into that David, Cel programs here are frustrating at best, example....I called 5 different numbers last month, but since I did not go to Telcel, and load them in as top 10, prior to calling, paid top rate, most near 7 pesos per minute. rather than 1.7 per minute.

It is what it is. The option is there if you want to take advantage of it.

All I can say is to run my Iphone here on the "pay as you play" plan it is about 1/3 of what I was paying in Vancouver. I load up 300 pesos and it lasts me a month, including data. In Vancouver I was paying $80 per month as you had to have a data package ($80 minimum) in order to run an Iphone there.

Thanks all, got my first cell phone today. Oh Mama it has whacking big numbers I can even see them without my glasses. Got the old Amiga plan, and call forwarding from our friendly Telmex dude all for the same low low price we're already paying.

Thanks y'all one happy happy camper here!!!!!