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Here's my situation. I'm probably going through 700+ pesos a month in cell phone usage. (there's no changing that) But, like in the states, where you can get unlimited minutes with a cell phone contract, Is there nothing like that here through Movistar or Telcel, or am I locked into buying 100,200,300, pesos as necessary and dealing with the aggravation when I run out of minutes.

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There are many plans, including one which would allow you to choose nine or so frequently called numbers at an almost free rate. If you can describe your calling patterns, the Telcel clerks can probably find the right plan for you. They also have brochures that explain the options; in Spanish, of course, but you could take one home and translate it online to get a better idea of what is available.

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There are kinds of things you can do to save money. But it would take pages upon pages of explanations. You can phone friends for free as many times per day as you wish as long as each call is less than 5 minutes and same carrier. With the Amigo plan, you can upgrade to Plan Fidelidad and drop your charges by 75%.

On and on and on. Any 13 to 14 year old will know all of the short cuts.

Here is an article I wrote on the subject almost 3 years ago that might help. Some of the rates may have changed a little.

Techtalk@laguna.com.mx Phone friends on your cell for free

Tech Talk by Pete Johanson

I have a friend who’s owned a Telcel cell phone for many years, and is paying between 5 and 10 times as much as necessary for each call he makes. While his monthly costs are approaching 500 pesos, they should be much less than 100 pesos. And if he’s making mistakes, maybe you are too.

You learned that with a new Telcel Amigo account that you are charged $4.16 pesos per minute when making a local Telcel to Telcel call. However you also learned that by joining the “Plan Fidelidad” you could call up to 9 registered #s for $1.19 per minute and after the first year that all local Telcel to Telcel calls should only cost $1.19 pesos per minute should you be signed up for the “Plan Fidelidad”. So far by just following those instructions you will have dropped your per minute costs by 72%. My friend hadn’t.

It gets better. If you have up to 3 friends whom you normally call using your cell phone, you can call them for free as often as you wish. What’s the catch? They must use Telcel, and have a local #, and although you can call as often as you wish, each call must be less than 5 minutes or you will be charged. The annual cost when you register each number with a Telcel representative is $49 pesos per friend or less than 1 peso per week. That sure beats paying $4.16 pesos per minute.

The Amigo plan has an important number that you should remember. It’s *333. When calling that number you will be given the option to press “1” to hear your balance and expiration date, “2” to add more time to your account, or the # sign if you wish to change the spoken language to English from Spanish or visa versa.

In the previous paragraph, I mentioned “expiration date”. On the Amigo Plan, when you buy 100 pesos or more, those funds are good for 2 months. Should you forget to buy a new card after 2 months, you won’t be able to make any calls but you will be able to receive them. And if you buy a new card within a few weeks your old balance will be carried forward and added to your new total. However don’t wait too long or your old balance will be lost forever.

I have another friend who uses his cell phone for emergencies only. Yet he’s required to purchase 100 pesos of time each 60 days. All unused funds from the previous two month periods are brought forward and his balance now is over $1,500 pesos. He can donate those excess funds to a fellow Telcel Amigo plan user by sending a text message to 7373. In the body of the text, he must enter the 10 digit cell phone # he wishes to make the transfer to, followed by one space, and then two digits representing the amount of pesos he wants to transfer. The maximum amount transferable per text message is therefore 99 pesos from which a $3.03 fee is subtracted as a transfer fee. One may make up to ten such transfers per month.

Are you a little confused? If so, either check with a local teenager or your local Telcel representative. Good luck.

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  • 7 months later...

Get a plan, watch out for Telcel, many have had problems in Ajijic where they are told one thing and then the other is true, plans will get you 600 minutes plus 60 messages and 600mb internet for 600 pesos a month.

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Has anyone used the telcel site mitelcel.com. or go to telcel.com and there is a link there also. I registered. I buy my minutes there on the site. change my frequently called and free to call or txt numbers, when my minutes expire etc. I can see all the info about my account.

One thing I do is right before my minutes expire I pass them to someone else. friend or family and it gives them the minutes and adds time to the expiration. they get like a week or more. better than just letting them expire.

Maybe I should try passing them and then have them pass them back.???

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