mexbound Posted September 2, 2014 Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 I will soon be traveling to the USA with a Telcel Phone. I understand about roaming and rates, but my question is what number format would people in the USA call my cell. I'm trying to let them know ahead of time how to contact me. So if my Telcel number here in Mexico is 333-xxx-zzzz and I'm traveling in the US, how would people contact me? 011-52-1-333-xxx-zzzz? or other? Also while I am there roaming and I want to call a person in the same area code I will be in (206), would I just dial 206-aaa-bbbb to contact them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joco Posted September 2, 2014 Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 You will need a provider sending a signal that has the same technology as the Telcel phone. That means you will need a compatible a provider. Contact Telcel so it can set up a U.S. company for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Saltos Posted September 2, 2014 Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 The number format you showed to call you is correct. While in the USA you need only to dial the 10 digit USA number, same as using a US cell phone. You do not need to do anything for your phone to work NOB. Just turn it on, it will find the compatible carrier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mexbound Posted September 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 I'll just be roaming. My phone is an iPhone (GSM). I know it works and it is expensive to roam but I was just wondering about the format to call numbers up there when roaming and what number format do people up there contact me. I know ATT is GSM and I'll be in an ATT area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mexbound Posted September 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 Thanks El Saltos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomgates Posted September 13, 2014 Report Share Posted September 13, 2014 If you are to be there long enough, consider getting a T-Mobile pay as you go plan. $60 per month. Just replace the TelCel sim card with the T-Mobile card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Habacht Posted September 13, 2014 Report Share Posted September 13, 2014 Walmart; Radio Shack sell "throw away"phones that can be re loaded with minutes...we usually get away for a month for less than $30.00us and we still have the phone for our next trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyfull Posted September 13, 2014 Report Share Posted September 13, 2014 Is your iPhone unlocked? I just buy an AT&T SIM card for $100. The $ is good for a year. Each day I use the phone in the US they deduct $2.00usd from my balance. I have an iphone3 which I use here with a TelCel SIM card and AT&T when in the US. Works great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyfull Posted September 13, 2014 Report Share Posted September 13, 2014 If you are to be there long enough, consider getting a T-Mobile pay as you go plan. $60 per month. Just replace the TelCel sim card with the T-Mobile card. If you are to be there long enough, consider getting a T-Mobile pay as you go plan. $60 per month. Just replace the TelCel sim card with the T-Mobile card.in order to do that Tom, the phone must be unlocked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomgates Posted September 13, 2014 Report Share Posted September 13, 2014 If it was bought in Mexico I think it is unlocked already Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paradise Posted September 14, 2014 Report Share Posted September 14, 2014 When i traveled to the usa with my telcel pay as you go.. i would get a 500 peso card and i texted my usa contacts so they could text back and while in usa i would received their text and use a usa cell to call them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modeeper Posted September 16, 2014 Report Share Posted September 16, 2014 If the phone has a provider's name or logo on it it was locked when sold. Doesn't mean someone didn't unlocked it meanwhile. Unlocking I found was much cheaper in the states than it was in the baja. 600P was the cheapest fee I was quoted. The phone wasn't worth that much. You can find cell phones, good ones for their time, on craigslist for peanuts, unlocking is listed too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Saltos Posted September 26, 2014 Report Share Posted September 26, 2014 Most of us travelling NOB would not incur $60 - $100 US of phone charges on our Telcel phone! Just take your phone with you and use it normally. We put $500 Pesos on our Amiga phones and go. If we need more we ask a friend to go to an OXXO and add $Pesos for us. If you're going to be NOB for a month and use your phone a lot then getting a disposible or a chip from one of the US cellphone companies makes sense. For a few days just use your MX phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjf1943 Posted September 27, 2014 Report Share Posted September 27, 2014 Most of us travelling NOB would not incur $60 - $100 US of phone charges on our Telcel phone! Just take your phone with you and use it normally. We put $500 Pesos on our Amiga phones and go. If we need more we ask a friend to go to an OXXO and add $Pesos for us. If you're going to be NOB for a month and use your phone a lot then getting a disposible or a chip from one of the US cellphone companies makes sense. For a few days just use your MX phone. You can add $MX to your Telcel phone by using Babblebug website from anywhere NOB. I have done this many times and the credit is instant and you will receive a confirmation text from Telcel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary c. Posted September 28, 2014 Report Share Posted September 28, 2014 I may be the odd one out, but I last time I was in US, my Telcel phone which is on a plan, never connected me to husband still in Mexico. Tried three times, no connection. My bill for those tries was 780 pesos in roaming fees. Wrote to TelMex and they removed the charges. Used Skype and had wonderful, free face-to-face calls throughout the trip. Carol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Saltos Posted September 29, 2014 Report Share Posted September 29, 2014 When was that? Ours worked in May and September. We both have the Amiga (prepaid) plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecoons Posted September 29, 2014 Report Share Posted September 29, 2014 If you get an unlocked generic phone that uses a sim card, can you get a sim card from TelCel (like you can do from U.S. cell companies) and use a pay as you go account? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerm Posted September 29, 2014 Report Share Posted September 29, 2014 How do you get a pay as you go with a data plan? Thought all smart phones had to have one to work?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Saltos Posted October 1, 2014 Report Share Posted October 1, 2014 You can get/do anything with the Amiga (pay as you go) plan. Talk to Telcel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nothernewbie Posted May 31, 2016 Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 Can anyone help?  We bought the Telcel 199 peso plan and are in the states but our phones are not working.  When we try to call we get one of two messages,  "not registered on network" or network unavailable.  When we arrived at the airport it worked once but not some then.  What are we doing wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geeser Posted May 31, 2016 Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 ATT in Mexico now offers an inexpensive plan under $!2 a month that in unlimited call and text in US and Canada and Mexico plus 1 gig data that also works NOB. need unlocked GSM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyfull Posted May 31, 2016 Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 8 hours ago, nothernewbie said: Can anyone help?  We bought the Telcel 199 peso plan and are in the states but our phones are not working.  When we try to call we get one of two messages,  "not registered on network" or network unavailable.  When we arrived at the airport it worked once but not some then.  What are we doing wrong? Are you dialing 001 first to call a US number? Try that, if that doesn't work then try dialing the US area code first. I always struggle when I first get there. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mostlylost Posted June 1, 2016 Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 Turn the phone off and restart. Should search for the network. Are you receiving email? Do you see a small 3G or 4G indicator? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geeser Posted June 2, 2016 Report Share Posted June 2, 2016 On 9/29/2014 at 2:35 PM, rogerm said: How do you get a pay as you go with a data plan? Thought all smart phones had to have one to work?? No, you can use a smart phone as just a phone just fine without a data plan. You can make calls and text. Photos do not send without a data plan however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanMexicali Posted June 2, 2016 Report Share Posted June 2, 2016 To get Telcel phones in the US to go to the AT&T service you have to go into setting on the Telephone settings section and change setting of "Red" from Telcel only to search for "Red" and AT&T will show up and select that. Or select "Automatic" and it will search for a local carrier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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