BajaNomad - Cell Phone Question

Cell Phone Question

janai229 - 4-16-2016 at 06:59 PM

The daughter of a Mexican friend would like me to bring her a cell phone from the US because she feels we have more options here. Can I buy a cell phone without a US plan, take it to the baja where she can set it up with a Mexican plan ?? I'm looking at a Samsung phone.

weebray - 4-17-2016 at 07:56 AM

Yes, we bought an unlocked LG for 12 bucks on Amazon and put a Telcel chip in it. You have to be patient and keep insisting but Telcel does have an unlimited calling to the US and Mexico plan for 100 pesos a month. You will find that the Telcel representatives are dressed extremely well but know almost nothing about their job so you have do dig to get what you want.

Bill Collector - 4-17-2016 at 11:46 AM

Weebray, what is your monthly charge for telcel? You mentioned 100 peso a month for unlimited calls but is there a monthly charge??

Ricky - 4-18-2016 at 09:14 PM

What I did was get an AT&T Go phone for $14.00 in an att store. Put $108.00 on it and it's good to go for a year! Ten cents a minute in the states and twenty five cents a minute when in Baja. Other times I use an IP phone in the house for free.

AKgringo - 4-18-2016 at 09:27 PM

Ricky don't lose that number! ATT no longer offers the 10 cent /min plan to new customers, but will allow you to continue on with the one you have now. It is now 25 cents in the US, and I am not sure what in Mexico. They want everyone to convert to monthly plans, or contracts.

What I don't like about the ten cent plan that I have, is that each text I send or receive (even the mystery ones) cost 20 cents. Lets see...two short texts, or talk for four minutes? Call me!

[Edited on 4-19-2016 by AKgringo]

Bmw635 - 4-19-2016 at 12:25 AM

T-mobile US have unlimited text, call to Canada, Mexico. Some Mexican carriers have free calling to US from Cacun, not sure if Baja is different.

Fernweh - 4-19-2016 at 05:56 AM

I just got a Telcel plan for my old unlocked iphone.....upgraded from an Amigo plan.
I was able to keep the same La Paz tel number.
Unlimited calls to the US and Canada, unlimited text, 1G data (not much).
Also unlimited calls to Mexico, when traveling in the US and Canada.

It cost me $199.00 Pesos a month, set up with my US credit card.

It too me almost 2.5 hrs to get it done, at the Telcel office at the Mega Market Center. I did not have my passport with me, but had a picture of it on the cell phone......all went fine, the customer service lady spoke English much better than my Spanish attempts. Gorgeous female supervisor.....worth the long wait :-)

Udo - 4-19-2016 at 09:53 AM

I think the plan is 200 Pesos per month for the service you describe.

Quote: Originally posted by weebray

Yes, we bought an unlocked LG for 12 bucks on Amazon and put a Telcel chip in it. You have to be patient and keep insisting but Telcel does have an unlimited calling to the US and Mexico plan for 100 pesos a month. You will find that the Telcel representatives are dressed extremely well but know almost nothing about their job so you have do dig to get what you want.

weebray - 4-19-2016 at 10:28 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Udo

I think the plan is 200 Pesos per month for the service you describe.

. You will find that the Telcel representatives are dressed extremely well but know almost nothing about their job so you have do dig to get what you want.[/rquote]

No, we pay 100p/mo. You may have to camp out at telcel to get this plan but it is available. As I said, the telcel people are beautiful and impeccably dressed but they aren't hired for their brains.

bajaguy - 4-19-2016 at 11:50 AM

Got an unlocked Samsung from these folks, put in a Movistar chip

http://sam.factoryoutletstore.com/catnc/37610/Samsung-Cell-P...

Udo - 4-19-2016 at 01:23 PM

OH, wee bray...I'll camp at a TELCEL store on Thursday and try to get the same plan for 100 Pesos per month.

Quote: Originally posted by weebray

Quote: Originally posted by Udo

No, we pay 100p/mo. You may have to camp out at telcel to get this plan but it is available. As I said, the telcel people are beautiful and impeccably dressed but they aren't hired for their brains.

bajagrouper - 4-19-2016 at 05:35 PM

I was on the Amigo plan and was told by the Telcel employee about the 100 peso/month plan, it is called without limits or sin limatantes........I just brought my unlocked used iPhone into the Telcel office and the sim card coat $10 USD.........

bajaumpaw - 4-19-2016 at 08:27 PM

While I was in Mulege, my mechanic there said to dial a couple of numbers on your Mexican phone and you get the 100 peso plan as long as you have at least 100 pesos in credit with Telcel. I do not remember what they were. Maybe, somebody going into a Telcel office can get them and post them. You have to have at least 100 pesos each month that you use the plan. I just got 2 good deals from AT&T here in the states. I have a monthly plan with them. The first is an AT&T Mexico Roaming Bonus. While in Mexico, unlimited talk to the US and within all of Mexico, unlimited text and 1GB of data. For free. Nada. Just ask for it. The second was the World Connect Value. Unlimited calling from the US to Mexico and Canada. $5 per month.

Bill Collector - 4-20-2016 at 12:12 PM

*264. Is what you press to get the 100 peso plan...if you don't speak Spanish wait for a operator and ask for English speaker...Unlimited to USA and canada..Call from your cell phone

[Edited on 4-20-2016 by Bill Collector]

woody with a view - 4-20-2016 at 12:48 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bajaumpaw

I just got 2 good deals from AT&T here in the states. I have a monthly plan with them. The first is an AT&T Mexico Roaming Bonus. While in Mexico, unlimited talk to the US and within all of Mexico, unlimited text and 1GB of data. For free. Nada. Just ask for it.

Guess I'll be calling ATT. How much is one GB if you were to check email on cell network?

willardguy - 4-20-2016 at 01:06 PM

Quote: Originally posted by woody with a view

Quote: Originally posted by bajaumpaw

Guess I'll be calling ATT. How much is one GB if you were to check email on cell network?

1GB you could send 34,000 emails!

[Edited on 4-20-2016 by willardguy]

BajaMama - 4-20-2016 at 04:42 PM

Regarding the AT&T plan, I also have it, been working great. BUT you need to know that the "free" is only for calls originating from Mexico. If someone calls us we call them back, or have them text us.

janai229 - 4-20-2016 at 07:49 PM

Thanks for all the replies. Will any unlocked phone be able to be fitted with a Telcel chip ??? If not, what should I look for when purchasing a cell phone ???

willardguy - 4-20-2016 at 07:59 PM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaMama

Regarding the AT&T plan, I also have it, been working great. BUT you need to know that the "free" is only for calls originating from Mexico. If someone calls us we call them back, or have them text us.

ohhhhh.......now there's a good tip! I wouldn't have ever known! gracias! :yes:

8knots - 4-20-2016 at 09:33 PM

Quote: Originally posted by janai229

Thanks for all the replies. Will any unlocked phone be able to be fitted with a Telcel chip ??? If not, what should I look for when purchasing a cell phone ???

I recently purchased a Moto G3 unlocked phone from Amazon and had a friend bring it down. Went to Telcel and they cut my sim card to fit the new unlocked phone. If you go to a large Telcel store they can easily set you up. Make sure your unlocked phone is ATT compatible, not Verizon compatible. I forget the exact terms for each of those systems but ATT and Telcel are compatible systems. Telcel will not work with a Verizon system phone.

Bmw635 - 4-20-2016 at 10:06 PM

Telcel use GSM network so you'll need GSM phone. https://www.google.com/search?q=telcel+gsm+or+cdma&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari

fdt - 4-28-2016 at 11:43 PM

I got it!
For years I've been paying telcel amigo on the per minute plan and it gets really expensive, specially now that they have internet. I'd put 100 pesos on each phone and in 2 days my daughters were on empty OMG.
Well, reading this post I logged on to mitelcel.com and went on the chat with a rep to ask if there was something that could be done to just cancel the internet access on the phones and she said no but asked if I new about the Amigo sin Limites plans... she explained and done.
You DO NOT have to go to any telcel office, you DO NOT have to call *264, all you have to do is have at least 100 pesos credit on your phone, you send a text message with SL100 and send it to 5050 and that is all, now you will have unlimited México, US and Canada for calls and text and unlimited WhatsApp, plus free Twitter, facebook and facebook messenger within México all for 30 days and 200MB of data.
There are more options that have the same free stuff, also good for 30 days but more data (if you are downloading music or videos or sending them maybe) and those are $150pesos 350MB, $200 pesos 500MB, $300pesos 800MB and $500pesos 1500 MB.
If you don't need your telcel phone for 30 days, you can get it for 15 days at only $50 pesos with all the unlimited and free stuff as the rest but only 50MB.
For all of these plans you just have to have the sufficient credit on your phone to cover the amount you want and simply text SL50 or SL100 or SL150 or SL200 or SL300 or SL500 to 5050.
Now if you are a permanent resident or are staying longer than 30 days and want one of these plans you simply text SLR and the peso amount so you don't have to text every 30 days, just once for ever (the R is for Recurrente)
That is all, no set up fee, no nada mas! Well you do need a telcel sms or chip.
I think it's great 100 pesos (at 17 x 1 = 5.88 in dollars) for unlimited 30 day phone and more, wow, it's almost free as the free Obama Phones.

Cancamo - 4-29-2016 at 11:42 AM

Thanks FTD et al;

Just changed from Amigo Sin Fronteras to Amigo Sin Limites online on TelCel site through the chat line.
The text SL100 wouldn't go through to 5050.

100 pesos a month, unlimited domestic, Mexico, & Us, Canada.

Best value plan I've heard of.
Carlos Slim got enough pesos over the years.

why?

huesos - 4-29-2016 at 07:44 PM

When I am at a Telcel branch, I can see a lot of phones for sale, mostly displayed with various plans. Why is everyone buying phones on amazon and trying to fit Telcel chips into them?

8knots - 5-2-2016 at 10:54 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Cancamo

Thanks FTD et al;

Just changed from Amigo Sin Fronteras to Amigo Sin Limites online on TelCel site through the chat line.
The text SL100 wouldn't go through to 5050.

100 pesos a month, unlimited domestic, Mexico, & Us, Canada.

Best value plan I've heard of.
Carlos Slim got enough pesos over the years.

We got on this plan a week ago by going to the big Telcel office in La Paz. I tried going on MiTelcel site to sign up for monthly payment with my credit card and it never takes. Any suggestions on how I can get it set up for auto-pay?

fdt - 5-2-2016 at 01:04 PM

Just got off the telcel chat and no, and because it's on a prepaid basis.

Another thing I found out is that as of today, May2nd, the 100 peso plan will only be good for 25 days and because they added a few more unlimited things to it.
Now to get 30 days it starts at the $150 peso plan.

I strongly recommend people get on one of these plans ASAP before they change them or are no longer available. just sayi'n

Udo - 5-2-2016 at 04:43 PM

I'm, going to try this for my wife net week.

[Edited on 5-2-2016 by Udo]

janai229 - 5-30-2016 at 05:16 AM

Quote: Originally posted by huesos

When I am at a Telcel branch, I can see a lot of phones for sale, mostly displayed with various plans. Why is everyone buying phones on amazon and trying to fit Telcel chips into them?

A Telcel phone would be fine by me. I just started this thread because a Méxican friend's daughter wanted a specific Samsung phone which I was happy to bring her but it needed to be able to take a Telcel chip.

ex250 - 6-21-2016 at 08:43 PM

Is the 100 peso plan still available ?

nomana - 6-21-2016 at 08:50 PM

Quote: Originally posted by ex250

Is the 100 peso plan still available ?

Sí - Amigo sin límite

It is good for 25 days and you pay according to how much data you want:

50MB 50MX
300MB 100MX
350MB 150MX
500MB 200MX
800MB 300MX
1500MB 500MX

It includes 1GB for WhatsApp, Twitter, FB