Riom
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Posts: 492
Registered: 12-17-2004
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Recharging Mexican prepaid mobiles from outside Mexico
I'm considering getting either a Telcel or Movistar prepaid phone for use as my "home phone" in San Felipe (very low usage). As I'm only there from
time to time, and not all for many months in the summer, the limited validity (short expiry dates) of the recharge cards is a problem. I'd like to
keep the phone active, to keep the same number and some call credit, from trip to trip.
How do other mainly-winter vistors cope with this? Especially if you go back to Canada or another country where the phone won't roam?
Looks like Movistar allows 90 days of use since the latest card recharge (or is it extended a further 90 days with each recharge?), and the online
credit card recharge only accepts Mexican-issued cards. So I can't see how I'd keep it active if I'm away more than 90 days, does anybody know of a
way?
The Telcel web site is such a mess I can't work out what their rules are (how long are the cards valid for?), but they don't seem to have an online
recharge option. Anybody found a way to keep these active from elsewhere when away for a long time?
The options of recharging from the US won't work for me, as I'm not in the US in the summer.
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Gypsy Jan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4275
Registered: 1-27-2004
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Customer Help in English
Both companies have customer help departments that will respond to English inquiries over the internet or by calling direct.
Perhaps a Spanish speaking friend can help you find the English inquiry area on the website.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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Riom
Nomad
Posts: 492
Registered: 12-17-2004
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Gypsy Jan
Both companies have customer help departments that will respond to English inquiries over the internet or by calling direct.
Perhaps a Spanish speaking friend can help you find the English inquiry area on the website. |
I can read the websites in Spanish OK (the parts that work), and asking their customer services is one option (I'll try it). But if they're anything
like customer services in other countries it'll be pot luck whether I get one who gives an accurate reply, especially in a foreign (to them) language
.
So what I'm really after is real-world experiences on how Nomads, especially those who go outside the US in the summer, have handled keeping their
Mexican prepay phone active during a long absence - I'll sure many on here have them.
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Gypsy Jan
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Without Having Direct Experience
I know that both companies advertise heavily (with information on the bills) to promote places where you can pay.
If you pay in person at the relevant offices, your payment is credited that day. At remote locations, such as accepting banks, markets, farmacias,
etc., the lag time is three working days before payment is credited.
In the case of TelCel, they will charge your American Express account.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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Riom
Nomad
Posts: 492
Registered: 12-17-2004
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Gypsy Jan
In the case of TelCel, they will charge your American Express account. |
Now that does sound useful, as long as it works for the prepaid phones (Amigo), thanks. I could do that fine, if there's some way to trigger it from
outside Mexico or if it is automated so that it doesn't expire, even if there no calls. (while I'm in Mexico I could just buy recharge cards, no
problem there, it's the long absences each summer I want to handle).
I have just now tried asking each company (in Spanish) how I'd go about recharging from outside the country, using the contact links on their
websites.
The Movistar contact page http://www.movistar.com.mx/contacto/contacto_general.html appears to be broken (gives an error that it couldn't send the email, after it's all
filled in of course!).
The Telcel one (email link on most of their pages) responds with "Gracias por tus comentarios y sugerencias, los tomaremos en cuenta." which sounds
like they treat it as more of a suggestions box than a way for (potential) customers to contact them. But it might work, I'll give them a few days to
reply.
If I could recharge either prepaid phone by Amex/Visa etc that'd be fine, but Movistar does specifically say the card must be issued in Mexico, no
foreign cards. Hopefully Telcel is more flexible.
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Gypsy Jan
Ultra Nomad
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Domestic Credit Card
Yes, that might be a problem.
We have a Mexican address and a Mexican AMEX card and they have a partnership with TelCel that they promote a lot.
Keep trying and don't take no for an answer. In my experience with TelCel, if you persist, they will look for solutions that satisfy your needs.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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Jack Swords
Super Nomad
Posts: 1095
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Nipomo, CA/La Paz, BCS
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We have had the prepaid Amigo phone for the past 7 years while we spend Dec - April in La Paz. It uses the prepaid cards available everywhere.
Whatever the balance is on our phone when we leave is still there when we come back the next winter, but not usable until we put more money on it with
the prepaid card. It expires after 90 days of inactivity (meaning not usable), but when we reactivate it after arriving in La Paz it is back on. We
have never lost our original telephone number. A caution, as in all things in Mexico, things change. There are different Amigo plans available so
investigate these. The office in La Paz has several English fluent staff to help. We sometimes reactivate our phone in Colnet or San Quintin as we
drive down (by putting $10 on it).
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Riom
Nomad
Posts: 492
Registered: 12-17-2004
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Jack Swords
Whatever the balance is on our phone when we leave is still there when we come back the next winter, but not usable until we put more money on it with
the prepaid card. |
Thanks Jack, I think that settles it for Telcel as I've also found another place which says the credit stays for (at least) 180 days, just needs
reactivating as you say. Plus, I've found a US company which will recharge it over the web as well, although I shouldn't need that.
Great, no need to get a landline! I'll get the Telcel sim in San Felipe (so it's a local number) next time I'm there. With the free incoming now, I
should be able to use a callback service like Callbackworld to call the US/UK for about 24c/min. Good enough.
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