fishingmako
Nomad
Posts: 259
Registered: 10-10-2008
Member Is Offline
Mood: always up
|
|
Recharging Baja cell phones
I have (3) Baja cell phones, and I am usually there to put more monies on my cell phones, but I won't be able to be there when my time runs out.
These are Tel Cel phones, and you have (60) days to put more monies on from the last date you replenished them.
Here is the Question? I have heard different stories to this, you have to be in Mexico and use your cell.. scratch off the card, put in the code from
the card, and you are now good to go another (60) Days?
I have also heard there are several companys in the States you can call or do it on the computer, put in your cell numbers by Credit Card and your
good to go.
I have a lot of roll over minutes and don't want to loose them.
So I would appreciate anyone with this experience that can lead me to the corect thing to do.
It sure would be nice to do this in the States so you don't always have to be in Mexico to do it, I just don't want to loose the minutes I now have
built up.
Also what happens if you don't replenish you phones in a timely manner? do you loose what you have in minutes?
Thanks all for your help!
|
|
|
MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
Member Is Offline
Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
|
|
Rolling Over on Telcel
Having experienced it twice and knowing others who have, while it's true that you have to add minutes within 60 days, you don't actually lose your
accumulated time if you don't. It reappears (or at least did as recently as a few months ago) when you recharge.
One neighbor frequently misses his 60-day without a problem. HE told me that you were OK for 180-days, but that's his story, not
mine.
|
|
|
fishingmako
Nomad
Posts: 259
Registered: 10-10-2008
Member Is Offline
Mood: always up
|
|
But can you buy your time in the States, and does it count on your phone without having to be in mexico?
|
|
|
MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
Member Is Offline
Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
|
|
No Se
I've always bought cards ahead of time (two unused now) and I've never tried to use them N.O.B.
Anybody else ?
|
|
|
longlegsinlapaz
Super Nomad
Posts: 1685
Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
|
|
fishingmako, I don't know the answer about adding $$ in the states, but if all else fails, you could ask a friend SOB to take the #'s of your phones
to OXXO & have them add $20-50 pesos to each without the phones needing to be present.
|
|
|
BAJA.DESERT.RAT
Senior Nomad
Posts: 980
Registered: 11-5-2009
Location: BAJA SUR
Member Is Offline
|
|
Hola fishingmako,
i've had a telcel cell phone for about 5 years now and heard if i don't renew minutes within 60 days, i would lose my number.
i've let mine expire for six months and when i went back to baja, i added minutes and all was fine.
someone in the past posted he had a phone that he let sit idle for two years and when he went to renew, he just added minutes and all was well.
as technology advances in mexico, it is a possibility that they may start to cull numbers ?
sorry, but i don't know about renewing from other non mexico locations.
BIEN SALUD, DA RAT
|
|
|
twogringos
Nomad
Posts: 184
Registered: 1-7-2007
Location: Bahia Asuncion/Color-Country
Member Is Offline
Mood: I feel more like I do now than I ever have before
|
|
I believe the instructions with the card say that you will not lose minutes if you recharge within 4 months, and will not lose the phone number is you
recharge before 6 months. I believe we have gone a few days over the four month period and have never lost minutes. So, if you add 100 pesos every 4
months you can keep your phone alive and save your minutes. Note that if you add less than 100 pesos the phone is active for only 1 month, not two
and I don't know if you then get 2 or 3 month period to save your minutes. As longlegsinlapaz suggests, leave some money with a friend who can
recharge for you at a store.
|
|
|
longlegsinlapaz
Super Nomad
Posts: 1685
Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
|
|
Thanks twogringos for correcting the amount required for the long haul! I always add $500 pesos a pop, but have waited in line behind people who only
put $20 pesos in! The how long it's good for would be a deciding factor in fishingmako's case.
|
|
|
Riom
Nomad
Posts: 492
Registered: 12-17-2004
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by fishingmako
I have also heard there are several companys in the States you can call or do it on the computer, put in your cell numbers by Credit Card and your
good to go.
|
I've used Babblebug several times to add money to a Telcel phone (click on the "international cellular" bit then choose Mexico). They do both Telcel and
Movistar recharges.
The phone doesn't need to be in Mexico. When I used it, it was $10 (looks like it's $10.99 now), this adds 100 pesos (or more?) to the account and 2
months to the validity of the entire balance.
There are other companies like ezetop (who say they add 135 pesos for 10 dollars), but Babblebug is the one I have experience with.
It's also possible to add money to your Telcel phone with the online banking of some Mexican bank accounts, for example a Bancomer Peso account.
Again neither the phone nor you have to be in Mexico.
When out of Mexico, it's handy to be able to check the balance and expiry online. Bit fiddly to set up the first time, but simple to use after that.
Instructions:
Check your Telcel Amigo account online
Rob
|
|
|
fishingmako
Nomad
Posts: 259
Registered: 10-10-2008
Member Is Offline
Mood: always up
|
|
Thanks Rob, finally someone with information.
Really good stuff to know I will try, and thank all of you with input, I just didn't want to loose my time I had on th phones, but I see that not to
be a problem as you have experienced this first hand.
Thanks again
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
