OK - I know there are a ton of posts about cell phone sim cards - but I need a slow and easy to understand answer. Please forgive my question - Here goes
I have an old Motorola RZR that I will be taking. I want to buy an Italian sim card - easy so far? I know I will be able to call locally - but what about calling home or receiving calls from home? My mother is house sitting for me - should I set up some kind of international calling plan at home as well? I want to be able to call home and receive calls from home without taking out a second mortgage. Thanks for your patience in answering one more cell phone question.
Posted by
Hacienda Heights
2 posts
Actually he can use Onesuite for calling back home too.
Onesuite has access number in Italy - 800788425
Posted by
Kyle, TX
7 posts
The first thing you need to know is if your phone will work. It must be a GSM phone, it must be either a tri-band or quad-band, and it must be "unlocked". If it doesn't have all three of these it won't work.
If it does have all of these then you can stop in at a phone or elctronics store and purchase a TIM card. Mine cost E5 It comes with some time on the card to begin with. Make sure you get directions on checking your balance and adding money to the card. In country calls are very cheap. International calls are resonably priced. One of the best things is that incoming call are free.
Posted by
gaston, oregon, usa
842 posts
Gary, listen to John.
I just got back from Italy, and my supposedly unlocked GSM Motor razor V3 did NOT work with the Italian SIM "TIM" card. It kept asking for a "subsidy password", and I have no idea what that means. I am going to do some research on that. (Steve, you used a Moto Razor...did you have this problem?)
It also dumped all my contact info from the SIM card on the Razor.
Luckily my "Jailbroken and unlocked" Iphone worked pretty good with the TIM chip...except it stopped receiving calls. I found out later that was because the $5:00 did not go very far, and I went to a tobacco store and loaded more minutes.
It is really important that you find someone that is is quite good at speaking English when you attempt to get your phone running after you load the Italian chip. Make sure that you call can call out, and receive calls after you load the chip.
The best place to buy a chip is at a small electronics store that handles all of the brands of EU SIM cards.
Posted by
Seattle
19 posts
I ended up getting a phone and dual-number simm card through ekit (found them on e-bay).
Has both a U.S. number for people in the U.S. to call and a European number (mine is from England) to use when making calls over there. Rate is not the greatest ($0.49/minute to make a call), but for that rate I can call from Italy back to the U.S. to check-in. And they can get us without having to pay an overseas rate. Receiving calls or text messages is free, and sending a text mesage is $0.69
Again, not the cheapest option, but something I could take care of before we left, and my wife is quite relieved to have a number to give people so they can reach us.
Posted by
Missouri City, Texas
11 posts
If you will have a computer and your mother will have one why not use skype on both and it would be free. I have used my cell which is with AT&T and it worked just great. Not cost very much.
Posted by
gaston, oregon, usa
842 posts
My AT&T phone costs $1.99 a minute when I am in Europe, even when I set up a EU calling plan. This can add up quick if people leave you voice mail messages, which are charged to you even if you don't answer them!
Posted by
gaston, oregon, usa
842 posts
Steve, thanks for the info on the Moto Razr. I'll go have it checked to make sure that it is really "unlocked". I put the Italian TIM SIM chip in it, so I can do a check when I get it unlocked.