Cell Phone in Orlando.

[ORLANDO_MAGIC]

Hi.

Excuse my ignorance on this matter,but not owning a mobile phone,and never having done so i know virtually nothing about them,thus the fact i am here trying to pick your brains.

Ok so the deak is this...my American friend who i am visiting in April obviously has a mobile phone,so for the times we wont be together i could do with one so we can keep in touch.

I only need one for the 10 days i am there and i have seen a Virgin pay as you go phone for $40.00 at Circle K which would be ideal,it states there are no contracts so does this mean i can just pay cash and buy the phone plus whatever call credits i need and i will not need to give my name and credit card details ?

Or do i have to give my name, credit card details etc to activate it?

Thanks.

John.

[blott]

Pay as you go cell phones in the USA are just like the ones in the UK. You go somewhere and purchase one (like Wal-Mart) and then purchase top up cards from gas stations and the like for however many units you want.

My US cell phone didn't need any of those details to activate it, just the serial number from inside the back cover of the phone and the code(s) on the top up card. They then give you (either over the land phone or online) a string of numbers to enter into the cell phone to activate your top up card units.

[Ray&Sarah]

If you buy a Virgin mobile phone from here in the UK you will find that Virgin do not a roaming contract within the US so our Pay as you go mobiles wouldn't work in the US. We had to switch to Vodafone or O2.[msnsmile]

[christhear]

We have found that some English cell phones will let you ring the UK but you can not dial American numbers from them, like Ray & Sarah say it depends on the roaming agreements. So if you are buying one in the UK to use over in the US check the roaming agreements before you buy.

[Ray&Sarah]

Our Virgin ones didn't even pick up a signal so completely useless.[msnoo][msnsmile]

[Nostromo]

Why don't you just get a Tri-band UK phone? I have had my Samsung S300 for over 2 years with an Orange account and it works very well from/to anywhere in the world. Calls are reasonably priced and all you have to do on reaching the USA is perform a simple band change.

[Ray&Sarah]

Mine is a Triband Nostromo, you just have to make sure your network will allow you to use it abroad.[msnsmile2]

[Nostromo]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Ray&Sarah
Mine is a Triband Nostromo, you just have to make sure your network will allow you to use it abroad.[msnsmile2]
[/quote]

I've never had any problem with Orange. I told them that I was going to use it abroad - especially US and India - and they said 'fine' and it has been so ever since. In fact, I am pleased how quickly it finds and latches on to the local network, even 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

[Ray&Sarah]

Yes Orange is fine, they have a roaming contract, thats who I am with now, Vodafone too are ok they have an agreement with a US counterpart. However Virgin were no good at all last year.[msnsmile]

[markandpam]

I have a roaming contract with Orange and its alays been fine. On thing to watch out is the charges though as these can be very high. Texts from the US to UK are not usually part of your all inclusive package and charges with Orange can be 65p a minute to receive a call and £1 a minute to make them.

Pam.