Where to buy prepaid SIM in Cusco
#16
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Menlo Park, CA, USA
Programs: UA 1MM 0P, AA, DL, *wood, Lifetime FPC Plat., IHG, HHD
Posts: 6,912
yeah, I'm not going to go the phone rental route. Maybe I can find someone with a SIM, or can one buy a prepaid SIM movistar or other in LIMA with just a hotel address?
#17
Ambassador: Peru
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: LIM Peru
Programs: LanPass Premium, AA (former gold), MileagePlus Silver
Posts: 761
But I think a hotel address won't be enough. As I remember, regulation entity (Osiptel) is very worry about security issues, anonymous calls (kidnappings, blackmails, etc.) so they are asking more strongly about registerd numbers (SIMs) with IDs, full info, etc.
There are some informal markets where you can find cell accesories, used phones, etc. Probably you can buy a used prepaid SIM there, but those markets are not in the friendliest part of Lima. don't missunderstand me, it's not the most dangerous, but I don't imagine a tourist or traveler going there. Not without a local friend.
#18
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bos -- oak
Programs: UA, AA, BA, US, Delta, alaska
Posts: 7
Claro chip screwed up
At the main office, ittook 1/2 hour to find someone who could speak English. He said I'd already used halfof the 40 minutes talk time. Since I'd only made one, one minute phone call, and the record was thereon the phone, I asked how that could be? He eventually rolled the minutes back, and sort of showedmehow to get plan usage- another 45 minutes.
Now, 2+ 1/2 weeks later, I'm getting messages from Claro saying that my time is going to expire tomorrow unless I sign up for more. I went to a local Claro place un Cusco & paid 5 soles to keep my talk minutes active, but that person couldn't help me with the data plan. Got back to my hotel and got anothermessage saying thedata plan would run out tommorow unless I renewed. A very kind manager at my hotel spent 30 minutes on the phone trying to find out: 1) how much data hadI used/ or had left, and 2) what was the cheapest way to keep the dataplan going. After 30 min, and my passport info, etc, etc, theupshot is that I have 644 M left, but I'll lose all but 200 of that if I don't give them another 79 soles for 1500 M tomorrow, and I'll lose the rest of that in a week. So, I cannot reccommend Claro, though I don't know if Movistar is any better.