Prepay GSM SIM in US
Dec 26, 2004 | 9:35 am
#1
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Prepay GSM SIM in US
I understand that T-Mobile offers pre-pay GSM in the US. Looking at their website it seems you need to buy a phone to get the SIM, however.
I'm flying into JFK tomorrow, and would like to pick up a SIM I can use in my triband phone thereby avoiding massive roaming charges. There seems to be a lot of reference information archived here about Americans buying European SIMs but not much about the converse!
Any options at the airport, or suggestions of places where I might pick one up?
I'm flying into JFK tomorrow, and would like to pick up a SIM I can use in my triband phone thereby avoiding massive roaming charges. There seems to be a lot of reference information archived here about Americans buying European SIMs but not much about the converse!
Any options at the airport, or suggestions of places where I might pick one up?
Dec 26, 2004 | 10:47 am
#3
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Originally Posted by ScottC
None at the airport sadly. T-mobile stores will be able to help you, as they sell (though unadvertised) prepaid sim cards.
Dec 27, 2004 | 7:29 am
#4
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Originally Posted by NickW
Scott - thanks ... that is interesting that they do actually sell the cards separately! I'm going directly from the airport to my hotel in any case: and it appears there's a T-Mobile store not a quarter a mile away on W 57th Street.
Dec 28, 2004 | 12:15 am
#5
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I tried Cingular pre-paid on a recent trip to the US. It was cheap at only $10 for I think 30 minutes or so. However the service was pretty poor. A couple of times people called and got a not in service message. I tried calling the number myself when I had full bars on the phone and got the not in service message. So they obviously use a different authorization and accounting system than the monthly subscribers use. Also, I could not setup a PIN for adding minutes. I don't know if T-Mobile pre-paid is any better in the US?
Dec 28, 2004 | 12:42 am
#6
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Originally Posted by stimpy
I tried Cingular pre-paid on a recent trip to the US. It was cheap at only $10 for I think 30 minutes or so. However the service was pretty poor. A couple of times people called and got a not in service message. I tried calling the number myself when I had full bars on the phone and got the not in service message. So they obviously use a different authorization and accounting system than the monthly subscribers use. Also, I could not setup a PIN for adding minutes. I don't know if T-Mobile pre-paid is any better in the US?
Dec 28, 2004 | 12:59 am
#7
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Originally Posted by NickW
that is interesting that they do actually sell the cards separately!
Last edited by KosraeTV; Dec 28, 2004 at 1:14 am
Dec 28, 2004 | 2:10 pm
#8
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Success
Thanks for all the advice.
I picked up a T-Mobile SIM for $50, plus a $25 credit, and my minutes will not expire for a year now.
I just put my hotel's address into the store finder on the T-Mobile website, and the nearest one turned out to be about three blocks away.
I picked up a T-Mobile SIM for $50, plus a $25 credit, and my minutes will not expire for a year now.
I just put my hotel's address into the store finder on the T-Mobile website, and the nearest one turned out to be about three blocks away.
Dec 28, 2004 | 2:31 pm
#10
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FYI- For future reference many of the Tmobile dealers will sell the pre-paids on Ebay at a huge discount and already activated. I picked one up for $20, the sim had a $90 credit or 224minutes on it and would not expire for another year. Took 3 days to be delivered. I called tmobile and had the number changed to a local area code.
Dec 28, 2004 | 6:18 pm
#11
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Originally Posted by jwalkabout
FYI- For future reference many of the Tmobile dealers will sell the pre-paids on Ebay at a huge discount and already activated.
Feb 1, 2005 | 5:04 am
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Can anyone please recommend a relaible ebay seller who they have dealt with and ships overseas ?
There seems to be a company called Boardwalk (or something similar) with lots of cards on Ebay. Anyone dealt with them ?
There seems to be a company called Boardwalk (or something similar) with lots of cards on Ebay. Anyone dealt with them ?