Date: Mon, 07 Mar 2005 20:26:51 GMT From: "Al" <alistairdorenospamo.com> Subject: Re: OFF TOPIC Question on Mobile Phones in USA
"Andrew Stephenson" <amesnospamrak.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:1110045383snznospamrak.demon.co.uk... > In article <3z7Wd.1596$CW2.5nospamread3.news.atl.earthlink.net> > britelitesnospamspring.com "MikeV" writes: > >> I live in Florida, and a popular "disposable" phone down here is Virgin. >> Since Virgin is a UK company you might want to give them a look: >> http://www.virgin.com/gateways/mobile/ > > Over Thanksgiving of 2003 I was in the Philadelphia area and got > a Virgin Mobile "Party Animal". Marketed at "brainless teens" to > judge by the gosh-wow phrasing of the paperwork, this worked well > enough for me to want to revive it for a California trip in July > 2004. At 10 cents/minute after 25 cents/minute for the first I- > forget-but-a-low-number of minutes each day, anywhere in the US, > costs seemed reasonable. The phone was a simple Kyocera unit, I > would guess a design they were ready to retire and gave VM a good > deal on. The package cost me $30, including a voucher for $20 of > time, from a VM store. > > The only downside (other than slight patchiness of coverage -- I > had a strange time finding a live spot in the southwestern Mojave > Desert, ending up among waste bins behind the local Jack-in-the- > Box) was Virgin's useless marketing. > > Between late 2003 and mid 2004 my phone number had expired and to > reactivate it I had to feed at least $20 to Virgin Mobile -- but > it had to be the US company, not the UK one. Their US web system > would not accept a credit card not matched by a US address... It > was a pretty klutzy arrangement, for a big international company. > > To make the phone work (with a new number) I had to travel to the > US and buy a top-up card from IIRC a Ralphs (supermarket). After > that it went smoothly, with a free phonecall to Virgin and a wait > of about 4 hours. > > Overall, using Virgin worked and I'd say to consider them. But I > really cannot say much for their marketing savvy. (Though maybe > it has since changed.) > -- > Andrew Stephenson > Thanks for the info Guys, since my "fruity" (no names no pack drill) UK provider is being particularly unhelpful with regards to supply of my handset, I think I'll grab a cheapie when I'm in the US. It's my intention to take the good lady to New York or Boston later in the year anyway, so I can re-use then. Getting back on topic, normal Saab questions will undoubtedly follow soon.... Al
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
