smart phones in Playa

[Shammy]

Originally Posted by cmsitaly

I usually get a different answer when I call Verizon as well. Shammy is right on with what actually happens when you take your smart phone with a Verizon plan to Mexico. AT&T plan is much better for international.
Also, before you leave you have to dial *228 to update the roaming capabilities so you can call from your phone.
This year Verizon told me I could text while having the data turned off...not true...only if you're in a wireless area.

You should be doing the *228 thing all the time, maybe once per month. It updates your phone for any new cell towers there are around. You don't "have" to do it just because you're going to Mexico. And you can text with data turned off but of course you would have to be in an area where there is cell service - and I have yet to find an area where there isn't. Maybe in the boonies of Tulum or Sian Ka'an but most places have service so you shouldn't have much of an issue with that.

[cmsitaly]

Originally Posted by Shammy

You should be doing the *228 thing all the time, maybe once per month. It updates your phone for any new cell towers there are around. You don't "have" to do it just because you're going to Mexico. And you can text with data turned off but of course you would have to be in an area where there is cell service - and I have yet to find an area where there isn't. Maybe in the boonies of Tulum or Sian Ka'an but most places have service so you shouldn't have much of an issue with that.

Huh, didn't know that about the cell tower update. We couldn't call without dialing that *228 leaving or returning home. My droid would not let me text with the data turned off earlier this month, nor could one of our friend. Our friend with ATT could though! We just use Joshs old school phone to call and text and I take my itouch

[Shammy]

Originally Posted by cmsitaly

Huh, didn't know that about the cell tower update. We couldn't call without dialing that *228 leaving or returning home. My droid would not let me text with the data turned off earlier this month, nor could one of our friend. Our friend with ATT could though! We just use Joshs old school phone to call and text and I take my itouch

That is all very strange. If anyone knows what the deal is with making calls and texts using Verizon, it's me - because I MUST be able to use my phone 24/7 as clients will call me (24/7 ), so I make sure I know what the deal is for using my phone, and I also have a Droid. The *228 thing is something that updates your phone for any new cell towers in the area. Doesn't matter if it's Mexico or the USA. You should be doing that every so often at home, maybe you hadn't, or maybe you never did? Could be why you had problems but not sure. You should have been able to text too, I can, clients I have advised can, friends can. No idea why your phone wouldn't let you text with data off. Maybe you didn't have international calling enabled on your plan? It doesn't cost anything to have it but it does need to be on your plan (usually it automatically is but for some people, I found that it isn't).

[CondoPerico]

Verizon has a United States and Mexico plan. Our plan includes a number of minutes (700?). Data and texting is separate. Switching to this plan several years ago saved about $20! It did take 5 calls to find a representative who would give it to us.

Being here 4 months at a time US and MEX plan works well. Our phone doesn't care where we are or which country we call. We have yet to use all our minutes. All Verizon to Verizon calls are free.

Last month in Xcalak while using my phone for a flashlight it got a signal. The owner of the property freaked! "Turn it off! That's Belize." He claimed just turning on a cell sends your bill out of control. IDK about that but turned it off anyway.

[zelda]

I've heard and witnessed horror stories about unexpected charges. Some of them is because people were unaware, and used their phones just like they would at home (ie: a friend sent a 5 mb video by email to another friend... each paid about $350 for that one email... and that's after the cell provider agreed to reduce the fee because it was their first time doing that).

I don't want to spend my vacation worrying about what kind of charges might show up, or whether or not I can or can't do something. So, I pop my SIM card out before I leave home, and just use wifi for everything. I use a magicjack app for phone calls I need to make, and imessage for texts to other iphones. I don't miss the phone at all.

[sunshinejk]

is the *228 an automated call or do I have to talk to someone? I have never called that either. Good to know.

[Y2YTraveller]

Originally Posted by Shammy

Maybe in the boonies of Tulum or Sian Ka'an but most places have service so you shouldn't have much of an issue with that.

There's no cell service in Sian Ka'an - the signal runs out about 5 minutes out of Tulum.

[Rissask]

Originally Posted by cmsitaly

I usually get a different answer when I call Verizon as well. Shammy is right on with what actually happens when you take your smart phone with a Verizon plan to Mexico. AT&T plan is much better for international.
Also, before you leave you have to dial *228 to update the roaming capabilities so you can call from your phone.
This year Verizon told me I could text while having the data turned off...not true...only if you're in a wireless area.

Hmm, that sounds odd....my friends and I texted from Mexico to home while having the data turned off this past trip, no problem, just the regular 25 cents per text as per my plan. And we weren't using Wifi sending the texts. I think it depends on if your carrier has towers in the area or use of local towers. or perhaps I have in fact zero understanding of how cell phones actually work, too....that is very possible.


Edited to add: I really should have read page two too. haha

[Shammy]

Originally Posted by sunshinejk

is the *228 an automated call or do I have to talk to someone? I have never called that either. Good to know.

Automated. *228 then option #2 to update roaming. Your phone will program, shut off and turn back on by itself.

[Shammy]

Originally Posted by CondoPerico

Verizon has a United States and Mexico plan. Our plan includes a number of minutes (700?). Data and texting is separate. Switching to this plan several years ago saved about $20! It did take 5 calls to find a representative who would give it to us.

But for the casual one week vacationer to switch to this plan, doesn't work because it takes away your unlimited text at home - texting is not included in this plan. Doesn't make sense to switch for a week, as long as you don't go crazy calling or texting anyone. If you're there for an extended trip, yes, it makes sense.

[ilikebeer]

Shammy is right again last year while in Cancun I called Verizon and had the prorated data plan put on my phone and called when I returned home called and had it removed and it cost maybe $20 for the week.While in Aruba in May I forgot to call Verizon to get a international data plan and took 1 picture and facebooked it and I got a text from Verizon saying a incurred approximately $50 in roaming data(ouch).I called Verizon to see what the cost of plans are now being their doing away with unlimited roaming and it was not worth it IMO so I'll will be walking to Starbucks for free WIFI.

[cmsitaly]

Well the guy at Verizon told me the way to turn my data off was to put my phone on airplane mode...maybe that is why it wouldn't text?? Thats the only thing I can think of...Sorry for confusing anyone. Again, I got several different answers from Verizon reps. Someone said I could text with the data off, someone said I couldn't, someone said I could but only in wireless, That's why we just ended up using the old phone.

[Shammy]

Airplane mode disables your phone - no calls, no texts - just like when you're on an airplane. You can turn off data roaming by going into settings. In my phone (Droid 3), it's then under "Battery and Data Manager" then "Data Delivery". If you want to use your phone, you can't have it on airplane mode.

On another note - eee gads, it's amazing how little these Verizon reps know.

[cmsitaly]

And how little I know about how my cell phone works! Ugh

Thanks

[jrudq]

Originally Posted by cmsitaly

And how little I know about how my cell phone works! Ugh

Thanks

Here, here! I feel like a functional idiot when it comes to figuring this out.
If I am getting this:

1. Call *228
2. Uncheck Data Enabled and Data roaming. What about Background data?
3. Turn on WiFi when I get to a place that has it
4. Airplane mode is only for the airplane (and thanks for clarifying that...I would have had it on the whole time.

Thanks.