Comments on: Mossberg’s Mailbox http://mailbox.allthingsd.com/20090715/mossbergs-mailbox-4/ from The Wall Street Journal Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:01:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Robert McNeill http://mailbox.allthingsd.com/20090715/mossbergs-mailbox-4/comment-page-1/#comment-698 Robert McNeill Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:57:33 +0000 http://mailbox.allthingsd.com/20090715/mossberg%e2%80%99s-mailbox/#comment-698 The discussion of cell phones in Europe left out an important issue. We traveled in Europe last summer and tried to be sure our AT&T cell phone service would work. We had the right "GSM" kind of phone provided by AT&T. I called AT&T more than once to say where we were going and ask what to do over there; I was assured everything was OK. It wasn't. The phone wouldn't even "register" with a cell phone tower. At first we thought it was our being out of range but even in big cities (Cologne, Mainz, Vienna, etc.) nothing worked. I complained when we returned to the U.S. and after lots of confusion was finally told that they had failed to set a flag in our account to permit use outside the U.S., despite multiple pre-trip calls to them. Ultimately they did refund half of a one-month subscription charge but not the $150 we had to spend at a credit-card pay phone in De Gaulle airport to make an important call to one of our children. The discussion of cell phones in Europe left out an important issue. We traveled in Europe last summer and tried to be sure our AT&T cell phone service would work. We had the right “GSM” kind of phone provided by AT&T. I called AT&T more than once to say where we were going and ask what to do over there; I was assured everything was OK. It wasn’t. The phone wouldn’t even “register” with a cell phone tower. At first we thought it was our being out of range but even in big cities (Cologne, Mainz, Vienna, etc.) nothing worked. I complained when we returned to the U.S. and after lots of confusion was finally told that they had failed to set a flag in our account to permit use outside the U.S., despite multiple pre-trip calls to them.

Ultimately they did refund half of a one-month subscription charge but not the $150 we had to spend at a credit-card pay phone in De Gaulle airport to make an important call to one of our children.

]]> By: William McLarty http://mailbox.allthingsd.com/20090715/mossbergs-mailbox-4/comment-page-1/#comment-697 William McLarty Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:54:02 +0000 http://mailbox.allthingsd.com/20090715/mossberg%e2%80%99s-mailbox/#comment-697 My daughter recently went to France and in the process of finding her an appropriate cell phone I ran across a program Verizon offers. If you're going to travel to Europe for 30 days or less and you're a Verizon customer, they will ship you a phone (you pay nominal shipping) with the SIM card for the destination country. The overseas access charges are $1/minute with a $5 one-time fee or $1.50/minute with no fee. Texting is $.50 for outgoing messages and $.05 for incoming messages. With this program, you keep your US phone number and, presumably, only answer the calls you're willing to pay for. My daughter recently went to France and in the process of finding her an appropriate cell phone I ran across a program Verizon offers. If you’re going to travel to Europe for 30 days or less and you’re a Verizon customer, they will ship you a phone (you pay nominal shipping) with the SIM card for the destination country. The overseas access charges are $1/minute with a $5 one-time fee or $1.50/minute with no fee. Texting is $.50 for outgoing messages and $.05 for incoming messages. With this program, you keep your US phone number and, presumably, only answer the calls you’re willing to pay for.

]]> By: Allen Condon http://mailbox.allthingsd.com/20090715/mossbergs-mailbox-4/comment-page-1/#comment-694 Allen Condon Thu, 16 Jul 2009 04:40:45 +0000 http://mailbox.allthingsd.com/20090715/mossberg%e2%80%99s-mailbox/#comment-694 www.telestial.com/ sells European sim cards. They have one called the Explorer, that can be used in most counties without buying country specific sim cards. the cost per minute rates are reasonable.I use this card when I travel, it has a one year life after the last refill. www.Mobal.com sells phones that can be used in 170 Counties with no contract and a permanent phone number. their phones do not have a time limit on the sim card. I do not know their charges. http://www.telestial.com/ sells European sim cards. They have one called the Explorer, that can be used in most counties without buying country specific sim cards. the cost per minute rates are reasonable.I use this card when I travel, it has a one year life after the last refill.
http://www.Mobal.com sells phones that can be used in 170 Counties with no contract and a permanent phone number. their phones do not have a time limit on the sim card. I do not know their charges.

]]> By: David Garber http://mailbox.allthingsd.com/20090715/mossbergs-mailbox-4/comment-page-1/#comment-693 David Garber Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:28:33 +0000 http://mailbox.allthingsd.com/20090715/mossberg%e2%80%99s-mailbox/#comment-693 In regards to cell phones in Europe, I would look, specifically, at T-Mobile's hot spot capable phones, or Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA.) From my understanding, if you purchase one of these phones, the Blackberry 8900 Curve, for example, and pay the $10 extra for hot spot service, you can use the phone anywhere in the world where there's wifi and call home for free. In regards to cell phones in Europe, I would look, specifically, at T-Mobile’s hot spot capable phones, or Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA.) From my understanding, if you purchase one of these phones, the Blackberry 8900 Curve, for example, and pay the $10 extra for hot spot service, you can use the phone anywhere in the world where there’s wifi and call home for free.

]]> By: Mossberg’s Mailbox [Mossberg's Mailbox] | UpOff.com http://mailbox.allthingsd.com/20090715/mossbergs-mailbox-4/comment-page-1/#comment-692 Mossberg’s Mailbox [Mossberg's Mailbox] | UpOff.com Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:15:10 +0000 http://mailbox.allthingsd.com/20090715/mossberg%e2%80%99s-mailbox/#comment-692 [...] my other columns, online for free at the All Things Digital web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com. Article Share and [...] [...] my other columns, online for free at the All Things Digital web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com. Article Share and [...]

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