BOAT SLAVE NEEDS CELL PHONE ADVICE - advice given, problem solved - The Hull Truth

peterbo3 · 03-12-2007, 10:55 PM

Morning all,

Coming to the US via LA in Sept for a three month driving holiday. My Australian phone is not compatible with US networks so I would like to purchase a prepaid cell phone for emergencies or pestering fellow THTers. Obviously I will not have a fixed address but I know friends of my daughter who live in San Francisco. I have checked a number of cell phone websites but most require the phone to be shipped to an address with up to 10 days delay.

I will need coverage over most of the US but do not plan on going to any really remote areas. Can anyone please give me advice on where I can purchase a phone over the counter, preferably in LA. I also need advice on which carrier to sign with bearing in mind my usage will be minimal. I can use the San Francisco address as a last resort but would prefer to buy direct.

BW23 · 03-12-2007, 11:02 PM

Go to Wal Mart and purchase a pre-pay TRAC phone.

Lobuks · 03-12-2007, 11:08 PM

Stop at most any store and pick up a Tracphone...It is prepay and the minutes are fairly reasonable. It can be authorized immediately and works almost anywhere....No need for an address or even your name...The phone itself isn't anything fancy but it's only $20.00 and what the heck do you get for $20.00 anymore?

LB

peterbo3 · 03-12-2007, 11:12 PM

BW & Lobuks,
Thank you for that. Just checked Walmart & there is 20 stores in the LA area.

prodigalson · 03-15-2007, 09:46 AM

Instead of a Tracfone, get a (cingular/ATT) Gophone- Get it at walmart, and you can, if your trip goes longer, use it with a regular GSM simcard as a non-prepaid phone.

Or buy an UNLOCKED GSM phone at home, (Ebay is a good source) and when you get here buy a prepaid SIM card from a local wireless store- CIngular, and T mobile are both GSM, as well as alot of smaller carriers.

You might also try posting on Howard forums for more advice:

http://www.howardforums.com/

Happy Trails,
Lawrence