Calling Cell Phones in Mexico

[cvchief]

I think Telcel still has the store in the bottom of Mega? You can buy an 'Amigo" pay as you go Sim there and charge it online or just pay some pesos at Oxxo as needed. I used to do that, but it I got the 1 GB data a month with free call and text on sprint, it worked pretty well for me. The roaming towers did seem to switch around some in the last couple year to roam a little less well. Of course I got so many wifis saved I can drive down the street hitting them. Now with the new free everything that Sprint has added with the merger with Tmobile, I think it might be even better.

There is also a main telcel store on Juarez going towards 65? I was only there once.

 

[cvchief]

I looked it up. I switched from my old Sprint plan to a new sprint 'basic' unlimited and got:

• Enjoy Unlimited talk, text and 5 GB of 4G LTE data while in Mexico and Canada

And a price reduction. And this:

• Travel with free text and basic data in more than 200 worldwide destinations

 

[ReefHound]

Ignore Whatsapp. That’s altogether different.

That's why it works.

 

[tridacna]

That's why it works.

OP stated that his data plan worked. Whatsapp working doesn't contribute anything here. Like saying that his browser worked.

 

[ReefHound]

OP stated that his data plan worked. Whatsapp working doesn't contribute anything here. Like saying that his browser worked.

It contributes everything if you knew that you can make voice calls from whatsapp. It results in the objective of one person talking to another person. When you see someone in the street talking on their phone to someone, you have no idea if they are doing it through cellular or a voip like whatsapp or skype. The point is, if you have data you can make a call.

 

[tridacna]

It contributes everything if you knew that you can make voice calls from whatsapp. It results in the objective of one person talking to another person. When you see someone in the street talking on their phone to someone, you have no idea if they are doing it through cellular or a voip like whatsapp or skype. The point is, if you have data you can make a call.

I know that and you know that. But the OP was trying to make a voice call and was perplexed why Verizon (or more specifically the Mexican carrier) blocked it. We're trying to solve that problem. Sure he could have used Skype, WA or any other number of VOIP alternatives. You're just not adding anything by mentioning WhatsApp here.

 

[ReefHound]

I know that and you know that. But the OP was trying to make a voice call and was perplexed why Verizon (or more specifically the Mexican carrier) blocked it. We're trying to solve that problem. Sure he could have used Skype, WA or any other number of VOIP alternatives. You're just not adding anything by mentioning WhatsApp here.

Exactly. He's trying to find a solution for the next time and I gave him one that will work reliably next time and avoid the whole "you need to add a 1 except sometimes you need to add a 1001 and sometimes nothing works".

I'm adding everything - a reliable solution. And it's a cheaper and easier solution than buying a local SIM card or phone. And it's a universal solution that will work in Playa or Belize or Caymans or anywhere else he has data. What have you added to solve his problem?

 

[gopbroek]

I looked it up. I switched from my old Sprint plan to a new sprint 'basic' unlimited and got:

• Enjoy Unlimited talk, text and 5 GB of 4G LTE data while in Mexico and Canada

And a price reduction. And this:

• Travel with free text and basic data in more than 200 worldwide destinations

That's the T-Mobile plan introduced a few years back (6+?) and why I switched to them. Other than a couple of hiccups in North Central Mexico early on (TelCel's fault I believe) it has worked very well for me wherever I have been in Canada (limited travel) and Mexico. After that it forced Verizon and ATT to add similar 'MeTo' plans but they still have 'gotcha' clauses in them, I am told.
With the upgrade to Mexico's network local dialing seems to work great, on the last few trips, it only requires 10 digit dialing like I am used to in the US when I have been in Cozumel.
Staying in the Corpus Christi hood (Gringo Gulch) Cablemax internet often sucks (over subscription?) and I just turn the phones mobile hotspot on and latch on to the TelCel's tower to watch Netflix or Amazon on the TV. 5 GB usually is enough for a 10 day stay.

 

[Snoweman]

I know that and you know that. But the OP was trying to make a voice call and was perplexed why Verizon (or more specifically the Mexican carrier) blocked it. We're trying to solve that problem. Sure he could have used Skype, WA or any other number of VOIP alternatives. You're just not adding anything by mentioning WhatsApp here.

Just note...

I'm not the OP. Just a thread hijacker.

 

[Snoweman]

He also said "He texted me asking him to call so he could get out of yoga with the wives. I had absolutely no problems texting with him but couldn't call for the life of me."

If he had known about whatsapp voice calling he'd have been able to do that with the press of a button. Now he'll know for next time.

In any event tridacna, it's not your place to determine if my input was of any value to that person. Only they can decide that.

My dive buddy can be a bit of a Luddite. He doesn't use WhatsApp.