# Mobile phones



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Ok I confess, I'm a complete wierdo and I haven't got a mobile phone; neither has my husband come to that. I hate seeing people getting served in shops while their carrying on a coversation on their mobile, I hate meeting a friend and getting 10 minutes of conversation with him/ her because the rest of the time they're on the phone. I hate not being able to make a firm meeting time with anyone cos they say "I'll ring you when I leave." What happened to "I'll see you at 8:00??" And I hate going on a walk, to the beach etc with friends and them getting work calls that they "have" to take.

However, having said that I have seen that a mobile may make life easier on a couple of occasions like driving in bad weather conditions, so I'd like ideas of what mobile and under what conditions taking into account I will rarely use it and have no need for a techno wonder which would obviously be wasted on me. 
Thanks!!


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

Any Carrefour (or similar) or Phone House will help you. Less than 20 euros you can have a perfectly adequate Pay As You Go phone and for 50 euros you can have a singing and dancing one which will often come complete with x euros worth of free calls. 

Before committing ensure that you have coverage on Vodafone or Orange (or Movistar - although I would not touch them with a bargepole!) Tell them where you live/work (better ask for recommendations from neighbours and workmates. 

Then choose a phone. Pink for girls, blue for boys. Lots of good makes now. I like Nokia but have plenty of good reports re Sharp, LG, Samsung etc Ensure you get a car charger included as they will often try to sell you a phone for 19 euros and then another 15 for the charger and 12 for a case etc etc! 

You want a móvil libre  That means you have NO contract. This means you can use it on any network and get the best possible deal in town at any time from Vodafone, Orange, Movistar AND the licensed carriers like Hits, Más, Eroskitel, Telitec etc If you register with them too you can usually get another 20 euros worth of calls as well as free calls between friends or free calls on the same network. 

You do not need to be a Spanish national, have residencia, a driving license, two lesbian guinea-pigs or anything. Just some valid photo ID. Simple. 

Bottom line for next to nothing you can have two emergency phones with no monthly commitment. Shout if you want further info.


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## owdoggy (Jul 23, 2008)

We're not "phone people" & just needed summat basic. We got a couple of Movistar PAYG phones. They were 19euros but 12 of that was credit so the phone itself was a wacking 7 spondoolicks. We thought at that price we'd give them a try & if they were no good bin 'em & start again but so far they've been just the dogs danglies.

We lost signal for a couple of days while they repaired a local mast that had been zapped by lightning (was a cracking storm that one) but apart from that they've been nae bother.

Like Steve says checking area coverage would be a good idea 'cos what works here might be totally naff where you are but it might be worth your while to have a butchers at them.



Doggy


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

I need a new phone

the screens aren't working, but it still does everything it should - except all I can do is answer it if it rings!!

can't get to any of my numbers or texts

I need to keep my old number, so I reckon it will probably cost me more in the long run than buying a totally new one with a new number


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> I need a new phone
> 
> the screens aren't working, but it still does everything it should - except all I can do is answer it if it rings!!
> 
> ...


Steve will jump in and correct me if this is wrong, but isn't there a European directive that says that you can keep your old number when you switch phone services within Europe? Some of the phone companies even advertise this on their websites - "come on, switch to us and you can keep your old number!"

Worth checking into, at any rate.
Cheers,
Bev


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Bevdeforges said:


> Steve will jump in and correct me if this is wrong, but isn't there a European directive that says that you can keep your old number when you switch phone services within Europe? Some of the phone companies even advertise this on their websites - "come on, switch to us and you can keep your old number!"
> 
> Worth checking into, at any rate.
> Cheers,
> Bev


I'm planning to stay with the same PAYG service, though maybe it might be time to change

dh bought new phones for himself & dd last year with a different provider for some reason, & if I was with the same as them we could have cheaper calls to each other

I'll ask when I get to the shop


my thought were prompted by owdoggy's post about the free credit he got with the new phone - I doubt I'll get free credit to my old number


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Thanks for the info everyone, I appreciate it.
I suppose my old style Spanish driving licence (which runs out this year) is good as ID??
Owdoggys Movistar deal sounds good, but Movistar is Telefónica, isn't it?? 
My daughter has Orange PAYG, so it's probably best to go down that line.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Thanks for the info everyone, I appreciate it.
> I suppose my old style Spanish driving licence (which runs out this year) is good as ID??
> Owdoggys Movistar deal sounds good, but Movistar is Telefónica, isn't it??
> My daughter has Orange PAYG, so it's probably best to go down that line.


love it!

your daughter has a mobile but not you


when I registered my old phone a couple of months ago they just asked for my address & NIE no


didn't actually check anything


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> love it!
> 
> your daughter has a mobile but not you
> 
> ...


Oh yes, My OH and I are a little off the wall...
No mobile phone, no microwave, no wifi. Fairtrade, bake our own bread, alternative medicine where possible etc 
BUT 
our daughter is "normal". Mobile phone, Nintendo...
We muddle along somehow!!

Seriously, I think a teenager without a mobile in this day and age is an oddity AND I am happier about her going out and about with the phone. However we are very serious about the amount of time she uses the mobile as I really believe it doesn't help your brain cells any, and it's never been a problem between us. She prefers to use the land line as it doesn't cost her anything and we've got a flat rate so we're happy too.


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

xabiachica said:


> I need a new phone
> 
> the screens aren't working, but it still does everything it should - except all I can do is answer it if it rings!!
> 
> ...


**No, it won´t. Just port it to another carrier and ask for a free phone. Unless you want the absolute newest all singing all dancing there is no need to pay more than cents at the moment. 

What network are you on. I had some problems with Vodafone in Jávea but that was many moons ago.


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

Yes, if your daughter was PAYG and you call her you should probably have gone PAYG as calls on network are often free or at least a fraction of off network calls.

No Probs. You can always port to Orange and probably get free calls or a free mobile or both next time you charge your card! 

Not sure, why you seem to defend your situation. I see absolutely nothing wrong with your credos. You can bake my bread any time you like. Bimbo should be a dolly bird and not some mass produced blotting paper.


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

Bevdeforges said:


> Steve will jump in and correct me if this is wrong, but isn't there a European directive that says that you can keep your old number when you switch phone services within Europe? Some of the phone companies even advertise this on their websites - "come on, switch to us and you can keep your old number!"
> 
> Bev


Absolutely 100% correct .......


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## Hombre (Sep 10, 2009)

SteveHall said:


> **No, it won´t. Just port it to another carrier and ask for a free phone. Unless you want the absolute newest all singing all dancing there is no need to pay more than cents at the moment.
> 
> What network are you on. I had some problems with Vodafone in Jávea but that was many moons ago.


Hi Steve...we are really interested in this topic...let me summarise. We both have mobiles from Moviestar. My wifes contract ran out ages ago, but I signed a new one 2 months ago for a "free"one due to me accumulating points on my phone bill. We hardly ever...ever..ever use them, but feel we need them .????
We are paying approx. €24--€25 per month by direct debit for both phones.
Can I cancel the newly signed contract without any penalties ?
Do I simply go to an Orange/Vodaphone shop and buy 2 new phones PAYG ?
Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer..


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

SteveHall said:


> **No, it won´t. Just port it to another carrier and ask for a free phone. Unless you want the absolute newest all singing all dancing there is no need to pay more than cents at the moment.
> 
> What network are you on. I had some problems with Vodafone in Jávea but that was many moons ago.


I'm on movistar & they're on vodafone


we get no problems with either but I do know that both have blank areas in Javea

a free phone on PAYG??

I only need a basic one but I'd be surprised if I get a free one:confused2:

I'll probably get time on Monday to go to the shops & find out


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

You will be surprised if you ask the right person, Xabiachica 

Sad, that they still have blank spots.


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

Hombre said:


> Hi Steve...we are really interested in this topic...let me summarise. We both have mobiles from Moviestar. My wifes contract ran out ages ago, but I signed a new one 2 months ago for a "free"one due to me accumulating points on my phone bill. We hardly ever...ever..ever use them, but feel we need them .????
> 
> We are paying approx. €24--€25 per month by direct debit for both phones.
> Can I cancel the newly signed contract without any penalties ?
> ...


NO, sadly you have a 12/18 month contract to honour. 

Your wife is free to do whatever she wishes. As your usage is so low I would not even suggest paying off and enjoying lower tariffs and no contract. I´d suggest you run out your contract and then see what the state of the nation is


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

SteveHall said:


> Not sure, why you seem to defend your situation. I see absolutely nothing wrong with your credos. You can bake my bread any time you like. Bimbo should be a dolly bird and not some mass produced blotting paper.


Not really a defence , more of an explanation of why our daughter has mobile, but her parents don't. Perhaps what I should have said is that while we have decided to do or not do various things, but don't necessarily rope her in.
By the way, OH makes the bread, I just consume it!
PS have you seen the latest tv ad for Bimbo bread??? Hahahah


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Since starting this thread I have taken over my daughter's old mobile and she got a new one for her birthday. A couple of weeks after, the car broke down as I had envisioned. I was with my daughter. Neither of us had our mobiles with us!!:doh:


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Since starting this thread I have taken over my daughter's old mobile and she got a new one for her birthday. A couple of weeks after, the car broke down as I had envisioned. I was with my daughter. Neither of us had our mobiles with us!!:doh:


isn't that always the case!!


dd1 got a new phone for her birthday as requested


she can never remember to charge it so often simply doesn't have it with her


dd2 has managed to save up for one she wanted - it's on order & she should have it this week


it will be interesting to see if she remembers to take it out with her!!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

When we were in the UK we both had mobiles glued to our ears 24/7 as we needed them chiefly for business. The Company paid our contracts and we had a new phone every year and the latest gizmos...Blackberrys, smartphones with loads of apps...
Since leaving the UK we have found that we hardly ever use our mobiles. We have PAYG phones - OH has a fairly decent phone but I have an ancient Motorola flip I bought for 30 euros off some Chinese company on EBay. Life carries on as normal.
Like PW I hate watching people use mobiles at checkouts, in restaurants and the ubiquitous 'I'm on the train!' drives me mad. I've even seen people speaking on them in the passport queue at UK airports in spite of large notices forbidding their use.
It's actually quite pleasant merely having the phone as an emergency item, like a torch or a screwdriver or a box of matches and a candle. 
Thinking back, I would estimate that 70 -80% of the mobile talk we engaged in in the UK was totally unnecessary.
Oh....I've just had a text from OH who has arrived at Glasgow Airport and is reminding me to feed the local stray cats. 
They have their uses as I had completely forgotten I had to do that.


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## JBODEN (Jul 10, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> ... like a torch or a screwdriver or a box of matches and a candle.


... grey sticky tape, safety pin etc. Is your name was MacGyver??


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

JBODEN said:


> ... grey sticky tape, safety pin etc. Is your name was MacGyver??



Sewing kit, spare batteries for torch, whistle, scredriver....the list is endless.
Maybe I was a Girl Guide...you know, 'Be Prepared' and all that


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Not sure if anyone's mentioned this but another factor when choosing a network is to pick the one that the person you are going to text or talk to most is using. Most companies enable you to choose a tariff where you can call nominated phones on the same network at a much reduced rate.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Alcalaina said:


> Not sure if anyone's mentioned this but another factor when choosing a network is to pick the one that the person you are going to text or talk to most is using. Most companies enable you to choose a tariff where you can call nominated phones on the same network at a much reduced rate.


Telitec charge a 15 cents connection charge then you talk free to anyone on their network. 
But compared to the UK where you can get some very good deals now mobile calls are expensive here.


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## giritana (Aug 3, 2010)

hi -I've had an 'Orange' Sim card for my 'pay as you go' phone here in Spain for nearly 5 years. Sadly, the costs of text messaging, which is my usual method of communication, has been increasing to the point where I've been 'topping up' several times a week! (I blame my students who seem to use their mobiles mostly to stay in contact with me -presumably to get extra free English practice, lol!). I've also been receiving text messages up to 24 hours later than they were sent to me, and the local 'Orange' shop has been unable to remedy the problem. So, I've just switched to 'Yoigo' which, local friends advise, is the cheapest PAYG provider here in Cadiz for text messaging - my new Sim offers 8 cents per text sent and I got 20 euros' worth of credit - the cost of registering the new Sim card was the same, so was free! I could have kept my old number but would have needed to wait up to 10 days and I'm not that patient!

I've bought bought a new Nokia mobile phone very cheaply from 'the Phone House'. In fact, I've kept my 'Orange' Sim card and mobile phone just for using with the 'Orange tarjeta internacional' which costs 5 euros for 100 minutes to the UK - I can thus keep in contact with my family in Surrey, from the comfort of my own armchair and my 87 year old mum can chat to me for as long as she likes...! Sadly, she doesn't have access to free Skype, not being a computer owner, lol!

The 'Yoigo' service is working well, so far -but I found the service in the 'Orange' shop to be much better , generally, except for the issue of the late arrival text messages! I was offered a much better rate there for a contract Sim card - 20 euros a month with very cheap texts and free calls at certain times - but I didn't want to be stuck with one provider for an extended period.

When I return to the UK on holiday, I just pop my British 'Orange' Sim card into my phone, having first stored all my Spanish contact numbers on my phone's memory system, and I then top up my credit using the relevant card in BOOTS or wherever's convenient. Very simple and convenient - what does drive me mad is when my British friends and family travel to Spain on their hols and bring their 'roaming' mobile phones with them - each time they phone me, whilst in Spain, it costs me money, whilst any calls I make to their mobiles are charged to my phone as if they were still in the UK! I;ve suggested that they should all invest in the cheapest possible Spanish mobile phone and Sim card, and then keep these for their Spanish breaks - but to no avail...! Urggggh!

Giritana


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