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[QUOTE=Ladanian]So I have been searching for cell service and from what I read the DR has Verizon cell service. So all I need to do is bring a Verizon CDMA phone with me and buy a new sim card and minutes?
Thanks[/QUOTE]Yes, a Verizon CDMA phone will do the trick but Verizon only has a few models that are CDMA unlike other carriers.
[QUOTE=Ladanian]So I have been searching for cell service and from what I read the DR has Verizon cell service. So all I need to do is bring a Verizon CDMA phone with me and buy a new sim card and minutes?
Thanks[/QUOTE]Verizon is now Claro service in DR, all new activations on Claro are on the GSM system and a CDMA phone may or may not be able to be activated.
Bring an unlocked Quad band phone for activation on either Claro or Orange in DR. You can also buy a decent working prepaid phone once in DR for under $30 including some talk time!
[QUOTE=Ladanian]So I have been searching for cell service and from what I read the DR has Verizon cell service. So all I need to do is bring a Verizon CDMA phone with me and buy a new sim card and minutes?
Thanks[/QUOTE]Cdma phones are NOT the same as GSM "quad/tri-band" phones. They are two different technologies.
With GSM "unlocked" phones you can buy and register a SIM card from following Dominican communications providers: Orange, Claro, Viva, and and "top off" with minutes as necessary. You will receive a local number. At the Santo Domingo Int Airport there is an Orange Kiosk.
Your option with your CDMA phone is to sign up for service with Claro or Viva. Also will receive a local number. These phones do not use SIMs.
Third option is to roam with your "foreign" Verizon phone internationally- VERY expensive. You keep your original number- if your account is still active.
[QUOTE=Ladanian]So I have been searching for cell service and from what I read the DR has Verizon cell service. So all I need to do is bring a Verizon CDMA phone with me and buy a new sim card and minutes?
Thanks[/QUOTE]The info has been posted before. Most verizon cell phones don't use sim cards. Most AT&T cell phones use sim cards. The two bigger cell phonel companies in the DR are Orange and Claro. What town or city will you be visiting? I have bought several Prepaid Verizon Samsung camera phones at Walmart (sch-u340) and had them activated in the DR for claro for about 20 dollars. Recently at Walmart I saw that they have a different Verizon Samsung camera phone for $20 dollars. I have previously seen at Walmart, AT&T Motorola and Nokia prepaid cell phones that use sim cards for $10 dollars.
Let us know where you will be heading in the DR and we can give you more specific information.
[quote=koki9290]my personal best was gazcue to sosua in 2:45. nice sunny day and did about 150-160 on autopista and then over the loma for about the 20th time. i've never seen the police pull anybody over. and i've also done this trip both ways at night. not to be recommended as the locals don't know how to dim their brights. and lots of slow vehicles without taillights. rainy days are also not for the faint of heart.[/quote]nice. i was driving a 5 speed manual transmission sub compact oversized golf cart (chevrolet spark, good car but it is small). with the right vehicle you can make great time.
i drove to san pedro de marcois yesterday, torrential downpour, visibility was not good. last thursday afternoon, parts of avenida independencia near gascue were flooded, cars could only use the middle part of avenida indendencia, as the sides were flooded.
some guys with the suvs in the dr drive like real assholes. the gua gua drivers in santo domingo are scum, they don't care, they drive beat up piece of shit vans and they will squeeze you and they don't care if they hit your car.
[QUOTE=Dvg Dog]With GSM "unlocked" phones you can buy and register a SIM card from following Dominican communications providers: Orange, Claro, Viva, and and "top off" with minutes as necessary. You will receive a local number.[/QUOTE]
Note that to do this you will need your passport (or cedula for locals). I have twice made wasted journeys to the Orange shop through forgetting this.
[QUOTE=Jaosousa]The info has been posted before. Most verizon cell phones don't use sim cards. Most AT&T cell phones use sim cards. The two bigger cell phonel companies in the DR are Orange and Claro. What town or city will you be visiting? I have bought several Prepaid Verizon Samsung camera phones at Walmart (sch-u340) and had them activated in the DR for claro for about 20 dollars. Recently at Walmart I saw that they have a different Verizon Samsung camera phone for $20 dollars. I have previously seen at Walmart, AT&T Motorola and Nokia prepaid cell phones that use sim cards for $10 dollars.
Let us know where you will be heading in the DR and we can give you more specific information.[/QUOTE]Neither Claro or Orange charge to activate a phone, nor do the Telcos unlock your US phone, the phone must be UNLOCKED prior to activation, the typical charge to unlock a phone by a cell phone shop, is RD200. Once unlcocked you buy a SIM card for RD290 Pesos, and this includes RD100 talk time. This charge is to purchase a SIM card not to activate the phone.
[QUOTE=Jaosousa]The info has been posted before. Most verizon cell phones don't use sim cards. Most AT&T cell phones use sim cards. The two bigger cell phonel companies in the DR are Orange and Claro. What town or city will you be visiting? I have bought several Prepaid Verizon Samsung camera phones at Walmart (sch-u340) and had them activated in the DR for claro for about 20 dollars. Recently at Walmart I saw that they have a different Verizon Samsung camera phone for $20 dollars. I have previously seen at Walmart, AT&T Motorola and Nokia prepaid cell phones that use sim cards for $10 dollars.
Let us know where you will be heading in the DR and we can give you more specific information.[/QUOTE]I am flying into Santo Domingo, so if there is a kiosk there then that will work. I was going to buy an unlocked phone on ebay and try that. But if your saying I can just buy a prepaid from walmart, that will work fine. It does not have to be unlocked for me to use it there?
[QUOTE=Buscemi]Neither Claro or Orange charge to activate a phone, nor do the Telcos unlock your US phone, the phone must be UNLOCKED prior to activation, the typical charge to unlock a phone by a cell phone shop, is RD200. Once unlcocked you buy a SIM card for RD290 Pesos, and this includes RD100 talk time. This charge is to purchase a SIM card not to activate the phone.[/QUOTE]I guess I got charged the gringo rate to unlock the phone. Some phones are more difficult to unlock then others. I tried to get a Virgin Aloha prepaid LG phone unlocked in DR and they didn't have the codes, so they were unable to unlock it. 200 pesos to unlock a phone is a good price. I got charged about 20 dollars to unlock a phone at a Codetel kiosk in Carrefour on Autpista Duarte, Santo Domingo, it took then about an hour and some form of Identification has to be presented, such as a passport.
[QUOTE=Buscemi]Neither Claro or Orange charge to activate a phone, nor do the Telcos unlock your US phone,[/QUOTE]The Codetel kiosk in Carrefour unlocked a verizon prepaid samsung cell phone for me, that I then used with Claro cards. When I was in Santo Domingo, I went to the Codetel office on El Conde to unlocked another Verizon prepaid Samsung cell phone and they told me to go to the main Codetel office near park independencia. I have given chicas 20-30 dollar verizon prepaid samsung camera phones from here and the chicas have been able to get them activated in the Dom Rep. It can be a hassle for someone new in the Dom Rep, so maybe the best bet is for the person is to buy a cell phone in the Dom Rep that is ready to use. The samsung sch-u340, were 35 dollars at walmart and then the price went down to 20 dollars (I bought several, sometimes to use at gifts). In the DR those phones can cost 50 dollars or more, I have been told. I always have at least two of the same phone. One I never use, I just keep it plugged in, so that I always have a fresh battery that I can swap out to use in my active phone. Also a good idea to have a car charger if you will be visiting different chicas in different cities. I also bring with me a 20 dollar hands free device to use in the car, supposedly the police can pull you over for chatting on the phone, best not to give them any excuses for stopping you.
[QUOTE=Ladanian]I am flying into Santo Domingo, so if there is a kiosk there then that will work. I was going to buy an unlocked phone on ebay and try that. But if your saying I can just buy a prepaid from walmart, that will work fine. It does not have to be unlocked for me to use it there?[/QUOTE]You might be better off buying the unlocked phone on Ebay. The Verizon prepaid phones can sometimes be difficult to unlock in DR. It can be done by most phone shops, but you may not want that hassle.
There is a Codetel Office on the second floor of the airport at Santo Domingo, it is to the left of the escalators. When you arrive you will exit on the first floor, to get to the Codetel Office you would take the escalators to the second floor and make a right (there is also an elevator). I don't know how it works with unlocked phones in DR, seems you can just walk into the codetel office and have them activate it for you and they give you a dominican phone number and thereafter you would buy claro cards to add minutes (If you activate with Orange then you would buy Orange cards). The Claro cards come in 100 pesos, 150, 250 and 500 peso denominations. Buy a 500 peso card to start with and try to have an extra unused card with you. Sometimes it can be difficult to buy the cards when you really need them, which can be late at night when you are trying to hook up with some chica. The unlocked phone may be the easiest way to go. Many shops sell inexpensive phones as well, I don't know if the codetel office at the airport sells phones. Another member said there is an Orange kiosk in the santo domingo airport, but I don't know where it is.
Thanks for clarifying, I always get sent to another store after going to a Claro or Orange office with a locked phone. I still believe the easiest, cheapest way to hook up a phone is to buy it already activated in DR, they are cheap enough, under RD$1000 nowadays for decent phones.
[QUOTE=Jaosousa]The Codetel kiosk in Carrefour unlocked a verizon prepaid samsung cell phone for me, that I then used with Claro cards.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Another member said there is an Orange kiosk in the santo domingo airport, but I don't know where it is.[/QUOTE]After you clear customs and proceed to the main lobby (arrivals). You will see the Orange kiosk it on your left. It is were everyone waits for arriving passengers. Unlocked GSM phone, RD290-300 Pesos, a passport will, in about 30 minutes, get you a SIM card, about RD100 talk time, and a local number.
[QUOTE=Jaosousa]You might be better off buying the unlocked phone on Ebay. The Verizon prepaid phones can sometimes be difficult to unlock in DR. It can be done by most phone shops, but you may not want that hassle.
There is a Codetel Office on the second floor of the airport at Santo Domingo, it is to the left of the escalators. When you arrive you will exit on the first floor, to get to the Codetel Office you would take the escalators to the second floor and make a right (there is also an elevator). I don't know how it works with unlocked phones in DR, seems you can just walk into the codetel office and have them activate it for you and they give you a dominican phone number and thereafter you would buy claro cards to add minutes (If you activate with Orange then you would buy Orange cards). The Claro cards come in 100 pesos, 150, 250 and 500 peso denominations. Buy a 500 peso card to start with and try to have an extra unused card with you. Sometimes it can be difficult to buy the cards when you really need them, which can be late at night when you are trying to hook up with some chica. The unlocked phone may be the easiest way to go. Many shops sell inexpensive phones as well, I don't know if the codetel office at the airport sells phones. Another member said there is an Orange kiosk in the santo domingo airport, but I don't know where it is.[/QUOTE]Awesome, thanks! I just cut and pasted that whole paragraph onto a word document with all my destinations on it. i am trying to be as prepared as possible. My friend has an unlocked motorolla Z8 its a quadband phone so it should work like a champ for me. Got my flights, my hotel, my destinations, my phone, what else is there? I think I am about all set for my voyage :)
[QUOTE=Jaosousa]You might be better off buying the unlocked phone on Ebay. The Verizon prepaid phones can sometimes be difficult to unlock in DR. It can be done by most phone shops, but you may not want that hassle.
There is a Codetel Office on the second floor of the airport at Santo Domingo, it is to the left of the escalators. When you arrive you will exit on the first floor, to get to the Codetel Office you would take the escalators to the second floor and make a right (there is also an elevator). I don't know how it works with unlocked phones in DR, seems you can just walk into the codetel office and have them activate it for you and they give you a dominican phone number and thereafter you would buy claro cards to add minutes (If you activate with Orange then you would buy Orange cards). The Claro cards come in 100 pesos, 150, 250 and 500 peso denominations. Buy a 500 peso card to start with and try to have an extra unused card with you. Sometimes it can be difficult to buy the cards when you really need them, which can be late at night when you are trying to hook up with some chica. The unlocked phone may be the easiest way to go. Many shops sell inexpensive phones as well, I don't know if the codetel office at the airport sells phones. Another member said there is an Orange kiosk in the santo domingo airport, but I don't know where it is.[/QUOTE]
It has been my experience that almost all Bon ice cream shops carry Claro cards.