Members wncdemcub Posted July 3, 2015 Members Posted July 3, 2015 What companies have people used for calling/sms/data on a cellphone? Tim? Claro? What has been your experiences? Quote
Members mvan1 Posted July 3, 2015 Members Posted July 3, 2015 What companies have people used for calling/sms/data on a cellphone? Tim? Claro? What has been your experiences? If you have an unlocked "smart phone" you should have no trouble purchasing a SIM card for Brazil. There are several telephone carriers in Brazil. I have used TIM for many years. I am reasonably happy with them. They have good coverage in most parts of Brazil. If you decide on TIM, ask the employee at the store to assign "infinity" to your account. This will save you money and will allow you to make local calls for a flat rate of twenty-five centavos to a fixed land line or to another person with TIM. If you call another person using a different phone carrier, expect to pay through the nose if you call a cell phone that is not with the same phone company as your service. If you decide to purchase a SIM, you do not need a CPF number to buy the SIM. Your passport is sufficient. Some Americans believe that you need a Brazilian with a CPF number to register the SIM for you. That is false. If you purchase the SIM in Rio, there are several TIM stores available. Bring your passport with you (or a copy of the information page) and hope to find someone who can speak English. If you know someone who speaks English and Portuguese, maybe you can convince that person to accompany you to purchase the SIM. Before you leave the telephone store, make sure that the SIM is working. Don't just let the employee hand you a SIM card. As you might already know, SIM cards have various sizes, depending on your phone. The length of time you plan to be in Brazil and your planned usage of the plan and calling, will determine how much you will want to "prepay" (pre-pago) when you buy the SIM card. If you plan to return to Brazil within six months after putting money on the SIM, you will need to put at least R$50 which will be valid for six months. If you put less than R$50, the funds will expire sooner and will be lost along with your telephone number in as little as one month. I am in Brazil so often that I have no problem keeping my telephones charged and valid. I have had the same telephone numbers since 2003. Others might have different recommendations. Another thing, after you get your SIM running, install the app "whatsapp" to your phone. You can make calls and send messages on whatsapp locally and to foreign countries without charge if you are using a wifi signal. If you use the telephone company data plan, of course, you will pay for usage. lookin 1 Quote
Members demedici Posted July 3, 2015 Members Posted July 3, 2015 in a pinch you can also buy a SIM card from almost any newsstand. they usually sell every type of prepaid card available and if you know your number you can recharge the account at any newsstand as well, not to mention any cashier at any major grocery store. lookin 1 Quote
Members mvan1 Posted July 3, 2015 Members Posted July 3, 2015 in a pinch you can also buy a SIM card from almost any newsstand. they usually sell every type of prepaid card available and if you know your number you can recharge the account at any newsstand as well, not to mention any cashier at any major grocery store. The SIM cards you buy from news stands or on the street must be registered by calling the applicable telephone company. Brazilians buy SIM cards this way quite often. Brazilians call the phone company to register the SIM. However, if an American were to buy a SIM on the street, how will the SIM get registered? Employees at most telephone companies in Brazil do not speak English. An American calling the phone company to register the SIM is not going to understand what is asked by the employee at the phone company. Therefore, the SIM most likely cannot be registered unless the purchaser goes to the telephone company. What then, is the purpose of buying the SIM on the street? Worse yet, a SIM bought on the street is generally a standard size SIM. Most modern telephones take a mini or nano SIM. Therefore, the purchaser would have to buy a cutter or have a way to cut the SIM to exact measurements for the size of SIM that fits the purchaser's telephone. If the card is not cut accurately or if it is damaged, it will not line up in the telephone. Maybe you meant your comment as a joke and I missed it. Anyway, you can see that a visitor to Brazil who does not speak Portuguese and does not have a SIM cutter or a way to cut the SIM to exact measurements, is not going to get a workable SIM by buying one on the street. As to recharging the SIM, you are correct, the card can be recharged as you said. A SIM can also be recharged on the internet, using a credit card. Quote
Members demedici Posted July 3, 2015 Members Posted July 3, 2015 when I called to activate a TIM card I purchased at a newsstand, I was given the option of an English telephone menu and even registering the SIM card using a passport as opposed to a CPF. That same card came pre stamped so that it could be cut into a standard or mini size. the micro cards I believe are sold separately. Quote
Members mvan1 Posted July 3, 2015 Members Posted July 3, 2015 when I called to activate a TIM card I purchased at a newsstand, I was given the option of an English telephone menu and even registering the SIM card using a passport as opposed to a CPF. That same card came pre stamped so that it could be cut into a standard or mini size. the micro cards I believe are sold separately. Was this option available to you recently? If so, TIM has stepped into the modern era. I think it is a step in the right direction for this to be available. In the past, it was a nightmare to try to communicate with employees of telephone companies. The website for TIM, is not user friendly for foreigners. Take a look at it - http://www.tim.com.br/sp/para-voce As you can see, there is no option for English or for any other language except Portuguese. I will be back in Brazil next week and maybe I can get one of my telephone numbers set up correctly. At the present time, the number functions but the records of TIM have me as an Australian. This prevents me from recharging that specific number over the TIM site. Thanks for the information. Quote
Members wncdemcub Posted July 3, 2015 Author Members Posted July 3, 2015 Tim in english http://www.tim.com.br/sp/para-voce/atendimento/international-visitors Quote
Members mvan1 Posted July 3, 2015 Members Posted July 3, 2015 Tim in english http://www.tim.com.br/sp/para-voce/atendimento/international-visitors Thanks for the tim.com link that has some English mixed in with Portuguese. I am surprised and impressed how advanced Brazil has become with its SIM cards for foreigners. It used to be such a pain. Thanks to you, I can inform others how easy it is now. Thanks also for mentioning the possibility of buying the SIM on the street. Quote
