I need to buy a phone in the US for somebody else to use in Mexico.
May 1, 2013 7:46 PM   Subscribe

My mom moved to Mexico recently, and I have had a hard time contacting her via phone. She's staying with relatives of her boyfriend, but it seems like she's not able to use their phone to make international calls. I'd like to get her a mobile phone that she can use to call me and her other kids (or anybody else), but I'm a bit overwhelmed by what I'm finding with google - a lot of which seems targeted to making international calls from the US to other countries or just seems spammy. What is a good way to buy a phone here and send it to Mexico?

I'm having a bit of a hard time contacting my mom via phone since she moved (about a month ago), and I'd like to make it easier to contact her. I rather send a phone than a phone card, because I'd like it to be her phone.

Ideally I'd like a pay-as-you-go phone that I could buy top-up cards for and keep her stocked in minutes. I'm not sure she's in a position to get a local sim card and put it in a phone, so I'd rather send something that is ready to go. I'd rather not spend a fortune, but it is important to me to get something that will work. What brands should I be looking for? Where should I buy this? I'm in the US, in North Carolina.

I'm worried she's in a bit of a bad situation. I'm in contact with her intermittently via email, and her last message was concerning. I tried calling her today, but haven't been able to reach her. I have been in email contact, but not phone contact since she moved (my fault - I didn't realize she wouldn't be able to call and I've been busy and distracted). She moved with her boyfriend, a Mexican national, to Mexico City about a month ago with the plan of moving to Merida about a month after arriving. They seemed to have a great relationship before the move. I can't tell if she's just having adjustment difficulties with the new place and the language barrier or if there is a real issue. I think it was not terribly smart of her to do this, particularly without a plan for how she would communicate with the states, but I'm trying NOT to panic here and focus on ways to figure out what is really going on and be genuinely helpful. My plan right now is to send emails and try to call every day and send her a phone.
posted by jeoc to Technology (5 answers total)
 
There's a tienda in Carrboro (across the street from Carrburritos) that, in addition to various food specialty items, sells cell phones that work in Mexico. I realize you're not that close to Carrboro, but maybe there's a similar store nearer to you. If not, then I can try to find the store's info and convey it to you.

There are people there who know a lot about cell phones and using them in Mexico. They have a lot of unlocked GSM phones and a lot of plans, SIM cards, etc.
posted by amtho at 8:35 PM on May 1, 2013


Since you mentioned the man is a Mexican national and a language barrier I'm guessing your mom is not a Mexican citizen. The easiest thing for her to do is go to a Telcel office and get a basic cellphone for 200 or so pesos. I say go to a Telcel office versus any corner store or whatever because the newish law in Mexico requires people to register their phones. Mexicans can do that with their curp via a text in any store.. Foreigners need to go to a Telcel store and show them their passport to get a phone activated so you might as well buy it there.

The prepaid Amigo phones offer decent priced calls to the US and your calls to her would not cost her anything. You can top off the pesos on her phone online via the Telcel website. She can top off the account at almost any store. Some stores you just give them your phone number and money and it adds the pesos immediately, other places sell cards in blocks of pesos where you follow the instructions on the card. After dialing the number you even have the option of hearing instructions to reload in English. There are also thousands of stores in the US where you can go and top off her account in cash if you want to go that route.

If you buy a phone here it will either have a US number and be expensive (calls 50ยข a minute to make or receive but there are some calling plant will get the price down a little) or have a Mexican number and she'll have to register it at the phone company to get it activated.

There are other phone companies in Mexico like Movistar but as an American I've been unable to get them to give me even a prepaid phone without a residency visa. But Telcel will give foreigners prepaid accounts without hassle. You just need a passport to show the clerk.
posted by birdherder at 9:56 PM on May 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: I'm going to be staying right near Carrboro for a few days - I'll be within a few blocks of Carrburitos. That's helpful - thanks.

She's an American citizen. I'm not sure she can get to a Telcel store, but I'll try to look into it.
posted by jeoc at 3:42 AM on May 2, 2013


If it doesn't have to be a cell phone, you could always get a Magic Jack or similar, set it up, and mail it to her, so all she'd have to do is plug it into the router and plug a landline phone in. I'm on my phone right now so I haven't looked it up, but I think you can make and receive unlimited calls to and from the US (and she will have a US number) for about $20/year.
posted by flod logic at 8:00 AM on May 2, 2013


I vote for the Telcel route that birdherder recommends. In addition to the payment methods that birdherder describes, you can also top off her pre-paid plan for her through prepaid.com.
posted by ceiba at 8:46 AM on May 2, 2013 [1 favorite]


« Older Where to get an abortion in the San Francisco Bay...   |   Easy way to generate new passwords for each... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.