Tips and Tricks for Using the Telephone
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Click on an Item in the Index Below, or just Scroll
Down to Review All the Tips... |
| Dialing FROM Mexico | ||
| Dialing TO Mexico | ||
| Dialing WITHIN Mexico | ||
| Cutting Communication Costs | ||
| Important Phone Numbers for La Ventana and El Sargento (Near La Paz) | ||
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066 114-4015 114-0252 |
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| Customer Service and Other Communication Numbers | ||
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050 090 01-800-123-2222 (ask for English) +1-916-843-4685 |
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| Dialing U.S. 800 Numbers from Mexico (800, 888, 877, 866) | ||
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Mexico has its own series of 800 numbers, so in order to make
dialing U.S. numbers possible, they came up with a simple system.
Simple - once you know the secret... To dial a United States 800
number FROM Mexico, replace the 800 prefix with the prefix shown below: For example, to call Wells Fargo's customer service FROM Mexico we
change the number |
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| Dialing from Mexico to the United States or Canada | ||
| To dial International Calls from Mexico Dial 00 & Country Code & Prefix & Phone Number. The Country Code for the United States and Canada is 1 For example, to dial AT&T Wireless International Support dial 00-1-916-843-4685 If you are using a cell phone, you can replace the 00 with a + sign. So dial +1-916-843-4685. Mexican International Operator
assistance can be reached by dialing 090 |
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| Dialing to Mexico Land Lines from the U.S. or Canada | ||
| The Country Code for Mexico is 52. To dial Mexico you
follow the normal international dialing procedures. International
Code 011 and Country Code 52 and- Prefix and Phone Number.
And if you are calling from a cell phone, you
could replace the 011 with the + Sign, |
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| Dialing to Mexican Cell Phones from the U.S. or Canada | ||
| Cell phones work a bit differently in Mexico. The person
calling the cell phone pays a surcharge, while the person receiving the
call on their cell phone pays nothing for the call... no air time, no
plan minutes - nothing. In order to let you know that you are calling a Mexican cell phone (and that you will be paying a premium), you must dial an extra digit when calling. You dial the digit 1 after the country code, and before the prefix. For example, to call The Paperchase's cell
phone number, |
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| Dialing Summary - Calling To and From Mexico | ||
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00 & 1 & Area Code & 7 Digit Phone Number +1 & Area Code & 7 Digit Phone Number 011 & 52 & Area Code & Phone Number 011 & 52 & 1 & Area Code & Phone Number +52 & Area Code & Phone Number +52 & 1 & Area Code & Phone Number |
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| Properly Programming U.S. and Mexico numbers in your Cell Phone | ||
| If you frequently travel internationally, this little trick will
save you much time and frustration. When programming numbers into your phone for U.S. or Canadian contacts, precede each number with +1 When programming numbers into your cell phone for Mexican contacts, precede each number +52 The + sign replaces the international dialing codes of 011 in the U.S. and 00 in Mexico which allows the programmed numbers to work seamlessly on both sides of the border. The plus sign (+) is normally programmed by holding down the Zero key for a second. So to program Sol y Mar's phone numbers you would program +52-612-114-0303 for the Mexico office and +1-510-816-2946 for Brian's U.S. cell phone number. |
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| Dialing Within Mexico - Dialing Prefixes | ||
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7 Digit Phone Number Only 01 & Area Code & 7 Digit Phone Number 044 & Area Code & Phone Number 045 & Area Code & Phone Number 00 & Country Code & Area Code & Phone Number |
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| Mexican Access Numbers for U.S. and Canadian Calling Card, Credit Card, and Collect Calls |
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01-800-288-2872 01-800-021-8000 01-800-123-0200 |
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| Mexican Calling Cards and Payphones | ||
| Telmex has a Prepaid Calling Card named Telcard that can
be used from Landlines and Pay Phones. The cards can be purchased in various denominations and the rates start at $2.0 pesos (about 20 cents) per minute for calls to the U.S. and Canada $0.5 pesos (about 5 cents) for calls within Mexico. If you purchase larger denomination cards, you get additional free minutes, further reducing the cost. |
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| U.S. Cell Phone Plans | ||
| Most of the major provider phones work here in Baja.
Mexico is going to a full GSM network, and all new towers are GSM only,
so Verizon's coverage has become spotty. If you plan on using
Verizon, be sure to get one of their multi band world phones.
AT&T's GSM phones work perfectly on the Mexican system. Nextel has
been deploying their system in Baja California Sur as well. The
majority of the cell towers in Mexico are owned by Telcel. Telcel's
network is 1900 Mhz for GSM and 850 Mhz for 3G. Many providers turn off International Roaming by default. Before you leave the U.S. or Canada, be sure and call your cell phone provider to let them know that you will be traveling to Baja California Sur, Mexico. Also, be sure to ask about their international dialing plans. AT&T Viva Mexico Plan Data Roaming can be very expensive. Be sure to Turn Off
your Data Roaming capabilities unless you have an International
Data Plan. |
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| Mexican Cell Phone Plans | ||
| The major cell phone provider is
Telcel. There are also plans
available from Movistar and Nextel. Telcel's network is 1900 Mhz for GSM and 850 Mhz for 3G. There are special low-cost plans for Mexican Residents, including foreigners that hold valid FM2 and FM3 documents. Probably the least expensive option is Prepaid Cell service.
You can purchase a phone for around $40 or bring down your unlocked
GSM phone. Then your purchase minutes via a card and you are set
to go. Super Convenient - You can purchase additional minutes at
many of the local Mini Supers. |
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| Internet Phone (Skype, Yahoo Messenger, etc) | ||
| If you have a computer and internet access you can make
FREE internet calls to any friends and family that have computer.
All you need is a headset and one of the many internet telephony
products.
The most popular one is Skype - and many of us use it here in La Ventana. You can also use Skype to call regular phones by purchasing some credit. The cost is extremely low, and the sound quality is generally pretty good - but depends on the quality of your internet connection. Skype is a free download and runs on most operating systems. |
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