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Sim Cards

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Garpy
  3/21/2018 19:06 EST

I have a specific question regarding Sim cards which I'll get to shortly but also wondered if maybe a discussion regarding Sim cards in general from members who buy and use them might be beneficial to people coming to Belize. I had no idea what to do for cell phone service when I first started visiting Belize and some advice would have been great.

I purchased a sim with about $20.00 credit from Smart in Belize city while I was there last time (the big orange and blue building) good for I think about a month. It worked great and all although I only used it for text and calling but the time has run out on it and after searching for what seemed like forever I found the Smart website where I tried to top it up but it says invalid number. My own search seems to indicate that the Smart sim is cheaper to use to maintain contact with some people in Belize than my own Canadian sim card (phone) or home phone which has costly per minuter rates. (I could be proven wrong in that if anyone has other ideas) The Smart website doesn't really seem to have a way to contact them other that phoning which brings me back to costly.

So my question is/are. Am I out of luck with this card now as its expired? Is there a way to top it up again? Do I need to buy a new one? How do I actually get a sim card from Belize if I DO need one now that I'm back in Canada. Last, Smart bonus days... are they listed somewhere so a person can top up during those days only.
Lots of questions I know but someone will have a lot more knowledge about this than me.

mgammo
  3/21/2018 19:57 EST

I would guess you need to buy a new one. I buy a cheap flip phone in Belize. I pay for mins on the double up and triple up days. Once my Verizon phone from here got stuck with $ I,000 roaming charges there. I have been paranoid ever since. I remove the sim card when I go down now. It is all about $$$$$........

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Garpy
  3/21/2018 21:27 EST

Mgammo
I have a dual sim smart phone but I still remove my Canadian sim while in Belize. I just didn't want to take a chance on the roaming charges if my Canadian sim turned itself back on.

terrific
  3/22/2018 01:43 EST

try going into one of the smart offices they "might' be able to top up your chip, Really the easyest route is the cheap flip phone with top ups at most grocery stores and when you leave you can keep that phone for your next visit, and top it up again, Handy to have a reliable number you can leave with friends tradesmen for later visits. Leave your north American sim out of that phone and you just have a mini computer to use on wifi. if you have it on your phone can still Imessage, whatsap and skype with folks back home.

terrific
  3/22/2018 01:48 EST

sorry forgot to mention Double up days are not set dates, most months have at least one and around the Belize holidays, They dates are usually advertised in the local newspaper immediately before. Or ask local friends they usually know. If not for my handyman I would miss them all the time.

Garpy
  3/22/2018 20:54 EST

Terrific.. I'm not in Belize right now so needed to find if/how I could do it . (top Up) from Canada. It looks like I may have to bite the bullet and make a long distance call to Smart to see if they can turn my Sim back on.
A funny thing is that although I can't text or call or use it at all, I have RECEIVED two texts in the last week from Belize on that sim regarding the election and another from 8888 regarding an upcoming sports event.
Those flip phones are too difficult for me to use. I just can't get the hang of texting in the way those ones work. The smart phone is the best for me.

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terrific
  3/22/2018 22:55 EST

Well I use the flip for voice calls, both locally and back to the family in US, and I use the Iphone on wifi for Messaging, whatsapp and skype. I can't text on the flip either far to fiddly and time consuming. I Find the Facebook messenger is really useful and we keep several group message sites so we can send the same message to Belize, California and the UK and all in the group can see the and input the group. Really good for sending pictures too. Belize is not well known for its ease of business communication by phone from overseas. if your sim can actually be up dated might be as easy to do it on next trip. In my life there is always a next trip, the sooner the better. Will be there in less than 2 weeks yay.

Kenubelizeit
  3/23/2018 07:26 EST

Your card can be reactivated whenever you reenter the country.from any of smart offices available country wide,

bobbyveee
  3/23/2018 13:11 EST

We bought a world phone a few yrs ago, it takes two sim cards, weve now got cards for Belize, USA, St. Lucia and UK, we top up as we travel, or for the UK and USA on line.

Garpy
  3/23/2018 17:52 EST

Well. it's looking like I won't be able to use that sim again. I guess when I get back to Belize I'll need to buy a new one. I found places online that can top up an active card so will be able to keep it going once I get It sorted. A quick question to Terrific. Are you saying those flip phones retain their number even if you leave to country for several months and only Top up when back "in Country?"

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