Buy cell phone SIM card in Colombia/Compra tarjeta SIM en Colombia

LilaM says on Jan 9, 2008, 19:24:

I found a place at El Dorado Airport after you pass customs, it´s name is cell to go, take a look when you land in Bogotá, you can find something there for sure-

"Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer." Ed. Cunningham

getting better says on Jan 9, 2008, 20:24:

Colombian mobiles are cheap to buy, or SIM cards also , but the paperwork is pretty demanding, I dont know why but it is slow and complicated, although cheap

lpdiver says on Jan 10, 2008, 00:06:

In my case it was about the same price to buy a phone as a SIM card. I have an oddball phone it seems.

My wifes family seem to have tons of phones with no time on them. I usually either spend the little bit of money needed to just buy a cheap phone and then leave it as a gift. I also have just borrowed one of theirs and just charge it up with minutes.

And last trip I just went phoneless. One less item to get stolen. I mean there is someone practically every ten feet renting their phone out...no?

I have very little use for a cell phone in Colombia.

t

"cook some rice!"

mranderson says on Jan 10, 2008, 08:06:

Just get one of those cheap nokia prepaid phones. If I remember correctly it costs about 50.000 pesos and you don't have to give it away when you leave. Just save it and when you return(if you return) you already have a phone. You may have to make a call to reactivate the sim card or just buy another sim card but they are pretty cheap. There is a lot of paperwork but it really only takes about 15 minutes and it's easy. I still have the same phone I bought when I was a tourist here a couple years ago and it still works great. I think it's a better idea then changing the sim card on the cell phone you brought with you from your own country. If you get robbed of your cell phone which is pretty popular then your only losing a cheap prepaid.

I agree, just find someone that sells minutes to make calls because it's usually cheaper. In my opinion having a cell phone is just for recieving calls.

wcarmack says on Jan 10, 2008, 10:31:

When my wife and I first attempted to get a cell phone in late November the place we went to wouldn't sell us one because we didn't yet have our ID cards from the DAS. Passport wasn't good enough. Then five days later when we did have our Colombian ID, the same dude said it was only a temporary one and therefore we still couldn't get one.

So, we walked up the street to another Comcel place and bought one.

But there was paperwork involved.
Apparently the same or similar paperwork is involved in changing the SIM card.

Woody

mranderson says on Jan 10, 2008, 10:46:

I guess things have changed. When I bought my cell phone about 2 years ago I had to fill out a couple of forms and put my fingerprint on it. It wasn't a hassle at all and I only needed my passport. Also I bought a new sim card last february and that wasn't a big deal either. I went to comcel and I think it was 10 or 20k pesos. I can't remember. That was also with just a passport. It is a lot of paperwork just for a prepaid phone but It shouldn't be difficult.

Maybe it just depends on where you go?

Before christmas I bought my wife a cell phone as a gift and there was no process at all. Although it was a cell phone without a sim card (unlocked phone) I just paid cash and got a reciept. If you can get a sim card without trouble it's also easy enough to buy an unlocked phone for that sim card.

guacharaca says on Jan 10, 2008, 15:06:

Cost of sim cards are about $7. Unlocking you foreign cell phone costs about $10. So yes, wait until you get to Colombia. Then buy another sim card when you get to Ecuador (no need for those roaming charges).

Colombianos: Las armas os han dado independencia, las leyes os daran libertad. (Santander)

rpcv says on Jan 10, 2008, 16:35:

Les agradesco todos su ayuda/Thanks all for your help!

Saltador says on Jan 10, 2008, 16:51:

You guys are oversimplifying a little. Remember you have to match the frequency of your cell phone with the correct provider in colombia. (For example Tmobil usa phone will work with Comcel SIM card.)
So you can't just swap out SIM cards and know it's going to work.

mranderson says on Jan 10, 2008, 17:12:

Don't most new phones have 3 different frequencies?

guacharaca says on Jan 11, 2008, 14:33:

If you have a 4 band phone, you are totally covered. If you have a three band phone, you are still guaranteed to hit at least one (maybe two) of the providers in Colombia. If you have a double or single band phone, there is a good chance that you can not unlock it anyways.

Cheap Colombian phones work well with Rogers in Canada as long as they can be unlocked.

Colombianos: Las armas os han dado independencia, las leyes os daran libertad. (Santander)

Saltador says on Jan 11, 2008, 16:59:

Phones with three band coverage are known as GSM phones. They won't work with COMCEL, which is the most popular carrier IMHO in colombia. So, what I'm saying is, you listen to all the advice on here, take your GSM phone with you, then buy a Comcel SIM card and wonder why the hell it won't work.
Quad band will cover them all, but you need to be unlocked from your carrier, and your carrier won't do this voluntarily. COMCEL may be able to do it, maybe not. You need to figure this stuff out beforehand. Or just buy a cheap phone from down there for 25 dollars or so.

Robert Jorge says on Jan 12, 2008, 00:56:

If your carrier is T-Mobile, they will do it voluntarily. As a matter of fact, they will Email you printable instructions on how to unlock your phone. I know, because I did it two years ago.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

rpcv says on Jan 12, 2008, 11:06:

I have a tri-band GSM phone, T-Mobile my USA carrier has already unlocked my phone. I checked frequencies in Colombia and Ecuador and my phone covers them. So I will try the SIM card at the airport.

Thanks