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Old December 11th, 2008, 09:41 PM posted to rec.travel.usa-canada,rec.travel.australia+nz
Frank Slootweg
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Posts: 275
Default Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.

AZ Nomad wrote:
On Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:30:33 +0100, Frank Slootweg wrote:
[Crossposted to rec.travel.usa-canada and rec.travel.australia+nz


7. Americans don't grasp that mobile phones are actually ... ummm ...
*phones*.


When I wanted/needed to register the pre-paid AT&T GoPhone mobile
phone which I had to buy, AT&T insisted on having me use *another*
phone to perform the registration procedure. Duh! What about using
the bloody mobile phone itself, like is done in every other
country!?


usually the procedure involves popping out the battery and reading
back the ESN and also power cycling the phone. It's kind of difficult
to remain on a call if your phone is powered down.


You need the ICCID of the SIM ('SmartChip TM') and the IMEI number.
Both are on labels on the outside of the package in which the phone,
etc. comes. So no need to power down.

The "Start here to activate your GoPhone(R) Service" leaflet
painstakingly explains all of that, also in Spanish :-), but even if you
don't RTFM (*Moi*?), the nice computerized lady explains what to get
where and even waits till you're done! I *love* nice computerized
ladies!

But more to the point, in other, albeit civilized :-), countries,
mobile-phone SPs don't need all that mumbo-jumbo, the phones come
working right out-of-the-box, including the phone number. You just can't
call anybody *else*, before you've registered [1] the phone by using the
very same phone. Makes kind of sense doesn't it!?

[Other comments - thanks - deleted.]

[1] I don't think I *had* to register my Dutch SIM. They just *wanted*
you to register and gave you a bonus (free credit) if/when you did.
I *did* have to register my Australian Vodafone and Telstra SIMs, and I
had to (sort of) register myself when buying them. ("What's your address
in Australia?". Duh! I'm a bloody furrin tourist, ain't I?