www.CostaRicaTicas.com

This is a weird one so any help would be great...I purchased a new KOLBI SIM card at the airport (May 1st) on my way out as i will be back in CR late May. I had purchased a cheap unlocked LG off the internet a month back but the ICE station was closed when I arrived on the late night Spirit flight so i waited until i left to buy a SIM card. I tested my cheap LG phone with my friends prepaid SIM's card and it worked great no problems. When I loaded my new SIM card purchased at the ICE desk at the airport the phone would not connect to the network. Well it would connect to the ICE network for a second or two but the keypad would be locked and it would reset trying to connect over and over again after entering the SIM pin #. I explained my issue to the nice lady at the desk and she tried using her SIM card in my LG phone and it worked. Then she loaded the new SIM card I had just purchased into her phone and it worked. She then tried again to use the new SIM card in my phone and nothing! Well the same problem as before. After entering the pin code into the phone it would connect to the ICE network for a few seconds but the keypad would be locked then it would reset all over. She had no idea why! She called another agent and they tried with no success. I had to leave as my flight was boarding but does anyone have any idea why my friends prepaid SIMS card would work in my phone, the agent's personal SIMS card would work but the new ICE/Kolbi SIMS card would not stay connected to the ICE network and the keypad was locked?????

I bought 2 phones off Ebay from 2 different vendors to use on my last trip. One worked, the other didn't.
I thought the one phone wasn't "unlocked" as advertised. I don't know about the keypad locking issue?
The bad phone kept "looking for service". This is what the vendor said, maybe it will help.

"I sincerely apologize for this situation however, I can assure you that your phone is unlocked. Because you are in a different country you will need to manually change the cellular bands to 1800 which is the GSM frequency for Costa Rica. To change the network bands, please go to your settings scroll down until you see network select network then select network setup. It's going to already be on automatic you will want to select automatic and change the network frequency from 850/1900 to 1800. Once you've done that you will need to click done at the bottom left and your phone will say searching and will find the network. If and when you leave Costa Rica and come back to the US,you will want to do the same steps but change it back to 850/1900. If you follow these steps you will be able to use the phone with no problems.

Sincerley,
Nicole


- directbuywireless"


Good Luck!

I have never heard of anybody having to configure a quad-band phone to a specific band. I have one and it works in CR and worked in MDE (different bands) without having to manually configure it.

I have no idea...it's strange that the phone worked with an older SIM card but I will give the band change a try but I don't think it's going to work since I can't seem to do anything with the key pad.

FYI-The website to recharge SIMs is down for maintenance for days now.

I think I just lost my number and will have to get a new SIM next time in town. I think it just expired. Fucken idiots at ICE.

Can't offer help but on this ICE sim snafu, but please be advised that whatever amount of minutes you purchase, there is something about being good for only two months and then you have to recharge or change cards, that choice I am not clear about. Something about 2 months from date of purchase though. I learned this from the ICE guy in Quepos after a chica didn't return my phone --she didn't steal it, I left it at her place accidentally groggy at 0400, but I knew I would see her the next day at La Pescadores, the Quepos mini, mini, mini, mini version of HDR. The next night she said she didn't have or see the phone. My bad. That lead me to the ICE office there to get a card for my back-up phone that I was planning on selling there. My ICE teller spoke a little English (my Spanish is very basic unfortunately for me) and he tried relating something about 2 months and done. So enquire from them if you fit into the category of going every 3 months for example. Losing a few bucks in minutes won't kill you but you want to be able to keep the same tel #, I'm sure, and I am thinking that may be at risk. Incidentally, sometimes the ICE kiosk at the gate level at the airport have three customers waiting when your dying to get out and go. Be advised that there is another ICE desk down by the luggage carousels that has had no customers my last 4 trips since December.

DGD,
When you first buy a prepaid SIM, it's good for 60 days. If you don't recharge it before it expires, you lose it.

If you recharge from ¢50 to ¢2,499, you will get 30 days more life on your SIM.
If you recharge from ¢2,500 to 10,000, you will get 60 days more life on your SIM.

You can recharge online (site currently down).

thanks

MASTERPago is not run by ICE.

Have a buddy in CR pop into a shop that does "recargas automaticas" and put c50 on your phone #.

_________________
Women are like beers. I've never had one that I didn't like. Just some that I like more than others! --Western

Hey Florida John, it was good to meet you at Amistad and thanks for the day trip tips.

My SIM is working great

BTW-the webite is completely offline now, you get error 404-page not found.

1 day phone sale. Samsung Blackjack 2 Unlocked Quad-Band GSM Smart- Phone With Windows Mobile 6 & QWERTY Keyboard
http://1saleaday.com/

_________________

Living well is the best revenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwUtj_YnNoY

The site is back online.

I bought a Nokia unlocked smart phone from Newegg ($119) and it works in the states with ATT. I have a Kolbi sim card that I use in Costa Rica. No problems at all.

When did you buy the prepaid SIM in CR? Before or after March 7, 2011?