Hey Jer! After so much waiting, I'm finally here in Madrid getting myself settled! I bought a Vodafone prepago cell phone yesterday and am having problems receiving calls from friends and family back home in Canada! Have you or anybody else heard of or experienced this problem before? It works great otherwise, I can even make calls back to Canada. A couple of calls have come through, but most of the time they just seem to get static. I went back to the store where I bought it and they said everything was fine and it should work no problem. That was one of the main reasons that I bought it since I probably won't get a landline. Any suggestions? I think I might be able to return the phone within 7 days, but if things are anything like in Canada, once you activate a prepaid card, there's no way to get your money back and I have already put on quite a bit of airtime. Any suggestions? Thanks, Laura
P.S. All the info on your website has been so useful! I don't know what I would have done without it! Muchas gracias! I will have to take you out for drink once I get settled in...let me know if you're interested!
Hmmmmmm, if I could reach through my PC and slap ya one I would! I told you to get a Telef�nica Movistar phone
quote:
I went back to the store where I bought it and they said everything was fine and it should work no problem
Can't expect anything more from them, trust me!
Your suspicion is right, you can not return it once you activate it as far as I know.
There is a way out of the Vodafone Network. You can go to a smaller shop and ask them to "liberar" the phone. This means to free it up or unlock it so it can take any SIM card. It costs about 12-15 Euros to unlock a phone and takes 1-3 days (you have to leave the phone with the shop). Once unlocked, you can buy a Movistar SIM card and get decent cell service. Some electronics stands in the Sunday RASTRO STREET MARKET will also "liberar" your cell phone.
My phone actually got stolen! Someone ripped it out of my hands as I was typing an SMS while sitting in Pza Sta Ana! I bought a new one...this time a Movistar! Thanks!
Just arrived last week in Madrid.Presently going through the rigors of getting settled. Great site to camp and get oriented! I inquired about a Telefonica Movistar mobile, primarily so i can call the states(and receive calls). I was told that their prepaid program will cost me about 1Euro per minute? Is this accurate? Is there another brand that would give me good reception at a more reasonable price? Also, i can�t seem to find a lucutorio that sells a Europhone card. Any advise, help would be greatly appreciated. Rico
Hey laura, sorry to hear about your phone but glad to see you went with Movistar this time
Truth is that there are MEGA rip offs of cell phones these days due to the fact that the prices on prepaid phones have gone up since the cell carriers want most people to go with contract lines (fixed long term clients).
Be careful and hold on to that phone tight!!!
Hey rico, welcome to the group buddy, glad the site is helpful
Yes, no matter what carrier (Movistar, Vodafone, Amena) you go with and independent of whether it is a prepaid or contract phone, it will run you between 75 and 90 Eurocents/minute back to the U.S.A. (depending on the calling time here in Spain. Prime tiem is 8am to 10pm and off peak 10pm to 8am. Add the whopping 16% sales tax to those rates and you are paying about 1 Euro/minute average
My advice, incoming calls are free, tell everyone to call you
Your in luck, I just became a full fledged distributor of the Europhone card and I sell them for the same face value price (6 or 12 Euros) as the calling centers. Give me a buzz on 656266844 and we can meet up to get you some
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- rent or buy a cell phone from me for your stay in spain, more info at 
- already have a cell phone, get a spanish SIM card for it at 
