| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
sojourner1
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Location: Where meggi swim and 2 wheeled tractors go sput put chug alugg pug pug
|
 Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 3:20 am Post subject: How do you get a cell phone and plan that makes sense? |
 |
|
I've been trying to get a cell phone for a month now, but having very bad luck. I have a Korean helping me who is willing to secure it for me, but is having no luck getting a deal. One SK store tells us no phones or service is available for me to use while another SK store wants 300,000 for a basic phone on a 2 year contract. A KTF shop tells us we can't get anything for me, while another says it will cost 450,000 or more for a phone plus 150,000 or more a month for service on a 6 month contract. The Korean helping me tells me that phone people just make up the rules however they want and change it all around daily and that I'm simply having bad luck right now. There doesn't seem to be any listed prices or advertised deals nor listed prices that sales people must honor as to be forced to offer fair market deals.
How do I get a cell phone and monthly plan that makes sense?
I'm in a small town. Thanx in advance if you can point me in the right direction on how to go about getting a phone. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
johnny_larue
Joined: 09 May 2008
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 3:31 am Post subject: |
|
|
| That sounds pretty awful. My friend here in Seoul tells me that KT telecom or whatever it is no longer requires a sponsor if that helps. It has apparently become much easier for foreigners...at least in big cities. I was told that a decent plan should not cost you more than forty dollars a month. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Tommy
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 3:37 am Post subject: |
|
|
| LG are foreign friendly. One time $30 fee. They have a booklet with different plans. I just switched to $30/ month for 200 minutes. Text messages are 20 Won. Bring your ARC and maybe your passport. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Kafkaesque
Joined: 10 Mar 2008
Location: In der Strafkolonie.
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 4:27 am Post subject: |
|
|
Why don't you just get a pre-paid SK telecom phone? I used one of those for a year without any problems. Get your boss to actually buy the phone ( second hand for about 60,000won) and then you can top it up with 10,000 won increments. Thats what I did. Worked fine.
Of course....you only want to use your phone in Korea to receive calls and to call people IN Korea. To make your own calls...use your computer with a headset and download a VOIP.
Franz |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Kiarell
Joined: 29 Mar 2008
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 4:36 am Post subject: |
|
|
does Korea still not have voicemail in any place? I've been thinking of getting a mobile myself, but only b/c I don't know if someone's called me since I have no message machine.
If I got a message machine from abroad would it function properly with Korean landlines?
More important, would Koreans be able to understand it, or would I have to leave a lengthy intro explaining this wonderful concept?
(another common sense product conspicuously absent in Korea. Much like a taxi-cab light to alert availability clearly, instead of honking at me every five seconds)
Anyhow, if you can really get a phone for $30 and a plan at $30/month I might reconsider...but then again I'll need an earpiece....I'll be damned if I'm gonna get brain cancer. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
amilin90
Joined: 08 May 2008
Location: Seoul
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:19 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Kiarell wrote: |
does Korea still not have voicemail in any place? I've been thinking of getting a mobile myself, but only b/c I don't know if someone's called me since I have no message machine.
If I got a message machine from abroad would it function properly with Korean landlines? |
Yeah voicemail exists, should be free to use. I've never used it but have fiddled around with it before. Even 6 years ago when colour phones were rare, VM was available.
As for calls from abroad, I don't see why it shouldn't, but I'm honestly not too sure about this.. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
karmarooster
Joined: 11 Jun 2008
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 3:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
there was an article a while back from The Marmot's Hole about this topic.
"There�s quite a bit of info flooding the cellular market nowadays, but this article sheds a great deal of insight on the conveniences of LG�s new mobile plans bringing in some much needed clarity for foreigners. Go have a squint if you are in need or having any issues regarding your handheld device."
The page links to this: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2008/07/177_27984.html
The long and short is that the LG store at Seoul Global Center has phone plans written in clear english with a staff that speaks english as well.
Contact Info:
Kim Min-jung
Mobile : 010-5740-5556
Work : (02) 2075-4134
Email : [email protected] |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sojourner1
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Location: Where meggi swim and 2 wheeled tractors go sput put chug alugg pug pug
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 4:12 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Kafkaesque wrote: |
Why don't you just get a pre-paid SK telecom phone? I used one of those for a year without any problems. Get your boss to actually buy the phone ( second hand for about 60,000won) and then you can top it up with 10,000 won increments. Thats what I did. Worked fine.
Of course....you only want to use your phone in Korea to receive calls and to call people IN Korea. To make your own calls...use your computer with a headset and download a VOIP.
Franz |
Yes, I had my Korean friend inquire about the prepaid phones that use refurbished cell phones and the sales people couldn't produce or explain anything to her. They then went on to explain that these new expensive Korean phones are the best and the used ones are low quality Chinese made that's not worth dealing with. They said anything cheap such as 100,000 won is not Korean, but Chinese.
My Korean friend said sometimes free phones go around and the deals change every day, but the sales people do indeed make up the deals and play a competitive game that doesn't make sense to anyone. They just don't know how to do business with foreigners nor have any set of rules on how to set up an account for a foreigner so the sales people just turn off like a light or a frozen computer program stuck in a loop not knowing how to proceed when a foreigner attempt to do business. I asked, "How do they run a business if they're not willing to help the customer to the best of their ability?" She said the sales people just make up the rules and it doesn't matter since it's not their own actual business, just a job they play. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
spliff
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
huck
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:15 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Ask your Korean friend to put the phone under their name, and to just have the money taken out of your bank account...
Then you'll see the nice deals that Koreans get. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
spliff
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I have a question. KTF have been texting me the last two days that i have to come into the nearest KTF shop w/ my arc card and prove myself or they're gonna limit my service. What's this all about. can i just ignore it? Bloody weird, it is. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
