Questions About Renting Cell Phones in Costa RicaClick on the question to see the answer!
I see that you are actually IN Costa Rica. Why is that important?
Do you Service the beach areas of Guanacaste or the Liberia Airport?
Can I use my GSM or TDMA cellular phone in Costa Rica? I am from the US.
Do you use GSM or TDMA technology?
Can I just rent a chip for my GSM phone?
Where will you deliver telephone(s)?
Will I know my cell phone number before I arrive in Costa Rica and receive my phone?
Is there any minimum usage per day?
What if I will only be using the phone for a minute or two each day? Can this be adjusted?
Will you pick up the phone after the rental period?
What type of phones do you rent?
Do I get voicemail?
Do I get caller ID?
Do I get call waiting?
Do cell phones work everywhere in Costa Rica?
Do you always have cell phones available for rent?
What happens if my cellular phone stops working during the period I am renting it?
What happens if I get a wrong number when I dial the phone or if someone calls me incorrectly.
Is the phone and the voicemail in English or in Spanish?
Do I get an owners manual to use?
How do I pay the security deposit?
Why can't I just use my credit card for the whole thing?
What is a legal resident of Costa Rica? I see that you are actually IN Costa Rica. Why is that important?
For a couple of reasons. First, we know what works and what does not work here. For instance we know that satellite phones work poorly, if at all. We also know what systems works best in any location. Second, we are here for you if need help or advice, a question about the operation of your phone, etc. If you rent from another country, you are pretty much out of luck. Finally, who wants to depend on a phone being shipped to you on time, then the hassle of packing it up to return it? Top Do you Service the beach areas of Guanacaste or the Liberia Airport? Sure! We do not deliver to the entire Guanacaste coast or the Nicoya Peninsula (just too big), if you are arriving via Liberia airport or via San José, we can meet you there for delivery and pickup. Top Can I use my GSM or TDMA cellular phone in Costa Rica? I am from the US. Cellular phones from the USA will generally not work here. Yes, we know your cellular company said they might work, but most often, they simply do not. Recently, however, a very few systems in the USA offer roaming service in Costa Rica. While this does occasionally work, the roaming rates run between $4.00 to $5.00 per minute and the service is generally poor. Top Do you use GSM or TDMA technology? We generally use TDMA for one simple reason; with few exceptions, GSM phones just don't work as well in Costa Rica. GSM equipped phones, while newer in technology, have been experiencing coverage problems. This however, IS getting better, and we now do now offer GSM phones in several areas. If you let us know on the reservation form where exactly you will be traveling, we can offer the service that best fits your needs. Top Do you use GSM or TDMA technology? Generally, TDMA as it works better in many locations, however we are renting more and more GSM phones as service improves. Top Can I just rent a chip for my GSM phone? Maybe! We now offer a chip that will work in almost all UNLOCKED QUAD BAND GSM phones. You receive a US phone number rather than a Costa Rica phone number. You must be 100% sure that your phone is not only QUAD BAND but that it also is UNLOCKED, meaning that you are not tied to just one cell phone carrier in your country. Top Where will you deliver telephone(s)? We offer free delivery to most hotels or bed and breakfasts in the San Jose area and to the San Jose Airport. After September 1. 2005, we will also offer service to the Liberia Airport in Guanacaste and to most beach areas in the northwest including Coco, Hermosa, Flamingo, and many others. Free delivery is offered on all rentals of seven day period or longer. At the time of your reservation, please let us know where you will be staying.
Top Will I know my cell phone number before I arrive in Costa Rica and receive my phone? Yup! Our asset scheduling system assigns your phone number at confirmation. Top Is there any minimum usage per day? Not really, but all plans come with either 6 or 10 minutes per day included in the rental cost. Top Your plans all have minutes included, but I only need a minute or so per day. Can this be adjusted? Unfortunately not. We have had many people tell us this, but in reality, well less than two percent of our customers use the phone for just a few minutes per day. This is especially true for phones equipped for international calling. The average is thirteen minutes per day. Top Will you pick up the phone after the rental period? Yes, at most of the same delivery locations above. At that time, you are presented with a final reconciliation and your security deposit is refunded in cash (US dollars or Costa Rican colones). We try to work with you to make pickup at the location most convenient for you i.e. hotel, car rental drop offs, or the airports. Top What type of phones do you rent? We rent Nokia, Motorola, and other brand name telephones. Each is tested and the battery is charged prior to delivery. You may request a specific brand on the reservation form, but we cannot guarantee availability by brand. Top Do I get voicemail? Yes. All phones include voicemail. We will program a message in English or Spanish if you desire. Top Do I get caller ID? Yes. All phones have caller ID. Top Do I get call waiting? No. We do not offer call waiting. If you are on the phone, any incoming calls will go to voicemail. Top Do cell phones work everywhere in Costa Rica? No. Costa Rica is a mountainous country and there are remote locations where a cell phone will not be able to access the cellular system. Nearly all major towns and villages will have full cellular access however as well as most popular beach locations. Top Do you always have cell phones available for rent? No. Depending on the time of year (especially high season) all phones may be rented so it is a good idea to reserve early. For long term rentals we buy new telephones. Top What happens if my cellular phone stops working during the period I am renting it? This very seldom happens, but if you should have a problem, replacement, if required, will depend on where you are when the problem occurs. If anything fails on a cell phone, it would most likely be the battery or a charger. Customers are authorized to have a cell phone store check for these problems, and if advised, the customer simply buys a new battery or charger and brings us back the invoice. We deduct the cost from the bill. If the phone itself fails, normally because it was dropped in water or had some liquid enter the phone, and if you are outside the San Jose or Liberia Beaches area, we probably will not be able to quickly arrange for a quick replacement. It would simply not be cost effective to travel to remote locations. If that is the situation, all billing will stop as of the day of the failure. You MUST call us by land line if your cell has a malfunction. If you are in the San Jose or Northwest Beach area, we will make every effort to replace the phone promptly and at no charge to you. Top What happens if I get a wrong number when I dial the phone or if someone calls me incorrectly. Unfortunately, you do pay for this. We suggest you hang up immediately to avoid all extraneous charges or check caller ID and do not answer if you do not know the number. Top Is the display on the telephone in English or in Spanish? We program the displays to be in English by default. However, several languages are available, and we will program your rental phone to the language you desire. Please inform us in the Comments section of the reservation form. Voicemail is always in English. Top Do I get an owners manual to use?
Yes. You get a full compliment of accessories (if available) including a wall charger, mobile charger (most models), and a leatherette case. NOTE: Any manual will almost certainly be in Spanish so if that is OK, tell un in the Comments area.. We provide Owners Guides in English on this web site. Click HERE.
Top How do I pay the security deposit? All deposits are due in cash but see this. We also require a credit card for security to cover any charges made if the deposit is insufficient and unpaid when the phone is returned. Money due you after the rental is paid to you in cash. Top Why can't I just use my credit card for the whole thing? Maybe you CAN!
In general, we require a cash deposit, but starting August 1, 2007, we are offering a pilot program to certain qualified clients. For more info see: http://www.cellphonescr.com/creditcard/
Note there is an additional charge i to use a credit card.
Top What is a legal resident of Costa Rica?
A legal resident is a person who possesses a valid cedula or carnet issued by the government of Costa Rica. If your residency application is in process, you are NOT a legal resident and cannot purchase a cellular telephone number (line). Remember, for folks moving here and renting for six months or longer, the phone is YOURS at the end of the rental term. For our long term rentals (six months or longer), the phone will be brand new.
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