Cell phone providers

This will depend where you want to live first and what services or plans you may want.   Each company is different.  Getting a pay as you go or prepay is fairly straightforward.   Anything else like an 18 month contract is tougher to get.

Planner;

Thanks.....we will be living in Sousa....pay as you go seems to be an option.....we arrive in April and have lots of questions...thank you for always being there to help.  We are still trying to get hold of your lawyer too.....have a good Sunday.

As the last poster said it depends on where in the country you are. Generally Claro and Orange (now Altice) offer the best coverage.  My wife has used both and found Claro to be better. Our usage has been basically in Puerto Plata and in the Capital. We use prepay more out of convenience that anything else.

Thanks everyone

When we arrived in Sosua without residency, we got a Claro post-paid contract at Playero with only a passport.  Zero hoops to jump through, zero issues, but we did have our own unlocked phones already.  No bank account needed, just a passport.

That is great news....many thanks.  One more thing that we don't need to worry about!

Our experience at Claro in LT was similar to Uncle Buck, though it did take having a local do some translation (rather than Google Translate) to make it happen!

rms171 wrote:

As the last poster said it depends on where in the country you are. Generally Claro and Orange (now Altice) offer the best coverage.  My wife has used both and found Claro to be better. Our usage has been truecaller in Puerto Plata and in the Capital. We use prepay more out of convenience that anything else.

Thanks for sharing from you. great news!

Our priorities are different from permanent expat residents.  We're snowbirds, so a permanent mobile contract isn't needed. 

We started with Claro a few years back, based purely on others'  recommendations for coverage and reliability.   

What we like about Claro:
-- Coverage and reliability does excel.
-- There is a Claro store in the SDQ terminal, making it easy to buy new minutes/weeks upon arrival. 
-- They have stores all over the island.  Easy to get help.

What we haven't liked about Claro:
>> Like most other DR businesses, English-capable staff seems accidental and incidental, at best.  Not a priority.  Inconsistent.
>> The Claro website is not available in multiple languages.  Spanish only, AFAIK.  Fortunately, google translate and a host of other translation apps get better ever year.  Still a pain. 
>> The 800 numbers are also all Spanish, and FAST.  We still haven't cracked how to just recharge on the 800 number, which means you have to stop at the stores more often.
>> We've experienced a long series of service miscues at/from stores.  For example, we pay for 30 days unlimited but only get two weeks.  Brand-new sim cards are defective within 72 hours.   Etc., etc., etc.  We end up interrupting vacation time to visit our new best friends at Claro. 
>> Boy, is it complicated to just add time/data at a Claro store.  Minimum  30 minutes, best case -- not even counting wait times to into the store or after you get inside and into the queue to be seen. 


By way of comparison -- we recently visited Panama for first time.  >> Landed at PTY, purchased a Digicell sim card and time/data for two unlocked phones from a vending machine, made the switch and were operating perfectly before we even stepped out of the terminal.  (It was niuce to have GPS immediately. )
>> Functioned perfectly for two weeks. No stops at stores needed. 
>> All instructions for online or phone recharges were in Spanish, BUT with intuitive pictures illustrating the steps to make it universally translatable and immediately useful.

I'm not aware of options in the DR like we found in Panama -- but if anyone has recommendations besides Claro, we'd appreciate them!!  Just gotta be a better way.



Jim

With Claro, you can use the app (MiClaro) to add minutes/data to your SIM card. The app is in Spanish, but you can take a screenshot and use GoogleTranslate to read it. The options are fairly simple to remember for subsequent uses.

Claro also has an option for English speaking phone help. The wait time can be longer because there are fewer bilingual reps, but it is an option.

@ExpatRusher - if you use Chrome, install the GoogleTranslate extension and it will automatically translate Spanish websites to English for you. Saves the cut and paste effort!

Sadly they are pretty much all the same.  We have more cell phones per capita here than most places. 

They don't cater to English or any other language here. It's Spanish only.

Customer service is lacking.  And that applies across the board.  It is one failing that effects every industry and across all languages! It just sucks. Most days you can get through it, other days it will really frustrate you.  Those days go to the beach and chill!  It's the only answer! 

Thanks.   

We discovered the MiClaro app on the last day of our recent trip, but havent used it yet.  Honestly, I had pretty much forgotten about it.
Thanks for reminding me!! 
>> but i don't think it will help as we arrive next time -- we won't have any data to access the app. So, we're hoping to crack either the app or the 800 number recharge system, perhaps pay for the recharge before leaving the states, so it is active when we switch the sims.
>> The truth is, we need to get up to speed on Spanish.  I'm planning to get a tutor when we arrive for our first long-term stay next winter.

On the 800 number for English-language assistance-- the options zip by so fast we've never been able to figure which combo of buttons to get to it.  I take your word it's there, and we'll keep trying. 

Thanks, I appreciate the advice.  We'll get there!!

Jim

Jim

ddmcghee wrote:

With Claro, you can use the app (MiClaro) to add minutes/data to your SIM card. The app is in Spanish, but you can take a screenshot and use GoogleTranslate to read it. The options are fairly simple to remember for subsequent uses.

Claro also has an option for English speaking phone help. The wait time can be longer because there are fewer bilingual reps, but it is an option.

@ExpatRusher - if you use Chrome, install the GoogleTranslate extension and it will automatically translate Spanish websites to English for you. Saves the cut and paste effort!

We bought two Claro Sim cards a couple of years ago and installed them on unlocked phones.  I found the whole process to be confusing and hard to monitor, with minutes and data running out at odd times.

We recently purchased a condo and after many tortuous maneuverings with the help of Spanish speakers managed to get Claro internet, cable and landline installed.  I figured it should then be easy to add new Cell phone accounts at that point using our existing MiClaro account.

It hasn't been easy or even possible from what i have tried.  So, to my question: Is it worthwhile getting new "permanent" numbers attached to our residential account, or should we just try to renew our pay as you go phones?  We plan on being in country 4-6 months of the year.

Thanks in advance!

Your minutes have a finite life.... 90 days or so

Use ding.com to top up before you arrive
https://www.ding.com/login?source=HeaderLink

Those minutes expire - but don't disappear -
They are reactivated when you top up anew

Well...it depends.  Once your temp sim card expires, after about 30 days your number is gone.  With your permanent plan you have to make your payments and then you keep the number.  You will also have your DR phone as soon as you hit the ground and you won't lose your whatsapp info or contacts.

As to which company is better  they are all garbage.  However in the PC area claros garbage smells stronger and covers more area.

I have had my number since 2009....

Yes - I keep minutes on the account.....
not continuously, but perhaps not long enough to get scrapped

That works for you Willie because you are in the country and can recharge any time you need to...unless there has been a recent change, I don't think you can recharge when you are out of the country.  You don't have a real account...

I have never tried the link you mentioned Willie but that might be another good option.  Kudos!

YES!!
you can use DING to top up from anywhere in the world

I was only gone for 50-60 days at a time... when I had a house on Lake Huron

But if you keep your minutes current - 100-200 pesos at a time..... it works !

          I think you nailed it!!  HILARIOUSLY!!

DominicanadaMike wrote:

As to which company is better  they are all garbage.  However in the PC area claros garbage smells stronger and covers more area.

Good tip Willie...

Here's our experience with Claro sim cards.

We've had two Claro sims cards for the DR since July/Aug 2018.  We've spent as long as 14 months away; when we returned, we just changed out the sim cards, booted up, added time (at Claro stores) and dialed/surfed away.  No problems with that part (though we've had plenty of other problems with Claro).

I never tracked whether we had used "all" of our minutes, but since we never bought anything longer than a 30-day plan, they had to have expired at some point in between trips. 

Perhaps we've just been lucky.  We may well show up NEXT trip and our numbers will have been given away and sim cards non-functional. 

Until that day arrives, we'll keep using those sim cards.

Jim

Thanks for that tip on Ding, Willie. 

WillieWeb wrote:

YES!!
you can use DING to top up from anywhere in the world

I was only gone for 50-60 days at a time... when I had a house on Lake Huron

But if you keep your minutes current - 100-200 pesos at a time..... it works !

Please remember- I am talking about buying 'Minutes'
Not a monthll plan

Monthlies are Claro country - as I understand it

One of the LUCKY ONES!!!

In truth - T-Mobile in the US, when you buy the right plan charges 25 cents/min
The Claro minutes are almost the same

Problem becomes, to get calls from a local is hard
They don't like to dial out of country

My sole reason for carrying an RD phone

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Spam alert   

Yup it sure is and its gone.

I'm a little confused is ding solely used for minutes to make calls or is it also like WiFi

Any experience about using a laptop via USB-Thetering (cable) in combination with a prepaid card in a cellphone?
Would prefer to do some things on the laptop but on the small screen on my cellphone. Only data, no calls.
Thanks for hint!

I don't use USB tethering, but I do use my phone as a hotspot for my laptop if the internet in our villa is out.

For Pincesslala

Ding is just a way to buy some minutes for your phone, from a 3rd party company.  So instead of buying it from Claro directly, you buy it from Ding, who buys it from Claro. You can do this for any phone in any country.  For example, sometimes I buy my husband (Carlos) minutes for his phone in DR, when I am in Canada.  He is always working so he does not have time to refill it sometimes, especially when he leaves work at midnight. You just specify the phone number you want to "charge".   I can buy 5 days of data which is a max of 5GB for under 200 pesos. Thats alot of data (provided your not sending huge videos to everyone).  You can choose to buy voice minutes, or data minutes when you charge a phone with DING (or another provider).

I find in Dominican Republic, most people buy DATA.  If you just buy voice, then you can only make calls but cant use the internet. With data, you can do anything you want on the internet  but you cannot make a voice call using your phone provider.  To make a voice call, you simply need an app (VOIP -voice over internet), like WhatsApp.   Using data, you can make phone calls and video calls, but you need an app like Whatsapp, your not using the phone service. 

Since I like to save money, I only put small amounts of data on my phone.  I wait until I get home  to use my home internet service on my laptop.  Without any data or voice on your phone, you can still use free wi-fi.  Alot of places have that, so you just jump on their network. But these free networks are not secure, so its not good to do your banking with it, unless your using a VPN service which protects you when using free w-fi.

ddmcghee wrote:

I don't use USB tethering, but I do use my phone as a hotspot for my laptop if the internet in our villa is out.

Great, thanks a lot ddm!

Lots of great info here,  My main requirement for a cell phone is long distance minutes to Canada.  We have 2 seniors to keep in contact with regularly who don't have VOIP or internet and need to call them on their landline.  Best way would be to purchase a pre-paid monthly plan with LD minutes??

modaisky1971 wrote:

Lots of great info here,  My main requirement for a cell phone is long distance minutes to Canada.  We have 2 seniors to keep in contact with regularly who don't have VOIP or internet and need to call them on their landline.  Best way would be to purchase a pre-paid monthly plan with LD minutes??

We use an app called TextNow.  It's free, and you get a Canadian number, or whatever number you want.  You can text for free, and get about 5 minutes of talking for free.  We upgraded, and for less than $8 CAD per year, you lock in your number, can get confirmation texts from apps, banks and CRA, and get unlimited calling minutes.  On your cell, you would be connected to wifi, but you can call any number in Canada, landline or not.  The added benefit is, if you pick a number in the area code your loved ones are in, they can call you from their landline like it was a local call for them, no hassle at all.  WhatsApp is great, but this app makes it easier for the less tech-savvy on the other end.

That is great!  I will definitely be installing that app!  Thank you so much for that great info :-)

We use OpenPhone which is similar. We actually ported our US cell phone numbers to OpenPhone so that I could keep the phone number I've had since 1998! You use wifi or your DR data plan (depending on how you're connected), and have unlimited texts and calls.

In addition to the benefits UncleBuck mentioned, you can also access toll-free numbers that aren't available internationally.

https://www.openphone.co/