Going To Dominican next month

[JL9]

Going to be heading to Punta Cana in late October for a week, just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for a cost effective option for data/call/text. I am aware I can use a voip app, although I hear the wifi there is hit and miss and prob no way to get any calls/texts etc with current number. TBH wouldn't be the worse thing, I should be able to go a week without lol

[JL9]

Great thanks. Didnt think so and I will be back up and running then when I land next week

[will13am]

If you don't change SIM cards, you should have zero issues.  Well you really should not have issues even if you do use a different SIM card.  

[JL9]

I am going to bring my phone with me to use on wifi, etc. I know some ppl who bring their phone to the US and get a roaming plan have issues it with sim and reconnecting once they get back (although rare) and then have to mess around with their settings again. 

If I leave my sim in it and am gone for a week I won't be running into that possibility since I am obviously not roaming or connecting to another network? Right?! lol

[JL9]

Yeah I will have that as back up and my work has a calling app connected to hubspot so that should hopefully work as well

[dabr]

@JL9    You will still be able to use Whatsapp while you are there as long as you have access to WIFI or data.  Just need to take the phone with Whatsapp installed on it.

[JL9]

ughh looks like too many hoops and hassle to worry about it, I will just go a week without worrying about having my number lol

[dust2dust]

I wouldn't prefer whatsapp because it's needed at both ends. Other voip apps just need the internet and then can call just about anything.

[dabr]

@JL9   From what I understand you can use Whatsapp without a SIM card (once the account is created using the SIM card) and I believe the forwarding being discussed is for the PM number?

[JL9]

Ok if I did this I would want to send it to my whatsapp. Wouldn't that be the same number?

[dust2dust]

You dig down into the settings on your phone and set the call forwarding to the number you want. Or in your dialer dial *21*+1your 10 digit number#. That will forward all calls to the other number. Not a US number.

Adding - and take the sim out and leave it behind.

[JL9]

@darlicious I have never done that, is that an easy process?

[darlicious]

@JL9 

Just call forward your PM number to either your business line or your text now number and you will receive calls in the Caribbean. Your TextNow number will receive them on Wi-Fi or if you get a local SIM card but if you have roaming service on your business line you will receive the calls but still incur roaming charges on your business line.

[JL9]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I think I agree with that consensus of just going status quo, it's the 35 plan and not that much of a savings for the hassle required. Just wish there was an easy way to access the number if need in the Carribean, but a week won't be that big a deal.

Thanks again!! 

[Meow]

Unless you are REALLY in tight financial situation I do not think it is worth trouble suspending plan for 8-15 days. But it is up to you... If we are talking about 2-3 months, then it is different story and there are ways to keep account/number and pay less while absent.

[HALIMACS]

@JL9 

If you are on a particularly expensive plan, set the account to renew to the cheapest available plan on the next renewal.

Then when you return, set a post-dated plan change back to your desired more expensive plan.

[darlicious]

@JL9 

How much is your plan? I'd the savings worth suspending your plan? If it's the $15 plan then you would only save $3.75. but if it's the $55 plan then you're savings would be $13.75.

If you suspend the Yellowstone before midnight eastern on or before day 30 then your voicemail should stay active. Although you may end up getting the voice messaging system when you call your number if that happens then you have to enter your phone number in order to access your voicemail as would anyone else in order to leave in voicemail. I'm not sure if that was a glitch that happened when I suspended my plan or if that has changed? If you suspend this way then I am unsure what happens with your points versus Rewards which do not automatically apply upon renewal but rather you have to contact customer support to have them applied manually. But we don't know what happens with the point system so if you do do this please report back what the result is?

Better yet I think allowing your plan to renew as normal would probably be a better bet. I would then call forward your PM phone number to your business line number before you leave Canada.....presumably. If you are going to the US just make sure you remove your PM SIM card from your phone so it does not connect to a US tower (or does it if it cannot connect to the 3G network?) and cause your call forwarding to default back to voicemail.

[BKNS27]

@JL9 

Personally i would just renew it for that short period of time away...too much hassle.

It works out to be $1 a day...I spend more on coffee at home.

[computergeek541]

---

@JL9 wrote:

Just wanted to see what you would suggest in this scenario. 

My renewal date is October 16th, but I am going to be away where I can't use my PM plan from October 19th-26th.

---

I would say to renew the plan as normal.  There's the 2 or 3 days that you mentioned before you'll be away, but for the 8 days that you'll be away, I don't see it worth trying to suspend your account over 8 days of non-use.  Doing that would also result in loss of rewards.

[JL9]

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to see what you would suggest in this scenario. 

My renewal date is October 16th, but I am going to be away where I can't use my PM plan from October 19th-26th.

Should I just renew as normal and eat the quarter of the month I won't be using it OR should I just let it either go into suspended OR put into lost/stolen and then renew when I get back on the 26th/27th.

I don't think I will really need the phone while away and can prob manage for the 2-3 days before leaving with my business line...SO if I do that and renew on say the 27th, does that mean the plan will start then and my renewal now won't be until November 26th? If so, is LOST/STOLEN better than just suspended or is there any cons to it? Won't my vm still be available can I still access it from another phone? Would I receive texts in lost/stolen once reactivated as well (since I am assuming suspended I won't get any calls/vms or texts and it will just tell the person that the number is out of service or whatever).

If it is too much of a hassle to go through that process I will just renew on the 16th and have my next one be Nov. 15th and just eat the portion I am not using, but I thought I'd check to see what the best avenue to take would be.

Thanks in advance!

[JL9]

Thanks that is a great article and good to know as that may be the route to go - hella cheap too

[JL9]

Thanks for all the suggestions people! I will weigh my options and decide which way to go prior to the trip. Thanks again!

[JL9]

According to that article above - Punta Cana is the only airport in Domincan that doesn't have a phone store and sims in the airport - you'd think they would get  with the program like the other airports in the country and have that, I guess there is a mall close by but they should definitely get on that bandwagon

[JL9]

Thanks, I will take a look at this and decide if I need a phone that bad for the week. I will prob be doing at least a little work up there too and have hubspot and may be able to use that as well.

[JL9]

Unfortunately I currently have an s9 that is more than enough for me up to this point but I don't believe it has e-sim capability, thanks for the suggestion though going forward once I do upgrade.

[darlicious]

@JL9 

Enjoy your vacation. Great suggestions by @dust2dust . Try MightyText for text forwarding as it comes recommended by @Jb456 . If you bring your sim card just make sure it doesn't connect to a US tower while in transit or it will cause your call forwarding to default back to voicemail.

Local SIM cards are cheap averaging US $3 for set up costs and US $10/15GB/15 Days or less. More info here...

https://www.traveltomtom.net/destinations/north-america/dominican-republic/sim-card-dominican-republ...

[CountyDownIeUk]

Or...just forget the phone. 

Enjoy the beach, scenery and local eats drinks and attractions. 

[KamWest]

I have a pixel 6 and it has a second esim.

I simply go to Airalo.com pick my data and off I go.

That gives you the data, then just use an app like whats app, ooma, or anything similar to make your calls.

I forward my cell to my app and all incoming calls come in, easy breezy.

Now if TELUS/Public offered a roam like home similar to rogers I would have bought it but quite honestly Airalo is so cheap for data sometimes I top up my sons data on his Pixel phone because its cheap to add 10 or 25 gb at any time.

[dust2dust]

I wrote this up a while ago just in case I needed to pull it out for some reason:

How to receive calls and texts outside of Canada or US:
1. Have two phones
2. Download/install/setup voip app onto phone that you will take out of country and get a Canadian phone number
3. Download/install/setup sms forwarder app onto phone that will stay home
4. Keep sim in phone that will stay home
5. Forward calls from phone that will stay to voip app number using standard dialer
6. Forward texts from phone that will stay to voip app number using sms forwarder app
7. Use a plug timer and plug charger wart in and plug in phone and let it use battery for some time and then the timer can charge the phone
8. Leave North America.
9. Using wifi anywhere or local data cell service, use voip app to send and receive texts and calls.

When you call or text out obviously it will be a different number for your recipients.

[esjliv]

Wifi at those resorts are usually okay, in the larger public areas anyhow, I believe @JL9 

Duo, Whatsapp, etc. would be good options, I'd say.

You may see a sim at the airport when you touch down that may fit your needs as well, so have a look at those.

[BKNS27]

@JL9 

Best to grab a local SIM.