Getting Prepaid in Moscow, Russia

[SQFreak]

Does anyone have any experience with getting a prepaid cell in Moscow? I need a phone that will work in Moscow and St. Petersburg on the same number/plan. I've heard the process can be confusing and difficult, so I was hoping for any advice that you'd care to give.

Thanks!

[ShoresGuy]

Have you tried looking here?

http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/russia.html

[SQFreak]

Originally Posted by ShoresGuy

Have you tried looking here?

http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/russia.html

Yes, but I've heard that getting a mobile as a foreigner can be difficult, so I was looking more for advice in that realm.

[ShoresGuy]

There is a Russian member named Asick over at PPGSM.net's forum. He's from St. Petersberg and might have some hints for you.

[SQFreak]

Originally Posted by ShoresGuy

There is a Russian member named Asick over at PPGSM.net's forum. He's from St. Petersberg and might have some hints for you.

I tried; they won't authorize my account.

[resolute]

Where is the best place to buy one of the prepaid SIMS in Moscow? I leave to go over on Wednesday and will use my Cingular unlocked TREO650..

I'll probably end up forwarding my landline and cell phone calls to the RU prepaid number at the rate of about .19/min from here. The important calls I can ask them to let me call them back if it will take a while as I will have Voip from my accomodations that supposedly is free and unlimited to the states.

Can you buy the cards anywhere and everywhere like the rest of Europe?

[ShoresGuy]

Have a look at this thread:

http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/inde...showtopic=1018

[resolute]

Thanks - posting from Moscow now... Things work quite well here with cellphones... easier than everything else in Russia!

Ended up getting the Megafon Prepaid "Ediny" plan - great plan for overseas visitors.. Calls are 3 roubles per min. to Moscow OR to the United STates, Europe or Canada, etc. LEss than 10 cents per min..

Incoming calls from abroad are 10 cents per min. but from Moscow landlines are free. Ended up forwarding my Cingular cell (right as the airplane door was closing when we took off from Atlanta and then removed the Cingular SIM card) to my landline which I then in turn forwarded to my new Moscow prepaid number after I got here (using remote call forwarding activation service on my landline), so I'm paying about 25 cents or so for people from the US who dial me - not too bad.. Then if its someone I need to talk to a while I just ask them to let me dial them right back and the cost goes to less than 10 cents per min..

JB

[ShoresGuy]

What exactly is less easier in Russia?

[resolute]

Originally Posted by ShoresGuy

What exactly is less easier in Russia?

Well - let's see - where do I begin? For starters, try just getting into the country - letter of "invitation" to get a visa, gotta pay for visa ($150 per person) - paperwork, paperwork, paperwork.... and then more paperwork!

Try getting around in Moscow if you speak no Russian like me and my wife (yes, I know that is my fault, not the Russians.) - but most other countries at least have more English speakers in tourist areas and offices - try visiting major tourist attractions (spotty hours, unclear procedures to visit, etc...)

Don't get me wrong, Russia is a beautiful country and I am glad I have visited and hope to get back one day, but there is still a lot of things that just don't seem as "efficient" as throughtout Western Europe or other world countries I have visited.. But I'm sure time will change that somewhat - the progress that continues to be made looks impressive..

JB

[ZaphodB]

Hahahaha... I haven't been to Russia since the 90s, but it wasn't any easier then... in fact, I wrote about it: http://dasubergeek.livejournal.com/336101.html

[SQFreak]

Originally Posted by resolute

Thanks - posting from Moscow now... Things work quite well here with cellphones... easier than everything else in Russia!

Ended up getting the Megafon Prepaid "Ediny" plan - great plan for overseas visitors.. Calls are 3 roubles per min. to Moscow OR to the United STates, Europe or Canada, etc. LEss than 10 cents per min..

Did you have any problem with buying the card? How did they deal with your US passport and address data? Where did you buy it? At a Связной store or direct from the Мегафон store?

[resolute]

Originally Posted by SQFreak

Did you have any problem with buying the card? How did they deal with your US passport and address data? Where did you buy it? At a Связной store or direct from the Мегафон store?

I bought it from a pretty girl in a little cellular phone boutique upstairs in the neighborhood grocery store.. no one spoke English, but we managed to panomime ourselves through the whole transaction - I just gave her my passport and she copied the info down on the form from the little prepaid kit - I even went through several of them and picked the number I liked .. as they were all packaged with the number on the front...

I just gave her a hotel address which was on my "invitation" letter - even though we were staying in a private apartment - and apparently there were a couple of plans (one had 3 Rouble calling to both Moscow and to the US) - so she managed to understand that was what I wanted...

Now trying to set up voice mail was a total disaster - the voice prompt was only in Russian so I had to hold it up to someone at another store who spoke English and they promted me what to say... I was hoping for some prompt to say "for English - press 2" - but no such luck.. the Spanish speakers in the US sure have it good...