buy a phone/card in seattle and use it in vancouver? | Speak Out in other countries | Consumer forum

Please consider registering
guest

sp_LogInOut Log In sp_Registration Register

Register | Lost password?
sp_Feed Topic RSS sp_TopicIcon
buy a phone/card in seattle and use it in vancouver?
August 23, 2011
1:05 pm
hobocamp
Newbie
Members
Forum Posts: 1
Member Since:
August 23, 2011
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

i live in vancouver and want to have a seattle number

i want to be able to:
1) call/text seattle when i'm in vancouver
2) receive calls/texts from seattle when i'm in vancouver
3) call/text seattle when i'm in seattle
4) receive calls/text from seattle when i'm in seattle
what's the best way to do this???

i have a canadian speakout phone with a vancouver area code and was planning on buying a speakout phone and card the next time i visited seattle – would that work, it seems like no based on what i'm reading here, especially because i'm reading that you can't get so usa phone or cards anymore. i have a nokia 1661, so i think that means it's locked and can't be used in the states and so would have to buy a new phone not just switch sim cards is that right

August 23, 2011
3:22 pm
chimpanzee
vancouver
Member
Members
Forum Posts: 770
Member Since:
December 30, 2010
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

get an old GSM phone from craigslist which is usually unlocked and you can use it in the state(you have to buy an ATT/T-mobile SIM there).

August 24, 2011
6:16 am
bridonca
Moderator
Moderators
Forum Posts: 1201
Member Since:
April 22, 2009
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

This may not cover all your needs, and it can be convoluted, but it is free. Get a Google Voice account when you are in the States. (You cannot get a US number if you are using a Canadian IP address) With Google Voice, you can SMS, and forward numbers for free. You can get a Seattle number, which is nice.

The only problem with Google Voice is you cannot forward calls to directly to Vancouver. You can forward calls to Calgary for some reason though. So there is a fix. Sign up to Freephoneline.ca. Download the soft phone. Select a Calgary number, and forward that number to Vancouver. Google Voice can now forward to Vancouver when you add that Rube Goldburg step.

Once set up, this works rather nicely. All for free. If you have a data plan, you can now send and receive free SMS messages to anyone in North America.