US Telephone

[Toritrue]

I need a USA telephone.  It seems we can no longer bank without one.  Does anyone have an old phone they can sell?  Does anyone know where we can purchase one at Lakeside?

This is an urgent need.

Please, only serious help.

 

Tori

[Mostlylost]

What you are needing is a USA number that will receive texts in Mexico. You need is a GSM cellphone.  You then need to select a US carrier and get a sim card from them.  

It is important that your carrier's plan will allow texts to Mexico (a lot of pre-pay companies do not)

Some have posted in previous strings on this subject. 

If you have, or buy, a cell phone with VoLTE  then you can buy a sim for TMoble that costs $3 per month and a small fee for texts to foreign countries.  Works great for a lot of us here,

https://www.ebay.com/itm/114395204612?hash=item1aa27c4c04:g:1UMAAOSwzZplB6Js&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwCGL50Qs%2FrubGbLCdqUOK%2BRfJPTmIlLVp1PeZUUDLvKexB%2BgxHmJIePW0OK%2BhGvixZdjXdFRROPO4ZjT6HC5ckalB8WhPU3mrJei05kjsRFfpElvQPUZh2SwL8Is41zOTFIlrG0zm5%2FTSwrWGUdz4egndPhn2FRZ%2FosZ%2FMZd2lTWmL0hZUkSK9oZFbNo23QxLxnDAGXrKHfi8rTIFVvexSa%2FOTzKqJU1mc%2FsIGDyeTz3l8H%2BTQfBueZL3beOhVHVDw%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR9jPk53eYg

 

[tkessler2]

textnow.com

[daisy2013]

Get a usa number from Skype. All problems solved    Lots of options as you can now call for free anyone that has Skype if not the cost of calling is very cheap.  You can get messages on Skype   I do all of the time. And that is your usa number 

[Mostlylost]

32 minutes ago, daisy2013 said:

Get a usa number from Skype. All problems solved    Lots of options as you can now call for free anyone that has Skype if not the cost of calling is very cheap.  You can get messages on Skype   I do all of the time. And that is your usa number 

I have 2 banks and Fidelity Investments that will not text or call a VOIP phone number.  How they know is any guess. Many people here are having the same problem with their financial institutions. SKYPE, Google voice, Magic Jack, And Ooma are examples of VOIP services. 

Had Capitol One ask for me to take a picture of ID with the phone registered to the account and send it to them. Was able to do that with my $3 per month TMobile account.

[sm1mex]

Get a free number on TextNow app but have vpn connected to US when you use it. You can get a verification code on TextNow US phone number. Just be sure to be connected to vpn. 

[sunshineydays]

Bìg Brother?

[sm1mex]

As long as you have vpn on connected to US big brothers can get a verification code for businesses in the US. 

[LarryA]

I've been using for more than a year the T-Mobile program that MostlyLost is reffering to and I find it to be a great option.  Set up one for a friend as well.  Bought a separate 1,000p phone to put it in and use it exclusively for receiving text messages from multiple banks up north.  I keep it plugged into power and turned on 24/7 sitting on my desk.

Note: This program T-Mobile is NOT available directly from T-Mobile anymore, buying the SIM via eBay and following the instructions makes this a great option. 

I also have Ooma and using it without a VPN, the phone number was originally issued by a land line company in the USA.  I continue to use it for my "home" (USA) phone and it works with all my banks, including CapitalOne, but it is not set up for text messaging.  Using the Ooma cheap plan costs about $7 USD per month, initial equipment purchase is required and available from multiple sources.

[Tingting]

On 10/2/2023 at 2:12 PM, tkessler2 said:

textnow.com

I cannot upvote this enough. It's a long story that I'll share in a separate post, but this was a godsend for having a US phone number. It's not perfect, but it did the job for us.

[Toritrue]

Thank you one and all.

 

[tkessler2]

Since everyone liked the textnow reference, I'll add some more comments:

1)  Every US phone number, whether a Voip provider, a message provider, etc. has an attribute that can be queried by the calling institution, e.g. a bank.  And that caller can decide if they want to complete the call.  Here's a link that gives some insight:   https://www.twilio.com/blog/identifying-line-type-with-python

 

2)  Those same providers have gotten a lot of headaches when they get too restrictive.  Like legitimate US users on vacation trying to check their US accounts...Typically they do provide an alternate method of validation, like sending to your email, or calling your number and not sending you an SMS.   One needs to check carefully...Fidelity has no problem sending an SMS to my Voip number and Callcentric forwards it to my mail.    So when someone says there is no way, they may not be trying hard enough.  I have a Citi US account.  They wouldn't register my MX cell online, but they did it manually when I called them.  

 

3) There are two types of SMS.  Short codes and regular phone numbers...  Some banks send to short codes only, which can complicate because providers can't receive short codes or charge extra for it,  Bottom line, if they're making it so difficult for you to receive messages on a free service like textnow, consider dumping the bank. 

 

4) VPN has nothing to do with two factor authentication.  Being on a VPN means the institution sees you as being in the US instead of a foreign country. I haven't had any problem with Fidelity, Vanguard, or anyone else when I log in from Mexico...Your mileage may vary..

 

[timjwilson]

On 10/3/2023 at 12:40 PM, LarryA said:

Note: This program T-Mobile is NOT available directly from T-Mobile anymore, buying the SIM via eBay and following the instructions makes this a great option

In the instructions it states that one can port their own number by dialing 611. Has anyone successfully accomplished this?

[LarryA]

3 hours ago, timjwilson said:

In the instructions it states that one can port their own number by dialing 611. Has anyone successfully accomplished this?

I've found their customer service people to quite helpful.  This page may answer your question:

https://www.t-mobile.com/support/account/transfer-your-phone-number

[dixonge]

I've been using Tossable Digits to receive text messages works here in Mexico, US and in Europe. You can receive them on the phone app or email or both.

https://www.tossabledigits.com

[Mostlylost]

2 hours ago, dixonge said:

I've been using Tossable Digits to receive text messages works here in Mexico, US and in Europe. You can receive them on the phone app or email or both.

https://www.tossabledigits.com

The question is...  Have you been using this service to receive texts from a bank or financial institution that has previously rejected a VOIP number?

[timjwilson]

13 hours ago, Mostlylost said:

The question is...  Have you been using this service to receive texts from a bank or financial institution that has previously rejected a VOIP number?

looks unreliable   https://www.tossabledigits.com/support.php?p=shortcodes

[dixonge]

On 10/24/2023 at 6:53 AM, timjwilson said:

On 10/23/2023 at 5:51 PM, Mostlylost said:

The question is...  Have you been using this service to receive texts from a bank or financial institution that has previously rejected a VOIP number?

looks unreliable   https://www.tossabledigits.com/support.php?p=shortcodes

I started using TossableDigits primarily *because* of having multiple institutions that did not work w/ my US number at Google Voice. But they work just fine w/ TD.

As far as reliability goes, it has been extremely reliable! Yes, on my current basic plan I get six free shortcode messages per month. After that they charge me a whopping $0.02 per message. I guess I never noticed because so far my highest monthly bill was $4.01. Of that, maybe 16 pennies was for short codes. This month I might hit 30 pennies.
 

[timjwilson]

2 hours ago, dixonge said:

I started using TossableDigits primarily *because* of having multiple institutions that did not work w/ my US number at Google Voice. But they work just fine w/ TD.

As far as reliability goes, it has been extremely reliable! Yes, on my current basic plan I get six free shortcode messages per month. After that they charge me a whopping $0.02 per message. I guess I never noticed because so far my highest monthly bill was $4.01. Of that, maybe 16 pennies was for short codes. This month I might hit 30 pennies.
 

The link provided is from their website, wherein they state they cannot be relied upon to support all verification short codes. The list they provide does not include one single business I need to sign in with. It is good it works for your purposes.

[dixonge]

On 10/29/2023 at 8:16 AM, timjwilson said:

The link provided is from their website, wherein they state they cannot be relied upon to support all verification short codes. The list they provide does not include one single business I need to sign in with. It is good it works for your purposes.

to be fair, they state that it is a *partial* list. ymmv.

So far I have received short code sms' from the following:

American Express

Avis

Amazon

American Airlines

Apple

Hyatt

Square

Chase

United Air

Mercado Libre

Venmo

[gyma]

On 10/2/2023 at 2:42 PM, Mostlylost said:

I have 2 banks and Fidelity Investments that will not text or call a VOIP phone number.  How they know is any guess. Many people here are having the same problem with their financial institutions. SKYPE, Google voice, Magic Jack, And Ooma are examples of VOIP services. 

Had Capitol One ask for me to take a picture of ID with the phone registered to the account and send it to them. Was able to do that with my $3 per month TMobile account.

Do you have the TMobile SIM card for sale on eBay? If so, why wouldn't Capital One send an account verification code to that number? I just bought one of the eBay SIM cards and so far can't get my phone to recognize it.

[gyma]

On 10/3/2023 at 12:40 PM, LarryA said:

I've been using for more than a year the T-Mobile program that MostlyLost is reffering to and I find it to be a great option.  Set up one for a friend as well.  Bought a separate 1,000p phone to put it in and use it exclusively for receiving text messages from multiple banks up north.  I keep it plugged into power and turned on 24/7 sitting on my desk.

Note: This program T-Mobile is NOT available directly from T-Mobile anymore, buying the SIM via eBay and following the instructions makes this a great option. 

I also have Ooma and using it without a VPN, the phone number was originally issued by a land line company in the USA.  I continue to use it for my "home" (USA) phone and it works with all my banks, including CapitalOne, but it is not set up for text messaging.  Using the Ooma cheap plan costs about $7 USD per month, initial equipment purchase is required and available from multiple sources.

Did you buy your separate phone in Mexico? Did you simply insert the TMobile SIM card into it with no other cell phone provider? 

I have an iPhone 11 with dual SIM card capability. I thought I would convert my Telcel SIM to an eSIM (which I can still do, I think, but will need Telcel to do it) and then insert the TMobile SIM for receiving text messages. This morning I tried to test it first before converting my Telcel to an eSIM by just replacing the Telcel SIM with the TMobile SIM but I'm getting an "Error performing request, Unknown Error" message when I enter #686# to get the new TMobile number. From what I can tell from the information provided by the eBay seller, all I need to do is insert the SIM, and type in the code to get the number. Is it not possible to just replace the TMobile SIM when you need to receive a text? I hate to convert my Telcel to an eSIM if the TMobile SIM isn't going to work. 

Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Mostlylost]

16 minutes ago, gyma said:

Did you buy your separate phone in Mexico? Did you simply insert the TMobile SIM card into it with no other cell phone provider? 

I have an iPhone 11 with dual SIM card capability. I thought I would convert my Telcel SIM to an eSIM (which I can still do, I think, but will need Telcel to do it) and then insert the TMobile SIM for receiving text messages. This morning I tried to test it first before converting my Telcel to an eSIM by just replacing the Telcel SIM with the TMobile SIM but I'm getting an "Error performing request, Unknown Error" message when I enter #686# to get the new TMobile number. From what I can tell from the information provided by the eBay seller, all I need to do is insert the SIM, and type in the code to get the number. Is it not possible to just replace the TMobile SIM when you need to receive a text? I hate to convert my Telcel to an eSIM if the TMobile SIM isn't going to work. 

Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I have a cheap cell with VoLTE.  I only turn it on when I will need to receive a text. That phone uses Telcel which is TMobiles partner in Mexico.

I'm assuming you had the seller activate the account as required in their instructions. 

Possibly your IPhone has a setting to enable VoLTE reception. Voice over Long-Term Evolution ( VoLTE ) is an LTE high speed wireless communication standard for mobile phones and data terminals, including Internet of things (IoT) devices and wearables.

[gyma]

1 hour ago, Mostlylost said:

I have a cheap cell with VoLTE.  I only turn it on when I will need to receive a text. That phone uses Telcel which is TMobiles partner in Mexico.

I'm assuming you had the seller activate the account as required in their instructions. 

Possibly your IPhone has a setting to enable VoLTE reception. Voice over Long-Term Evolution ( VoLTE ) is an LTE high speed wireless communication standard for mobile phones and data terminals, including Internet of things (IoT) devices and wearables.

The seller claims the card is activated prior to shipping and includes the first month ($3) plus $7 credit. I'll go to the website on the SIM card and see if that sheds any light on my problem and I'll google about the enabling VoLTE for iPhone since I know nothing about it.

Thanks for responding -- but to answer a question for me, did you simply insert the TMobile SIM card into your new phone and you were good to go? I noticed I'm getting no bars inside or outside the house. Hmmmmm

[gyma]

2 hours ago, Mostlylost said:

I have a cheap cell with VoLTE.  I only turn it on when I will need to receive a text. That phone uses Telcel which is TMobiles partner in Mexico.

I'm assuming you had the seller activate the account as required in their instructions. 

Possibly your IPhone has a setting to enable VoLTE reception. Voice over Long-Term Evolution ( VoLTE ) is an LTE high speed wireless communication standard for mobile phones and data terminals, including Internet of things (IoT) devices and wearables.

OK, just checked and the VoLTE is activated on my phone and was turned on when I tried using the new SIM card. So... back to square one.