# Negril.com Message Board Forums > Negril Message Board >  Where can you buy a cheap cell phone in Negril...??

## Papa Georgie

I heard something about a store across from the digicell store that was cheap.

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## Rob

At many of the stores, even the grocery stores like HiLo, Lime is selling what they call "Phones To Go". I have seen an Alcatel phone for as low as j$1200 - and that comes with 100j local credit and 1000 long distance minutes.

With the credit, the phone is practically free...

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## Papa Georgie

Rob, 

Where is the Lime store?

George.

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## Melody

It's upstairs, above ValueMaster

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## Papa Georgie

Hey thanks Melody.

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## Thatswhatshesaid

Lime was a good deal. I think I paid about 35 us for one in March. Had very little local credit, but about 600 mins international I think. Easy to add mins to it though.

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## Papa Georgie

Mostly interested in local minutes for calling taxis etc.
How much would say 100 minutes cost?

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## Rob

The cost is about j$3 per minute, so 100 minutes would be j$300...

Look for the yellow packaged "Phone To Go" that Lime is offering at almost all grocery/retail stores and even gas stations. The cost is as low as j$1200 for $100 local credit and 1000 over seas minutes - and it includes the phone!

You can find them everywhere.

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## nutz4travel

Thanks Rob - a picture would be nice  :Smile: 

Any gas stations open Christmas day?

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## Obayb

That sounds perfect - I'll take two please!  Does anyone know if the gas station near the airport sells them?

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## Melody

Awesome news. If they sold them at arrivals at the airport (or just outside), it would be SO convenient and they'd sell like hot cakes.

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## Obayb

Let me clarify, I meant the gas station near the NEGRIL airport.  The one up by Couples Negril.

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## Rob

Most stores carry them - look for them behind the counter. Differnt brands (Nokia, Sansun, Alcatel, etc) have different costs - the Alcatel ones seem to be least expensive. You will probably pass 300 places selling them from Mobay airport to Negril, including the gas station by the Negril Aerodrome.

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## stevepitt2

If you have an unlocked GSM phone here in the US, from ATT or T Mobile, you can just use it with a Jamaican sim card.

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## plongdin

We bought this phone and it was a great deal and very useful.   Now I am wondering if I will be able to use it again next year if I let the minutes run out and just add credits next year when we return?   I appreciate any help as I got conflicting answers when I bought it and when I bought credits.

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## Bluez

If you have not used the phone since last year you will most likely need to buy a new chip as the phone number won't be good anymore.  If you don't keep credit on the phone it won't work, you need to keep it topped up.

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## nutz4travel

> We bought this phone and it was a great deal and very useful.   Now I am wondering if I will be able to use it again next year if I let the minutes run out and just add credits next year when we return?   I appreciate any help as I got conflicting answers when I bought it and when I bought credits.


When did you buy it?  If you use it or top it up online over the year, it should be good.  That's what I intend to do, I don't need to learn yet another number!  Mine is LIME and you have 60 days after the minutes expire to top it up before you need a new sim card.  Not sure about Digicel...

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## MoFromMonroe

I think Melody posted that an email from Lime confirmed you have 6 months to top it up and keep your number.  Can you confirm Melody?

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## Melody

Yes, that's true Mo. Someone else posted that they topped up online just under a year later and it worked. Someone else confirmed that it worked ~ 6 months later. Personally, I have definitely gone over 60 days before topping up successfully.

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## Mike_D

Ok, so this thread prompted me to do a little experiment...

Back in June '13, I brought an old, unlocked Blackberry with me to Negril and stopped at the Digicel store to pick-up a SIM card and some minutes. I got a Jamaican number a with a bunch of local and international minutes. I did not use up all my minutes, but when we returned home I basically turned off the phone and put it in my drawer. (Actually, I initially left it on but started getting some texts and phone calls, in patois, from a Jamiacan chick, which landed me in the doghouse with the wife. Then I turned it off.) Just yesterday, I dusted off the phone and charged it up. Sure enough, it was out of minutes but the phone appeared to be roaming on the AT&T network and I received a few text messages with instructions on how to top-up. I then went to the Digicel website and tried to top-up my phone number, online. I put on ~$400J and instantly the phone was alive again!  Digicel actually gave me over $500J of credit. They also texted me an offer that allowed me to call any Jamaican Digicel phone for free while roaming in the US, so I promptly called favorite my driver and setup airport transportation for our February trip.

So, to make a long story short - it appears that a Digicel SIM card will stay active for at least 6 months after the minutes expire.

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## Jamadian

I have an Iphone 3 that's just sitting in the drawer at home. I'm thinking of bringing it to Jamaica and having it unlocked. Someone said there is a store across from Scotia bank that does this. Has anyone used them to unblock a phone? If so, how much did they charge?  Thanks

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## gerryg123

There is a private guy named Marko that helps with phones, too. He hangs at Pee Wees and lives a few yards up the lane. Ask for him there.

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## Jamadian

> There is a private guy named Marko that helps with phones, too. He hangs at Pee Wees and lives a few yards up the lane. Ask for him there.


Thanks 123...

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## Mike_D

> I have an Iphone 3 that's just sitting in the drawer at home. I'm thinking of bringing it to Jamaica and having it unlocked. Someone said there is a store across from Scotia bank that does this. Has anyone used them to unblock a phone? If so, how much did they charge?  Thanks


Or, if you are a do-it-yourself-er, you can call your cell phone provider (or do an online support chat session) and they will walk you through the process of unlocking the phone for free.

FYI, I thought I heard that only unlocked AT&T and T-Mobile phones will work with Jamaican SIM cards. The Blackberry that I unlocked was an AT&T phone and it worked great. I had a strong signal all over Negril.

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## Flipadelphia26

I unlocked my 4s two days ago. Used scissors to cut my ddigicel sim down to size. Works perfectly so far.

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## Mike_D

> I unlocked my 4s two days ago. Used scissors to cut my ddigicel sim down to size. Works perfectly so far.


That's good to know, Flip.  Did you get a data plan?

We'll be expecting plenty of pics, since you are walking around with a fancy smart phone.

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