Getting out from under the phone company

As a linguistically challenged relative new resident here in Brazil I rarely use the phone. Who am I going to call? Add email into the mix and I’m just not chatting on my cell.

I really don’t need a cell phone, but nobody else can wrap their head around that idea. “No cell phone!? Are you crazy? You NEED one.” So I carry one around in my pocket (and often forget to turn it on, or to recharge it when the battery dies.) Even when it is charged and turned on I never hear it because I’ve got my iPod ear buds in my ears.

Plus, I’ve disabled leaving voice mail because, first, NOBODY leaves a message (you have to pay to leave a message), and second, you have to pay to check your messages.

Since most phone company packages are stupid expensive in the first place, Luiz and I decided to switch to one that provides unlimited calls from our house phone and internet service but no cell service. We buy time on a chip rather than paying for a package of minutes, etc. It seemed like a good solution to the “I never use my cell phone but everyone says I need one” dilemma.

Not really. Here’s how it really works: You buy R$10 worth of credit, which might get you 7 minutes of phone time. Then, if you’re like me, you never use the phone all month, except maybe to receive a few calls from your partner (receiving calls is free).

Next month comes along and you need to place a call. You have not placed a call since you charged the chip. But – it’s another month, so your chip is blocked. It needs to be “re-activated” by buying more credit (minimum R$10 per re-charge). Now you have R$20 worth of credit.

Right now I have about R$35 worth of credit, but since we just moved into December, my phone is blocked from placing calls until I re-activate it with ANOTHER R$10. We have to remember to switch phones when Luiz wants to make some calls, just so we use up the credit I had to buy.

We should have known better. It’s the phone company. They always have an angle.

If anybody has cracked this nut and has a better solution, please share your secret.