Using Italian Wind in Canada
 

I've been trying to use my Italian Wind prepaid in Canada. It recieves the Rogers network but when I try to dial a local number +1-403-**** Roger says Wind has not authorized my use in Canada. I have sent an SMS message to Wind with no problem and I can use my phone as a modem with my laptop but no luck in using it as a phone!

Sometimes there is a dial code that you can use.

Try *111*+1403xxxyyyy# or *123*+1403xxxyyyy#.

Expect it to be expensive to use, alas.

Not all prepaid SIMs permit outbound calls in Canada, even when they permit inbound calls.

With Wind you have to dial:
Calls from Canada will cost you 2 eur/min...

Thanks guys but nothing seems to work. I have "easy roaming" and "call your country" so I can call Canada from Italy cheaply and I can call Italy from Canada but I can't call within Canada!
I can add money to my Wind card over the internet from Canada using my Visa card but I can't refill my wife's TIM card as TIM seems to only accept Italian Visa cards?
I had hoped to use my wind phone in Canada as I don't use a cell phone much and it would save me maintaining a Canadian number but I guess I'am out of luck.

There are at least a couple low cost alternatives for infrequent use in Canada.

PetroCanada Mobile - min $20 (~13 Euros) refill every 180 days - $0.20/minute
7-Eleven SpeakOut - min $25 (~16 Euros) refill every 365 days - $0.25/minute

Both offer a starter pack including a low end Nokia phone, SIM card and $5 credit for $50-60.

I've got a Virgin mobile, $100 for 1 year but the battery is dying. They want $40 for the battery so I was hoping to use my Wind instead. I've got several phones so I don't want another phone and you have to buy the phone with Petro Canada or 7Eleven. Maybe I'll try my wife's TIM card and see if it works.

The *124* roaming should work on Rogers but I really don't get the sense of spending 2 EUR/min for each call, even with the Easy Roaming (still 2 EUR for the first minute).

By "they" you probably mean Virgin. "They" are a rip-off. Try eBay. You may be able to find an OEM battery for ~$10.

Officially, yes, but you can find individual SIMS and/or airtime top-ups at http://www.speakoutwireless.ca/speak/

There are also rumours of another SpeakOut promotion starting 16Nov. Usually that means buy $100 of airtime (~500 local minutes) and get a free Nokia 1600 or 1208. You could use the SIM out of that and sell the "free" phone (it's unlocked) on the site above or eBay. By contrast, at 2€/min you'd go through $100 in ~30min.

Better known in Canada as Robbers :evil:

*124* dosen't work with the 403 area code. I suspect this is a Roger's thing rather than WIND. I guess I will have to carry 2 phones around and get a new battery for my Virgin Mobile phone!

On another point entirely my cell phone has no reception in our house in Italy. I have to walk outside the village ( 2 houses down) or into the little Piazza in order to use the phone. I suspect it's the 2 feet of rock in our house walls but we may be in an area of weak signal? Does anyone else have this problem?