Viva Prepaid Wireless (new Locus plan)

[dmarkson]

Locus is at it again with releasing a new prepaid plan.
http://www.viva-wireless.com/

This time its a CDMA plan that uses the Verizon network.

On first glance it looks very good.
18c/minute peak
9c/minute nights&weekends
Coverage looks to be the Verizon native network

There are some big issues in the details though:
There is a DAILY ACCESS FEE (details not given)
Roaming is 99c/minute AND uses airtime
Airtime expires in 30-60 days

I'm not sure if Locus has new management, but ever since the 4x roaming was put in place their marketing seems to be getting pretty sleezy. They are not upfront with the total costs.

There is another new Locus plan called "Locus Platinum" which is also a new CDMA plan. The rates are higher (25c/15c), but there appears to be no daily access fee. The web is not clear about the expiration date (one sentence says 90 days, but the chart shows 30-60 days).

[tszefr]

Teh daily access fees and details are now on hand at Select viva on left here . I don't know yet what difference is between Viva and Locus Platinum other than LP costs more.

Two bits every day. That might be worth it if they can make my old StarTac work again I sure do like it; always have.

[boomerang86]

I almost got a phone from STI Mobile (MVNO over Sprint PCS) with a similar pricing scheme. Trouble was I didn't find out about it until I already placed an order as it's BURIED in their T&C; it costs 49 cents a day to stay connected. That killed it for me.

I cancelled the order but they shipped the phone anyway; I refused delivery and had to wait two weeks for credit back on my Visa card, and ONLY for the price of the phone! I finally got fed up and filed a chargeback for the sales tax which I was never refunded. The CS phone wait times are long and they don't respond to emails.

[EdwardP]

Boomerang - I noticed you have the "Up 2 Me" service listed. What did they give you for a phone?

The Cumberland Farms convenience store chain up here, offers the same service "while supplies last", but the phone they had, did not have a name on the cover (other than "CDMA") and the quality of the phone looked a little cheap. The poster they had in the window, pictured a Nokia model on it, but the actual phones did not look like Nokias.

[boomerang86]

Originally posted by EdwardP
Boomerang - I noticed you have the "Up 2 Me" service listed. What did they give you for a phone?

The Cumberland Farms convenience store chain up here, offers the same service "while supplies last", but the phone they had, did not have a name on the cover (other than "CDMA") and the quality of the phone looked a little cheap. The poster they had in the window, pictured a Nokia model on it, but the actual phones did not look like Nokias.

The phone I got is an "Omni 802" (rebadged, recycled [used] LG LGC-800W), which is an 800Mhz CDMA phone... the box said it was an Omni 803 but the differences are insignificant. I know it's from Australia because when it powers up you see the spinning globe Telstra logo on the display! It's older CDMA technology but works well enough for me. Omni is an MVNO (now an MVNE) that works off Verizon's CDMA network so the service is SOLID.

Yes, it's deceiving they put the Nokia 3595 pic on the box. Airtime rates aren't cheap but the phone is, and having a toll-free incoming number is an interesting feature.

[EdwardP]

Omni sounded familiar. They must have obtained them from http://www.omniprepaid.com/2004/html/handset.asp

Up 2 Me (if it is not actually Omni) does not have a web site that Google can find.

[tszefr]

Originally posted by EdwardP
[B]Omni sounded familiar. They must have obtained them from http://www.omniprepaid.com/2004/html/handset.asp

[chop]

Look at that would you! Those omni people are selling an Omni 7760, none other than a Startac 7760! Theirs even has a limp antenna like mine. Maybe there is hope for it yet.

Does anybody know how to translate a SN to ESN? Phone has SN with letters in it.

[utopium]

Your probably seeing the ESN in hexadecimal format. If you go to the scientific mode of the calculator that comes with Windows, you canm enter hexadecimal numbers and convert them to regular decimal.

[tszefr]

Originally posted by utopium
Your probably seeing the ESN in hexadecimal format. If you go to the scientific mode of the calculator that comes with Windows, you canm enter hexadecimal numbers and convert them to regular decimal.

No micro$oft code is running here but KCalc 1.6 does hex just fine. Problem is this SN does not fit even in M$ calc I am sure:

SN: FCDB 36ED ZXJ

Lets see if we throw out the ZXJ we can convert the rest: 4242 2248 77 -- not enough digits, right?

How about we take numbers from phone keypad for the letters? 3232 3633 995

[Sorry dear readers if it seems we are way off topic here! This SN stuff is all about an old Motorola CDMA-800/AMPS phone that might just run on Viva plan.]

[elecconnec]

Originally posted by tszefr
No micro$oft code is running here but KCalc 1.6 does hex just fine. Problem is this SN does not fit even in M$ calc I am sure:

SN: FCDB 36ED ZXJ

Lets see if we throw out the ZXJ we can convert the rest: 4242 2248 77 -- not enough digits, right?

How about we take numbers from phone keypad for the letters? 3232 3633 995

Close...

Warning: boring DEC-to-HEX information follows! ;-)

ESNs are actually comprised of two parts- a two digit (in hex) manufacturer's code followed by a six-digit (in hex) serial number. So, an 8-digit Hex ESN (like your FCDB36ED) is really "Manufacturer #FC", followed by "Serial #DB36ED". Converting the two parts separately, Hex FC=252, and Hex DB36ED=14366445, we get the decimal 11-digit ESN 25214366445 which is the correct number of digits.

Converting decimal ESN to hex is the same, except in decimal, the first three digits are the manufacturer number followed by an eight digit serial number. Zeros are used to pad to short numbers- i.e., the first cellphone ever built might have been (decimal) 00100000001 which translates into (hex) 01000001.

[Richard Lee]

Hi. I found this old discussion while doing a search. I investigated those websites linked the the first two people, dmarkson and tszefr.

1. I couldn't find references to a 99c dialy access fee. Anyone know if this is still in effect for the Viva plan? As far as I can tell, Viva has a 25c connection fee and 18c/min thereafter while Platinum has no connection fee and is a straight 25c/min, no other charges on either of them except roaming.

2. What is the additional roarming rate for both the Viva and Platinum plans? I sure couldn't find it on their site even though it mentioned abundently, eg. http://www.viva-wireless.com/images/...verage_map.gif

3. They mention text messaging is included ( http://www.icallplus.com/2html/wireless.html )
but is that unlimited incoming and outgoing?

4. And finally, what is this about being able to bring in your own phone? "We’ll even activate compatible used phones through our customer Starter Kit program." Is there a fee to use your own phone?

As mentioned by the second poster, I too would like to use a good ol' Verizon StarTAC 7868W.

If anyone's used it to a sufficient degree, how do you find it? Is it comparable to the old Verizon prepaid (not the yucky new one) which the Viva and Platinum appears to be based on?

[napcorp]

Originally posted by Richard Lee
Hi. I found this old discussion while doing a search. I investigated those websites linked the the first two people, dmarkson and tszefr.

1. I couldn't find references to a 99c dialy access fee. Anyone know if this is still in effect for the Viva plan? As far as I can tell, Viva has a 25c connection fee and 18c/min thereafter while Platinum has no connection fee and is a straight 25c/min, no other charges on either of them except roaming.

2. What is the additional roarming rate for both the Viva and Platinum plans? I sure couldn't find it on their site even though it mentioned abundently, eg. http://www.viva-wireless.com/images/...verage_map.gif

3. They mention text messaging is included ( http://www.icallplus.com/2html/wireless.html )
but is that unlimited incoming and outgoing?

4. And finally, what is this about being able to bring in your own phone? "We’ll even activate compatible used phones through our customer Starter Kit program." Is there a fee to use your own phone?

As mentioned by the second poster, I too would like to use a good ol' Verizon StarTAC 7868W.

If anyone's used it to a sufficient degree, how do you find it? Is it comparable to the old Verizon prepaid (not the yucky new one) which the Viva and Platinum appears to be based on?

as far as rates go. viva n platinum both have that connection fee, although you may not see in on the website. The 1800 numbers there can be accessed from here in Canada, you shoudl try calling.

dunt know about roaming..

Theres no fee to use your own phone but u supposedly have to activate first through a starter kit before the top up works... but they have a work around for that by somehow activating it for u comp and giving a come credit on it or something, I dunt know exactly how they do it but I got like 4.50, and this way its all set up and u can top up with credit card over phone or with top up cards.

I'll tell u how it works next weekend when I go to NYC, dunt even know if it works

[napcorp]

Ok I promised to write more once I tried this service.

This service sucks big time. I cannot emphasise how much it sucks.

1. I am using a Telus phone and enabled this service on NAM2, I was not able to program my phone with *22890, I tried in it in New York state, Ohio State, and NYC, didnt work.

2. *22891 which is supposedly what you do to try to update PRL did not work too it gave some kind of error message like invalid code, there will be a recording telling you that.

3. So maybe because of the above, there was always a roaming indicator on.

4. Sometimes when I try to make a call, I get a recording telling i have an extra charge because of roaming, and sometimes it doesnt but then you have to enter your number twice, u use your phone book dial the number then all of the sudden, it tells you : pls dial the number with area code etc you dial it and it goes through, not before it tells you your balance ( i am not sure if it does but I remmember it)

5. I would NOT recommend this service, use it at your own peril, minutes go very very fast. I got my travel companion a phone for a weekend and used my T-mobile SIM card I had for that phone and ended up using that GSM phone most of the time.

In conclusion it will work, you have to deal with VERY VERY VERY Incompetent people on the phone for an ABSURD amount of time just to get money on your account. And when they finally get it done, after say 1 or 2 hours on the phone, they money goes in a poof.

I would seriously making the sacrifice and get a GSM phone if you do not already have one.

So for those Canadians thinking of doing it this way, I suggest you not waste your time and put yourself through hell just because you wanna use your phone, your time can be better spent on other things than dealing with VIVA on the phone and trying to make a call, using their service.

[Richard Lee]

napcorp. thank you very much for your review. It helps us all.

The incompetent or surly staff one could anticipate. As a Verizon customer for a short duration, I found not all of them up to a reasonable level.

As for the technical difficulties you encountered, I wonder if it is all due to the PRL (or lack of) in NAM2. You obviously know how to switch to NAM2. I don't know about the 710 you were using but to find the PRL version on my Moto StarTAC, it is Main Menu -> Phone Options -> Phone Info -> Roam List. If it just says 0 (zero), there is no PRL. You probably know about Telus PRLs and PRLs in general from other of your posts I've seen. So what is the PRL in NAM2 assuming it never got updated while you were in the US? Did you check what it was before you attempted the *228s?

Why do I ask if the phone had a PRL? To update a PRL, it's kinda like a chicken and egg situation. If there was a Verizon or Telus PRL (Telus's roaming partner in the is VZW), the phone will preferrably find Verizon towers and therefore you will have a chance of updating with a Vivo PRL (since Vivo works off Verizon). If there was no PRL, then the phone will pick up the signal of the incumbent carrier of the location you are in which is not always Verizon. You would not be able to update the PRL by OTA in such locations. There are parts of Ohio like that...although I would have though NYC has native Verizon coverage.

[napcorp]

Originally posted by Richard Lee
napcorp. thank you very much for your review. It helps us all.

The incompetent or surly staff one could anticipate. As a Verizon customer for a short duration, I found not all of them up to a reasonable level.

As for the technical difficulties you encountered, I wonder if it is all due to the PRL (or lack of) in NAM2. You obviously know how to switch to NAM2. I don't know about the 710 you were using but to find the PRL version on my Moto StarTAC, it is Main Menu -> Phone Options -> Phone Info -> Roam List. If it just says 0 (zero), there is no PRL. You probably know about Telus PRLs and PRLs in general from other of your posts I've seen. So what is the PRL in NAM2 assuming it never got updated while you were in the US? Did you check what it was before you attempted the *228s?

Why do I ask if the phone had a PRL? To update a PRL, it's kinda like a chicken and egg situation. If there was a Verizon or Telus PRL (Telus's roaming partner in the is VZW), the phone will preferrably find Verizon towers and therefore you will have a chance of updating with a Vivo PRL (since Vivo works off Verizon). If there was no PRL, then the phone will pick up the signal of the incumbent carrier of the location you are in which is not always Verizon. You would not be able to update the PRL by OTA in such locations. There are parts of Ohio like that...although I would have though NYC has native Verizon coverage.

Well I would assume the PRL is loaded with Telus PRL..lemme see...yes it switched active lines n the PRL is 27241.... thats why I had asked people to send me PRLs.... but no one did...i had already anticipated this problem before I left.. but anyways...