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How do mobile plans work in Hong Kong?

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  1. #11

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    Jun 2005
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    Quote Originally Posted by PDLM:
    Read the small print carefully.
    But even then... OFTA has just fined 3 for misleading advertising of its packages when it offered an iPhone bundle last year. You really need to be very very careful when signing up for this sort of thing.
    http://www.ofta.gov.hk/en/ca_bd/case_closed/T84_09.pdf

  2. #12

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    Bet the fine didnt even get felt by Li Ka Shing


  3. #13

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    Jul 2010
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    Gee, have to be really careful don't you. Think I might as well just stick with my prepaid SIM till I settle down some more in HK and learn the ropes.


  4. #14

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    I am not very familiar with the mobile phone plans here in HK too. I will be coming off of my company Blackberry plan very soon. I do not use the phone much for personal calls and it will likely continue that way when I will have my own plan. I also do not use the internet much on my mobile.

    My primary use will be MP3 player for music, calendar use will be next most important. Phone and internet surfing would be limited to just a few minutes each day (less than 10 minutes for phone and not much more for internet).

    I am considering the Nokia N8, Apple iPhone, or HTC Aria or Wildfire. But I do not know much about any of them now because I've been using BB for as long as I remember and I have an iPod Touch for music.

    Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.


  5. #15

    Join Date
    May 2007
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    599

    In this case, you would be best to get a basic voice plan, and maybe add-on a basic internet package.

    For example, at smartone you can get a $51 voice plan, and a $38 data package which gives you 50MB a month. If you go over the 50MB, then the max you will be charged is $298/mth.

    Rayzilla likes this.

  6. #16

    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    this is useful to know, ECLF, but do you have any examples? Just cruising around the big providers like PCCW and 3 is useless - they don't tell you anything that will cut their commission. My son has just arrived for a few months, and pre-paid is working out pretty expensively - what you describe is what we need, but websearches aren't producing any answers either. Thanks.


  7. #17

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    Jun 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by seattleite:
    I haven't been able to figure out how mobile plans work here in Hong Kong. It may be intuitive to others, but I have read through quite a few threads here and still don't understand what would work best for me.

    I also visited some stores in person but the salespeople were unable to explain the plans adequately for me to understand it. (some language barrier as well)

    For example, I went to the Smartone website and they have various contract plans linked to different phones. There is a prepayment of, say, $2000, with an 18-month contract, and a monthly fee of $398 for the biggest plan. So, is the prepayment just another way of saying I am paying $2000 for the phone?

    Then I hear that you can just buy whatever phone you want individually, so that you are not tied to a contract. So is this option where I buy a phone I like, and then just pay for a sim card and pay a monthly fee to get service?

    Maybe I'm just dense. Also, I'm not interested in prepaid, and I don't mind signing a contract -- but I don't want to if the cons outweigh the pros -- I just don't understand enough to know what my options are.
    When I first got to HK I already had a phone and I signed up to a pay monthly credit agreement without a tie in with three. I've since changed that to a two year contract with PCCW and save about 40 percent. I would just buy a cheapie Chinese phone and get a pay monthly sim but I don't care about data plans/phone cameras/games, etc. I just want calls/sms and battery life. Also, I have big goofy fingers so I can't even use a blackberry :-)