A Phone for $42

Amazon sells this: Alcatel Ideal 4G LTE Unlocked 4060A Android 5mp 8GB Quad Core Desbloqueado

But what it is, in fact, is the AT&T GoPhone - that has been unlocked. But all the paperwork that comes with it, has not been changed - which makes it useless for anyone who tries to use it.

I managed to pry the back off, and insert the battery - that was already partially charged. But since there is no SIM card, I can do nothing with it. In a few days, I will take it to my Wireless provider, here in Costa Rica, and they will provide a SIM card, for the phone number I already have - from a previous phone.

This this deceitful advertising? As far as I am concerned: Yes. AT&T wants to break into the Latin American market - that is tightly protected, with higher prices. And this is their way of doing this - on the sly! Many people here, bring in purchases with their luggage - without declaring them to Customs.

I had to pay $24 to bring it into Costa Rica - but the company who is flying my purchases in from Miami, is under considerable pressure - and may go out of business. Latin America is corrupt, in many ways - and living down here, you learn how to deal with this.

Today, about week later, I took this phone to my Cellular provider, down here in Costa Rica. I explained I needed a SIM card for my new phone. No problem. The nice lady took the back off my phone, removed the battery, so she could access all the phone info printed behind it. And plugged a new SIM into my Phone.

Then she went through a long process of getting my Phone registered with their computers. Everything has to talk to everything else, and all kinds of information has to be transferred back and forth. She was swiping right, swiping left, swiping up - and doing similar things on her computer also.

I now have the only GoPhone in Costa Rica. But it works just like any other Android.