> From: Squeechie <boner@mail.utexas.edu>
>Jeff Okamoto worte:
>>CuSO4 wrote:
>>> * You buy a "Pretty Services" Tu-ka phone at around 4500-4800 yen.
> >Buy the phone?  What happens when you leave?  Can you keep it for when
> >you come to Japan the next time?
>
> yes...  you would just have to have Tuka reactivate it next time you're in
> and depending how long off that is...  you may have to get a new number

You own the phone.  You can reactivate the phone yourself by activating a
new Pretty Card within the Phone Service contract period, that is, 120 days
after your previous Pretty Cards's value expired.

The Pretty Service agreement attached with the phone does not specify on
what you could do if the contract already expired.  You might need to
contact Tu-ka Cellular Tokyo to see if you can keep your numbers.

> >> * Call rates to any phone (mobile, PDC, PHS, home, etc.) in Japan
> >>   are the same at 50 yen per 30 sec.
> >
> >Ouch!  Even the highest-gouging rates around here aren't much more than
> >$0.50 per minute.
>
> for visitors its not quite as bad as it sounds...   that's $1 a minute but
> only if you make outgoing calls I think...  you can recieve and talk all
> you want... and also make normal payphone calls if you need to reserve
> your time...

You are correct.  I forgot to mentioned all in-coming calls are free of
charge.  The Pretty Card is 3000 yen, so you can make 30 min out-going call.
If you want to preserve the value on your card, use the phone to receive
call only, and utilize public phone for out-going call like Will mentioned
above.  However, for a visitor, 30 min should be more than enough for 1
trip.  If you are a local resident, I do not think this service suit you.

Also, if you have friends all over Japan, then this fix rate structure is
good for you.

--
'CuSO4' Yung
cuso4@cuso4.com, cuso4@manbow.com, chyung@hknet.com, cuso4@cuso4.org