Do you live in an Alltel service area - i.e. does Alltel have stores
in your area and offer its regular postpaid service?

I suspect this may be your problem...Wal-Mart and Alltel have
partnered for the "Simple Freedom" phone/service, which rides on
Alltel.  But I've always wondered what happened to folks who do not
actually live in Alltel service areas...who buy and activate the
phones.

The "two-stage dialing" is a symptom of your phone roaming on a
non-local network.

Mike

Unfortunately, this is normal for most prepaid-type cellular phones when
they are roaming off their home network.  You can buy a Simple Freedom phone
in off-network areas and still have it work, but you are roaming on another
network, most likely Verizon.

You can enter the whole sequence into your phone book with pauses in the
appropriate places.

Bill Radio
Click for Western U.S. Wireless Reviews at:
http://www.mountainwireless.com