There are other problems that are not obvious. One for example was that
a west coast service provider had a production run made of Motorola
Timeports that where 1900 mHz only, not 900/1800/1900. They still show
up, some sold as if they were triband by private individuals that don't
know the difference and some just sold as that model, with no mention
of the band coverage.

Unfortunately people assume that they are getting the triband model
when they are not.

Another thing to be careful is to make sure a unit bought for use outside
of the U.S. has a multivoltage charger.

Batteries are another issue. In constant use with frequent, if not daily
recharging, Lithium Ion batteries last me about a year. A used phone is
no bargain if you have to buy an unanticipated  battery for it. Some phones
for example, the Motorola 3xx series have non replaceable batteries.

Apple ran into similar problems with their iPods, but Motorola has not
seemed to have learned. My C330's second battery is about to go, the first
having been replaced under the now long expired warranty. My wife's c380
is under a service plan, we'll see what happens when it goes.

If you are visiting friends or family in a foreign country IMHO you should
ask if they have any phones that are no longer in use. For example, the
Nokia 5110 and it's D-AMPS (5120/5125) and 1800 or 1900 mHz cousins were
made by the zillions and in many places you can still pick up a new
battery cheaply and easily.

They are easily unlocked via the web or a freeware windows program, although
many were sold unlocked. They are not small by modern standards or have many
modern features, but for the cost of a replcament battery, rescuing one
for use on a vacation makes a lot of sense.

You could also ask if there are any bargains, for example, a friend picked
up a reconditioned 5110 for 300 NIS ($65) from Orange Israel complete
with a new battery, a pay as you go SIM and a 230 volt charger.

Geoff.