Anyone have a prepaid wireless phone?

[DmansPadge]

Doesn't their plan work something like $0.25 for the first few minutes and then cheaper as the call goes on? I would also like a plan that the minutes roll over... not sure if Virgin does that. I believe the TracFone does. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[gsxr1100]

tracfone minutes carry over but the downfall is you MUST buy a new minute card every 3 months.

 

[dlabrie]

Mike, I thought you had to buy a new card every 2 months.

 

[gsxr1100]

it was either 2 or 3 months..I do not have a tracfone anymore so I am not 100% sure.

 

[jayhawkRoy]

The wife and I both have Tracfones. We each purchase the one year card that gives you at least 150 minutes per year for about $95 (exact number of minutes offered for the $95 varies sometimes you can get a cheap/free phone, as part of their deals), and it has worked out fine. Have found very few "dead" areas of coverage, and certainly no worse than my son's or daughter's (who have regular contracts with Verizon). My primary purpose is to have an emergency phone, and my cost is $8 per month to meet that requirement. That is the cheapest way I could get an emergency phone, after looking at other plans. I always carry over extra minutes from the previous year's contract, so I have never purchased extra minutes during the year. I don't do long conversations on the cell phone, so this program suits me.

 

[gsxr1100]

That is weird. I had Snet and nextel and I could nto even get a signal in my house (kitchen). Now with verizon as my house and cell phone (all one) I get a signal down in my basment....

I figure $59 a month is not too bad for house & cell phone with local and long distance.

If I did not do this situation, I would keep a tracfone.

 

[skent]

I've been using tracfone for three years now. I usually buy a 1 year card, comes with 150 minutes, then I just buy when I need to. I only use my phone when i have to, (and I don't babble for hours a month). A one year card for $75.00 and a $50.00 fill up half way through usually last me the year. (avg of $10 month).
My daughter uses Verizon pay as you go, (better coverage then tracfone). buys a $30 card every other month to keep active. She can do it over the internet and use a CC.

 

[dlabrie]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( A one year card for $75.00 and a $50.00 fill up half way through usually last me the year )</font>

Mike. When you add the $50 fill up, Does that extend your contract year?

 

[skent]

no. not unless you do it toward the end.
for example, i buy my one year card around september 2004. It keeps my service active untill sept 2005. it also gives me 150 talk minutes. (sometimes, like right now, they offer an additional 100 minutes for free). Then around march, when i start running low on minutes, i'll pick up a 50 card (gives me 200 more minutes, but only 2 months of activation). the additional 2 months of activation runs concurrent with my 1 year card, so it dosen't help in that respect. but i typically use the cell phone less than 30 minutes a month, and it ends up costing me less than $12 a month for the security of having a cell phone.
for some, like me, it works out good. for others who need and use a cell phone a few hours a day or more, it's expensive.

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

Anyone have an update on this thread??

Our 17 year old just got a car. We would like to get her a phone JUST for emergencies, she wants a phone to talk to all her friends. If I go with Verizon it is $39 a month, if I go with TracFone with a one year card, 300 minutes, it is $130 plus $20 for the phone. I know this will not make her happy but will make me happy since I am paying for it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I think we will go with the cheaper version. Am I missing anything, any cheaper alternative, any down side here other then not having a happy teenager? TracFone does have coverage in our area.