British Expats - tracfone info pls?

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- - tracfone info pls? (https://britishexpats.com/forum/trailer-park-96/tracfone-info-pls-468639/)

Re: tracfone info pls?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silly Sod (Post 5100406)

That's what I was worried about. I would rather get the homing pidgeons than suffer such a rip off. In the UK (as I am sure you all know) with O2 if you put 10 quid credit on a month you get 150 free minutes and 300 hundred free texts (if I remember correctly) before you even start to use your tenners credit. And the incoming is free forever of course. So if you get a sim card and never put a penny credit on it you can always be reached on that number. Plus you can always change your sim card and go with another network if you don't like the one you have. Americans are being so royally ripped off by mobile phone companies. I don't know how they get away with it!!!

Years ago we had a TracFone...big rip off. $.50 /min going and coming (not sure if it's the same now) and $1.00 roaming/Long distance.

Last year we bought a Net-10 phone at Walmart for $30 odd...10 cents in and out all calls everywhere, no hidden charges...though you must renew minutes (300 minimum I believe) every 2 months. As we don't use it much, we pay $15/month for our cell phone.

Re: tracfone info pls?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ironporer (Post 5101789)

Yep! I just did the same thing a couple of weeks ago,just want a cell phone for emergencies.......bought a Tracfone as well,at first,then discovered what a rip-off it is,and it had a 30 day return warranty,so I took it back and got a Net 10....10cents a min,in and out,everywhere...Tracfone 25cents!..daft thing is they're the same company!!!...We have got a US Cellular contract as well,but it was cheaper for me to just get the Net 10 for amount it will be used.

Re: tracfone info pls?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silly Sod (Post 5100309)

I just picked up a flyer for tracfone. It leads me to believe that you get 90 days incoming calls, regardless of how many outgoing pre-paid minutes you have left, for 20 ( or 60 or 90 or whatever) dollars. Is this right or is it just more weasally worded BS. We want a couple of pay and go cells phones for emergencies only. It doesn't seem too important to have one here in the US for any other reason (though my whole life revolved around my phone in the UK lol).

If I am reading the blurb correctly it pans out like this. If I put 20 dollars on it I don't need to top up for 90 days and I get 60 mins call time. But, when the 60 mins runs out do I still get the 90 days service for incoming? Incoming is more importnat than outgoing as it is just so Mrs Sod or I can be reached should the car break down or some such. If for e.g. I was two hours late getting home from the store on the corner she could call me from the land line at home and vice versa. Anyway, this is rambling. Sorry, didn't sleep well last night lol. Can anybody clarify for me?

Look into Tracfone at Sam's Club. I got one from there with a 12-month "contract", i.e., didn't need to top up except every 12 mths. Perfect if it is an emergency phone only. I just used mine when I had visitors out (i.e., a phone for them to call me when they wanted picking up from the shops!) and to take with me when cycling out where the people still have tails.

Re: tracfone info pls?

they changed the T&C's on the bugger, so unless you spend $20+ you'll only get 45 days extra service from expiration of previous service date.

The minutes don't expire as long as you have valid service. If you don't top up before the end of service, you do lose the minutes though, and if you don't top up within x amount of days, 30 I think, you lose the number and have to register.

It's not really a good a deal as it use to be.

At least if you don't use it much, it won't cost much, as it's 1 unit for incoming/outgoing nationwide, including canada.

You can get a year long service card for $99...but look around, because some cards have 400 units, whilst some places have only 200 units.

Re: tracfone info pls?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silly Sod (Post 5100410)

Or even two cups and a bit of string lol.

Probably get fewer dropped calls using this too....lol

Re: tracfone info pls?

TMobile is still the cheapest PAYGO phone. There's no daily useage fee and unused minutes carry over if you buy enough. This was written a couple of years ago but still applies:
A Detailed Guide To Making Pre-Paid Phones Work For You
http://www.epinions.com/content_4576616580

Re: tracfone info pls?

Once your money ( minutes ) are gone on a Tracfone you can no longer make or recieve calls, you can however recieve messages or texts left for you while your phone was out of service when you top up your minutes.

Re: tracfone info pls?

Quote:

Originally Posted by wtkp0u (Post 5109444)

- but check their coverage. Where I was (eastern NC), there was no T-Mobile coverage.

Re: tracfone info pls?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mallory (Post 5100365)

when you buy a top-up card there will be a date on your screen, and you keep service until that date. If you top it up again, it extends your service by how many minutes you bought, and you keep the same tel number. If you ever let it expire, you lose your number. You pay for incoming and outgoing calls. You can buy a years worth of minutes, and then keep it for a year without doing anything (unless you use all the minutes). It's quite cheap if you don't use it much. You can buy cheaper minutes online with specials, and top it up online of course. You wouldn't get incoming calls if you go past the date on the screen.

I hear MetroPCS is quite good, although they don't have national coverage yet. My wife's daughter uses MetroPCS and she quite likes it. We are also now looking into getting a cell phone, we had a contract with T-Mobile, but it was too expensive.