Biggest Cost-cutting mistake EVER...

[Mom2Ben02]

I went to Cricket for cell phone service. At best, the person I am talking to understands me enough to say "what?" - most of the time, it is "are you still there?!?". I am SO mad at myself. I paid $80 for the phone. Now, I need to figure out what I want to do.

What service (budget) do you have?

 

[abcboys]

I'm not familiar with Cricket but we have tracfones for me, DH, and 12 year old son. None of us are big talkers on the phone and we pay less now than we did when only DH had a cell phone thru alltel. Then we paid around $50-$55/month and now we only pay an average of $30/month or less for 3 phones. We have had no issues with them and service is decent. Never have trouble hearing others or others hearing us.

 

[livndisney]

I went to Cricket for cell phone service. At best, the person I am talking to understands me enough to say "what?" - most of the time, it is "are you still there?!?". I am SO mad at myself. I paid $80 for the phone. Now, I need to figure out what I want to do.

What service (budget) do you have?

Metro Pcs 40.00 a month for unlimited Talk Text and data. I think the phone was 60 but got a 50.00 gift card back. (They do have cheaper phones).

 

[Green Tea]

Virgin Mobile $25 month with unlimited text and unlimited data.

Where did you buy the Cricket phone? Some stores accept returns for 30 days

(It operates on Sprint network)

 

[eeyorethegreat]

I'm not familiar with Cricket but we have tracfones for me, DH, and 12 year old son. None of us are big talkers on the phone and we pay less now than we did when only DH had a cell phone thru alltel. Then we paid around $50-$55/month and now we only pay an average of $30/month or less for 3 phones. We have had no issues with them and service is decent. Never have trouble hearing others or others hearing us.

That has been the opposite of my experience. As far as Tracfone is concerned, it is a cheap way to go that is true. I have used it for years simply and only because I didn't want to be tied to a monthly plan but I have to say Tracfone has been nothing but a headache for most of those years when it comes time to add minutes. It doesn't matter if I do it online or straight on my phone. If I buy the minutes at Walmart or at Trafone. I always always have to make several calls to customer service which from what I understand isn't even in this country, to get my minutes applied. It is ridiculous. Cell coverage has been iffy and voicemail is unreliable. If you want a cell just for emergencies I suppose it would work but I am not one to reccomned it for convience because it is far from it.

 

[marie1203]

I haven't found those services to be a saving. We have spring free roaming, international calling plan, unlimited text and data and always have service. We pay $87 a month for both phones.

 

[JB2K]

I went "budget" on my cell phone, last month - bought a $20-something TracFone (with double minutes for life) and a 400 minute/1 year service card (which, in reality gave me over 800 minutes since my handset doubles minutes).

So far, so good (it should be noted that TracFone uses AT&T to carry calls/text messages in my market area -- AT&T has been around here in various incarnations since the 1980's...)

 

[gillenkl]

DH and I are tracfone users. We spend about $160 a year on our minutes. We bought a double-minutes for life plan so that helps plus I use codes for adding on extra minutes. Works for us. I add our minutes online and have never had any problems.

 

[bettymae1121]

I have t-mobile pre-paid. $100 worth of minutes lasts me about a year. I just got a "jail broken" iPhone so I use my t-moble sim card in that, and *poof*, I have an iPhone without the hassle of AT&T. If I need web access on it when I'm not at home (we have wireless at the house), I just pay $1.49 for 24 hours, or go to someplace with free wifi.

 

[Leader of the Club]

We used Cricket for years with no problems. It may be your phone, not the service. Sell the phone on craig's list and get a better quality phone.

 

[DawnM]

What does jail broken mean?

Dawn

I have t-mobile pre-paid. $100 worth of minutes lasts me about a year. I just got a "jail broken" iPhone so I use my t-moble sim card in that, and *poof*, I have an iPhone without the hassle of AT&T. If I need web access on it when I'm not at home (we have wireless at the house), I just pay $1.49 for 24 hours, or go to someplace with free wifi.

 

[hsmamato2]

for hassle free and cheap- tracfone or net10- just don't try to carry your current number to them...otherwise you'll get stuck in overseas phone call limbo just get the cheapo phone,(20.00 online) with double minutes for life,and add as needed- cheap and easy!

 

[englishteacha]

I had a tracfone for a few years, and DH still has his. Service was unreliable around here, but that's because we live in the sticks, not due to the phones. I added minutes every 90 days, usually $20 worth (60 minutes) and we rarely made much of a dent in them.

My friend gets the unlimited talk/text phone from walmart, $45 a month. It works great for her and there's no contract.

 

[Colleen27]

We switched to Metro PCS and couldn't be happier. We caught a BOGO offer so we paid $50 for 2 phones (and there were cheaper options), and our service is $70/mo tax inclusive for unlimited everything for both lines. We're saving $30/mo and have more included features, because our Sprint plan was talk-only.

 

[lisabarr]

What does jail broken mean?

Dawn

Illegally modifiying an iphone/touch to get free aps without paying for them

 

[Rob R]

Illegally modifiying an iphone/touch to get free aps without paying for them

Ok...

Couple of things. First of all, jailbreaking is legal. Apple doesn't like it, but it's legal. Pirating apps or other programs is illegal. Whether you do it on your iPhone or your pc. You don't need to pirate anything to jailbreak you phone. Jailbroken means you have the ability to add software or tweaks without using the app store. Many of these apps or tweaks are not free and you pay to get them. Just like your pc.

What the op of the jailbroken statement meant was "unlocked" not jailbroken. Unlocking a phone allows the phone to be used on another network. ie it is no longer "locked" to the original network. As long as you didn't steal the phone, you may legally do this as well.

In Germany, tmobile is the place to go to get an iPhone. Canada is another. The US is the only place held to AT&T.

So, maybe that creates more questions, but it should help set the record straight.

Not everyone who has a cd burner on their computer copies CDs for friends. Not everyone who has a jailbroken phone pirates apps.

 

[karice2]

Illegally modifiying an iphone/touch to get free aps without paying for them

Not trying to flame but this isn't true.

A jailbroken phone is a phone (not just iphone) but a phone that has been modified to work on any network, not the specific network that the phone was bought for.

Since Iphone is exclusive to At&T, a jail broken iphone is a iphone that will accept a SIM card from any cell phone carrier.

Doing this will void any warranty but it is not illegal.

 

[crazelion]

Not trying to flame but this isn't true.

A jailbroken phone is a phone (not just iphone) but a phone that has been modified to work on any network, not the specific network that the phone was bought for.

Since Iphone is exclusive to At&T, a jail broken iphone is a iphone that will accept a SIM card from any cell phone carrier.

Doing this will void any warranty but it is not illegal.

Wrong Iphone is not for to ATT any more. Verizon is getting the Iphone Feb. 4.

You can buy unlocked phones all the time on amazon and ebay all the time.

I am seriously considering buy unlocked LG phone with android from amazon.

 

[Rob R]

Remember: jailbroken means you have access to settings and the ability to add software outside of iTunes/the app store.

Unlocking means the phone may be used on another network.

Side note: AT&T and Tmobile are compatible once the phones are unlocked. Verizon stands alone. Your AT&T phone will not be made to work on verizon's network.

Just thought I would clarify just in case someone decides they are going to drop some cash on ajailbroken phone and can't get it to work on Tmobile.


Rob

 

[Pigeon]

Dh and I both use cheapo tracfones that have double minutes. I buy a year's worth of service for about $100 per phone. We aren't big talkers or texters and use the phones infrequently. For us, its the cheapest way to go, and it suits our needs very well.

I add minutes online, using codes that get extra free minutes. I've been doing this for both phones for years and have never had a problem doing it.

I have had problems getting new phones to activate. If you have to call Tracfone customer "service," be prepared to age prematurely. You will be on hold forever, and shuffled from one rep to another, all of whom will read from the same script, and will make you repeat punching in long streams of codes into your phone. Then, while you know it won't work, they will tell you it will and hang up on you. It will be many hours of your life you will never get back. Worst customer "service" ever.

We just upgraded dd13 to Virgin Mobile's $25/month plan a pp described. It's worked fine for the month she's had it. She, like most teens, texts a fair amount and it was the cheapest way to go for her.