Tracfone referral ?

[JulieEck]

I searched here and read a lot of threads regarding TracFone but still have some questions.
It seems that redeeming bonus minutes or the referral minutes also gives you bonus time too? If so, how much? 30 days, 60 days?
I've bought a TracFone for my dad for Christmas from WalMart. He'll use it for emergencies, for trips from GA to VA and WI (how close are you? and we're running late - be there at 9 instead of 8 ) and the ever popular Mom calling Dad who is on his way to the store because she forgot that she also needed xxx too.
The phone comes with 10 minutes and 60 days. I was thinking about purchasing either one of the year service cards. My dad is too busy and I don't want him to have to remember to add another card every 60 days. In what order should I do things? Activate the phone, do the referral then add the card OR activate the phone, add the card, then do the referral? Should he wait to do the next things until he is close to the time expiring or doesn't the time add up together like the minutes rolling over?
Any help is greatly appreciated!
OH! And does the email need to go to him or can it come to me and I can do it as long as I have certain information regarding the phone? (We live about 4 hours apart)
THANKS!

 

[LisaNJ25]

When i first activate the phone online I got 20 free minutes and the phone was good till 2/13( I activated it on 12/13), When I got the code from the referral email I entered the code in and it added to more montth until 4/13. My phone also came with a 40 free minute card. I am not going to add that card until either my son uses up his minutes or it gets closer to the April date.

What I did for the phones I bought as gifts is setup the accounts online and activated the phone in the persons names and use my email adress. (but I used a different one for each person). After I give them as gifts they can change the email address to theirs and the accout is all set up for them.

If you dont have a referral yet and need one please let me know

 

[mainewmn]

I got a Trackfone for DS and I need a referral. Its not activated yet as I really didnt want to brake the nice plastic casing it came in. Do you think he will have trouble activating it on Christmas?

 

[JulieEck]

When i first activate the phone online I got 20 free minutes and the phone was good till 2/13( I activated it on 12/13), When I got the code from the referral email I entered the code in and it added to more montth until 4/13. My phone also came with a 40 free minute card. I am not going to add that card until either my son uses up his minutes or it gets closer to the April date.

What I did for the phones I bought as gifts is setup the accounts online and activated the phone in the persons names and use my email adress. (but I used a different one for each person). After I give them as gifts they can change the email address to theirs and the accout is all set up for them.

If you dont have a referral yet and need one please let me know

Thanks! I had not thought of getting the phone out and actually setting it up for him. I'll have to consider that since knowing him it would be March or later before he even got around to opening it and looking at the instructions! Are you limited to the number of referrals you can give out? If not, please go ahead and send one to me. I'll pm you with my email address. Thank you!

This will also keep the initial cost down. 110 minutes (plus 20 more for online activation?) should last him awhile and I might just add more doing the 60 day ones until next Christmas. Let's see, Father's day, Grandparent's Day, Birthday, hmmm... Then I can buy the year service card next Christmas and not have totally blown my budget this year!

 

[maggiew]

What I did last year for my DD was to carefully cut the bottom of the plastic package. I took the phone out, set it up, then put the phone back in. I neatly put a strip of tape to hold the plastic packaging together and then wrapped it. My DD was so excited that she didn't even notice it had been opened.

Maggie

 

[LisaNJ25]

I got a Trackfone for DS and I need a referral. Its not activated yet as I really didnt want to brake the nice plastic casing it came in. Do you think he will have trouble activating it on Christmas?

If you still need a referral email me at lisarodriguez@optonline.net

Christams is fine.. You have 30 days to activate it after you get the referral email

 

[mtblujeans]

I just added more time to my son's fones. They are having an offer, now, that if you activate or add airtime before Dec. 31, you get bonus minutes each time you add airtime in 2006. I always spend the extra $5 and add another 30 days to their minutes.

Also, the bonus code for this month is 53600 that you get an additional 50 minutes when you add/purchase 200 minutes until the end of December.

 

[JulieEck]

Hmmm, I definitely have to activate Dad's phone before the 31st to take advantage of that offer! I'm not sure when we'll actually see them to celebrate Christmas/exchange gifts and I was going to wait as long as possible so we don't "waste" any days, but that'll be worth it I think. We may actually see them that weekend too. Then I'll get the bonus mintues all year for him when I add the cards. That will work til next Christmas and I'll probably go with the year card then. Thanks!

 

[Tink&PrincessMom]

If anybody can help, I could use a referral for DS new phone. Thanks!!

 

[S. C.]

If anybody can help, I could use a referral for DS new phone. Thanks!!

p.m. me with your email address if you still need a referral & i will send you one.

 

[Tink&PrincessMom]

Thanks everyone, I got a referral!! What would I do without the DIS!!!

 

[Caleb's Mom]

A bit OT but I need to know what kind of reception you all are getting on your TracFones. Wanted to get one for my parents for Christmas but decided against it because they live in a very rural area with the closest bigger city being a 30 minute drive away -- all the sales people I talked to told me Traks get their best reception near major highways and larger cities. What's been your experience?
This would be a great gift for them because it would buy ME some peace of mind when they travel around as they are getting older.
Any other hints?
Thanks everyone & Merry Christmas!!!

 

[Tink&PrincessMom]

We live 40 miles or so from the big city(Atlanta) and our signal is great with Tracfone!

 

[Imzadi]

Hmmm, I definitely have to activate Dad's phone before the 31st to take advantage of that offer! I'm not sure when we'll actually see them to celebrate Christmas/exchange gifts and I was going to wait as long as possible so we don't "waste" any days, but that'll be worth it I think.

Julie, if you look at my post HERE , you'll see that I think these "bonus" minutes will be permanent. It's almost impossible NOT to get the new rates. I agree about not wasting any days.

 

[knation5]

DD got a tracfone and I'd like to get a referal to get extra minutes!! She got a 100 minute card to use.

THANKS!
Kayla

 

[S. C.]

DD got a tracfone and I'd like to get a referal to get extra minutes!! She got a 100 minute card to use.

THANKS!
Kayla

p.m. me your email address & i will send one to you.

 

[Imzadi]

It's official on Tracfone's website, I was helping a friend activate & we got this message:

"We've just lowered our airtime rates. You'll start receiving the benefits of our new lower airtime rates the next time you add airtime."

So it's not a temporary bonus special.

60 minutes (was 40 min) $19.99
120 minutes (was 100 min) $29.99
250 minutes (was 200 min) $49.99

A bit OT but I need to know what kind of reception you all are getting on your TracFones. Wanted to get one for my parents for Christmas but decided against it because they live in a very rural area with the closest bigger city being a 30 minute drive away -- all the sales people I talked to told me Traks get their best reception near major highways and larger cities. What's been your experience?
This would be a great gift for them because it would buy ME some peace of mind when they travel around as they are getting older.
Any other hints?
Thanks everyone & Merry Christmas!!!

On the Tracfone website, there is a place to enter your zip code to see if they have coverage in your area.

Tracfone doesn't have their own cell service, per se. What they do is RENT cell service from existing major carriers in your area. Instead of getting a Verizon cellphone, & only having serviced dedicated to Verizon, when I've traveled, the Tracfone SWITCHED to whatever carrier was available to me, in that area.

When I've been in the boonies with friends & we all turned on our phones. The Sprint people almost never had coverage because of the all digital network. If there was a carrier out there that Tracfone works with, I usually had service. Something to think about whether you decide on a cellphone carrier, Tracfone or otherwise. Of course, in some areas, none of us had any service.

Tracfone does give you 30 days to RETURN your phone if you find out, it doesn't have enough service/coverage for you or not the plan you want. I think this is what the "reconditioned" phones are that Tracfone is selling for the $30 +100 minutes. When you return a used phone, Tracfone has to wipe the old telephone number from it's memory before selling it again.

Last January & Feb, they had a whole slew of "reconditioned" phones on sale on their website. I'm assuming they were Christmas returns.

 

[mainewmn]

I got a referral from another Trackfone user for my DS phone. I followed on screen instructions and got to the part where it said that an email would be send to me with instructions how to ad minutes within 48 hours. Its been 3 days now and still no email. What should i do?

 

[ARIEYELLOW]

I know what you mean I also just did the same thing for a friend of mine and I haven't received the email either. This is the second time I have had trouble with this promotion!!!!

 

[S. C.]

I got a referral from another Trackfone user for my DS phone. I followed on screen instructions and got to the part where it said that an email would be send to me with instructions how to ad minutes within 48 hours. Its been 3 days now and still no email. What should i do?

Call them and don't give up. We had this happen one time and we did get the minutes.