Tracfone?

[calie_j]

I'm really frustrated with our cell phone bill. We currently pay $75-80 per month for 2 phones that share 600 minutes with free nights and weekends. This seems really expensive especially since we barely use half our available minutes and we live in a rural area and don't get service inside our home.

Anyone using a tracphone who can give it a or ? Can we save money switching to tracfone? How is the reception especially in more rural areas? Any problems with the phones or battery life?

Edited to add: which card would be the best to buy if we go to tracfone? Is the yearly a good deal or stick with the 60 day? Or do yearly for mine since I rarely use it and 60 day cards for H who does use around 100 minutes/month? And can I use their referal program for H and each of us get the bonus 100 minutes since we have the same last name?

Thanks, Calie

 

[Nevergrow'nup]

I'm not sure about tracfone but we have a virginmobile prepay phone. You buy the phone and then buy the minutes. You only have to add minutes every 3 months. This was first my DH's until he started using too many minutes. Now we have a shared plan and use this phone for the kids. I think how these phones work is that each company (Ex: tracfone, virginmobile, etc) sell their own phones to use with their minutes. So before you buy the phone you need to know which one you will be using. I can't help you with coverage out there but I know VM has good coverage in the east coast.

 

[ceecee]

We have Tracfones. We paid nothing for the phone (due to a rebate). The one year card is $99.00 and gives you 150 minutes. You can always get free minutes too. DH just got 200 free minutes when he bought his new card....350 minutes plus 150 still left from last year. We only use phones for emergencies, not in check out lanes at stores (my pet peeve) so we never use too many minutes. We have never been unable to call anywhere either. We take the phone on vacations and it has worked everywhere so far. Very happy with it!

 

[disneysnowflake]

I've had a Tracfone for probably 6 years, maybe longer.
I'm still using my original phone, too. It's outdated looking, but I only use it if it's an emergency or if I find something in a store someone is looking for.
I just now had to purchase a new battery. I bought 2 batteries on ebay with shipping for about $8.

You have to purchase airtime every 2 months. You can carry over your minutes if you don't use them.

We used our Tracfone to call my parents to make sure everything was okay. The Tracfone went through fine. It was clear.

If you talk a lot then Tracfone isn't worth it. If you need a phone for emergency you use once in a while then it's worth it. I believe it's like $20 for 30 minutes of phone time, and you have to purchase that every 2 months in order to keep your number.

 

[mom2alix]

We have one and it's been great. I did the one year card and got a bunch of free minutes too. They're always sending us codes to get free additional minutes when we add minutes too. DH rarely travels for work, but it has worked perfectly every time and it's definitely a much better price than the monthly plans if you don't talk on the cell that much.

 

[LisaNJ25]

Edited to add: which card would be the best to buy if we go to tracfone? Is the yearly a good deal or stick with the 60 day? Or do yearly for mine since I rarely use it and 60 day cards for H who does use around 100 minutes/month? And can I use their referal program for H and each of us get the bonus 100 minutes since we have the same last name?

Thanks, Calie

Yes, you can refer hubby. Just use a second email address.

If you need a referral for phone just PM me. Once someone refers you, you will get 100 minutes.

Once you sign up than send him a referral. That way you will get another 100 minutes and he will get his 100.

You will each also get 20 minutes for activating the phone online.

 

[PiRSquared]

Love my tracfone. My DD15 had one first and I switched when I realized how much I could save. I got the year card with the extra 250 minutes and with referrals, etc, I now have over 500 minutes on my phone. I called to get my daughter's phone a new year card and they gave her an extra 250 minutes on top of the free 250 minutes. I get better service than my husband's work phone which is Cingular. I highly recommend them. They used to run a promotion to port your number to your new phone and get another 100 minutes free.

 

[moniot]

Love my Tracfone. I live in NW WI middle of nowhere

I had an older Tracfone and I had no signal. Now I have a Motorola V60i and the signal is fantastic for me. Even in my house I don't do the yearly thing just add minutes as I need. When you buy minutes on line you can add on extra time (months) it you want for 5 or 10 dollars. I have them for my kids also. I tried the referal thing and was never able to get it to work. I don't know what I did wrong. Their website is easy to use, for both buying minutes and adding them to the phone.

 

[MrsPete]

We pay about $100/month for three cell phones, and I understand what you mean. We lose minutes every month, despite having some roll over. When I added the third phone, I tried to get a plan with fewer minutes, but this one was the best deal because it allows me to pay X amount for the first phone, then add up to four more phones for 9.99 each.

I checked our bills for a couple months, and I figured that each of us is averaging 100 minutes per month, which doesn't sound like a huge amount to me.

So I looked into Tracfones, but I decided they aren't for us. The straw that broke the camel's back: Airtime means placing OR receiving a call. So right now, with our traditional phones, if I call my husband's cell, only I am "charged" minutes. If we switched to Tracfones, we'd BOTH have minutes deducted for the same call -- with Tracfone, airtime means outgoing OR incoming calls. So, since most of our cell calls are mobile to mobile, instead of using 100 minutes per month, we'd each be using 200 minutes per month.

I'd love to decrease our cell phone bill, and for a person who really only talks a few minutes each month, this could be a winner. But it's not for us.

 

[mtblujeans]

If you check out the web site, you can order a time card and get a free fone. I got them for my kids and they work just fine!

 

[plummer925]

I have a tracphone and LOVE it! I paid $40 for the phone, and $150 (about) for a 1 year card with 300 minutes that doubled minutes when you bought new minutes (i.e. buy 100 minutes, get 200, etc).

I have spent a total (with the initial cost) of less than $300 for it and have had it for 6 months and currently have 1016 minutes on it (which will last me at LEAST 3-4 more months!). So, $300 for a minimum of 10 months of service! yea!! I also plan on buying 3-4 of the 800 minute cards before my double minutes expire in September so they will count at 1600 minutes each, then just buy a 20 minute card every 3 months to "keep the service" until I run low on minutes then I will re-buy a 1-year double minute card again and do it all over.

My phone is a Motorola - I opted for the $40 phone instead of the free phone - only because it was "cuter" - how dumb is that?! If I had to redo it, I would get the free phone (my husband has a free phone that he got from Tracfone and he gets better reception than I do).

I live in the valley in Maine - so it's wooded, and low - and I have hardly any signal at home, but when I had "regular" cell service I also had no signal.

I love my tracfone - I've looked into regular cell service and would NEVER switch back at this point!!!

Edited to add: If you get more than one for your household, be sure to "refer" eachother - that's what DH and I did - I referred him - We each got 100 bonus minutes for it!!

 

[granmanh603]

Question for those who understand.....I bought and activated my phone last FEB I added min and then added a year so now I have a June date on the window of my phone.....but reading it says you have to add min every 60 days or 365 days.....does that mean I have to add from 365 days since I first bought or just add before the June 06 date to keep my minutes....I love my phone and just thought you might help. Carol

 

[moniot]

The air tank info on your phone is the date you go by. Everytime you add minutes that information changes. As long as you add minutes before that date you are fine.

 

[Imzadi]

Calie, here are a few past threads with a lot of info about Tracfones. Many of us here have them & we love them.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=967141

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=10941561&postcount=17

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=983009

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=983188&page=2&pp=15

 

[plummer925]

Question for those who understand.....I bought and activated my phone last FEB I added min and then added a year so now I have a June date on the window of my phone.....but reading it says you have to add min every 60 days or 365 days.....does that mean I have to add from 365 days since I first bought or just add before the June 06 date to keep my minutes....I love my phone and just thought you might help. Carol

No, the June is the correct date. WHat probably happened is this (I say this because it happened to me) -

You bought the yearly card which added 365 days to your plan, but when you added minutes, it adds an extra either 60 or 90 days to the plan. THat's the max number of days you can have unless you put another yearly plan on it.

Always go by the date on the phone. If you think the date is incorrect (not in your favor) contact tracfone about it - their customer service is good, but slow (thankfully it's an 800# - just call from a landline and don't use your tracfone minutes - I was on the phone for about 40 minutes last time I called!).

 

[granmanh603]

Thanks so much..Thats what I thought but DSL called and was confused and she had read something on the Tracfone site about adding every 365 days. Then she got me confused....It really wouldn;t make sense any other way. I had sent her one of those referral emails so we could both get 100 free minutes and that plus the new phone minutes that came with it and she bought a year card....so she was confused then confused me.
I love the phone I live in the woods and it works here and better than my old expensive service but as others have said I really don't use it alot. Got it to take to Disney!!!!!

 

[plummer925]

Got it to take to Disney!!!!!

That sentence just reminded me of something that I LOVE about my Tracfone!

If you are in your "home area" you use 1 unit, and if outside your "home area" it is 2 units (as I'm sure you already know!).

Well, DH and I went on a cruise to Bermuda last October. My Tracfone not only worked when other peoples cell phones didn't work (becuase of being in a foreign country), but it still only used 2 units - MUCH cheaper than calling on a payphone, or other "regular" cell phones. I was so psyched that it worked in Bermuda!!!

Just wanted to share!

 

[granmanh603]

That sentence just reminded me of something that I LOVE about my Tracfone!

If you are in your "home area" you use 1 unit, and if outside your "home area" it is 2 units (as I'm sure you already know!).

Well, DH and I went on a cruise to Bermuda last October. My Tracfone not only worked when other peoples cell phones didn't work (becuase of being in a foreign country), but it still only used 2 units - MUCH cheaper than calling on a payphone, or other "regular" cell phones. I was so psyched that it worked in Bermuda!!!

Just wanted to share!

Just for your or others info some areas the phone they send you is 1 unit everywhere don't ask me why...when I put in my daughters area code I got a different set of phones and they were 1 unit nationwide????? As for me you are right 2 units at Disney but who cares I was paying 0ver 40 a month with Verizon and never got close to my 300 minute quota, so was paying $40 for nothing. Carol

 

[Trixiezzz]

...If you are in your "home area" you use 1 unit, and if outside your "home area" it is 2 units ....

I think it depends on which phone you buy.

I have the Nokia 1100 Tracfone and love it! Because it has 1 rate nationwide with NO roaming.

That means 1 minute=1 unit where ever you go.

PLUS, right now you can get the phone free (refurbished, but mine was like new) with a 60 min card for just $19.99.

We did this and use it for my DD and the occasional vacation phone ~ since my regular cell charges for roaming and this one doesn't.

So for $19.99 you get a phone, 60 minutes of airtime (+60 days of service), and 20 minutes of airtime for activating online (+60 more days)...and if you get a referral you get 100 more minutes (and 60 more days).

That's 6 months service and 180 minutes and a phone for twenty bucks! I've been very happy with mine!