Walmart Family Cell Plans

[dancer_mom]

Looking to cut our bills and a friend told me they save a ton by getting their cell phone plan through Walmart. I don't get it!!! How is it so cheap? What's the catch?

Right now we have basic phones, no frills, ALL we need is unlimited talk and text. 29.88 for a family plan unlimited talk and text???? WHAT?

I want it to be true... is it? This would save us almost $50 / month.

 

[TravelMommy]

Would love to know more info on this, Do you know what company it is through?TIA

 

[dancer_mom]

It's T-Mobile. That's why I don't understand why I would be paying more being WITH T-Mobile right now.

However upon further research I was looking at per line prices... so DH and I now pay 79 per month for 2 lines through T-Mobile unlimited talk and text. With walmart plan it would be 29.88 for the first line and then 24.88 for the second so a total of 54.76. Not nearly the savings I thought but 15 dollars/month is 180/year which is significant to us.

 

[TravelMommy]

Thank you! I am going to look into I am with you, savings is savings!

 

[JB2K]

It's T-Mobile. That's why I don't understand why I would be paying more being WITH T-Mobile right now.

However upon further research I was looking at per line prices... so DH and I now pay 79 per month for 2 lines through T-Mobile unlimited talk and text. With walmart plan it would be 29.88 for the first line and then 24.88 for the second so a total of 54.76. Not nearly the savings I thought but 15 dollars/month is 180/year which is significant to us.

For, essentially, the same service -- the "Walmart Family Mobile" phones look/work/smell like any T-Mobile handset.

In all seriousness, $180 saved is always a good thing...

 

[dancer_mom]

For, essentially, the same service -- the "Walmart Family Mobile" phones look/work/smell like any T-Mobile handset.

In all seriousness, $180 saved is always a good thing...

Thank you... I guess the only catch I could think of was that my sister doesn't have unlimited minutes and uses regular T-Mobile.... would that still be considered within the companies mobile to mobile free minutes for her if I switched to going through walmart?

 

[JB2K]

Thank you... I guess the only catch I could think of was that my sister doesn't have unlimited minutes and uses regular T-Mobile.... would that still be considered within the companies mobile to mobile free minutes for her if I switched to going through walmart?

I believe mobile-to-mobile would be free, since "Walmart Family Mobile" does have T-Mobile branding on the phone cards/handsets they sell.

(There are other "no-contract" carriers who carry calls over the T-Mobile network, such as TracFone and SIMple Mobile -- obviously, T-Mobile's mobile-to-mobile thing wouldn't apply to those carriers).

 

[Theaberdeenkid]

If you're willing to try, look at Republic Wireless. They have an unlimited voice/data/text smartphone plan that starts at $19 a month

 

[dr&momto2boys]

Are there any cheaper plans that have coverage areas like Verizon? I used to have T-Mobile and hated it. As far as I know Verizon is the only carrier we can get coverage on at our lake house.

 

[anniemck]

Straight talk is $45 a month unlimited talk/text/data as long as you do not stream... I have it on AT&T tower before they stopped selling the AT&T Sims, now they have T-Mobile sims as well as phones that run on Verizon and Sprint. They have programs where you can bring your own phones, or buy theirs...

 

[disneychrista]

Straight talk also offers $30 for 1000 mins/1000 texts for your basic flip phones.

 

[MomToOne]

If you're willing to try, look at Republic Wireless. They have an unlimited voice/data/text smartphone plan that starts at $19 a month

I've been watching Republic Wireless for awhile now - it'd be a great plan to put DD on, but the reviews of the service and the phone are not high at this point. The only phone available has some issues, as does the service. Take time to read reviews and really learn about the service before you jump. It could be a good deal for the right person in the right circumstances, but could also be wrong for many people.

(I watch Androidcentral.com and Howardforums.com for the reviews.)

 

[ceemys]

Does anyone know of a basic cell phone, talk only, no data, no texting nothing extra. This is for an emergency home phone.

 

[JB2K]

Are there any cheaper plans that have coverage areas like Verizon? I used to have T-Mobile and hated it. As far as I know Verizon is the only carrier we can get coverage on at our lake house.

Yes, Page Plus Cellular is such a carrier (and as they exclusively use dealers, one of the most prolific dealers on the internet is Kitty Wireless)

 

[JB2K]

Does anyone know of a basic cell phone, talk only, no data, no texting nothing extra. This is for an emergency home phone.

My best advice is to go to Walmart or Target and buy a $10 TracFone (flip phone or "candy bar" phone), and load it up with a 1-year service card.

Your OOP/upfront expenses would be about $100 for 1 continuous year of cell phone service with about 800 minutes at your disposal -- more than enough for a phone you say is for emergencies only.

 

[DawnM]

They said new phones are coming. They said summer, but obviously that didn't happen.

I am concerned because we used to have Sprint and it worked just ok but then when they put in new towers to "upgrade" we no longer got service at our home.

So, we cancelled Sprint.

We are told Sprint will now work again but I don't know anyone local who has Sprint to try it out!

If Sprint would work, this would be a perfect deal for my older boys and possibly even for me, but I don't want the current phone offered.

I even thought of getting a cheap boost phone and pay as you go for the meantime just to try out the Sprint towers.

Dawn

I've been watching Republic Wireless for awhile now - it'd be a great plan to put DD on, but the reviews of the service and the phone are not high at this point. The only phone available has some issues, as does the service. Take time to read reviews and really learn about the service before you jump. It could be a good deal for the right person in the right circumstances, but could also be wrong for many people.

(I watch Androidcentral.com and Howardforums.com for the reviews.)

 

[Theaberdeenkid]

Virgin Mobile.
I switched a few months ago from Verizon. Two thumbs up

 

[JB2K]

Are there any cheaper plans that have coverage areas like Verizon? I used to have T-Mobile and hated it. As far as I know Verizon is the only carrier we can get coverage on at our lake house.

Yes - there is an Android smartphone, the "Samsung Galaxy Proclaim", sold by sister brands Straight Talk and NET 10 -- this phone carries its' calls/texts/data over the Verizon national network.

 

[luvmy3]

Are there any cheaper plans that have coverage areas like Verizon? I used to have T-Mobile and hated it. As far as I know Verizon is the only carrier we can get coverage on at our lake house.

Does anyone know of a basic cell phone, talk only, no data, no texting nothing extra. This is for an emergency home phone.

I use Page Plus, they run on the Verizon network. You can purchase a phone through them, or you can BYO Verizon one. They have no-contract monthly rates as low as $12 a month (that is what I use), my dd and dh pay $29.95 a month for their phones.

My dses have basic qwerty phones that are used for emergencies only at this point. I pay $10 (each) every 120 days, so $30 a year for them

 

[MOpGrad2013]

Learned something interesting about the emergency home phone. Even if you don't have landline phone service, plug a phone into your jack and dial 911. It will work! Legally, the phone company has to allow that call to go through. It's part of that 911 fund charge on all our phone bills (land and cell).

We have this set up and we asked our local law enforcement about it...yep, they said we should definitely do it. And our new home has a security alarm that links in the same way.