What age to give dc cellphone? and which is the cheapest plan (Florida) thanks

[kiki02]

 

[bearloch]

a lot depns on what he will use for.. my DD has had one for a while now shes 13 got it at 10 but at first was only for when she went to friends house and when we were traveling to disney!

now she has a pay as u go from verizon u buy phone and we pay 50 a month for unlimited test, talk and web we r in Fl

good luck

 

[mjkacmom]

I think it really depends on the child! All of my kids got one when they started spending large amounts of time without us, and when it was really much more convinient for us for them to have them.

I'm running into a struggle with this now. Dd9 and dd11 spends hours a week at the dance studio, and dd11 has a phone, so no problem (the teachers have phones, but they're teaching, and there is no office).

However, ds9 could use one, now that he gets dropped off for practices almost every day, and there really is no set end time (and we live 5 minutes from the fields). There were so many times I wished he had a phone, instead of waiting and waiting for him to finish practice.

I think I will feel guilty about getting him a phone, and not his twin sister. It costs $10 a month extra for each added phone on my line.

 

[bjscheel]

DD got a Tracfone at age 12 1/2, 6th grade. The kids spend time at home alone now, and this way they don't have to answer the home phone. It also has been helpful in communicating with her classmates as we live out in the country away from her friends (a long distance call to our house, though that doesn't seem to matter these days).

Her Tracfone is triple minutes and I buy her a year at a time, so she gets a lot of minutes for what I think averages out to $16/month. She doesn't use it a lot, so there are no worries about running short on minutes. I also have Tracfone. DH is on Verizon, but he needs unlimited talk, so at this point it is still not worth it to upgrade to the family plan when Tracfone works for DD and me.

I will have another 6th grader this year, so another phone is probably in our future. That one I may have to worry about overusing it!

 

[darrengs]

I set my son up on Kajeet (kajeet.com), it worked out perfect for him $20/month for 150 talk minutes and unlimited text messaging. They also have tools to watch/secure the phone.

 

[Scotico]

You can always get them one of those ghetto plans from walmart (commercials on TV all the time where it's 45 unlimited everything.

 

[clh2]

I think it really depends on the child! All of my kids got one when they started spending large amounts of time without us, and when it was really much more convinient for us for them to have them.

I'm running into a struggle with this now. Dd9 and dd11 spends hours a week at the dance studio, and dd11 has a phone, so no problem (the teachers have phones, but they're teaching, and there is no office).

However, ds9 could use one, now that he gets dropped off for practices almost every day, and there really is no set end time (and we live 5 minutes from the fields). There were so many times I wished he had a phone, instead of waiting and waiting for him to finish practice.

I think I will feel guilty about getting him a phone, and not his twin sister. It costs $10 a month extra for each added phone on my line.

This would be my deal for the twins. They are at an age where they "could" share the phone, and whoever needs it the most at any one particular day carries it. So - if DS has practice - and DD9 is with DD11 both at the studio - then DS trumps over DD9 on those nights.

I agree - at that age - the phone is for the convenience of the parents.

 

[DawnM]

Ghetto plans?

I am switching to one of those "ghetto" plans and using an iphone on it.

I am far from "ghetto."

And I assume the OP does not need a $45 plan per month for her 9 year old. My 9 year old doesn't even have or need a cell phone.....is that below ghetto?

Dawn

You can always get them one of those ghetto plans from walmart (commercials on TV all the time where it's 45 unlimited everything.

 

[lisaross]

i use pagepluscellular - u get 100 minutes for 10.00 and have to refill only every 4 months!

I got a phone for my son a few months before going into middle school -- he would be taking the school bus - well to me its like an insurance but he never uses it! he's just not into the phone (guess i should be lucky)

It runs on Verizon lines - u get get a phone from them or if u have an extra phone laying around u could set that one up!

 

[kiki02]

i use pagepluscellular - u get 100 minutes for 10.00 and have to refill only every 4 months!

I got a phone for my son a few months before going into middle school -- he would be taking the school bus - well to me its like an insurance but he never uses it! he's just not into the phone (guess i should be lucky)

It runs on Verizon lines - u get get a phone from them or if u have an extra phone laying around u could set that one up!

thanks all. Lisa, if i get the page plus, can i use just any old phone? how does set up work and for the 100 minutes/10$ is it text too? thanks

 

[DawnM]

PagePlus doesn't automatically work on Verizon. It is dependent on the actual PHONE you use with them.

I am copying and pasting from another forum because I don't understand it all enough to explain myself. But PagePlus uses ATT, Verizon, and Sprint, and it depends on the actual PHONE you purchase or use with them.

The basic gist was that cell phones with model numbers that end in "C" use CDMA which is Sprint or Verizon networks. Model numbers that end in "G" are GSM and use AT&T or T-Mobile. Here's *some* info:


Dawn

 

[DawnM]

I have just spent a large amount of time researching all of these pre-paid.

If your child does NOT need a lot of minutes, here are a couple of options.

ATT GoPhone needs to be "topped off" at $25 every 90 days. Each call costs .10 of that $25. Each text cost .20.

If he uses even fewer minutes, here is a better option, and the one I purchased for my parents:

T-mobile has a prepaid. You need to pay an initial $100 to reach their "Gold" status. The $100 lasts a full 365 days and will roll over as long as you top it off at the end of 365 days. If you have reached gold status, you can top it off the following year with as little as a $10 top off, and that will last another 365 days! Each minute and text cost .10 of your pre-paid amount.

Dawn

 

[kiki02]

PagePlus doesn't automatically work on Verizon. It is dependent on the actual PHONE you use with them.

I am copying and pasting from another forum because I don't understand it all enough to explain myself. But PagePlus uses ATT, Verizon, and Sprint, and it depends on the actual PHONE you purchase or use with them.

The basic gist was that cell phones with model numbers that end in "C" use CDMA which is Sprint or Verizon networks. Model numbers that end in "G" are GSM and use AT&T or T-Mobile. Here's *some* info, but not as good as the other article:

http://techtips.salon.com/cdma-vs-gs...ice-20419.html

Dawn

gotcha. maybe lisa can just advise us which phone actually works for her dc.

 

[DawnM]

It looks like PagePlus is .05 per text and .10 per minute.

http://www.pagepluscellular.com/Plans/Standard Plan.aspx

 

[kiki02]

It looks like PagePlus is .05 per text and .10 per minute.

http://www.pagepluscellular.com/Plans/Standard Plan.aspx

cheapest I've seen I think. Just not sure i want to sepdn $50 on their phone for it to work. Serious budget on this one.

 

[DawnM]

cheapest I've seen I think. Just not sure i want to sepdn $50 on their phone for it to work. Serious budget on this one.

Some are in the $25-$30 range:

http://www.cheap-phones.com/ad-category/cheap-page-plus-phones/cheap-samsung-phones-for-page-plus/

I went with T-mobile for my parents because they have never texted and dont' know how! and they use very few minutes. I got $25 phones for each of them.

 

[luvmy3]

PagePlus doesn't automatically work on Verizon. It is dependent on the actual PHONE you use with them.

I am copying and pasting from another forum because I don't understand it all enough to explain myself. But PagePlus uses ATT, Verizon, and Sprint, and it depends on the actual PHONE you purchase or use with them.

The basic gist was that cell phones with model numbers that end in "C" use CDMA which is Sprint or Verizon networks. Model numbers that end in "G" are GSM and use AT&T or T-Mobile. Here's *some* info:

http://techtips.salon.com/cdma-vs-gs...ice-20419.html

Dawn

This is not true, Page Plus uses the CDMA network, it does not use GSM so you can't use any phone on it that does. You can use a CDMA phone from other carriers, but you can't use a GSM one.
There are other pre-paid carriers that use both technologies, and which one depends on your area, but PP only uses CDMA.

http://www.ehow.com/info_8082947_phones-can-used-plus.html

I am on the PP $12 "ghetto" plan and I'd rather be "ghetto" instead of paying $50 a month to say I use Verizon and being broke

OP, if you have very good Verizon coverage, PP will work well for you, but they use the Verizon pre-paid coverage map so its slightly different than the contract phone coverage. You can go to the VZ website and put in your zip on see if your area is covered.
My ds just got his first cell this summer, he's 11. I put him on the $10 standard plan every 4 months since its an emergency only phone. You can use an out of contract VZ phone (look on ebay) or you can buy a phone directly from PP. You can't pick up a VZ pre-paid phone from Walmart, or wherever, and activate on PP. I'm not sure about other carrier's pre-paid CDMA phones.

 

[DawnM]

Huh. I will have to double check. When I called them a while back, this is what I was told. In fact, they implied their main towers were Sprint, which is who I am trying to get away from.

Now, it is entirely possible I am getting my info mixed up. I researched a lot of different options over the last 2 months.

And please note I am not the person who termed the cheaper plans "ghetto." I was actually quite offended by that term. I was simply responding to him/her.

This is not true, Page Plus uses the CDMA network, it does not use GSM so you can't use any phone on it that does. You can use a CDMA phone from other carriers, but you can't use a GSM one.
There are other pre-paid carriers that use both technologies, and which one depends on your area, but PP only uses CDMA.

http://www.ehow.com/info_8082947_phones-can-used-plus.html

I am on the PP $12 "ghetto" plan and I'd rather be "ghetto" instead of paying $50 a month to say I use Verizon and being broke

OP, if you have very good Verizon coverage, PP will work well for you, but they use the Verizon pre-paid coverage map so its slightly different than the contract phone coverage. You can go to the VZ website and put in your zip on see if your area is covered.
My ds just got his first cell this summer, he's 11. I put him on the $10 standard plan every 4 months since its an emergency only phone. You can use an out of contract VZ phone (look on ebay) or you can buy a phone directly from PP. You can't pick up a VZ pre-paid phone from Walmart, or wherever, and activate on PP. I'm not sure about other carrier's pre-paid CDMA phones.

 

[luvmy3]

Huh. I will have to double check. When I called them a while back, this is what I was told. In fact, they implied their main towers were Sprint, which is who I am trying to get away from.

Now, it is entirely possible I am getting my info mixed up. I researched a lot of different options over the last 2 months.

And please note I am not the person who termed the cheaper plans "ghetto." I was actually quite offended by that term. I was simply responding to him/her.

They definitely use the VZ network, if they used any other I wouldn't have coverage at my house. The reason I switched to PP over other pre-paid is because they use VZ, I get no service with any other carrier here.

I know it wasn't you that used the term ghetto, I wasn't directing that part of my post to you, it was to the pp who said it.

 

[lisaross]

At first i purchased a phone thru them - basic phone then my son lost it so i used my old phone i had not sure which one it is - but if u have a phone, call them up and u can read the serial number and they'll tell u if it will work - u can buy a texting plan too, my son does not text - the $10.00 is for 100 minutes!

thanks all. Lisa, if i get the page plus, can i use just any old phone? how does set up work and for the 100 minutes/10$ is it text too? thanks