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$6.66/month - Free2Go Wireless is once again HOT.

S

stellar678

Junior Member
Recieved in the mail on March 30 from AT&T:
"stay connected for only $10 - on April 2, 2002, the new $10 AT&T Free2Go Wireless card will be available."

The cards will (as all their other cards do) last for 45 days, and any time you have remaining will be rolled over if you add a new card. If you want lots of minutes, buy one big ($100?) card, and make sure to buy and activate $10 cards every 45 days to keep all your minutes activated.

To get started (and make about $5, including shipping):
(yes this is on at least one older post)

1. Phoneshark.com has the Nokia 5165 Free2Go package for $39.99
2. Nokia $50 rebate for activating your Free2Go Phone.

Making the total cost $39.99 + shipping (was $5.10 for me) = $45.09 - $50 (rebate) = YOU MAKE $4.91

The original package should be enough to keep your service active for 90 days. It includes a $25 prepaid card, and a mail-in rebate for another $25 prepaid card. When you've used those up, you can simply purchase CHEAP $10 cards from the AT&T Wireless Website, keeping your service active for another 45 days each time.


I had stopped using them because the rates had gone to about $18/month, and prepaid is not quite as free as they make it sound. I personally think it's not worth it for $18/month, but at $6.66/month what's there to lose?
 
i'm new to prepaid...i been paying 29.99 for a spare cell...
and just expired. now wondering if i should go for the 19.99(60min) plan or try prepaid...
how is this 6.66/mth?....and how many minutes is that?
 


<< i'm new to prepaid...i been paying 29.99 for a spare cell...
and just expired. now wondering if i should go for the 19.99(60min) plan or try prepaid...
how is this 6.66/mth?....and how many minutes is that? >>



It is actually $10 per 45 days (that's how he gets the $6.66/month figure).

The $10 card is $0.50 per min for the local plan (they also have a nationwide no-roaming charges plan at a higher rate), so that will give you 20 min worth of talktime for 45 days. The more expensive cards have better rates.

If you're not an avid cell phone user and just want to have one for emergencies, this is perfect.
 
Actually, Verizon's prepaid program is a better deal. First of all, with the cards you buy, the minutes last for 60 days. You can also buy minutes with a credit card over the phone, and you can spend as much or as little as you want. Unfortunately, the minutes you buy over the phone only last 30 days, but as long as you keep buying more, you won't lose them. So theoretically, after the start-up cost(s), you could get by at $12 a year.

ph
 
Make sure you check out Alltel...I have a PP plan that allows me to keep my minutes as long as I want as long as I make 1 call a month so the 60 min @ 20.00 in theory could last over a year at .35 cents a min. great for that once in a while call!
 


<< Actually, Verizon's prepaid program is a better deal. First of all, with the cards you buy, the minutes last for 60 days. You can also buy minutes with a credit card over the phone, and you can spend as much or as little as you want. Unfortunately, the minutes you buy over the phone only last 30 days, but as long as you keep buying more, you won't lose them. So theoretically, after the start-up cost(s), you could get by at $12 a year.

ph >>



you wouldn't happen to have any more info on that, would you? i hardly use 30mins a month and am paying verizon like $38/month after taxes 🙁
 
[qyou wouldn't happen to have any more info on that, would you? i hardly use 30mins a month and am paying verizon like $38/month after taxes 🙁[/i] >>



Same here. I used to have a Nextel that I paid $65/month after taxes. I don't even use it that much, but it's good to have a cell phone handy.
 
Ecallplus is a much better deal, and uses your AT&T phone.
The differences: Ecallplus offers $20 cards that don't expire for 90-days. Same price as AT&T, but they only charge 40-cents per minute. Ecallplus also offers UNLIMITED FREE 2-way text messaging. Yes, that includes sending! AT&T charges 10-cents per message.

So Ecallplus is the best Prepaid deal, hands down, especially considering how handy 2-way text is if you have a phone that offers predictive text input. You can then communicate for free. Can't beat that.
 
Phatty106, I just called Verizon CS and the person I spoke to knew about the $1/month deal, but said that it ended a few months ago. Now it's a minimum of $15/month.
 
Another benefit of eCallPlus is the roaming (or lack). Their plan seems to *include* the nationwide roaming at no additional charge. AT&T bills at a higher rate if you select that plan (and I don't recall what happens if you are not on the plan and are out of your home area).

Does anyone have any firsthand knowledge of how the two vary out of your home area? Do incoming calls reach you?

 
The Free2Go Prepaid phones act like a normal cell phone no matter where you are. In my experience, incoming calls still come through while roming out of my home area. I was on the national plan, but I believe it's also the same for the (more minutes for the same amount of money) local plan.

I'm not sure about those from eCallPlus.

 


<< The Free2Go Prepaid phones act like a normal cell phone no matter where you are. In my experience, incoming calls still come through while roming out of my home area. I was on the national plan, but I believe it's also the same for the (more minutes for the same amount of money) local plan.
I'm not sure about those from eCallPlus. >>



ecallplus uses the AT&T network. The coverage is the same. Roaming etc. are the same just cheaper.
 
slycat, what don't you understand?

kewl, it is true that eCallPlus does have better airtime rates. Bottom line cost per any given period of time is the same though. AT&T offers local phone numbers in areas not covered by eCallPlus, the one pertinent to me being the whole of the San Francisco Bay Area. The package for AT&T is much cheaper (60 dollars so with an included phone).

The main advantages I can see with eCallPlus are:
  • Free nationwide roaming
  • Free international (not just domestic) long distance
  • Slightly better airtime rates.
(Their customer service via email is quick, but not very helpful. They didn't follow thru when I asked them to check on something for me, instead they told me to search the Usenet archives.)


The advantages to Free2Go:
  • More areas served with local numbers.
  • Possibly more helpful customer service.

With this in mind, my suggestions would be:

Go with eCallPlus if:
  • You live within a service area. Check here.
  • You plan to make more than a few calls a month.
  • You can benefit from free sending of text (SMS) messages.
  • You don't mind an upfront cost of about $100. ($50 if you already have a TDMA phone.)

Go with AT&T's Free2Go if:
  • You want absolute minimum cost.
  • You don't want to invest any money to get started.
  • OR You can't get a local number from eCallPlus.


I can probably link some of this if anyone would like me to. Let me know.
 
In a different post, someone said you don't have to buy Ecallplus' Starter Kit. Just call them up and they'll set you up for no charge.

You're also leaving out the best part of Ecallplus, free 2-way text messaging so you don't have to waste minutes for short communications.

Also around here, Ecallplus uses all of AT&T's towers so even in my hillbilly town I can get Ecallplus service. I already have a Nokia 8260 so the 5165 phone isn't particularly interesting.
 
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