Net 10 - prepaid carrier

[mammador]

Has anybody seen these Net 10 adverts (with a British guy who looks like Ricky Gervais)?

Is prepaid really not that popular in the US?

 

[MagickMan]

From what I've seen, prepay phones are just really awful. Cheap, crappy junk that's only good for making a call in an emergency.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Biggest Fans of Pre-Paid in America:

-People with poor credit

-Organized crime, adulterers, drug dealers, and terrorists

-People who have way lower than the average number of contacts (and therefore less phone needs)

 

[QueBert]

I do pre-paid because it's much much cheaper, I still get the Verizon network but it's less than half the price. Even without getting the price of my phone subsidized I'm saving a ton of money. And on a lot of the pre-paid carriers you can bring any phone you want. In my opinion only idiots would willingly pay 2-3x as much. My neighbor told me "yeah I pay more, but I get Verizon's great coverage" I tried to explain that Page Plus uses Verizons Towers so I got exactly the same coverage he did, he just doesn't get it. Because he'd still rather pay $90 a month to Verzion because Verizon's better lol.

 

[cardiac]

I do pre-paid because it's much much cheaper, I still get the Verizon network but it's less than half the price. Even without getting the price of my phone subsidized I'm saving a ton of money. And on a lot of the pre-paid carriers you can bring any phone you want. In my opinion only idiots would willingly pay 2-3x as much. My neighbor told me "yeah I pay more, but I get Verizon's great coverage" I tried to explain that Page Plus uses Verizons Towers so I got exactly the same coverage he did, he just doesn't get it. Because he'd still rather pay $90 a month to Verzion because Verizon's better lol.

I also use PagePlus. Have been with them 2 years. Went from over $100 a month to $59 a month for the wife and I. She has a Droid 1, and I use an HTC Incredible. 1200 minutes - 2000 texts - 100mb of data for each of us a month. The 100mb is more than enough (I use about 2 megs a day checking emails), and the rest I do over WiFi....
My 14 y/o son is on the 2000 texts a month plan (He does not CALL anyone) for $10.95...

Can't beat it.

Bob

 

[zerocool84]

I do pre-paid because it's much much cheaper, I still get the Verizon network but it's less than half the price. Even without getting the price of my phone subsidized I'm saving a ton of money. And on a lot of the pre-paid carriers you can bring any phone you want. In my opinion only idiots would willingly pay 2-3x as much. My neighbor told me "yeah I pay more, but I get Verizon's great coverage" I tried to explain that Page Plus uses Verizons Towers so I got exactly the same coverage he did, he just doesn't get it. Because he'd still rather pay $90 a month to Verzion because Verizon's better lol.

Well those "idiots" as you call them get to have good phones and you're stuck with an older phone. That's why people go with post-paid.

 

[QueBert]

Well those "idiots" as you call them get to have good phones and you're stuck with an older phone. That's why people go with post-paid.

I had a Droid 1 5 months after it came out, could have had it the day it came out but I wasn't in a rush. I'm not stuck with anything, and I save over $400 a year. I actually have a much bigger selection of phones, people on Verizon can only use Verizon phones and that's it. Where I can use either Verizon or Sprint phones.

 

[Lemon law]

Color me a track fone user for may a year, I bought my track phone for like $20.00 on flea bay, its lithium battery needs recharging like once in six months, its costs me less than $8.50 a month, and because it piggy back rides the Verizon network, as a mobile user I seldom if ever find myself in a dead area.

Now if I lived on my phone as a phone acholic, trackfone would suck, but even if I have excellent credit, trackfone meets my needs. At $8.50 a month, whats in your wallet? Eat eat eating you out of house and home?

When I can find a cheaper alternative, I will go with it.

Far be it for me to tell anyone else what to do, but its my money and my decision. After nearly a decade of always meeting my needs, its always been there for me every time I needed it. And now I am sitting on over 30 hours of rollover minutes.

 

[mammador]

From what I've seen, prepay phones are just really awful. Cheap, crappy junk that's only good for making a call in an emergency.

So how come most of the good phones are contract in the US? In Europe, there often is an option.

I personally prefer pre-paid, and have got decent phones this way. It's a higher upfront cost, but I don't have to follow a contract and do as the carrier says for 2 years or so.

 

[Anubis]

I do pre-paid because it's much much cheaper, I still get the Verizon network but it's less than half the price. Even without getting the price of my phone subsidized I'm saving a ton of money. And on a lot of the pre-paid carriers you can bring any phone you want. In my opinion only idiots would willingly pay 2-3x as much. My neighbor told me "yeah I pay more, but I get Verizon's great coverage" I tried to explain that Page Plus uses Verizons Towers so I got exactly the same coverage he did, he just doesn't get it. Because he'd still rather pay $90 a month to Verzion because Verizon's better lol.

page plus is just as expensive as the VZW unlimited plan and you get no data

 

[QueBert]

page plus is just as expensive as the VZW unlimited plan and you get no data

P+ is $45 a month with no taxes, and you can find discount codes to get it for $41'ish. VZ's unlimited is $69 + taxes out the wazoo. That's at least a $35 difference, $40 if you get the card at a discount (which you always can) I wouldn't say almost 2x as much $$$ is just as expensive, but that's just me. If you add data to Verizon it's $30 more for "unlimited" which is really just 2 gigs. Plus VZ doesn't offer unlimited texting (only mobile to mobile) $20 for 5,000 texts, So after taxes VWZ's somewhere around $130 bucks. If you need a lot of data VWZ will be cheaper, but you can get unlimited minutes + around 500 megs of data on P+ and still pocket close to $25 a month over Verizon.

 

[Anubis]

the cap isn't 2 not even close, ive used over 4GB every month for the past year, no throttling no nasty letters

and i was factoring in my discount from work which is why i was wrong on numbers. i pay 1/2 of what you wrote for VZW, without data it would be even less. IIRC data is 20 not 30

 

[simonizor]

the cap isn't 2 not even close, ive used over 4GB every month for the past year, no throttling no nasty letters

and i was factoring in my discount from work which is why i was wrong on numbers. i pay 1/2 of what you wrote for VZW, without data it would be even less. IIRC data is 20 not 30

You recall incorrectly. It is $29.99.

On topic: I'm looking at going with PagePlus for my gf. She was using Verizon, but her contract is up, and she's looking for something less expensive. She pays $60 for 900 minutes, a texting plan (something like 1000 I'm not sure how many or how much she pays for it), unlimited calling/texting to/from 5 people, phone insurance, and no data.

With pageplus, she could get 1200 minutes, 2000 texts, 100mb of data (which she wouldn't use very much at all), for $30. I can get her a Palm Pixi Plus for $55 on Amazon, which is much better than the dumbphone she's using now. It's not that she particularly wants a no contract plan; it's just the best option right now. The two main carriers in our area (US Cellular and Verizon) don't offer anything even close to what PagePlus offers at $30.

 

[Bman123]

I use virgin mobile with no complaints, sure my phone was $150 but for $25 I get unlimited text, unlimited data and 300 minute's

 

[shortylickens]

Net is owned by Tracfone. They have slightly better phones and plans but thats not saying much. I'd rather go with Virgin Mobile.

 

[simonizor]

Net is owned by Tracfone. They have slightly better phones and plans but thats not saying much. I'd rather go with Virgin Mobile.

Might not be an option if Sprint isn't available in the area. It isn't here, and Virgin doesn't work here.

 

[uli2000]

The problem with prepaid in the US is that carriers want to bury it so deep no one can find it. It isn't profitable to them. MVNO's have done a decent job, but they are bound to the rules the major carriers force them into. Before recently switching to Verizon, I had consitered Page Plus, but the lack of unlimited data was a deal breaker. The only MVNO who has unlimited data is Virgin Mobile, and you can argue that since Sprint bought them out they are not even really a MVNO anymore.

Plus, cell phone carriers have got us hooked on subsidised phones. At first it was 1 year, now 2 years, and before long, I'm sure we will see 3 year contracts just like they do in Canada. People just don't seem to understand that their free Droid, or any free phone for that matter, really isn't free. They just tack the price onto the cost of service and bleed you for 24 months.

 

[lothar]

P+ is $45 a month with no taxes, and you can find discount codes to get it for $41'ish. VZ's unlimited is $69 + taxes out the wazoo. That's at least a $35 difference, $40 if you get the card at a discount (which you always can) I wouldn't say almost 2x as much $$$ is just as expensive, but that's just me. If you add data to Verizon it's $30 more for "unlimited" which is really just 2 gigs. Plus VZ doesn't offer unlimited texting (only mobile to mobile) $20 for 5,000 texts, So after taxes VWZ's somewhere around $130 bucks. If you need a lot of data VWZ will be cheaper, but you can get unlimited minutes + around 500 megs of data on P+ and still pocket close to $25 a month over Verizon.

Wait...Prepaid plans like Pageplus, Virgin Mobile, and others don't come with those insane taxes?

Interesting.

 

[Anubis]

Wait...Prepaid plans like Pageplus, Virgin Mobile, and others don't come with those insane taxes?

Interesting.

if true how do they get away with that?

 

[gsaldivar]

if true how do they get away with that?

Taxes are included as part of the advertised price.

Btw - I also have multiple family members on Virgin. They all love their Android phones, almost as much as they each love saving $400/year compared to the major carriers...

 

[cardiac]

You recall incorrectly. It is $29.99.

On topic: I'm looking at going with PagePlus for my gf. She was using Verizon, but her contract is up, and she's looking for something less expensive. She pays $60 for 900 minutes, a texting plan (something like 1000 I'm not sure how many or how much she pays for it), unlimited calling/texting to/from 5 people, phone insurance, and no data.

With pageplus, she could get 1200 minutes, 2000 texts, 100mb of data (which she wouldn't use very much at all), for $30. I can get her a Palm Pixi Plus for $55 on Amazon, which is much better than the dumbphone she's using now. It's not that she particularly wants a no contract plan; it's just the best option right now. The two main carriers in our area (US Cellular and Verizon) don't offer anything even close to what PagePlus offers at $30.

I have been on the TNT1200 plan at PagePlus for almost a year. I check email about once a day, and with WiFi, the 100mb of data is always more than enough. I have no complaints with PP at all, especially if you find a good dealer. I use http://www.kittywireless.com.

If you look around, you may find the Palm Pixi even cheaper. www.bensoutlet.com had it for $39.95 last week...

 

[soulcougher73]

Wait...Prepaid plans like Pageplus, Virgin Mobile, and others don't come with those insane taxes?

Interesting.

In VM i just pay sales tax on my $25. It came to like $27 and some change. But you pay no other taxes or fees.

 

[v8envy]

I have Virgin Mobile, wife has Simple Mobile. You don't even have to pay sales tax if you simply top off every month. I'm literally paying $25 + $40 = $65 out the door for two lines with unlimited data & text & 300 minutes (of which I use like 30) on one phone, unlimited voice + text on the other.

The cheapest t-mobile 'smartphone' plan was close to $100 by the time the ~25% crap fees kicked in. Postpaid fees simply don't compare to prepaid value wise.

 

[lothar]

Which prepaid carrier allows you to bring your own device and have unlimited data(preferably, but 4GB might be okay too)?
I don't care about unlimited minutes or unlimited text. 450 minutes and 250 texts are more than enough especially since you can use Google Voice to bypass those restrictions anyway.
And whose network do they use(Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc...)?

I don't care about spending $500-600 for a phone out of contract.

In order of preference:
Bring your own device >>>>> Verizon network >> Unlimited data(4GB or more) >>>>>>>>>> unlimited minutes/texts do not care about.

Is there any prepaid carrier who phones are not crap? Besides Optimus on Virgin Mobile which is barely good enough, it seems most of the phones are crap which is why "bringing your own device" is important to me.

 

[QueBert]

Which prepaid carrier allows you to bring your own device and have unlimited data(preferably, but 4GB might be okay too)?
I don't care about unlimited minutes or unlimited text. 450 minutes and 250 texts are more than enough especially since you can use Google Voice to bypass those restrictions anyway.
And whose network do they use(Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc...)?

I don't care about spending $500-600 for a phone out of contract.

In order of preference:
Bring your own device >>>>> Verizon network >> Unlimited data(4GB or more) >>>>>>>>>> unlimited minutes/texts do not care about.

Is there any prepaid carrier who phones are not crap? Besides Optimus on Virgin Mobile which is barely good enough, it seems most of the phones are crap which is why "bringing your own device" is important to me.

Simple Mobile lets you bring your own device and has unlimited data, but it's GSM, not sure who's network they use. MetroPCS + Cricket both let you bring your own device, but they're on their own networks, in my area Metro has great coverage, but I can't speak for anywhere else. Only pre paid on Verizon's network I know of is Page Plus, you can bring your own device, but the data is 100 megs max, then it's .15 a meg.

While I don't know how it's done, I've seen people with their own phones on Boost Mobile (non Boost phones) which is Nextel + Sprint's network. Not Verizon but good coverage in a lot of areas. The BYOD to Boost seems like a gray area when you Google it, some swear it's illegal, others claim it's not so long as you do it correctly. I cannot figure out which it is. Boost's unlimited everything.