Prepaid cell phone services

[BrokenArrow]

I just recently bought a tracfone from wal-mart. I don't use it much. I mainly wanted something for emergency situations, especially when I am out motorcycle riding. I know there are several pre-paid cell phone services out there. I was wondering if many people used them, what your opinions were of the different services, and who has the best deals?

 

[FoBoT]

terrorists use tracfone, so that must be the best
stick with tracfone

 

[Mermaidman]

Good question and I'm interested in getting one for my Luddite parents.

I was leaning towards Virgin Mobile, but the biggest flaw I've seen in (all?) pre-paid plans are the limited life of pre-paid minutes and the need to renew every so often. :|

 

[JEDI]

http://www.gobeyondwireless.com/

~$0.10/min

Min never expire if you use it once per 60 days. (ie: 1min)

 

[BrokenArrow]

Originally posted by: Mermaidman
Good question and I'm interested in getting one for my Luddite parents.

I was leaning towards Virgin Mobile, but the biggest flaw I've seen in (all?) pre-paid plans are the limited life of pre-paid minutes and the need to renew every so often. :|

thats one of the things I was thinking about too when I bought it. But still spending 20-30 bucks ever couple of months (as long as you dont use it much) is still a lot cheaper than the cheapest monthly plans other services offer.

 

[BrokenArrow]

Originally posted by: JEDI
http://www.gobeyondwireless.com/

~$0.10/min

Min never expire if you use it once per 60 days. (ie: 1min)

You still have to purchase new minutes at least once every 15 to 90 days, not just USE the ones you've already bought. From their FAQ's section...

"Q. How long do I have to use my airtime?

A. Airtime is good for 15 to 90 days after the reload, based on the reload value. To extent the time you have to use your airtime, simply reload airtime with an expiration period greater than or equal to the current expiration period on your account."

 

[Fraggable]

If you buy from Tmobile, you can buy a $100 card to start out with, making yourself a 'premium customer' or something like that. From then on your minutes expire in 12 months instead of 2.

My mom did that and has paid $120 for minutes over the last 2-3 years.

 

[dr150]

I like TMobile. They have annual renewals like everyone else, but it can only be a $10 refill for the following year. Initially, the $100 pre-paid card gives you the best bang/buck minute/dollar-wise

In comparison, other cheap services like Virgin, etc require periodic top-offs. Eventually, if you're a low user, the Virgin minutes start adding up and up. After 3 years, you could end up with hundreds of minutes you don't really need.

In that regard, TMobile wins out as $10 will keep the accound active for the second calendar year vs. say another $120+/year minimum with other services.

Another benefit is that Tmobile phones work on the GSM technology, so in Europe and other overseas places, you can buy a cheap prepaid SIM card and you're good to go....

 

[Mermaidman]

I didn't know that about T-Mobile. Thanks!

 

[BrokenArrow]

Anyone else want to chime in on this topic?

 

[PokerGuy]

Been using Tmobile for a while and am very happy with it. You can get a phone and a sim card on ebay for very little money, then spend $100 to get 1000 minutes that are valid for at least a year from tmobile. If you don't use your cell phone a whole lot (like I don't), you can use those 1000 minutes over an entire year for $100, instead of getting ripped to the tune of $45 per month on some useless plan.