Tracfone advice?

[rosarugosa]

After a couple of recent hideous commuting scenarios where it would have been really nice to be able to communicate with my DH, I think we're ready to buy a Tracfone. I figured we would just buy one for him to start with, since there are pay phones in all the train stations, and I would be able to get to a phone to call him; he just needs to be able to receive a call when he's in the car. I've picked out a phone on the website (Big Easy for $30). Then it looks like it costs about $10. per month to keep service active, unless I want to prepay for a year, then it is a little less. I thought I would try a month first before committing to a year. There's some type of extra "service plan" for $6.00 per month that I'm assuming isn't needed. Any thoughts or advice on my intentions? This is a big step for us into the last century! :)

[Rogar]

I am actually considering replacing my ancient Tracfone with an upgraded model and looked at their current models. Probably one of the first things I might compare is getting double or triple minutes and unlimited carryover. Even though I bought my phone for emergencies I do use up some minutes and it's nice to have some padding on my accumulated time. This time I'd like to spend a little extra and get one with a basic camera and android. There are a few apps I could use with android, for example I do a little bird watching and can see having a field guide on the phone.

That said, I've gotten by on a bare bones $9.99 version that came with double minutes for years and it's served my basic purposes.

[iris lilies]

I have the bare bones Tracphopne and think it's fine. I always forget to charge it, so it's not an effective tool for someone to call me. I do charge it up before long drives away from home.

If you are not used to a cell phone, that's something you'll have to do: put it on the charger regularly. Oh, these electronic masters dictate our time! haha.

[gail_d]

I have a Tracfone with triple minutes: an LG840g. I got it a year or two ago and paid about $30-$35 (don't know why they are so much more on Amazon these days). I just buy minutes when I need to. It's not a smartphone but it is well-designed and functional. Every time I feel a twinge of envy at my iPhone-owning friends, I simply ask them how much their monthly charges are--and I happily stick with my Tracfone.

[lessisbest]

We've used simple Tracphone flip-phones for at least 9-years. They have always cost us around $100 for a one-year subscription (plus the price of a phone the first time you buy one) and we never use all our minutes, which also roll-over each year. One year we were able to purchase the one-year subscription for $90 at Sam's Club, but they don't always carry the cards. Hubby up-graded his this year (I think it was $20 for a flip-phone with a camera) and was able to keep his same number and roll-over all his minutes to the new phone. If you have a Radio Shack near you, they have been really good about helping us with our Trackphones.

[Float On]

We've used Tracfone since we got rid of our contract phones about 15 years ago. I've never bought extra service plans, no monthly fees. I usually spend about $39 every few months to buy 90 days at a time and 200 minutes and have a phone that triples the minutes. Seems I always have at least a year on my time left to go, and it takes me 3-4 months to use 600 minutes. I've been very happy with Tracfone. We have 4. The boys being teenagers upgraded their original Tracfones so that they could have data. So they are paying for their own now since I don't see that as a necessity. I give them the money quarterly what I would have spent on just buying them time/minutes.

[pinkytoe]

I miss my simple Tracfone. A few months afo, I was starting to feel as if I needed a smart phone since coworkers and relatives only text these days. "Upgraded" to a AT&T GoPhone. Big mistake! I think I purchased my Tracfone at Walmart and the phone worked like a charm for 4-5 years.

[Float On]

I miss my simple Tracfone. A few months afo, I was starting to feel as if I needed a smart phone since coworkers and relatives only text these days. "Upgraded" to a AT&T GoPhone. Big mistake! I think I purchased my Tracfone at Walmart and the phone worked like a charm for 4-5 years. My tracfone slides open to a nice little keypad. I love that I can text on the tracfone since I hate talking on any phones.

[kib]

Our cellphone bill keeps creeping and creeping, I am contemplating going this route when the contract runs out. It's abusive; every time I have tried to tweak the plan to keep it in line with our needs, I am charge upfront for a month of service (and I don't see ever getting that back, because once you cancel the contract, they stop your service, or so it seems), and then if the tweak isn't working out, invariably the more useful plan is not offered any more. I have come to really hate cell service, even as I've come to rely on it. As usual, a useful idea "capitalized" to death. Capital Punishment, cell phone style.

Does anyone know if you can transfer your existing phone number to a tracphone?

[ApatheticNoMore]

I mostly hated the phones Tracphone had, I wanted a really basic dumb phone. And other prepaid phones are cheaper than Tracphone, if you don't use many minutes it's not the cheapest on the market, a little over $8 a month for the service is what I pay ($25 every 3 months, $100 a year, and I didn't know it did initially but the minutes do seem to carryover).

HOWEVER, I am still having reception issues near work (not a minor carrier either), I don't know if it's just that that place has particularly bad reception though as it isn't elsewhere. I'm still investigating it. So I'm not entirely satisfied with my non-Tracphone either.

[kib]

Republic wireless sounds like a good deal from what i can see. I upgraded to a smartphone about 18 months ago and this has been my experience:

I really, really love my phone. It can do so much, from being an alarmclock to being a flashlight to being a camera. It's really the only device I ever need, anywhere, for anything except long written work. I will say that android's not so great for web surfing - I don't like the dumbed down apps that won't give you full access, and if I didn't have a stylus I probably would be irritated with texting and other fine work, but it's adequate and sometimes it's just glorious.

I really, really don't like my cell phone carrier / plan: Verizon. What with the fees and taxes and surcharges and maybe this and I don't know if I have that, I'm paying at least $75 per month for a smart phone, and then my DH is paying almost the same for a not-smart phone because of our "deal" which isn't really a deal at all. I do not have unlimited data, and any time I forget and go with the phone's data instead of wifi, I wind up paying even more. The smartphone plans are much more expensive. I am not allowed to sign up for a not-smart phone plan even if I want one, because they are really amortizing the cost of my phone into my plan even though I paid $250 for it, and I will not be able to transfer this phone anywhere else because of the kind of ... internal something or other it has. I'm just sick to death of trying to figure out which plan is the best because I swear there's some infuriating unmentioned drawback with every single one that doesn't show up until after you've paid through the nose to switch. Oh, we have international calling "everywhere" so you're right on target to get our $$ extra plan! ... that is, everywhere except where you are. But four hours away, there's a tower, so you should just go there! What, you want to change your plan then? Sure we can help you! That'll be $75, thank you. No, we can't give you your old plan back, but we have this new one that's only $10 more than you're already paying. Ugh ugh ugh. A gigantic load of BS.

[pinkytoe]

Care to elaborate on why your "upgrade" was a big mistake?
It could just be the evil carrier, AT&T or the Nokia that I bought. I don't care for either one. They don't tell you when you sign up that data is extra over the monthly fee so I am not paying for data right now. So my $25 monthly fee plus taxes doesn't buy much other than phone service. If needed, I try to find public wifi for data. Honestly, I am on the internet so much at home and work, that I don't want it on a phone except when traveling. I would go back to Tracfone but hear that "re-porting" my number could be a nightmare. I don't know why all this has to be both complicated AND or expensive.

[JaneV2.0]

A flip phone with a camera? Hmmm, sounds interesting. I've been procrastinating installing wi-fi for months. I should get on that.

[kib]

Was just perusing some more and I note that since the Republic Wireless phones use wifi (voip) whenever possible to make calls (which is why it's inexpensive), it should be able to make outgoing calls anywhere in the world that there is a free wifi signal. My verizon phone doesn't do that, it only works with a certain kind of cell tower and a special $$$ plan.

Hey, Verizon! :moon:

[rosarugosa]

Well I just ordered a $30 Tracfone. It was really scary - I felt like I was selling my soul to Satan or something! :devil:

[nswef]

We've each had a tracphone for many years- husband and I. I purchase the yearly plan, basic Nokia phone-they had to exchange the phone early on due to lack of service with the Motorolas in our "dead zone" home area. Anyhow, I would highly recommend them. We've been happy. I am thinking of moving up to one with a keyboard so I could text more easily.

[Blackdog Lin]

Well I just ordered a $30 Tracfone. It was really scary - I felt like I was selling my soul to Satan or something

rosa, I can't imagine that you're not going to love having it. We've had our 2 TracFones for years (we're on our second ones, we upgraded to ones with double minutes and cameras) and are very happy with the service.

(Would I like to have a smartphone? Absolutely! It would be such an awesome toy for me. But that's exactly all it would be: a toy to play with. And it would cost 4-5 times as much a month to have. Nope.)

[kib]

Well we just ordered a phone from republic wireless - the $99 one (they only offer smartphones, that is the least expensive), with the $10 plan, which is unlimited talk and text, with the ability for unlimited data over wifi networks only (same as a tablet would do). DH has a separate virgin mobile phone for work that is always costing him $44 per month, with no data capability, and we also travel in mexico and have been spending $$$ to have a phone that we can use there, so if it works out this is good savings. They have a 30 day cancel and return policy so hopefully if it doesn't work out we're off the hook. Will keep you posted.

[SteveinMN]

It sounds like pretty much everyone has committed themselves to phone companies. But I'll toss in a couple of data points:

- Transferring your phone number ("number portability") is the law of the land. Unless there is a technical reason why it cannot be done, and as long as your account is in good standing, you can move your phone number from carrier to carrier. That said, some carriers do it better than others, which is why nightmare stories exist.
- The first rule in choosing a carrier is location, location, location. If they don't offer service where you want/need it, they could offer you a zillion minutes and a terabyte of data and it will do you little good. Don't choose a carrier just because they're cheap.
- I still don't like Republic Wireless. I know RW is a MMM darling, but it does not work well for everyone.

DW and I went prepaid. We have an iPhone and a Nokia smartphone (not the current Windows Phone model) on AT&T's native network for $53 a month combined. My plan offers 500 minutes of talk, unlimited text, and half a GB of data (which I haven't exceeded in the four-plus years I've owned a smartphone) for $40 plus some taxes. DW's plan offers 250 minutes (texts priced at half a voice minute) and data at 6.6 cents a MB. She has yet to go over or anywhere close to it, either. Her service costs $10 a month and offers rollover.

We could push the price down to $40 combined for both of us (on the same carrier) but I'm on GoPhone so I can legally tether my laptop to cellular Wi-Fi if I need to (I've tried the free wi-fi at places like McDonald's and coffeehouses; sometimes it's so overloaded it's useless).

My mom's "emergency" "dumb phone" costs $3.33 a month. Every three months she has up to 100 minutes of talk or up to 100 text messages; no data needed. She, too, has never bumped up against her limit even on trips and days spent at the ER. The service is AT&T native, which is the second-largest network in the U.S., so it's not like she is tied to hotspots or to major freeways.

A little planning and a willingness to buy the phone up front can save a bundle and give you the same or better service than you're enjoying now. I don't mean this to sound like a commercial; it's just an area of interest of mine. I'm finally happy with what we're paying for cell service. It's about half of what we were paying T-Mobile just a few months ago.

[Sad Eyed Lady]

My little basic Tracfone is the only cell phone I have or have ever had. I have used it for years, mostly on an "as needed" basis and my minutes have accumulated and accumulated. I do have a double minutes for life, but no plan, and no other charges. I just buy my airtime (and minutes) every 3 months, and while I am at it I look for bonus codes online. I can usually add 20 or 30 minutes ever time I buy my airtime/minutes. So with buying 60 minutes, then doubled with the double minutes for life, and 30 bonus minutes using a code, then I am getting 150 minutes for the cost of 60. Another plus, I now buy my Tracfone card at Kroger and that adds to my fuel points!

[lessisbest]

Sad Eyed Lady-

You're brilliant!!!! Thanks for linking the Tracfone air-time purchase with your Kroger store for the fuel points. I'm glad that tip didn't slip by me, and that's why I frequent the Simple Living Forum - to gather some fresh ideas. :thankyou:

[Oddball]

Question for you guys using TracFone: I notice some of the phones come with an email client. How many minutes does it cost to check and send email? Or do you have to buy a data card (in addition to an airtime card) to use the email feature? Or maybe emails are handled and charged like text messages? I don't see any info about this on TF's website.

[Sad Eyed Lady]

Question for you guys using TracFone: I notice some of the phones come with an email client. How many minutes does it cost to check and send email? Or do you have to buy a data card (in addition to an airtime card) to use the email feature? Or maybe emails are handled and charged like text messages? I don't see any info about this on TF's website.

Don't know - mine is old and not equipped to do much of anything except send and receive calls, and I can text with it.

[pinkytoe]

Just got screwed one more time by AT&T (don't go with GoPhone). Paid my $25 monthly rate fee the day before it was due, received confirmation and then today my phone went dead after a text said my account balance was insufficient. Somehow .25 cents had been deducted from the $25 I sent and the smallest increment I could add was $10 to get my service back. I did that but then they billed my card another $25 instead of $10. If I try to call, I enter robot call hell. I am convinced they actually design their systems and services to confuse and confound. I guess they figure that all customers using a prepaid service are either poor or stupid. They are of the devil:(

[Simplemind]

I only use my cell phone about once a week when I am on call with a volunteer job. We have used tracphones for years and have been very happy. I recently upgraded mine to a smart phone mostly for a back up GPS. I have to say that I can't believe how impressed I've been by this phone. Google maps is so much better than our stand alone GPS. When I have been out on calls I have run them side by side and the phone gives better instructions and then gives me a picture of the house/business when I arrive. Can't tell you how important that is when you can't find a house number. I keep forgetting it has a phone on it but I used it recently and was surprised at the picture quality. I went on a hike and used the phone and my camera. There was no difference in the quality. Now I will admit how anti tech I am. I am not a fan of texting. I find it tedious. My previous phone was the type with the sliding keyboard. I have fumble fingers on the smart phone and looked down and discovered you could do it by voice. Holy cow............ I prepay $99 for a year. For the GPS with as much as I use it, totally worth it.

[iris lilies]

Just got screwed one more time by AT&T (don't go with GoPhone). Paid my $25 monthly rate fee the day before it was due, received confirmation and then today my phone went dead after a text said my account balance was insufficient. Somehow .25 cents had been deducted from the $25 I sent and the smallest increment I could add was $10 to get my service back. I did that but then they billed my card another $25 instead of $10. If I try to call, I enter robot call hell. I am convinced they actually design their systems and services to confuse and confound. I guess they figure that all customers using a prepaid service are either poor or stupid. They are of the devil:(That is so crappy, ugh.

[kib]

I am convinced they actually design their systems and services to confuse and confound. I'm convinced just about all mega businesses do the best they can to get "oh %^*# just forget it" money. I've tried paying credit cards on the statement closing date because I wanted to get it over with, only to find there was an unmentioned pending charge slipped in at (frankly, after) the last minute, leaving me with an overdue balance. Any time I try to tweak our phone service, there is up front cost and then some elaborate pro-rating I can't for the life of me figure out in the next month(s). Ending cell service is a dribbly affair as well. If you pay interest one time on a credit card and then pay it off, you will probably wind up paying interest for aother month or two. Just try to cancel a gym membership without paying for something after you can no longer use the facility. Everything's set up to autobill into eternity unless you catch it on the bill and specifically cancel and even then it may not disappear. Unethical rubbish.

[pinkytoe]

Unethical rubbish.
It does seem very unethical and probably illegal. But they "gotcha" and so they continue.
It always vexes me how one has to wait 24 hours to see a credit but if you are second late you get charged a late fee.

[SteveinMN]

It always vexes me how one has to wait 24 hours to see a credit but if you are second late you get charged a late fee.
Same with (on-line but not on-line-only) merchants who start sending you emails even before you've finished placing your Web order, but somehow cannot manage to remove you from their spam firehose in less than "five to seven business days". Yeah. Sure. >8)

[JaneV2.0]

I have the GoPhone, and haven't had trouble with it--but Tracfone sounds pretty good. I'll file that information away for future use--like when I install my wi-fi and want to get a smart phone again. Thanks!

[SteveinMN]

Steve, why do you not like RW? Just curious.
For the right person, RW is okay. But:

- the phone choice is abysmal. A couple of phones and all the smartphones are Android (sorry; not interested in selling my life's story to Google). In addition, the phones are hard-locked to RW. If I buy a newer phone, I can sell my old iPhone 4 to anyone who can put it on AT&T, T-Mobile, or an MVNO/reseller of theirs. That's a wide audience of buyers that helps decrease my net costs in buying a newer phone. The only customer for that RW Moto X is another RW customer. And, at one point (maybe still), there were no customers: RW would not let you activate a used phone on their network. So if you lost/damaged yours, you could not buy something-anything to tide you over; you had to start all over again with the phone purchase because nothing else would work.

- "Public" WiFi is a PITB. Connecting requires finding someplace that offers it, firing up a browser to "log in", and then dealing with the quality of service they provide. Once on the road I had to upload some pictures to a client; I stopped at a nearby McDonald's. The connection was so slow I chose instead to tether my phone (and cellular data) and things finally went through. Then there are the security concerns of a public network. It's all a big hassle mitigated only by the fact that most RW customers are going to be using WiFi calling at home on (presumably) protected networks. I'm out and about too much for that.

- Sprint probably has the worst coverage of the major carriers. The point of a mobile phone for me is coverage. Without coverage, it's one more thing I'm carrying in my pocket. I don't need one more thing to carry in my pocket. Maybe if I lived on a coast. But I don't.

- The hype that surrounds RW doesn't stand up to the current state of wireless service. Especially if one is willing to go with Android, there are several ways to get mobile service that are just as cheap and do not expose you to RW's "gotchas". If their happy path works for you, that's fine. I wouldn't convince anyone otherwise. But I always advise people to look at the fine print and think about how they really use a mobile phone. RW is not for everyone.


Your wife's $10 ATT plan sounds interesting, though I'm not sure how fast data at 6.6 cents per MB would add up. Is that in addition to the $10 per month? Also, I don't see that plan listed on the ATT site. Maybe it's no longer offered?
Well, the "secret" is that the plan is offered by a company called Airvoice Wireless (obvious URL; don't want to look like I'm spamming :) ). Airvoice buys huge chunks of AT&T airtime and essentially provisions and bills that bandwidth as their own. The $10 plan is just a convenient chunk of telephone bandwidth: calls at 4 cents/minute; texts at 2 cents each, and data at 6.6 cents/MB in any combination.

DW and I are not big users of mobile data. She has a satellite GPS she uses, so she's not chewing up data with navigation. She uses data mostly to sync her calendars with work and her private calendar, to check work/personal emails and respond to the very urgent ones, and to update some (not all) apps in the background. She might hit a store's Web site to check their hours or location. She doesn't stream music or video on her phone; she has an iPad at home for that. Under those circumstances, 50-70 MB of data for her is fine, and that comes out to $3-6 a month.

[Oddball]

Steve, many thanks. I'm now very seriously considering your wife's $10 plan with a $120 Nokia 530 phone.

I hear you about the limitations of RW. I still think it could work well for me, but now that you mention it, I think I would prefer being able to check email, weather, maps, and other simple things from anywhere without having to find public Wi-Fi. The Nokia phone can do Wi-Fi too, so I could use that (or my Chromebook) for cafe/library Web surfing without using my $10/250 minutes. And if I burn through the minutes in less than 30 days, I can simply pay $10 more for another 30 days.

BTW, I called AW to ask some questions about this plan. I don't want to sound like an ad either, but the human customer service I received was excellent. TracFone's has been poor, and RW won't even let you call them.

[SteveinMN]

BTW, I called AW to ask some questions about this plan. I don't want to sound like an ad either, but the human customer service I received was excellent. TracFone's has been poor, and RW won't even let you call them.
Airvoice does have very good customer support; American-based and everyone I've spoken with in billing or tech support was courteous and prompt. Contrast to the many America Movil companies (Tracfone, Net10, StraightTalk, PagePlus) which have long been accused of horrible customer service (though I suppose that matters little if one saves enough money and doesn't need support often).

Airvoice does have its quirks; every operator does. But it's very easy for us to live within those limitations (except tethering for me) so all of our phones are on it except for my phones, and my business line will move to AV when I run out of money on T-Mobile.

And I can confirm that you can use an unlocked AT&T phone on AV; my mom's "emergency phone" is an AT&T-branded Sony Ericsson flip phone. Works just fine. $15 shipped off That Famous Auction Site. $10 every 90 days. Perfect for her.

You're welcome, Oddball!

[kib]

Glad you've found a good plan, Oddball!

We got our RW phone yesterday. I had no idea it was an "MMM darling", had never heard of them before Oddball mentioned it. In reflexive defense of our new choice >8), a lot of the criticisms Steve had are legit, but they're sort of apples to oranges, IMHO. OS: Apple's, Android and Windows. Apple and Windows are both seriously expensive phones or only come with seriously expensive phone plans, as far as I can tell. RW's kitkat android is no better or worse than the thousands of other Android phones. Similarly with the resale, I have the devil of a time reselling any phone and I have yet to find a major carrier that's interested in letting me use a phone they don't sell me. Frankly, for $100 and no contract, I don't expect high end OS or resale capability on a smartphone.

Yes, public wifi is a PITA. It's a PITA on any wifi device, again, I don't see that as being an RW specific problem. If you want cellular data service, that costs. RW will let you buy unlimited cellular data on a $25 plan if you want it, and they will also let you change your mind twice a month, so you could conceivably only buy it when you need it.

So, we got our RW phone yesterday with a $10 monthly cost, which means phone service is wifi or cellular depending on where we are, and data is wifi only. Here's the report so far:

We'll see about the "gotcha's". So far I actually like the idea that there are three phones, and four plans to choose from. Period. It makes it very simple to assess your needs and choose the right combination, assuming there's a match.

The phone seems to be of good quality, with a familiar Android interface.

Wifi phone and internet service here at the house is impeccable so far, clean connection identical to our other cellular and wifi devices.

DH used the phone in public in a place with no free wifi, which means it defaults to cellular service, and it worked perfectly there as well. (Caveat, we are in a city in which all carriers seem to have full coverage).

We haven't tried public data access yet.

I have to say that this will be DH's work phone. He works at home and is online and on the phone all day, so we have good wifi here. Assuming the device keeps performing as it has, this is a significant savings over a dedicated landline or major carrier or, considering how much he is on the phone, a pay as you go plan, and it works infinitely better than our magic jack experiment last year. So I'm not going to be able to really say how well it would work as completely stand-alone communication, but I'll report back as we get going on this. You know I'm a curmudgeon about these things, so rest assured, if it sucks you'll know about it. :~)

[rosarugosa]

Oddball: I'm so glad I could be of service by offering up my infinite ignorance on the topic of cellular communications!
My update: We have our $30. Tracfone, and it actually came with 2 months and 20 minutes. I fully expect to go the two full months with this; we have 18.97 minutes remaining :) I do have some trepidation because for some reason, I am extremely invested in not becoming one of the cellphone zombies I see on the streets and on the subway every day. I feel like buying the Tracfone was the first step onto a potentially slippery slope (hey, just a little bit of heroin, just this one time can't be so bad). I guess we'll see how it goes.

[SteveinMN]

We got our RW phone yesterday. I had no idea it was an "MMM darling", had never heard of them before Oddball mentioned it. In reflexive defense of our new choice >8), a lot of the criticisms Steve had are legit, but they're sort of apples to oranges, IMHO. OS: Apple's, Android and Windows. Apple and Windows are both seriously expensive phones or only come with seriously expensive phone plans, as far as I can tell.
A couple of years ago, when I was trying to ditch our expensive postpaid plan, Mr. Moustache and its forum frequently promoted RW service for its rock-bottom-pricing "badassity". Their resident telecomm expert, "I. P. Daley", eventually started explaining why RW might not be the answer to life, the universe, and everything. Again, my intention is not to beat a horse here. I hope RW works just great for you. I just chose not to live with the limitations.


Yes, public wifi is a PITA. It's a PITA on any wifi device, again, I don't see that as being an RW specific problem. If you want cellular data service, that costs. RW will let you buy unlimited cellular data on a $25 plan if you want it, and they will also let you change your mind twice a month, so you could conceivably only buy it when you need it.
RW pricing is predicated on its customers using WiFi calling the vast majority of the time. I think that's a little different from a phone that's designed to use cellular voice bandwidth first and then fall back to WiFi if there's no cell signal. But if you (DH, really) are willing to monitor usage and switch plans as needed, you can realize some significant savings over postpaid plans.

[kib]

I don't think we'll actually have to switch plans at all, that was just a suggestion for Oddball if s/he didn't want to pay for cellular data all the time. I can see that RW certainly wouldn't work for everyone, but I don't think the limitations of which you speak really apply to our situation. Guess I'll find out, though. :)

[martha]

I do have some trepidation because for some reason, I am extremely invested in not becoming one of the cellphone zombies I see on the streets and on the subway every day. I feel like buying the Tracfone was the first step onto a potentially slippery slope (hey, just a little bit of heroin, just this one time can't be so bad).

Relax, Rosarugosa - you're probably still safe! In my experience, the slope hasn't gotten slippery at all. I too was determined not to become a phone zombie, and only gave in to buying a Tracfone because of a temporary family crisis when I needed to be reachable. Got a basic flip phone, 1 year's service and however many minutes were included. Never needed to add minutes. That was 9 years ago and I still have the same phone, still pay $99 once a year for a year's service and the minutes included (don't remember how many that is, but it's always more than enough).

The phone rarely gets used, but it's good to have for quick "I'm running late" calls, etc., and in case of emergency on the road (and for making young folks laugh at my ancient phone!). Since I don't give out the number, no one calls me on it - and it wouldn't matter anyway, since the phone stays turned off unless I need to use it.

For me, it would be a problem if it were a smart phone; I spend way too much time online already. Fortunately, this phone doesn't do anything except make calls. Since I hate talking on cell phones, it isn't tempting to use it.
YMMV, but I would bet $$ that you'll be fine. :cool:

[rosarugosa]

Thanks for the reassurance, Martha! So far so good. We've had the phone for about a month and we've used less than 4 of the 20 minutes that came with the phone.

[frugal-one]

Per Martha......The phone rarely gets used, but it's good to have for quick "I'm running late" calls, etc., and in case of emergency on the road (and for making young folks laugh at my ancient phone!). Since I don't give out the number, no one calls me on it - and it wouldn't matter anyway, since the phone stays turned off unless I need to use it.

Same here... actually I don't have the answering portion turned on either. I don't even remember how to do it. I have "friends" that are ticked that I don't have my phone on for them and do not give the number out. It doesn't matter that I explained that the phone is for emergency use only. One such "friend" has just been dropped. Too much drama for me.

[bekkilyn]

I've had a Tracfone for a long time...an ancient Motorola flip model that only does calls. It's primary purpose is for emergencies. I don't talk on the phone with people very often and when I do, it's usually through the computer/mic setup I have at home using Google. I also give people my Google Voice number if they must have one and their calls will go to voice mail if they leave a message. I was using Vonage, but decided that $35 per month was excessive for about a couple hours total of phone calls per month, and most of that being calls to my mom. I really wish I could just buy minutes on a pre-paid instead of having to buy minutes *and* pay to keep it active each month, but as it is, I'm paid up until April 2016 thanks to getting a $15 off the normal $99 yearly rate offer. I also get lifetime doubled minutes on every purchase so I think I currently have something like 5000 minutes stored up on my phone just from buying the yearly cards. I've thought about upgrading the phone, but then can't really think of a good reason why I'd need to.

[rosarugosa]

I have a follow-up question. Our phone came with 20 minutes and service until 1/11/15. We still have 16.5 minutes remaining, but I'll want to do something to keep service going beyond 1/11. Since we're going more by time than by minutes, if I make another purchase now, will it add the two months (or whatever time) on to 1/11, or today? Do I need to wait until 1/11 to make the purchase to maximize the time I'm extending our service?

[Float On]

rosarugosa, it will add on to the end. My current expire date is sometime in 2016. I go through the minutes faster than the time. Kind of wish there were an option to just by minutes without having to add 3 months everytime.

[rosarugosa]

Thanks, Float On! Too bad we can't swap my extra minutes for your extra time!

[simplelife4me]

Buy the one year card and you won't have to worry about that part so much? They often on on sale on ebay by shopcelldeals.

[rosarugosa]

Thanks, Simplelife. I think I will do that soon. I just wanted to make sure this phone was a good choice before investing too much $$$. That's good to know about the E-bay vendor!

[debi]

I purchased my TracPhone (an upgrade from my previous one). I paid $5 for the TracPhone (I can text, call, take photos, etc.). I purchase the minutes like Float On does as well. I purchase so many minutes and I get mine doubled for life due to my initial minutes that I had gotten at Best Buy.

[simplelife4me]

Tracfone has moved to triple minutes for life for many of their phones.

[Reyes]

Does one have to have wireless in the house to use a RW phone?

[SteveinMN]

Does one have to have wireless in the house to use a RW phone?
Have to, no. But their model is based on most of your calls/texts/data going over the Internet rather than over the cellular network. So if you can use your phone via Wi-Fi outside of your home and you won't be making many calls at home, you're okay. Otherwise you may get a nastygram from the folks at Republic telling you you're no longer welcome there. :(