No contract cell phone service

[pasusan]

Sorry for yet another cell phone question. I did a search, but would like to get more info.

My MIL wants a cell phone for purely emergency use - probably won't use it but a couple times a year. She wants it for when she is out and about shopping and what not... Just in case.

I don't know anything about prepaid (or really cheap) cell service so I'm asking you guys.

She had Virgin Mobile, but didn't use the phone much and not at all for a while so stopped the service. She told me she paid $10/month, but the cheapest no contract plan I found was for $20. So, I'm not sure about that...

I know a lot of folks here talk about Tracfone, so I was leaning toward that till I found this site which doesn't even include TracFone in its top ten.

We would prefer something where you buy minutes that would last so it wouldn't be a monthly fee... Any suggestions?

Oh - she lives in the Washington DC area in Maryland.

[1492]

Time will tell. PagePlus plans are structured differently from other TracFone subsidiaries. I just hope they don't institute similar plans or restrictions on devices.

[PennyPA]

At the bottom of the PagePlus page, "© 2014 TracFone Wireless, Inc. All rights reserved. Page Plus is a registered trademark of TracFone Wireless, Inc., a subsidiary of America Movil." " So it doesn't appear America Movil has messed it up too much.

[1492]

América Móvil bought PagePlus back in May 2013. I just hope they don't mess things up.

[PennyPA]

PagePlus is part of TracPhone.

[1492]

I've also been using PagePlus for a couple of years. They have excellent customer service. Just note that PagePlus charges 0.50 per month service fee on top of any minutes used. So if you don't use any minutes, then you would still be charged $2. for every 4 month period. Once you renew with a $10. prepaid card, you're balance rolls over, so would be $18. and so on.

When you make a call on Verizon, it will tell you the balance remaining on your PagePlus account.

[Gulfcoast]

If you got the little LG-220c phone... I really like mine, had it for maybe 5-years and dropped it a hundred or more times and it still works like new.

[pasusan]

Just to let everyone know what we ended up doing... I did some online chatting with the different services we were considering (to get the whole story which wasn't always obvious on the website) and ended up with Page Plus. $10 every 4 months with a $19.99 phone. We'll see how it goes. 🙂

That was definitely the cheapest - we'll see if she can handle it - if not she hasn't lost much...

[1492]

What every no-contract service you choose, the Verizon Network apparently came in first place or tied for first in 45 of 50 states in overall quality according to this article: This is why Verizon gets away with charging customers more money.

You only pay more if you deal with Verizon directly. Instead, use one of their no-contract network resellers. And most likely, pay substantially less with no separate add-on fees and taxes. It's included in the basic charge, whether a monthly plan or pay-as-you-go.

[ferretgrandpa]

I'm on Virgin Mobile, 10 cents a minute and $20 every 3 months, Money adds up, I currently have 50 or so stacked up. I have to call somebody and stay on hold for 30-40 minutes, or get in a text fest with g'daughter

[Chris_Bryant]

This thread reminded me I do need to spend some of the money I have rolled over on my Go-phone accounts, which led me to this list of charities that you can donate via text messages-
http://www.mobilegiving.org/?page_id=43

[FlatBroke]

We have Verizon, my in laws gave us aTracfone, long story. We are down in AZ for the winter and our Verizon's seems to go directly to voice mail when someone call. We are not the only ones with Verizon that this is happing to. Gave our Tracfone number out and the calls come right through. Tracfone uses Verizon towers. Go figure.

[rockhillmanor]

Chris Bryant wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:

Chris Bryant wrote:
Another vote for AT&T Go Phone- $100/year with rollover minutes. Every now and then I do the donation by text message to burn off rolled over money. Better the Red Cross has the money than AT&T 😄

Do you have a link to that plan for 100 for a year with roll over minutes?

I'm on the basic $.10/minute plan, though they have a $2 per day/unlimited plan as well (we just do not use them that much). The cheapest refill cards are available for $25/3 months or $100/year, and at the top of the page it says "Refill before your current balance expires and the balance carries over to the new expiration date."

I have it set to auto refill every 3 months, and now have around $240 in credit on my phone.

Thanks. I DID have rollover but when I changed my plan they said there was no more rollover minutes available. Those ATT lie'n buggers!:B

[OldF__t]

Gulfcoast wrote:
Read my lips... If anyone needs just a simple phone with no frills, I'd get a PagePlus phone and use their 2000-minute card which is good for 12-months. The $80 card with 2000-minutes divided by 12-months equals $6 and change per month... what a deal.

An even better deal is their $10 plan. $10 every four months for 100 minutes. That's $2.50 per month and the minutes roll over if you don't use them all.

[Chris_Bryant]

rockhillmanor wrote:

Chris Bryant wrote:
Another vote for AT&T Go Phone- $100/year with rollover minutes. Every now and then I do the donation by text message to burn off rolled over money. Better the Red Cross has the money than AT&T 😄

Do you have a link to that plan for 100 for a year with roll over minutes?

I'm on the basic $.10/minute plan, though they have a $2 per day/unlimited plan as well (we just do not use them that much). The cheapest refill cards are available for $25/3 months or $100/year, and at the top of the page it says "Refill before your current balance expires and the balance carries over to the new expiration date."

I have it set to auto refill every 3 months, and now have around $240 in credit on my phone.