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.

Consumer Cellular is a great company. As low as $10.00 per month. Take a look at them here;consumer

tracphone here, I buy minutes as needed, no contract

I guess if *she* wants one, ok, but I got my dad one and he rarely used it. It was turned off all the time anyway, so in any 'emergency' it wouldn't be much good. Some old folks just forget or don't want to learn to operate one.

Tracfone for me. They use different carriers in different regions. I like the flip phone as it is easy to use and you can usually find a one year air card with 400 minutes (doubled or tripled by choice of phone) on ebay (shopcelldeals) for about $85.00 and that comes up to less than $8 per month. They usually have deals on cell phones as well.

2oldman wrote:I guess if *she* wants one, ok, but I got my dad one and he rarely used it. It was turned off all the time anyway, so in any 'emergency' it wouldn't be much good. Some old folks just forget or don't want to learn to operate one.I know what you're saying - she probably will forget to charge it. :RI'm not at all excited to be pulled into this, but I'm hoping to find something for her that is simple and cheap. And we would feel better knowing she would be able to call someone if her car broke down or something.I've started looking at AT&T's GoPhone - either $2/day of use or .10/min. That sounds like it would be cheap with no monthly fee or contract.

No contract cell phone service | Good Sam Community

1492
Moderator
Mar 10, 2014
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
Explorer
Mar 10, 2014
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
Moderator
Mar 10, 2014
América Móvil bought PagePlus back in May 2013. I just hope they don't mess things up.
PennyPA
Explorer
Mar 10, 2014
PagePlus is part of TracPhone.
1492
Moderator
Mar 05, 2014
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
Explorer
Mar 05, 2014
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
Explorer
Mar 05, 2014
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
Moderator
Mar 05, 2014
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
Explorer
Mar 05, 2014
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
Explorer II
Mar 05, 2014
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

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