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k-n
08-19-2008, 09:27
has anyone used the tracfone? any problems with it or the plans offered?

Lyle
08-19-2008, 09:45
I've been using TracFone for about 6 years now. Absolutely no problems. Great service, simple, cheap. I don't use my cell very often, so I only worry about the basic functions. If you are a frequent user, one who keeps the phone planted in your ear, it probably won't be economical for you.

I purchase an annual airtime card each year. This gives me 12 months of service and 400 - 600 minutes of service (depending on the special offered). Usually costs about $120/year.

Excellent option if you are only interested in having a phone available for occasional use. Great for travelling since there are virtually no pay phones any more.

Recommended.

Kerosene
08-19-2008, 09:46
My wife has been using TracFone for 5 or so years now as an infrequent just-in-case phone. Seems to work fine. She tries to wait until they offer big bonuses to purchase additional minutes once or twice a year. No experience outside of major metropolitan areas and interstates.

Gumbi
08-19-2008, 09:48
Yes, I have used a tracfone before.
On the plus side, the coverage is excellent because it will run off any cell tower.
On the minus side, minutes are expensive, sometimes as much as 50 cents a minute, and unless you buy more minutes every other month, you lose the minutes you have. There are no plans to be stuck with, just the initial purchase of the phone and buying minutes at walmart or wherever.
Some friends and I bought one with 300 minutes just for emergencies when we travelled to Witchita to volunteer at some homeless shelters during spring break. Worked great!

Lyle
08-19-2008, 10:08
Yes, I have used a tracfone before.
On the plus side, the coverage is excellent because it will run off any cell tower.
On the minus side, minutes are expensive, sometimes as much as 50 cents a minute, and unless you buy more minutes every other month, you lose the minutes you have. There are no plans to be stuck with, just the initial purchase of the phone and buying minutes at walmart or wherever.
Some friends and I bought one with 300 minutes just for emergencies when we travelled to Witchita to volunteer at some homeless shelters during spring break. Worked great!


Agree mostly, except that minutes do carry over now as long as you don't allow the service to lapse. Also, I don't believe they charge a premium for roaming any more (MAY be mistaken on this). If you wait for the deals that are offered, you won't pay anywhere near 50 cents/minute.

All the changes in service and cost policies that I've experienced with them have caused a decrease in costs for me.

That's been my experience.

expenditioner
08-19-2008, 12:28
Great phone to have in case of car trouble..lightweight..compact

shelterbuilder
08-19-2008, 12:46
Been using one for over ten years now - mostly for emergencies and "check-in-with-the-wife" calls. They will work almost anywhere, and buying $20 worth of minutes every 3 months (to keep the phone active) is hardly a financial burden. Since I'm voiceless now, I bought my wife one, and we text back and forth - it makes HER feel better, knowing that we can still communicate when I'm away from home. (Texting costs .3 minutes to send, an another .3 minutes to read incoming.)

They run promos all the time, so minutes are always going "on sale".

Hikerhead
08-19-2008, 12:50
I've had one for a few years now. Very happy with it. If you have a cell phone to your ear for hours going down the road, this won't be the phone for you. But if you just need it an occasional check in, it's great. I only use mine for trips and to take hiking for just in case.

Buy the double-minutes for life and the 400 minute card. That will last me for about a year.

There are some dead places out there that I've found but not many.

budforester
08-19-2008, 13:45
I like my Tracfone; it runs through the ATT system around home. The phone is mine, so I don’t owe anybody if it is lost, stolen, or dropped in the creek. Although the minutes are relatively costly, I never use them up and must buy airtime every 3 months to continue service. I have the Nokia 1100 phone, which is an old candy- bar type. That model seems to now be available only as refurbished. It receives text for free, unlike most other models… still costs 0.3 units to send. Costs the same for email text. The black and white display is readily visible in bright outdoor light, and doesn’t eat power like the color screens. A week or two of intermittent messaging or brief calls leaves me plenty of backup power. A drawback I encountered when I sat on the phone, is that it can dial EMS even when the keyboard is locked… 08 is in Mexico, but I got an embarrassing connection to my local EMS.

John B
08-19-2008, 14:04
Can you use an AT&T minutes card on the Tracfone or do you have to buy a Tracfone card to add minutes?

The reason I ask is that I went to Walmart to buy a minutes card and they didn't have any. Strange because the Tracfone was purchased from Walmart last year.

budforester
08-19-2008, 14:57
Can you use an AT&T minutes card on the Tracfone or do you have to buy a Tracfone card to add minutes?

The reason I ask is that I went to Walmart to buy a minutes card and they didn't have any. Strange because the Tracfone was purchased from Walmart last year.
John, I never considered the other cards, but I doubt it. My local Wal Mart usually has Tracfone cards displayed at the checkout aisles, but sometimes I can't find them back in the electronics area. Other stores carry them, too. Some places give you the code on the cash register reciept. Maybe ask at one of the national- chain pharmacies or convenience stores. Or buy online from Tracfone (http://www.tracfone.com/).

Lyle
08-19-2008, 15:35
Can you use an AT&T minutes card on the Tracfone or do you have to buy a Tracfone card to add minutes?

The reason I ask is that I went to Walmart to buy a minutes card and they didn't have any. Strange because the Tracfone was purchased from Walmart last year.


The easiest way by far to add minutes is to just go online and purchase your minutes directly. By the time your transaction is finished, the minutes have been added to your phone. Very simple, no putting codes into your phone any more. Fully automated. I haven't bothered with buying a card in years. Saves the plastic so is more environmentally friendly.

Fiddleback
08-19-2008, 19:25
I've also been using TracFone for a while...eight years or so. But it/they costs me far less than that cited above. Usually, I can find one year cards for around $100. Further, there's a Shopko in town which, besides discounting the card, adds another 15% seniors discount (sigh!:o) on the first Wednesday of the month.

But the biggest benny is EBay! I've bought several one-year cards from the seller, freetime!. The auctions I've won have yielded a year's service including the 250 minutes for high $60's to low $70's. That means each phone is costing me a little less than $6/month (there's no cell phone service at my residence so I use the phone(s) very little...for emergencies and when I'm on the road. But there's a cell tower coming soon!!:sun). So now I have three phones, one each for me and My Lady and one for the pickup. The auction process itself is great. Win the auction, make PayPal payment, and freetime! sends you an email with the coded groups needed to add the service time and minutes to the phone. Reciept of the email is as fast as your payment.:) The phones themselves (cute little, no-frill clamshells), run about $15 - $20 at Target and Shopko.

I've never had a TracFone fail to make a call. My home range is Missoula County, MT, but the phone has worked in Dallas, Texarkana, Seattle, Memphis, San Antonio, Atlanta, the Glacier and Yellowstone NP areas, etc.

FB

k-n
08-19-2008, 20:08
so i can buy the phone at walmart and add minutes online or do i have to do it there?

Lone Wolf
08-19-2008, 20:20
Great for travelling since there are virtually no pay phones any more.


wrong. there's plenty in most trail towns. for instance there's 8 pay phones here in Damascus, a trail town. you don't need a cell phone. more marketing BS :)

Lyle
08-19-2008, 22:06
We've gone this route before LW. Few if any phones in a town will work. Damascus may be different, but I've run around many of towns, both on the trail and off, looking for a WORKING pay phone. Key word there. Not many are maintained. I can list 10 empty spots here in my hometown (2200 people) that used to have pay phones. Can only tell you of 2 spots that currently have them.

Many of the payphones you do find will not accept money. Have to have a credit card or phone card. That is one solution, but you still have to find a phone that works. Duncannon was one town that I had to go to four different phones, several blocks apart before finding one that worked.

Besides, most pay phones are either 1) in a bar, 2) on the street, 3) in a convenience store. None are the most conducive location to have a pleasant conversation.

Lyle
08-19-2008, 22:15
so i can buy the phone at walmart and add minutes online or do i have to do it there?


You can buy the phone wherever you want, and can purchase the airtime wherever you want.

The phones used to come with a minimum of airtime, mostly just enough to activate it. Minutes are usually purchased separately. Some new phones may now come with some minutes included. There are lots of different deals out there, but once you get the phone and some minutes, you're good to go.

Tennessee Viking
08-19-2008, 22:32
From what it looks like Tracfone only has good service around metro areas, interstates, and major highway corridors. On the trail, it looks like it doesn't hit anywhere in the southern Appalahcians.

budforester
08-19-2008, 23:20
From what it looks like Tracfone only has good service around metro areas, interstates, and major highway corridors. On the trail, it looks like it doesn't hit anywhere in the southern Appalahcians.

That appears to be the way of cell phones... need line- of- sight to a tower. The companies strive to put service where there are most consumers. Tracfone buys service from local providers and retails it to us, so the local system will determine your reception. I get poor reception in some of my haunts, especially the hills. I have learned which hilltops to climb for a signal. In some of the swamps, standing on a tailgate raises me enough for reception. On the AT you might find a signal on a high point or on a hillside with clear access toward a population center.

baddog
08-19-2008, 23:30
I have one for occasional use and agree with most everything posted. Only one thing...If you ever need to talk with someone at tracfone: forget it. They offered free 100 or 200 minutes for a referal, which I did and I tried for a month, talking with at least a dozen different people there, got something but not what was promised. Absolutely the worst customer service I've ever experienced in my long life.

Tennessee Viking
08-19-2008, 23:44
For other prepaid, Virgin is ok (runs off of Sprint). I can get service in some remote areas and mountain tops. Then Alltel U is good too, but I found it roaming where it says its regular service.

Pepper Beard
08-20-2008, 00:51
You can add me as a pleased TracFone user. I don't use a lot of minutes so it's far cheaper than a cell phone plan. They also use different networks in different areas because they buy blocks of airtime from all the major cellphone carriers. I've never had it roam but I believe it cost you 2 units for each minute if it does roam.

Lyle
08-20-2008, 08:57
From what it looks like Tracfone only has good service around metro areas, interstates, and major highway corridors. On the trail, it looks like it doesn't hit anywhere in the southern Appalahcians.

I have the Nokia 1100. It varies somewhat, depending on which phone you have. Analog vs Digital and what your home service area offers network-wise. Here is the coverage area map for my phone. Make sure to click on the Nokia 1100 when looking at the map.:

http://www.tracfone.com/jsplib/verify_mapcov.jsp

Substantially more than just major metro or interstate corridors. My experience in use has been very good. Don't recall ever not getting service, but I've never taken it hiking with me. Mountains will probably affect that.

Old Hillwalker
08-20-2008, 10:04
The easiest way by far to add minutes is to just go online and purchase your minutes directly. By the time your transaction is finished, the minutes have been added to your phone. Very simple, no putting codes into your phone any more. Fully automated. I haven't bothered with buying a card in years. Saves the plastic so is more environmentally friendly.

The above works only if you have the phone on and you have cell service at the time.

I have had nothing but frustration with my KrapFone. I don't have cell service at home so when I added minutes on line without the phone connected it wouldn't add. After seven barely endurable calls to several customer service reps who barely spoke english I finally got through to a person who had me input a long string of numbers directly into the phone. Then it updated. Took three days of trying.

Additionally I got no service from Baxter to Monson on the summits I passed over. (Whitecap, Columbus, Forth, Chairback, and Barren)

I'm keeping it despite the problems I've had so far anyway cause I'm hard headed.

Fiddleback
08-20-2008, 18:28
I too have no cell service at home and have to add service time/minutes the 'long' way. But I've never had problems either online or with the email instructions I received after buying a 'card' on EBay. Generally, it takes about 10 minutes to update the phone. But when I have had to deal with customer service for other issues I have had to listen to the rep very closely...not too much unlike many other customer service centers.

I'd like to clarify what I posted above about the TracFone never failing to make a call in all the various places I've tried. It never failed to make a call where there is cell phone service. It sounds obvious but the point is, I've always found TracFone service where ever I've tried to use it...but there's got to be a cell tower somewhere in the area...;) In my experience, TracFone service availability is very wide spread.

FB

Happy Feet
08-20-2008, 18:39
My co-worker just got a Net 10 phone (his first so he has nothing to compare it to). I can't speak from personal use, but he says the minutes roll over from month to month and airtime is only 10 cents/minute. No contract and he says he has great coverage. If I didn't have a contract with T-Mobile, I would check out Net 10.

KG4FAM
08-20-2008, 20:10
My co-worker just got a Net 10 phone (his first so he has nothing to compare it to). I can't speak from personal use, but he says the minutes roll over from month to month and airtime is only 10 cents/minute. No contract and he says he has great coverage. If I didn't have a contract with T-Mobile, I would check out Net 10.My parents use a Net10 and they have had good service with it. It is actually owned by Tracfone.


For other prepaid, Virgin is ok (runs off of Sprint). I can get service in some remote areas and mountain tops. Then Alltel U is good too, but I found it roaming where it says its regular service.I was in the middle of nowhere in Arizona and Net10/Tracfone did not get good service so I got Alltel U. When I would fly back east it said searching for service. It worked fine in Arizona, but I had to get it reprogrammed to work in the east. It seems kind of weird that it had to be reprogrammed for the east, I would have thought that I could just take it anywhere alltel had service and be fine. Alltel is ok, but don't expect it to work traveling.

budforester
08-21-2008, 13:58
For other prepaid, Virgin is ok (runs off of Sprint). I can get service in some remote areas and mountain tops. Then Alltel U is good too, but I found it roaming where it says its regular service.

I tried Virgin Mobile; their offering of phone models is much more attractive, but their system works on a different frequency or different towers or something. It would not pick up a signal at my place in the hills... where I need it most. What a bummer!

Pony
03-22-2010, 14:55
So, I just got back from walmart, and wanted to make sure I had this right. I buy the phone I want, which is something like $20. I then buy the airtime card I want, lets just say 200 minutes, and 90 days to the service end date. Not sure the price on the card, so we'll say $50. So, I've got a phone with 90 days of service and 200 minutes of talk time for $70, and I don't pay anything else until I need to add more minutes or days of service. Is this correct? No activation fees or hidden fees or taxes?

Red Beard
03-22-2010, 15:10
I really like my TracFone, but as others have said the minutes are kind of expensive. I recently purchased a "Straight Talk" phone and I have to say, I like it just as much as my TracFone, only the minutes are MUCH cheaper. I hacked mine, and am able to use it as an on-the-go anywhere modem for my laptop. For $45 / month and unlimited calls, texts, email, and web (no contract) it's certainly worth looking into.

Roland
03-22-2010, 15:18
So, I just got back from walmart, and wanted to make sure I had this right. I buy the phone I want, which is something like $20. I then buy the airtime card I want, lets just say 200 minutes, and 90 days to the service end date. Not sure the price on the card, so we'll say $50. So, I've got a phone with 90 days of service and 200 minutes of talk time for $70, and I don't pay anything else until I need to add more minutes or days of service. Is this correct? No activation fees or hidden fees or taxes?

Yes, that is correct. No activation, or hidden fees or taxes.

One suggestion:
During the activation process, you will have an opportunity to add minutes. Before you do, dig-out the promo info that came packaged with the phone. You may find a calendar with promo codes which will add bonus minutes on top of the purchased minutes. You have to use the promo code while adding the minutes. It doesn't work retroactively.

ASUGrad
03-22-2010, 15:19
I use a Tracfone. $120 a year and a half for phone service and they threw in a cheap phone. When it runs out in May. I can buy another year for $100. It's hard to beat $8 a month for phone service.

boarstone
03-22-2010, 16:38
The above works only if you have the phone on and you have cell service at the time.

I have had nothing but frustration with my KrapFone. I don't have cell service at home so when I added minutes on line without the phone connected it wouldn't add. After seven barely endurable calls to several customer service reps who barely spoke english I finally got through to a person who had me input a long string of numbers directly into the phone. Then it updated. Took three days of trying.

Additionally I got no service from Baxter to Monson on the summits I passed over. (Whitecap, Columbus, Forth, Chairback, and Barren)

I'm keeping it despite the problems I've had so far anyway cause I'm hard headed.

Whatever you decide, get the "double-your-minutes" card too. So that every time you add minutes your minutes will be double but not the price. 20 mins. become 40 for the price of 20, etc. This card is a one time cost and works for the life of your ownership/working time of your phone.
And a Tracphone wil work in the "100 mile wilderness" I have one and I've done the whole "100 miler" trail just to pinpoint the areas of reception.

white_russian
03-22-2010, 17:45
Whatever you decide, get the "double-your-minutes" card too. So that every time you add minutes your minutes will be double but not the price. 20 mins. become 40 for the price of 20, etc. This card is a one time cost and works for the life of your ownership/working time of your phone.
And a Tracphone wil work in the "100 mile wilderness" I have one and I've done the whole "100 miler" trail just to pinpoint the areas of reception.
I assume you have a CDMA Trac and Hillwalker has a GSM. Brownville comes up as a CDMA territory for Trac on their website. CDMA vs GSM makes a huge differences since the underlying networks are Verizon/Sprint and AT&T/T-mobile. You could both be right.

double d
03-22-2010, 23:26
Whatever you decide, get the "double-your-minutes" card too. So that every time you add minutes your minutes will be double but not the price. 20 mins. become 40 for the price of 20, etc. This card is a one time cost and works for the life of your ownership/working time of your phone.
And a Tracphone wil work in the "100 mile wilderness" I have one and I've done the whole "100 miler" trail just to pinpoint the areas of reception.

I've had a tracphone for a few years now and I'm very happy with it. But as suggested, buy the "double your minutes" card, it is well worth the investment. YOu can't go wrong with a tracphone.

DRRouner
03-23-2010, 00:34
I have a trac phone that I paid 20 bucks for that came with double the minutes for life. I dont use it much since I usually spend most of the year miles for then nearest signal so it works for me. Although now that I have read Red Beard's post I might do what he did.

lustreking
03-23-2010, 08:53
I really like my TracFone, but as others have said the minutes are kind of expensive. I recently purchased a "Straight Talk" phone and I have to say, I like it just as much as my TracFone, only the minutes are MUCH cheaper. I hacked mine, and am able to use it as an on-the-go anywhere modem for my laptop. For $45 / month and unlimited calls, texts, email, and web (no contract) it's certainly worth looking into.


Which phone do you have that you can tether it to a laptop? Do you have a link for the hack?

Deadeye
03-23-2010, 09:38
so i can buy the phone at walmart and add minutes online or do i have to do it there?

you can also get the phone itself on line. You never have to set foot in WM if you don't want to. Once set up, you don't even have to go online to get more service time - you can do it right on the phone.


Been using my trac phone for about 8 years, works fine, and is among the least-cost plans out there. You can customize/minimize the plan based on your usage.

garlic08
03-23-2010, 09:56
I'm actually reading this thread (never had a cell phone, I'm in the Lone Wolf school) because I just found a brand new Tracfone out in the desert, with charger, just activated, never been used except to call a motel, so I couldn't return it to anyone. I looked on-line and found out its retail value is $15 at Radio Shack, so I'm not too worried about who ever lost it. It has 120 minutes of service and 120 days left.

I figured I'll pack it for emergencies for the next few months then try to add minutes. Anyone know if I can do that if I was not the one who activated it? I looked at the menu for it and it seems there's a password needed. Thanks.

Sorry to hijack the thread. This does look like a good deal if you really have to have a cell phone.

robertlog
03-28-2010, 00:54
Happy Tracfone user here. For Tracfone bonus minutes when buying time, check out the codes at this site:
http://preprepaid.com/currenttracfonebonus.php

And yes, they work.

Tipi Walter
03-28-2010, 08:24
So, I just got back from walmart, and wanted to make sure I had this right. I buy the phone I want, which is something like $20. I then buy the airtime card I want, lets just say 200 minutes, and 90 days to the service end date. Not sure the price on the card, so we'll say $50. So, I've got a phone with 90 days of service and 200 minutes of talk time for $70, and I don't pay anything else until I need to add more minutes or days of service. Is this correct? No activation fees or hidden fees or taxes?

I got my phone at Walmart but there's something they don't tell you: When you're out backpacking, all of your calls will be "roaming" and therefore not local, and so you will be using twice the minutes you think you purchased. In other words, when you get a 200 minute card, you'll only have 100 minutes of talk time if you're not local, which none of us are when we are backpacking. This is one way they lure you in.

You can go the double minute plan or the full year thing or whatever, but it's a big initial load of cash to lay down. It seems cheaper to nickle and dime yourself with the little pay as you go cards or 200 minutes here, 200 minutes there, and it gets really irksome(and expensive). And anyway, most of the places I backpack won't work with a cellphone, just the very tops of just a very few mountains. But I bring it anyway cause I know where to go to get my evac ride call out when my long trip is over.

Colter
03-28-2010, 13:17
I got my phone at Walmart but there's something they don't tell you: When you're out backpacking, all of your calls will be "roaming" and therefore not local, and so you will be using twice the minutes you think you purchased.

I got my Tracfone at Walmart too, but the "roaming" calls are still charged the local rate:

Kyocera K 126C (http://www.tracfone.com/phone_details.jsp?model=PCTFKY126C_EN)
Nationwide Network Coverage. Single Rate for every call: Call nationally, internationally or roam at local call rates.

superman
03-28-2010, 21:24
I got my phone at Walmart but there's something they don't tell you: When you're out backpacking, all of your calls will be "roaming" and therefore not local, and so you will be using twice the minutes you think you purchased. In other words, when you get a 200 minute card, you'll only have 100 minutes of talk time if you're not local, which none of us are when we are backpacking. This is one way they lure you in.

You can go the double minute plan or the full year thing or whatever, but it's a big initial load of cash to lay down. It seems cheaper to nickle and dime yourself with the little pay as you go cards or 200 minutes here, 200 minutes there, and it gets really irksome(and expensive). And anyway, most of the places I backpack won't work with a cellphone, just the very tops of just a very few mountains. But I bring it anyway cause I know where to go to get my evac ride call out when my long trip is over.

I bought that tracfone that slides open for $30 plus 3000 minutes for $200 on line. It's fired up for 412 days of service. It's got more features than I know how to use but I've never had a cell phone before.

excuses
03-28-2010, 21:40
TN Viking I've used my tracfone at the Grindstaff Monument before. From Bland, Va south I haven't had more than a couple of times when I didn't get reception.

shelterbuilder
03-28-2010, 22:14
If you're concerned about using too many minutes when you're roaming, try texting only - I only use .3 minutes for each text message that I send or receive -and as a bonus, it's QUIET, so it won't disturb your fellow hikers like a regular phone call could! :banana

My Trac-Fone also has the double-minutes option, so when I buy a 120 minute-card, I actually get 240 minutes - at text-message rates, that's 800 messages! :D:D

Tipi Walter
03-28-2010, 22:26
All great ideas worth pondering. I should note that the phone I got was a Nokia, about 4 years ago(Walmart).

GrubbyJohn
04-04-2010, 12:59
i bought the 20 dollar tracfone from wally world and it came with double min included hiked 11 days last summer from macaphee knob north had a signal the whole trip. and there is no roaming anymore