Why should I switch to Tracfone?
Why should I switch to Pageplus?
Our use of cellular phones is minimal. We have 2 simple phones on a
non-data family plan where we have never reached the number of minutes
we are paying for. Verizon isn't interested in putting us on a
lower-minute plan at a lower cost. We average about 120 minutes each
and most of those are the free mobile to mobile minutes between the two
phones. We do not text. We do not have smart phones or any data plans.
Eventually we might consider getting at least one smart phone with a
minimal data plan, but not right now.
We also travel a fair amount and want the best connectivity without the
roaming charges. Customer service is important.
On Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:21:23 -0600, "R. F. Duffer"
<rft1952-newsgroups@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Getting tired of overpaying Verizon.
>
>Why should I switch to Tracfone?
>Why should I switch to Pageplus?
>
>Our use of cellular phones is minimal. We have 2 simple phones on a
>non-data family plan where we have never reached the number of minutes
>we are paying for. Verizon isn't interested in putting us on a
>lower-minute plan at a lower cost. We average about 120 minutes each
>and most of those are the free mobile to mobile minutes between the two
>phones. We do not text. We do not have smart phones or any data plans.
> Eventually we might consider getting at least one smart phone with a
>minimal data plan, but not right now.
>
>We also travel a fair amount and want the best connectivity without the
>roaming charges. Customer service is important.
>
>Thanks in advance for any suggestion.
>
>
>
>
I looked into thsi recently and Page Plus seems better to me. With
your usage the $12 plan x2 would more than cover your needs. If you
use the $25 prepaid cards for each phone, you are at $150 a year.
Page Plus has better coverage with the Verizon Prepaid network.
>
>
"R. F. Duffer" <rft1952-newsgroups@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:jfuiu5$glq$1@dont-email.me...
> Getting tired of overpaying Verizon.
>
> Why should I switch to Tracfone?
> Why should I switch to Pageplus?
>
> Our use of cellular phones is minimal. We have 2 simple phones on a
> non-data family plan where we have never reached the number of minutes we
> are paying for. Verizon isn't interested in putting us on a lower-minute
> plan at a lower cost. We average about 120 minutes each and most of those
> are the free mobile to mobile minutes between the two phones. We do not
> text. We do not have smart phones or any data plans. Eventually we might
> consider getting at least one smart phone with a minimal data plan, but
> not right now.
>
> We also travel a fair amount and want the best connectivity without the
> roaming charges. Customer service is important.
>
> Thanks in advance for any suggestion.
>
I believe T-Mobile has a $100 per year cell plan. IIRC, it includes 1000
minutes and you can add minues as needed. No doubt T-Mobile network is not
as extensive as Verizon's.
At 27 Jan 2012 18:54:01 -0500 Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:
> In article <jfuiu5$glq$1@dont-email.me>,
> "R. F. Duffer" <rft1952-newsgroups@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > Getting tired of overpaying Verizon.
> >
> > Why should I switch to Tracfone?
> > Why should I switch to Pageplus?
> >
> > Our use of cellular phones is minimal. We have 2 simple phones on a
> > non-data family plan where we have never reached the number of
minutes
> > we are paying for. Verizon isn't interested in putting us on a
> > lower-minute plan at a lower cost. We average about 120 minutes each
> > and most of those are the free mobile to mobile minutes between the
two
> > phones. We do not text. We do not have smart phones or any data
plans.
> > Eventually we might consider getting at least one smart phone with
a
> > minimal data plan, but not right now.
> >
> > We also travel a fair amount and want the best connectivity without
the
> > roaming charges. Customer service is important.
> >
> > Thanks in advance for any suggestion.
>
> PP customer service is fine.
>
> What it sounds like is, you should have *both*. It's $30/year to have
a
> PP phone, includes some minutes, or you can fund it with a $50 or $80
> card up front and then keep it going with $10 cards every 4 months.
> Whatever.
I can't think of a good reason to use Tracfone in addition to PagePlus.
While there are probably a few areas AT&T/GSM works where PagePlus/CDMA
doesn't, I'm not sure there are enough to justify a second service,
particularly when PP can roam on virtually any CDMA carrier for a nominal
cost ($0.29-0.59/minute). Obviously a Verizon-based CDMA Tracfone would
just be redundant.
> Then find out what it takes to keep a Tracfone going. Again, it'll
> probably be minimal. Even better if your Tracfone uses ATT/TMobile
> towers. That way you'll always have a phone on ATT/TMobile towers and
a
> phone on Verizon towers.
I think the minimum TF monthly fee is about $7/month- almost three times
more than PP's.
> You may not be able to escape roaming entirely; however, your usage
> wouldn't ding you much at all, if any. Don't focus on "I must have no
> roaming!"; do the math, and see what your costs are with your current
> VZW plan as compared to a PP/Tracfone combo with some roaming charges.
> You'll be WAY ahead with PP/Tracfone combo, regardless.
>
> It's all math.
In the immortal words of Teen Talk Barbie, "Math is hard!"
"R. F. Duffer" <rft1952-newsgroups@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:jfuiu5$glq$1@dont-email.me...
> Getting tired of overpaying Verizon.
>
> Why should I switch to Tracfone?
> Why should I switch to Pageplus?
>
> Our use of cellular phones is minimal. We have 2 simple phones on a
> non-data family plan where we have never reached the number of minutes we
> are paying for. Verizon isn't interested in putting us on a lower-minute
> plan at a lower cost. We average about 120 minutes each and most of those
> are the free mobile to mobile minutes between the two phones. We do not
> text. We do not have smart phones or any data plans. Eventually we might
> consider getting at least one smart phone with a minimal data plan, but
> not right now.
>
> We also travel a fair amount and want the best connectivity without the
> roaming charges. Customer service is important.
>
> Thanks in advance for any suggestion.
>
You average 120 minutes a month or 1440 minutes a year.
PagePlus has an $80 card that gets you 2000 minutes and is good for one
year. The $80 card must be purchased from a PagePlus dealer. The $10, $25
and $50 airtime cards are only good for 120 days.
You can get cheap PagePlus activations on Ebay.
Roaming calls are billed at $0.29 a minute and will just eat up your minutes
faster than an on network call.
You have to keep track of you remaining dollar balance and renew on time (1
year or every 120 days) or lose your existing balance. Read all the terms of
any plan you purchase.
PagePlus customer service is uneven. I have talked to them only 3 times over
5 years without a problem, but some customers do report problems.
At these low rates you get what you get and it works on the Verizon network
On Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:55:59 -0500, "terrable" <terrable@terrable.net>
wrote:
>PagePlus has an $80 card that gets you 2000 minutes and is good for one
>year. The $80 card must be purchased from a PagePlus dealer. The $10, $25
>and $50 airtime cards are only good for 120 days.
>
>You can get cheap PagePlus activations on Ebay.
>
>Roaming calls are billed at $0.29 a minute and will just eat up your minutes
>faster than an on network call.
>
>You have to keep track of you remaining dollar balance and renew on time (1
>year or every 120 days) or lose your existing balance. Read all the terms of
>any plan you purchase.
What about choice of handsets? Will PP activate pretty much any
Verizon CDMA device?
On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:38:45 -0500, tlvp <mPiOsUcB.EtLlLvEp@att.net>
wrote:
>On Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:32:58 -0600, Paul Miner wrote:
>
>> What about choice of handsets? Will PP activate pretty much any
>> Verizon CDMA device?
>
>Well, the ESN must come up as "clean" in some lost/stolen/defaulted DB.
>And maybe there are a few super-duper data-crazy devices that are banned.
>
>The site http://www.checkesnfree.com/ will tell you whether you're clean.
>Or call VZW CS directly (is that 800-922-0204, perhaps?) and ask them.
Thanks, that helps. I've visited the PP website a handful of times in
the past 3 years or so, but they do a terrible job of selling their
service so I always click away without buying. Maybe one of these days
things will click.
On 1/28/2012 5:29 AM, Paul Miner wrote:
> On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:38:45 -0500, tlvp<mPiOsUcB.EtLlLvEp@att.net>
> wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:32:58 -0600, Paul Miner wrote:
>>
>>> What about choice of handsets? Will PP activate pretty much any
>>> Verizon CDMA device?
>>
>> Well, the ESN must come up as "clean" in some lost/stolen/defaulted DB.
>> And maybe there are a few super-duper data-crazy devices that are banned.
>>
>> The site http://www.checkesnfree.com/ will tell you whether you're clean.
>> Or call VZW CS directly (is that 800-922-0204, perhaps?) and ask them.
>
> Thanks, that helps. I've visited the PP website a handful of times in
> the past 3 years or so, but they do a terrible job of selling their
> service so I always click away without buying. Maybe one of these days
> things will click.
>
If they do a terrible job of selling their service, shouldn't you look
VERY CAREFULLY at everything else they may do terribly????? Once you
sign, you're stuck with them!
On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:50:11 -0500, "Richard B. Gilbert"
<rgilbert88@comcast.net> wrote:
>On 1/28/2012 5:29 AM, Paul Miner wrote:
>>
>>
>> Thanks, that helps. I've visited the PP website a handful of times in
>> the past 3 years or so, but they do a terrible job of selling their
>> service so I always click away without buying. Maybe one of these days
>> things will click.
>>
>
>If they do a terrible job of selling their service, shouldn't you look
>VERY CAREFULLY at everything else they may do terribly????? Once you
>sign, you're stuck with them!
Sign what? And just how do you get "stuck" with a prepaid provider?
At 28 Jan 2012 08:50:11 -0500 Richard B. Gilbert wrote:
> On 1/28/2012 5:29 AM, Paul Miner wrote:
> > On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:38:45 -0500, tlvp<mPiOsUcB.EtLlLvEp@att.net>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> On Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:32:58 -0600, Paul Miner wrote:
> >>
> >>> What about choice of handsets? Will PP activate pretty much any
> >>> Verizon CDMA device?
> >>
> >> Well, the ESN must come up as "clean" in some lost/stolen/defaulted
DB.
> >> And maybe there are a few super-duper data-crazy devices that are
banned.
> >>
> >> The site http://www.checkesnfree.com/ will tell you whether you're
clean.
> >> Or call VZW CS directly (is that 800-922-0204, perhaps?) and ask them.
> >
> > Thanks, that helps. I've visited the PP website a handful of times in
> > the past 3 years or so, but they do a terrible job of selling their
> > service so I always click away without buying. Maybe one of these days
> > things will click.
> >
>
> If they do a terrible job of selling their service, shouldn't you look
> VERY CAREFULLY at everything else they may do terribly????? Once you
> sign, you're stuck with them!
It's a prepaid service- there is no contract or commitment. You can
always walk away if you don't like them. The only risk its whatever
airtime you prepay for, which is as little as $10.
At 27 Jan 2012 23:32:58 -0600 Paul Miner wrote:
> On Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:55:59 -0500, "terrable" <terrable@terrable.net>
> wrote:
>
> >PagePlus has an $80 card that gets you 2000 minutes and is good for
one
> >year. The $80 card must be purchased from a PagePlus dealer. The $10,
$25
> >and $50 airtime cards are only good for 120 days.
> >
> >You can get cheap PagePlus activations on Ebay.
> >
> >Roaming calls are billed at $0.29 a minute and will just eat up your
minutes
> >faster than an on network call.
> >
> >You have to keep track of you remaining dollar balance and renew on
time (1
> >year or every 120 days) or lose your existing balance. Read all the
terms of
> >any plan you purchase.
>
> What about choice of handsets? Will PP activate pretty much any
> Verizon CDMA device?
>
Almost. No iPhones, and no handsets originally sold as Verizon prepaid
phones. (Like the ones sold in blister packs at Walmart, Target, etc.
Those are sold below cost in anticipation that they'll be activated on
Verizon's branded prepaid service.)
While PP will activate Blackberries, they don't offer Blackberry internet
service (BIS or BES) but the devices will work for voice and text. Other
smartphones that don't rely on proprietary servers (Android, Palm, Windows,
etc.) will have full data functionality if you're willing to pay for it.
> We also travel a fair amount and want the best connectivity without the
> roaming charges. Customer service is important.
>
> Thanks in advance for any suggestion.
I'd get Pageplus with the $80/2000 minutes/1 year plan. No worries about
renewing every 120 days. You can always take your balance and convert it
to a Pageplus monthly plan if you find a need for texting or data. At
the end of the first year you can do a couple of 120 day $10 renewals
until your balance falls to near 0, then do another one year card. Note
that you have to buy the $80/1 year card from a dealer (or
callingmart.com), Pageplus doesn't sell them directly, for whatever reason.
Roaming is an issue if you often travel into rural areas where Verizon
is not the CDMA carrier. Alaska is one such place. Parts of southern
Oregon and central California (gold country) are others. Occasionally
paying roaming charges is far offset by the lower rates unless the bulk
of your time is spent in non-Verizon areas.
Customer service on Pageplus is a mixed bag. I've had pretty good
service, but sometimes there are problems. They have little forgiveness
for missing a renewal date and restoring lost minutes.
At 28 Jan 2012 07:19:18 -0500 Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:
> In article <jfvo0v$ti8$1@dont-email.me>,
> Todd Allcock <elecconnec@AnoOspamL.com> wrote:
>
> > I can't think of a good reason to use Tracfone in addition to PagePlus.
>
> If you have a GSM tracfone, it may have signal or not be roaming where
> the PP unit doesn't have signal or is roaming.
>
> That is all.
Yeah, I get that. I'm just saying those instances are rare enough that
it probably doesn't justify a second service. You don't see "real"
Verizon customers toting a backup AT&T phone "just in case", so I can't
think of a good reason for PagePlus customers to do it either. Even to
avoid roaming is a pretty tenuous argument. At $0.29/min fir roaming on PP,
you'd have to do a lot of roaming to justify a $7/month secondary line
just to avoid the roaming charges.
OTOH, if your primary service is notoriously coverage limited, e.g. T-Mo,
Cricket, etc., a pay-per-use PagePlus plan might be justified. In my case,
I use T-Mo for its cheap unlimited data, and fall back on PP for
traveling in rural areas. $30/year is pretty cheap "coverage insurance"
(although I've only used it two or three times in the last three years,
and each time for convenience rather than emergency.) If the minimum
cost to keep a PP number alive was as much as Tracfone, ($80/year) I
wouldn't bother.
Coincidentally, my two PP lines are up for renewal next week. (I keep one
alive for my wife that she's never used, using the logic that if we're
vacationing in an area without T-Mo coverage we might split up
occasionally and need to call each other.)
I'm sorely tempted to let one lapse, but the cheapskate in me can't bear
to let the balance expire! (I should've let it go last year when I forgot
to refill it and lost my balance, but PP CS credited me half of it back
as a one-time courtesy.)
If the rumors that T-Mo attains coverage parity with AT&T from the
roaming agreements forged in the failed merger attempt are true, I'll
probably let both PP lines go. AT&T-level coverage is good enough, even
when traveling, and I can always keep the expired PP phone(s) for 911
emergencies.
On 1/27/2012 11:38 PM, tlvp wrote:
> On Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:32:58 -0600, Paul Miner wrote:
>
>> What about choice of handsets? Will PP activate pretty much any
>> Verizon CDMA device?
>
> Well, the ESN must come up as "clean" in some lost/stolen/defaulted DB.
> And maybe there are a few super-duper data-crazy devices that are banned.
>
> The site http://www.checkesnfree.com/ will tell you whether you're clean.
> Or call VZW CS directly (is that 800-922-0204, perhaps?) and ask them.
>
> HTH. Cheers, -- tlvp
I've purchased two Android phones from Craigslist. We meet at a Verizon
store and Verizon verifies that the ESN is clean.
At 28 Jan 2012 11:32:56 -0500 Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:
> In article <jg16r3$6p0$1@dont-email.me>,
> Todd Allcock <elecconnec@AnoOspamL.com> wrote:
>
> > > If you have a GSM tracfone, it may have signal or not be roaming
where
> > > the PP unit doesn't have signal or is roaming.
> > >
> > > That is all.
> >
> > Yeah, I get that. I'm just saying those instances are rare enough
that
> > it probably doesn't justify a second service.
>
> I don't disagree, but you know how people are. He seemed stuck on the
> whole "I don't want any roaming fees!" thing to the point where I
> thought I'd mention the multiple phone thing.
>
> As I said in my post, it's just math. If your usage is that low, even
> with a decent amount of roaming PP is *still* probably cheaper.
Fair enough...
> And hell, at least PP *allows* roaming. Some prepaid providers don't.
True. That alone makes them the best prepaid provider, IMO.
> People are completely free to ignore simple facts and hang onto their
> prejudices. Maybe he can have his "I DON'T WANT ANY ROAMING!"
prejudice
> *and* still have decent service. It'll cost him more than if he
> accepted PP roaming, but that's his business.
To be fair, that prejudice comes from the early days of cellular and $1-
3/minute roaming, and bolstered by horror stories of present-day
international roaming rates. Education can overcome prejudice.
> Remember: stupid people are what make the financial world go 'round.
True. Penn Jillette, of the magician-comedy duo Penn and Teller, quips in
their show at the Rio, "the lights of Las Vegas are powered by Hoover Dam
and bad math."
On 1/28/2012 8:32 AM, Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:
> In article<jg16r3$6p0$1@dont-email.me>,
> Todd Allcock<elecconnec@AnoOspamL.com> wrote:
>
>>> If you have a GSM tracfone, it may have signal or not be roaming where
>>> the PP unit doesn't have signal or is roaming.
>>>
>>> That is all.
>>
>> Yeah, I get that. I'm just saying those instances are rare enough that
>> it probably doesn't justify a second service.
>
> I don't disagree, but you know how people are. He seemed stuck on the
> whole "I don't want any roaming fees!" thing to the point where I
> thought I'd mention the multiple phone thing.
Some people are also stuck with "I _must_ get a free phone." It doesn't
matter that they end up paying far more overall, they believe that the
free phone saves them a lot of money.
It's the same with data. Even though most users use less than 500MB of
data per month, they are just sure that they must have 2GB of data,
"just in case."
"It's best not to argue with people who are determined to lose. Once
you've told them about a superior alternative, your responsibility is
fulfilled and you can allow them to lose in peace." Mark Crispin
> To be fair, that prejudice comes from the early days of cellular and $1-
> 3/minute roaming, and bolstered by horror stories of present-day
> international roaming rates. Education can overcome prejudice.
Amusingly, a lot of the "no roaming fees" was achieved by simply not
allowing roaming, rather than not charging for it.
I recall when Verizon had two sets of coverage maps based on when you
signed up. I was on a plan that used the old maps, and I had far more
coverage than those on the plans that used the new maps. However much of
the roaming coverage I had, that the newer plans didn't, was paid
roaming (in theory, in practice I was never charged for that roaming and
I did use it).
> True. Penn Jillette, of the magician-comedy duo Penn and Teller, quips in
> their show at the Rio, "the lights of Las Vegas are powered by Hoover Dam
> and bad math."
I expect that most of the people that gamble in Las Vegas are well aware
that the chances of winning are very small. It's their form of
entertainment.
On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:50:11 -0500, "Richard B. Gilbert"
<rgilbert88@comcast.net> wrote:
>On 1/28/2012 5:29 AM, Paul Miner wrote:
>> On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:38:45 -0500, tlvp<mPiOsUcB.EtLlLvEp@att.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:32:58 -0600, Paul Miner wrote:
>>>
>>>> What about choice of handsets? Will PP activate pretty much any
>>>> Verizon CDMA device?
>>>
>>> Well, the ESN must come up as "clean" in some lost/stolen/defaulted DB.
>>> And maybe there are a few super-duper data-crazy devices that are banned.
>>>
>>> The site http://www.checkesnfree.com/ will tell you whether you're clean.
>>> Or call VZW CS directly (is that 800-922-0204, perhaps?) and ask them.
>>
>> Thanks, that helps. I've visited the PP website a handful of times in
>> the past 3 years or so, but they do a terrible job of selling their
>> service so I always click away without buying. Maybe one of these days
>> things will click.
>>
>
>If they do a terrible job of selling their service, shouldn't you look
>VERY CAREFULLY at everything else they may do terribly????? Once you
>sign, you're stuck with them!
The PP web site is as usable as the ones from verizon and T-Mobile,
but simpler What evidence do you have that PP does anything
"terribly"?
And to reveal your level of "expertise" about PP, "Once you
sign, you're stuck with them!" is simply stupid. There's nothing to
sign or any long term agreement of any kind.
> Thanks, that helps. I've visited the PP website a handful of times in
> the past 3 years or so, but they do a terrible job of selling their
> service so I always click away without buying. Maybe one of these days
> things will click.
They definitely have a marketing problem. I don't know why they don't
come out and just state which phones will work on their service,
especially smart phones.
That said, for those that know what works, they represent a very
inexpensive way to get service on Verizon's network, provided you fall
into the 90+ percent of users that don't use more than 500MB per month.
Perhaps they have an agreement with Verizon to not advertise certain
aspects of their service.
On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 09:03:27 -0800, SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com>
wrote:
>Even though most users use less than 500MB of
>data per month, they are just sure that they must have 2GB of data,
>"just in case."
That would be me. For the pennies a day difference between data plans
on most carriers *for me* it would not be worth the hassle of keeping
track of how much data you use, and being worried of overages if you
did happen to have a busy month.
But in my case it appears that the Verizon plans jump from 75MB/$10 to
2GB/$30 so most of those you disparage on Verizon would want the 2GB
plan anyway.
I'm still on the grandfathered Verizon Unlimited plan and even though
I generally use less than 200GB/mo, I plan to keep it as long as I
can...just in case.
On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:50:11 -0500, Richard B. Gilbert wrote:
> ...
> If they do a terrible job of selling their service, shouldn't you look
> VERY CAREFULLY at everything else they may do terribly????? Once you
> sign, you're stuck with them!
You don't sign, you're not stuck, PP is strictly cash and carry :-) .
--
Avant de repondre, jeter la poubelle, SVP. -- tlvp
At 28 Jan 2012 12:40:34 -0800 SMS wrote:
> On 1/28/2012 2:29 AM, Paul Miner wrote:
>
> > Thanks, that helps. I've visited the PP website a handful of times in
> > the past 3 years or so, but they do a terrible job of selling their
> > service so I always click away without buying. Maybe one of these days
> > things will click.
>
> They definitely have a marketing problem. I don't know why they don't
> come out and just state which phones will work on their service,
> especially smart phones.
They can't run afoul of their agreements with Big Red. You might notice
there's no mention of "Verizon" anywhere on their website. Only that
their service uses "one of the largest networks in the United States..."
They don't support non-PagePlus branded phones, so I suspect bragging
that you can activate most Verizon phones would run afoul of their
agreement with Verizon not to sully Verizon's good name with their cut-
rate service, much like supermarkets can't brag that their generic Corn
Flakes are made by Kellogg's.
> That said, for those that know what works, they represent a very
> inexpensive way to get service on Verizon's network, provided you fall
> into the 90+ percent of users that don't use more than 500MB per month.
>
> Perhaps they have an agreement with Verizon to not advertise certain
> aspects of their service.
In the PP dealer bible, it's verboten to use the V-word or any Verizon
logos on any signage, literature, or marketing materials, though it
recommends only activating Verizon phones (in addition to PagePlus
handsets, of course) rather than Sprint, et al, for compatibility reasons.
On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:11:55 -0700, Todd Allcock
<elecconnec@AnoOspamL.com> wrote:
>At 28 Jan 2012 08:50:11 -0500 Richard B. Gilbert wrote:
>> On 1/28/2012 5:29 AM, Paul Miner wrote:
>> > On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:38:45 -0500, tlvp<mPiOsUcB.EtLlLvEp@att.net>
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> >> On Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:32:58 -0600, Paul Miner wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> What about choice of handsets? Will PP activate pretty much any
>> >>> Verizon CDMA device?
>> >>
>> >> Well, the ESN must come up as "clean" in some lost/stolen/defaulted
>DB.
>> >> And maybe there are a few super-duper data-crazy devices that are
>banned.
>> >>
>> >> The site http://www.checkesnfree.com/ will tell you whether you're
>clean.
>> >> Or call VZW CS directly (is that 800-922-0204, perhaps?) and ask them.
>
>> >
>> > Thanks, that helps. I've visited the PP website a handful of times in
>> > the past 3 years or so, but they do a terrible job of selling their
>> > service so I always click away without buying. Maybe one of these days
>> > things will click.
>> >
>>
>> If they do a terrible job of selling their service, shouldn't you look
>> VERY CAREFULLY at everything else they may do terribly????? Once you
>> sign, you're stuck with them!
>
>It's a prepaid service- there is no contract or commitment. You can
>always walk away if you don't like them. The only risk its whatever
>airtime you prepay for, which is as little as $10.
I'm thinking the investment is a bit more substantial than that, even
if it's partly psychological. I don't currently have a compatible
phone (plus one for my wife) and I don't want multiple phones (and
carriers) so I would probably port my existing number. Yes, I can
always port back out, but it's all a bit of a hassle, plus the cost of
phones.
We're currently using Consumer Cellular, (uses the att network), where
we share 300 minutes a month, 100 texts, and 10MB of data, for $31
before taxes. Final cost is $39 a month with fees. PP might be cheaper
and probably is, but for me there are too many unknowns at the moment.
We're perfectly happy with CC's (att's) coverage, but my wife
complains about triple-tapping her text messages while her friends
have phones with keyboards. We use Motorola V195's, which are long
past their prime, technology-wise.
Apologies for hijacking someone else's thread. I should have started
my own.
On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 07:28:26 -0800, SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com>
wrote:
>On 1/27/2012 8:21 AM, R. F. Duffer wrote:
>
>> We also travel a fair amount and want the best connectivity without the
>> roaming charges. Customer service is important.
>>
>> Thanks in advance for any suggestion.
>
>I'd get Pageplus with the $80/2000 minutes/1 year plan. No worries about
>renewing every 120 days. You can always take your balance and convert it
>to a Pageplus monthly plan if you find a need for texting or data.
Does that imply that the $80/2000 plan doesn't include any texting or
data?
At 28 Jan 2012 10:03:22 -0800 SMS wrote:
> On 1/28/2012 8:54 AM, Todd Allcock wrote:
>
> > To be fair, that prejudice comes from the early days of cellular and
$1-
> > 3/minute roaming, and bolstered by horror stories of present-day
> > international roaming rates. Education can overcome prejudice.
>
> Amusingly, a lot of the "no roaming fees" was achieved by simply not
> allowing roaming, rather than not charging for it.
Yes and no. It was a combination of allowing roaming with partner
carriers offering lower rates, and prohibiting roaming with higher-rate
carriers.
> > True. Penn Jillette, of the magician-comedy duo Penn and Teller,
quips in
> > their show at the Rio, "the lights of Las Vegas are powered by Hoover
Dam
> > and bad math."
>
> I expect that most of the people that gamble in Las Vegas are well
> aware that the chances of winning are very small. It's their form of
> entertainment.
You'd be surprised. Obviously you haven't met anyone with a "system".
Most people have no idea how probability or the law of averages works.
I used to argue with anyone explaining their "system" to me, but I
eventually tired of it and just nod appreciatively these days...
On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 10:03:22 -0800, SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com>
wrote:
>On 1/28/2012 8:54 AM, Todd Allcock wrote:
>
>> True. Penn Jillette, of the magician-comedy duo Penn and Teller, quips in
>> their show at the Rio, "the lights of Las Vegas are powered by Hoover Dam
>> and bad math."
>
>I expect that most of the people that gamble in Las Vegas are well aware
>that the chances of winning are very small. It's their form of
>entertainment.
I lived in Vegas for a bit over 4 years and divide people into two
groups: Vegas residents, who are generally well aware that it's the
losers who pay the bills by leaving their money behind, and people who
come in from out of town, who always seem to be so sure that they'll
be the one who will win big. They seldom do, but there's always next
time.
On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:52:17 -0600, Paul Miner wrote:
> We're perfectly happy with CC's (att's) coverage, but my wife
> complains about triple-tapping her text messages while her friends
> have phones with keyboards. ...
Live anywhere near a college campus? If so, haunt its cellphone recycling
bins, probably near a Student Union, or Campus Eatery, or ITS store, etc.:
you can probably find a suitably keyboarded GSM handset in there, along
with matching wallwart or vehicle charge-adapter. You can probably find
handsets suitable for use with Page Plus in there, too :-) .
(On my campus I've found -- and used -- LG cu-400 and Motorola L2 (SLVR) on
the GSM side, Motorola Q9m and Samsung SCH-a930 on the Verizon/PP side,
and a bunch of handsets suitable for Sprint, as well. The GSM ones needed
to get SIM-unlocked or un-SIM-locked, but at&tws CS helped with that, N/C.)
HTH. Cheers,
--
Avant de repondre, jeter la poubelle, SVP. -- tlvp
At 28 Jan 2012 16:56:01 -0600 Paul Miner wrote:
> On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 07:28:26 -0800, SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >On 1/27/2012 8:21 AM, R. F. Duffer wrote:
> >
> >> We also travel a fair amount and want the best connectivity without
the
> >> roaming charges. Customer service is important.
> >>
> >> Thanks in advance for any suggestion.
> >
> >I'd get Pageplus with the $80/2000 minutes/1 year plan. No worries
about
> >renewing every 120 days. You can always take your balance and convert
it
> >to a Pageplus monthly plan if you find a need for texting or data.
>
> Does that imply that the $80/2000 plan doesn't include any texting or
> data?
It's not a plan, per se, it's pay as you go:
$0.04/minute voice, $0.05 texts, and $1/MB data, and what remains of the
$80 balance expires in 365 days (unless you burn it up sooner with usage,
or extend it by buying more airtime.)
Presumably you're on the CC $20 plan (300 minutes/month) with the $2.50
100 texts/10MB data addon and one shared line ($10). If, worst-case
scenario, you maxed out every minute, text, and MB you're allowed, that'd
be $27/month on PP (300x0.04 + 100x0.05 + 10x1)
Unlike CC, PagePlus doesn't offer family plans or AARP discounts, but
they have a cheap plan a plan that offers about as much per line as you
currently share (250 minutes, 250 texts, 10MB data) for $12/month/line,
but depending on your usage, pay-as-you go might be more economical.
At 28 Jan 2012 16:52:17 -0600 Paul Miner wrote:
> On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:11:55 -0700, Todd Allcock
> <elecconnec@AnoOspamL.com> wrote:
>
> >At 28 Jan 2012 08:50:11 -0500 Richard B. Gilbert wrote:
> >> On 1/28/2012 5:29 AM, Paul Miner wrote:
> >> If they do a terrible job of selling their service, shouldn't you
look
> >> VERY CAREFULLY at everything else they may do terribly????? Once you
> >> sign, you're stuck with them!
> >
> >It's a prepaid service- there is no contract or commitment. You can
> >always walk away if you don't like them. The only risk its whatever
> >airtime you prepay for, which is as little as $10.
>
> I'm thinking the investment is a bit more substantial than that, even
> if it's partly psychological. I don't currently have a compatible
> phone (plus one for my wife) and I don't want multiple phones (and
> carriers) so I would probably port my existing number. Yes, I can
> always port back out, but it's all a bit of a hassle, plus the cost of
> phones.
You can always try the new service with a new number, then port your
current number after you're satisfied with coverage and service.
Used Verizon dumb phones are a dime a dozen on eBay. Some folks just
troll recycle bins looking for anything complete (phone battery and
charger all together.)
> We're currently using Consumer Cellular, (uses the att network), where
> we share 300 minutes a month, 100 texts, and 10MB of data, for $31
> before taxes. Final cost is $39 a month with fees. PP might be cheaper
> and probably is, but for me there are too many unknowns at the moment.
It wouldn't require much of an investment to try another service out for
a month.
Having said that...
I like Consumer Cellular. I used them briefly when we first moved to
Denver. I had been a happy Cingular user in Kansas City, but they didn't
serve Denver, while AT&T did. (This was pre-merger.) We were out of
contract with Cingular, so I canceled service the day we were leaving KC,
called Consumer Cellular, who used the AT&T network, activated a Denver
numbers on my wife's phone from the comfort of my living room in Kansas
City, made a test call to ensure it worked, and she drove off to Denver.
(She left a day earlier alone to met the moving trucks and set up the
bedrooms, and I followed with the kids the next day. I didn't activate my
Cingular phone with CC, I just canceled it. I was using a T-Mo phone for
my business and used that for the trip.)
Unfortunately, the neighborhood we moved to had p*ss-poor AT&T (and
Verizon) service. (Back then, in 2004, only Sprint, Nextel, and T-Mo
covered the area. Verizon and AT&T coverage came later.) My wife
couldn't call me from the house but she could text me from one upstairs
bedroom window.
I canceled with Consumer Cellular before the week was up (after we'd
switched to T-Mo) and they happily pro-rated our monthly fee, even though
it wasn't their policy to do it. (The rep confirmed my no coverage story
by looking at the call and texting records for our first few days in
Denver.)
Their rates were (and still are) reasonable and their CS people were
helpful and
friendly. I have nothing negative to say about them at all.
> We're perfectly happy with CC's (att's) coverage, but my wife
> complains about triple-tapping her text messages while her friends
> have phones with keyboards. We use Motorola V195's, which are long
> past their prime, technology-wise.
The beauty of GSM is that changing handsets is as easy as moving SIM cards.
Find any cheap AT&T handset with a QWERTY keyboard on eBay, put your
wife's SIM in it, and she's off to the proverbial races.
> Apologies for hijacking someone else's thread. I should have started
> my own.
Pageplus vs Tracfone 
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