TracFone Update: I posted before about my son and me leaving Verizon and going to TracFone. It cost us each about $100 for a year's activation, with either triple or quadruple minutes.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I posted before about my son and me leaving Verizon and going to TracFone. It cost us each about $100 for a year's activation, with either triple or quadruple minutes. Well, it turns out that data can be the weak point. I still have plenty of data left from when I signed up in October, but he used up all of his since signing up at the beginning of January. That explains why he could make phone calls and text, but he couldn't get online. For $50, he got over 4,000 more data units, but he'll have to watch how he uses them,. Facebook and email apparently count as data.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

jerryc41 wrote:

I posted before about my son and me leaving Verizo... (show quote)

Pretty much what isn't talk & text is data.... ;)

The important thing is WHAT is a unit of data? Is that like the way they sell life insurance rip offs these days, only .35 cents a day per unit? (And of course a unit is like $1,000.00 of insurance)

Normally data is measured in GB per month.... not units.

drivered Loc: Capital District, NY

There is always a catch :thumbdown:

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Tracfone is a heck of a deal for people like me who use no data and limited talk/text.

bigwolf40 Loc: Effort, Pa.

For me the best deal is MagicJack. It cost me $42 dollars a year and that's it. No other phone bill at all and I can call anywhere in the country. Have had it for over three years now. Works through your computer...Rich

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

drivered wrote:

There is always a catch :thumbdown:

It's worked out fine for me because I don't go online using my phone. I might check email a couple of times, but that's it.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

DaveO wrote:

Tracfone is a heck of a deal for people like me who use no data and limited talk/text.

Right, even if he had to pay $50 every two months, he'd still be way ahead compared with Verizon. We were paying $168/month for two phones. I expect $100 to get me through the year.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

jerryc41 wrote:

It's worked out fine for me because I don't go online using my phone. I might check email a couple of times, but that's it.

I've been with them almost three years and receive no bills/contracts. Depending on where you are, for service they use AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and over a dozen smaller regional networks,so my service has been very good.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

jerryc41 wrote:

Right, even if he had to pay $50 every two months, he'd still be way ahead compared with Verizon. We were paying $168/month for two phones. I expect $100 to get me through the year.

For me, aside from cost obviously is coverage and availability. When I need to or want to make a call I expect to have service - that is worth something.

What worries me is Tracfone piggybacks on other carrier service, and as such sometimes you can get no service - or be bumped because you are not the primary carrier's customer.

I will stick with Verizon for our 4 phones.

About 130.00 a month for 4 lines with 6 GB of data, unlimited talk & text.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Dngallagher wrote:

For me, aside from cost obviously is coverage and availability. When I need to or want to make a call I expect to have service - that is worth something.

What worries me is Tracfone piggybacks on other carrier service, and as such sometimes you can get no service - or be bumped because you are not the primary carrier's customer.

I will stick with Verizon for our 4 phones.

About 130.00 a month for 4 lines with 6 GB of data, unlimited talk & text.

We had two lines with limited data for $168.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Dngallagher wrote:

For me, aside from cost obviously is coverage and availability. When I need to or want to make a call I expect to have service - that is worth something.

What worries me is Tracfone piggybacks on other carrier service, and as such sometimes you can get no service - or be bumped because you are not the primary carrier's customer.

I will stick with Verizon for our 4 phones.

About 130.00 a month for 4 lines with 6 GB of data, unlimited talk & text.

Yes,they piggyback the big guys,including Verizon as I pointed out earlier. Me,and the few people I have spoken with have never had no service or been bumped. I had spotty service in Yellowstone,but so did everyone else. Whatever one is comfortable with! :)

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

I do fine with my tracfone, only 2 people have my number. it's for emergency mostly. i'm shocked at the cost of some phone contracts. how is it that millions in second and third world countrys can afford them???

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

jerryc41 wrote:

I posted before about my son and me leaving Verizo... (show quote)

I saw your post and I switched two phones from AT&T to Cricket Wireless. I'm loving it.

More data, great service, I brought my own iPhone, and the cost was cut in half.

PS: Anything you do on the cell network is data, it doesn't care what the site you surf is...data is data....the trick is to stay where there is wifi as much as possible.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

rpavich wrote:

PS: Anything you do on the cell network is data, it doesn't care what the site you surf is...data is data....the trick is to stay where there is wifi as much as possible.

Right, but be careful using public Wi-Fi. Data thieves work there.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

jerryc41 wrote:

Right, but be careful using public Wi-Fi. Data thieves work there.

Lol...old folks are very paranoid aren't they :)