Pre-Pay Cell plans and service

[Iron Cowboy]

I cant take it anymore! My Verizion family plan is killing me (3 teenagers) The only way they are going to get it is if they have to pay for it themselves. I am trying to figuire out who has the best pre-pay plan. Verizion give me a break a buck or two charge each day you even use the phone for 1 minute...T-mobile seems to be the best with no daily activation fee and 10 cents a min if you buy $100 worth and good for a year. but cant find if there are roaming charges if out of area and It looks like you can keep talking even when your minutes run out and they will just charge you in a bill, nope no good. I need a plan that the damm thing just turns off or better yet explodes when the purchased minutes are up. Anyone with any knowledge of these and what might be best I would appreciate any info.

[Scott K]

Take them away, let them worry about it!

[Iron Cowboy]

Gee thanks cant belive I didnt think of that... I would still like to help them out (its a dad that cares thing, can be rare in the world today) and want to be able to track them down when needed. I'm just looking at ways to save money being that times are tough.

[IFallsRon]

I got my daughter a Tracfone for $10 on sale at Target. She gets a 100 minute card for $20 every three months and has to manage that.

[sparcebag]

I got the ole girl the TrackPhone,We never really thought we wanted them but in winter I've more than once picked her up at a strangers house cause she was in the ditch,no start,break down etc. Check em out they charge down to 20 cents a Min.which can be doubbled with their deals that come up often.Their phones are no pay no play,buy extra Min.online or at most box stores.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Would it work to charge them for their use once you receive the bill?

To put our T-Mobile monthly minutes into prospective, I broke my minutes down per day per phone (4 phones) and told them all how many min per day they had. It helped them know the daily amount.

I then charged them if they went over their minutes, even if the plan didn't. That seemed fair to all.

Another option is to get unlimited texting. It saves talk time and they are very good at using it in place of some conversations.

Good luck.

[Scott K]

 Originally Posted By: Iron Cowboy

Gee thanks cant belive I didnt think of that... I would still like to help them out (its a dad that cares thing, can be rare in the world today) and want to be able to track them down when needed. I'm just looking at ways to save money being that times are tough.

Sorry! I guess it wasnt of much help. But if you take them away for a week, or a month, that may be the best. If they go over, they lose it for 2 weeks! They then learn that there are consiquences if they cant obey the rules.

Trac phone is the cheapest, we have bought my youngest daughter one for emergencies. I know Cingular used to have a decent plan out there as well, but I dont know if they still do after AT&T took them over.

[Iron Cowboy]

thanks guys, yep I allready went the this is your time/text limit thing and charge them for over but I guess its just too hard for me to take thier money (wish it was the same for them)

$20 for 100 min. now were talking, is there good coverage? or what about double usage charge roaming or anything?

[Jeremy airjer W]

I have had t-mobile to go for a few years. I have not regretted giving the contracts up! If your a hard core user they are not for you. If your a casual user that rarely uses up you contract minutes each month it is definitely worth checking out!! In your case, trying to regulate minutes. Once your time is up thats it until you purchase more. No overage charges!!

[pulsar_nx]

I've used virgin mobile plans for several years now. Currently on $15 for 100 minutes a month and no roaming but I'm stuck with the sprint towers.

One thing to think about is availability minutes cards, I know trac phone, vigin, and boost cards are available most everywhere.

[eurolarva]

I too have been using Virgin Wireless for about three years with no plan. My wife has one too and she hardly uses it. You can walk into target buy a phone and a phone card for say twenty bucks and you have a phone. No plan, no credit card no nothing. That is why they are called terrorist phones. Then again it works for a quarter a minute for the first ten minutes then a dime a minute after that. If your kids talk a lot it is going to cost them.

[Moose]

We use Trac Phone for the simple reason we get service all over the state even where most other phones do not. The cards are easy to get and you can also update it online. If you go to far from your service area they charge you double the units but to have service in Ely and on Red Lake it's worth it.

[delcecchi]

I have tmobile to go and like it so far. No roaming extra charges. If it is the real pay to go I would be surprised if you can go over the minutes. I looked at the tmobile page and it sure sounds like you can't use more than your paid minutes.

They also have "smart access" that shuts off at some dollar amount.

They have a coverage map as well. Mine worked at cook.

[Sandmannd]

I just saw a comercial for I think tracphone, what was funny is it was Meatloaf singing in it. Anyone see this yet?

[jwhjr]

I've seen it. Some will do anything for a buck these days I guess.

[vermilionfox]

I saw that commercial....it was DISTURBING!

[Jeremy airjer W]

 Originally Posted By: delcecchi

They have a coverage map as well. Mine worked at cook.

That area recently became available (within the last couple of years). Its nice to finally have coverage in that area though!!!

[delcecchi]

The network is Cellular One at 850 MHz. Tmobile roams on that. Cook tower is near Hill Wood Products, I believe.

[Tom7227]

I'm old fashioned but I guess I think a major thing a dad has to teach is choices and consequences. People got along without cell phones for a long time and I guess I still don't see them as a necessity of life. Teach the kids that their choices have consequences - the phone quits working on day 20 of the month - and it will be the begining of them learning about the real world. If they want to text away the money and only get 10 days, that's their choice.

I think you're missing a chance to help them along in life.

[delcecchi]

My kids are over 30 and have good jobs and kids of their own. :-)

(I call it revenge)

I just bought me a cell phone and went with tmobile pay as you go. It works a little ways out on lake vermilion, and some other places.

[herm]

I echo the TrakPhone answers. Decent phones, decent coverage, easy-to-find refill cards, texting ability - all in all a GREAT learning experience for the kids. Plus, be a hero and buy them the "double minutes" card at Christmas or birthday.

[timjones]

I use Net10. Only 10 cents a minute, no roaming. Buy your minutes ever 3 months, $30 dollars for 300 minutes. Minutes carry over from month to month if you don't use them all. If you use them up then you can't use the phone until you buy more. I had Virgin for awhile but their coverage wasn't very good. I am happy with the Net10.

[JollyT]

Ditto on Net10. Simple, you always know what it costs.

[Tom7227]

Hey Cowboy,

How old are the youth?? Age may play a bit of a role in what makes sense.