topic Re: Is A TracFone Good in Electronics

Is A TracFone Good

Jordan2 — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 19:52:34 GMT

I know this has been talked about before but I'm wondering if I should purchase one. On HSN they have one for about $79 with triple minutes for the life of your phone and you get 1500 minutes to use for a year. I have a flip phone (I'm mortified when I take it out) and don't really use my phone much. The rep on HSN said the coverage is from AT&T and T-Mobile both. I pay about $35 a month so I would be saving a great deal of money. I have a dumb question but when they speak about minutes that includes texting and surfing the web? How are the texts and surfing deducted from your minutes? Also if you want to keep your old number do you call TracFone first and then cancel with your old carrier?TIA

Re: Is A TracFone Good

hckynut — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 20:13:50 GMT

Have had TracFone for almost 9 years now. Over that time I have upgraded the phones every time year. Bought all of them on hsn and each time it was cheaper than adding a years worth of minutes.

You can keep you same phone number, but as far as texts? They use up your "minutes" with supposedly 3 texts per minute, but that is not always true. It depends on the length of you text. Data? If you have wi-fi in your home or are in a wi-fi area it does not use minutes. Only texts and calls use minutes.

I have never had a "dropped call" on any of these phones. My present one is a Samsung Centura, which is a smart phone. The minutes came along with texts and data also. My left over minutes each time I upgraded were added to the new phone and with each new phone TracFone also added 3 months to my year expiration dates.

I now have close to 4,000 minutes talk time/4,000 texts/4,000 data on my smart phone. Figure the last one a bought is now costing me less than $6 per month.

If you are talking about the LG840G? That was my last phone and it is not a "true smart phone". Has some smart phone features but there are too many things it does not do for me to consider it a true smart phone.

You might want to check shophq as they had an LG for a cheaper price also with 1500 minutes. I don't know if it is a "true smart phone"

Re: Is A TracFone Good

Stargazer77 — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 20:28:33 GMT

Hi jordan2! My doctor has a flip phone, we had a little chuckle about it last time I went. He wanted to take my pulse manually, but wasn't wearing a watch and pulled out his phone, which wasn't turned on, so we used my watch. He's actually into technology and was about to teach himself Linux last time I went, so I don't know what the flip phone is about. Maybe I'll ask him next time I see him.

Anyway, I have a Tracfone. I cut the cord with AT&T two summers ago. I had been a customer for about 10 years, when they were Cingular and Cellular One before that. I paid what you paid and I was a light user so it was a waste of money. Last summer my mom was ready to cut the cord with AT&T also. She and I had the same plan where you got X minutes per month and each text cost 20 cents. Add 20% taxes and fees to the monthly bill and it just became not worth it.

I really like my Tracfone because it's a semi-smartphone (LG 840) and if I need to jump on the internet for something or want to check my email quickly when I'm out, I can. It's not a great interface and is definitely not for surfing the web or sending a long email, but it's good enough.

I'm not sure if the phone you're talking about it the older semi-smartphone like mine or the newer Android based phones where the minutes, texts and data are divided. If it's the semi-smartphone, one minute of talk time on the phone deducts one minute from your balance. 3 texts sent or received deducts one minute from your balance. The internet deductions vary depending on how long you're on the internet and what you're viewing. I turned off my ability to load pictures while on the internet, so my deductions aren't too much usually. Sending and receiving text message pictures are kind of expensive. I don't do that too much.

It just depends what you want to do with your phone. Are you tied to your current cell phone number? If you wouldn't be too upset at losing it, you could buy the phone from HSN, set it up with a new phone number, use it and see how you like it. If you want your old cell phone number sent to your new Tracfone, that's easy to do (I did mine online through Tracfone and didn't have to deal with AT&T at all), but if you change your mind about the Tracphone it won't be easy to hang on to that number. Simplest is easiest with Tracfone. Their customer service can be challenging from a consumer standpoint.

Re: Is A TracFone Good

maryebrown_1 — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 20:36:21 GMT

I don't have a smart phone but I've been very pleased w/ Tracfone. DS had one for 10 years, the numbers wore off on the keyboard and the buttons barely worked - lol - so I got him and me Samsungs from the Q 15 mos. ago 1400 min. w/ triple minutes for life. It's a cheap way to go if you hate monthly phone bills, and I dumped my Verizon landline (base cost $90/mo) and xferred my home # to my cell. Tracfone does take care of that, and your carrier has to comply. DH hates cellphones, so he doesn't have one, I've offered him my older flip phone but he doesn't want it. I don't text or use it for the 'net, I have a kindle fire for that + hughesnet (I use wifi router @ home). I use the home computer for most of my 'net.

Re: Is A TracFone Good

GCR18 — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 20:41:02 GMT

I actually prefer a flip phone. I have LG840. Bought it in August as a q TSV. $89 is a good price. I'd go for it. I've had no issues. I transported my number. People complain about the customer service, but they were nice to me and very helpful. My only regret is not knowing that my old provider would have lowered my plan to keep me. I found out too late in the process to stop it. Well I probably could have, but it would have been a hassle. If you like where you are, ask about a lower price before pulling the trigger.

Re: Is A TracFone Good

Nightowlz — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 20:48:14 GMT

Tracfone is a good deal for me because I don't use it much. I take it with me when I'm out & about in case I need it or on vacation. I don't surf the web or text on the phone so I don't know how many mins it uses for that. I have the LG840G. $79 is a good price for the phone with triple mins & 1500 mins & probably comes with 1 yr service because it costs $100 for 400 mins & 1 yr service through Tracfone but you would actually get 1200 mins with your triple min phone. It comes with instructions how to set it up. I transferred mins & number from an older Tracfone online (it was easy) so I'm not sure how to do that with a different carrier.

Found this online: Can I transfer my current phone number to a TracFone?

Yes. You may transfer your telephone number from another company to TracFone. To port in your existing telephone number to your TracFone, the number you are porting must be active with your current service provider.

You need to request TracFone to port in your number. TracFone will then process your request on your behalf. In order to request the transfer and initiate the activation process please click here and select the option to "Activate my TracFone with a number from another company."

The transferring of your number to a new TracFone might take a few hours. However, if there are any delays from your current wireless carrier, the transfer process could take up to 7 days, and in the case of landline numbers, transfers may take up to 30 days.

Your new TracFone will be ready to complete activation when your old phone stops working.

Re: Is A TracFone Good

Nuttmeg — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 21:27:29 GMT

This is some info about TracFone Area codes where you live and call most often. You should check for service.

http://zip.tracfone.com/?utm_source=IMM&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=DR

These are FAQ's about getting started etc. http://www.tracfone.com/questions.jsp

Re: Is A TracFone Good

Jordan2 — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 23:19:13 GMT

Thanks to all for their replies. This is what I love about this forum, I can always count on getting some useful information. Everyone is always so helpful.

Re: Is A TracFone Good

HiLo — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 23:55:51 GMT

the ones sold on the shopping channels are a good deal, even if you bought one every year the minutes allowed pay for themselves.

Re: Is A TracFone Good

betteb — Sun, 30 Mar 2014 00:16:01 GMT

On 3/29/2014 HiLo said:
the ones sold on the shopping channels are a good deal, even if you bought one every year the minutes allowed pay for themselves.

Exactly. It's actually cheaper to just get a new phone every year, especially if you don't use it much. No way you can buy 1200-1400 minutes and a year of service for $79-$99.

Re: Is A TracFone Good

Big Sister — Sun, 30 Mar 2014 04:10:34 GMT

I've had a Tracfone LG800 for 1-1/2 years and it suits me perfectly. I don't use a cell phone often.

When you receive your package there will be instructions in there for you to call a certain phone number, or go online to activate the phone. Then part 2 is when you call HSN to get the 1500 minutes.

Good luck. I found it easy to set up.

Re: Is A TracFone Good

Lexie — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 23:06:56 GMT

I have had two Tracfone's and both of them were the worst electronic I have ever purchased. The first was through QVC and I sent it back....I thought I would give them another chance, so I purchased it at Walmart. I had SO MANY PROBLEMS with their customer service (which is located outside the US and the reps barely speak English!!) and they never got back to me, so I threw it in the trash. I tried to give this company a second chance and ended up blowing $150.00. If you want a reliable co,. try Consumer Cellular. They answer their phones on the 2nd ring and speak English...novel idea, huh? DON'T BOTHER WITH TRACFONE unless you want to end up frustrated and regret your choice...

Re: Is A TracFone Good

glb613 — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 23:38:36 GMT

I know several people with Tracfones and they haven't had any problems. If you story is really true why didn't you return it?

Re: Is A TracFone Good

shesallthat — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 13:40:44 GMT

for those that do not mind flip phones - today's radio shack ad had the tracfone LG440G for $4.99.

my mom still uses one - not with tracfone though. she does not care about anything newer - as long as she can reach someone or they can reach her in an emergency!

before i upgraded to an iphone - i used tracfone years ago and never had a problem with the service.

Re: Is A TracFone Good

Spurt — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 13:50:08 GMT

I love my Tracfone....

Its funny because I get better reception with it than my friends do with their high end Smart Phones and Sprint. I can even take photos with it too and send them to my PC.

I use my phone primarily to make/receive calls and occasionally text....I dont use it to for internet/email--- you can, but the model I have is not the best for that it eats the minutes...I have an LG....

Re: Is A TracFone Good

151949 — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 17:08:03 GMT

I have had a tracfone for about 5 years now. Currently I have an LG 840G which I love. Every year when my time is up I either buy a year of service or I upgrade to a newer and better phone - always keeping it under $100 for the year of service, plus min. When my phone runs out of time in July I will go to Radio Shack and look into what is available if I buy a new one or I may decide to stick with this phone and just buy min.You just have to shop around and see what is out there at the time you need it. This business always has deals. When we go to Pa for the summer my cell is my only phone so it has to get great reception and Tracfone definitely does.

Re: Is A TracFone Good

Capri — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 17:24:54 GMT

Had one for years, not use cell phone much basically if my kids need something or emergency and it has saved us a boat load of money. I highly recommend!

Re: Is A TracFone Good

151949 — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 18:47:16 GMT

This is the best possible phone for kids - since it limits the usage to the amount of min you buy they have to learn to budget their cell phone usage.

Re: Is A TracFone Good

Lexie — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 23:56:26 GMT

On 4/8/2014 glb613 said:
I know several people with Tracfones and they haven't had any problems. If you story is really true why didn't you return it?

Car was in the shop for engine work, so no transportation to get to the store. Didn't find the reason to really be anyone's business why I threw it out.

Re: Is A TracFone Good

151949 — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 04:17:02 GMT

I always buy my Tracfones at Radio Shack - then the SA completely - and free of charge - does all the dealing with Tracfone's customer service to get my min and days transferred over. Their customer service is very difficult to deal with - though I have never needed them for anything other than setting up my new phones.