topic Re: Reviews on a tracfone in Community Chat

Reviews on a tracfone

151949 — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 12:22:35 GMT

I am looking for a new smart phone. Not an i phone - but a less costly one. Anyway, I found one I think is good for me - it comes with 1200 min talking , 1200 text, and 1200 data. For my use that will be way more than necessary. However, reading the reviews on this phone many complained that they had used up all their text time within a short period. One person said she had used up all 1200 min. for texting within a month. Tracfone charges 1/3 of a min per text so that would be 3600 texts in a month. And then she said - i am only a moderate texter. Good grief - what would she call a heavy texter? And why would someone who texts this much purchase a prepaid phone instead of a unlimited text contract phone? This was just one of the negative reviews and almost all of them complain they needed more time for texts. What amazes me is - they were not realistic about their obviously excessive use but then gave the phone a bad review when , in fact, they purchased the wrong thing for their needs.

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

wingnut — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 12:30:08 GMT

What's your point? If you found one that you think is good for you then buy it.

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

brii — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 12:36:55 GMT

I'm not familiar with pre-paid phones and minutes/texts/data.

Is the 1200 minutes shared between minutes/texts/data? How does that work?

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

151949 — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 12:39:02 GMT

The point is that people should be realistic about their needs when buying something. Is it the fault of the product when you buy the wrong thing? Is that a reason to give a product a bad review? Prepaid phones are not the right purchase for everyone.

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

151949 — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 12:41:29 GMT

On 6/2/2014 brii said:
I'm not familiar with pre-paid phones and minutes/texts/data.

Is the 1200 minutes shared between minutes/texts/data? How does that work?

No 1200 min for each one. A text uses 1/3 of a min unless it is really long so that would be 3600 texts. Data and talk are the actual min used. For instance , if you talk to someone for 10 min it will use up 10 min of talk time.

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

stilltamn8r — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 12:44:02 GMT

On 6/2/2014 happy housewife said:
The point is that people should be realistic about their needs when buying something. Is it the fault of the product when you buy the wrong thing? Is that a reason to give a product a bad review? Prepaid phones are not the right purchase for everyone.

Being realistic is not part of retail sales, which i why they use models when selling clothing- how else can you explain the popularity of spandex knit shorts and capris on old women?

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

brii — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 12:47:49 GMT

On 6/2/2014 happy housewife said:
On 6/2/2014 brii said:
I'm not familiar with pre-paid phones and minutes/texts/data.

Is the 1200 minutes shared between minutes/texts/data? How does that work?

No 1200 min for each one. A text uses 1/3 of a min unless it is really long so that would be 3600 texts. Data and talk are the actual min used. For instance , if you talk to someone for 10 min it will use up 10 min of talk time.

Thanks.

Regarding reviews, you have to sift through bad ones to get pertinent information. What bugs me is when people don't even own the item reviewed.

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

nunya — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 12:59:24 GMT

Is that for a month or just until it runs out, then you add more? I think people also don't realize a received text counts too, not just the ones you send.

My daughter has a no contract phone with Virgin Mobile. It has unlimited calling, data and text for $35 a month.

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

Luv2Decorate — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 13:01:01 GMT

I had a tracfone years ago. It worked fine for me until my kids got older and I began to text more and use the phone more. It's definitely not for everyone. Our kids text a lot and I guess I do too. We got a Verizon family plan with unlimited texting and shared 750 minutes of talk unless it's Verizon to Verizon talk, then it's free. Almost every one of our friends and kids friends have Verizon so we barely use the talk time. I just wish it wasn't over $250 a month for cell phones.

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

adelle38 — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 14:42:05 GMT

If it's the LG, I have it and love. I still had 2000 minutes (no text or data) on my old Tracfone and when I transferred the minutes it also gave me 2000 data and 2000 text. It's easy to use and worked well for data when I was on a trip. This is it.

http://www.qvc.com/LG-Tracfone-Prepaid-Android-with-1200-Min-Texts-&-Data-Plus-Accs..product.E225843.html?sc=E225843-Targeted&cm_sp=VIEWPOSITION-_-13-_-E225843&catentryImage=http://images.qvc.com/is/image/e/43/e225843.001?$uslarge$

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

adelle38 — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 14:43:35 GMT

" A text uses 1/3 of a min unless it is really long so that would be 3600 texts."

On this phone 1 text is one text so that's 1200 texts.

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

BellaPaprika — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 15:03:49 GMT

Happy housewife, you make a good point. When searching reviews on any product you can't just look at the number of negative ones and do they outweigh the positive. You really have to read and see why people didn't like the dress, shirt, car, phone, etc.. Sometimes their reasons are hilarious and totally out there. So I have bought items and been very happy with them even though they had a lot of bad reviews.

Personally, I used to text a lot when my kids were away at school. Now the only time I text is if I'm meeting up with someone for lunch or something. Generally I'm more of a talker. Maybe it's generational.

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

151949 — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 15:36:08 GMT

On 6/2/2014 adelle38 said:
" A text uses 1/3 of a min unless it is really long so that would be 3600 texts."

On this phone 1 text is one text so that's 1200 texts.

So you are saying on this phone a text is 1 min? Because on my LG840g a text is .3 min unless it is very long. Yes, the phone you have is the one I am thinking of getting. I am assuming that the 1200 min is for a year of service?

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

151949 — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 15:38:16 GMT

Adelle - do I understand correctly that you are able to google things and open web sites with this phone?

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

adelle38 — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 15:45:26 GMT

On 6/2/2014 happy housewife said:
Adelle - do I understand correctly that you are able to google things and open web sites with this phone?

Yes. It comes with Google Play Store so you can download apps for your favorite sites. I would recommend using a stylus unless your fingers are nimbler than mine. I was on vacation for a week and used the data every day to access the internet. I only used up 200 data minutes in that time. It connects easily to WiFi so you don't have to use data unless necessary.

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

151949 — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 15:48:30 GMT

Thanks, Adelle, I am fairly sure that is the phone I'm going to get. My DH , who still uses a flip phone and doesn 't know how to text, is unhappy I am buying this but he is just going to have to adjust.

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

adelle38 — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 15:53:26 GMT

On 6/2/2014 happy housewife said:
Thanks, Adelle, I am fairly sure that is the phone I'm going to get. My DH , who still uses a flip phone and doesn 't know how to text, is unhappy I am buying this but he is just going to have to adjust.

It's a great deal and for me, it was cheaper than buying new minutes for a year. Plus I got all those extra texts and data for free.

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

muttmom — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 16:18:45 GMT

On 6/2/2014 adelle38 said:
If it's the LG, I have it and love. I still had 2000 minutes (no text or data) on my old Tracfone and when I transferred the minutes it also gave me 2000 data and 2000 text. It's easy to use and worked well for data when I was on a trip. This is it.

http://www.qvc.com/LG-Tracfone-Prepaid-Android-with-1200-Min-Texts-&-Data-Plus-Accs..product.E225843.html?sc=E225843-Targeted&cm_sp=VIEWPOSITION-_-13-_-E225843&catentryImage=http://images.qvc.com/is/image/e/43/e225843.001?$uslarge$

Wasn't this recently at TSV?

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

151949 — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 16:33:12 GMT

On 6/2/2014 muttmom said:
On 6/2/2014 adelle38 said:
If it's the LG, I have it and love. I still had 2000 minutes (no text or data) on my old Tracfone and when I transferred the minutes it also gave me 2000 data and 2000 text. It's easy to use and worked well for data when I was on a trip. This is it.

http://www.qvc.com/LG-Tracfone-Prepaid-Android-with-1200-Min-Texts-&-Data-Plus-Accs..product.E225843.html?sc=E225843-Targeted&cm_sp=VIEWPOSITION-_-13-_-E225843&catentryImage=http://images.qvc.com/is/image/e/43/e225843.001?$uslarge$

Wasn't this recently at TSV?

Could be - we were recently traveling soi i was rarely online during that time.

Re: Reviews on a tracfone

Shorty2U — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 16:33:37 GMT

I got a TracFone for Christmas. Its a Samsung smart phone. I was leery of them, but honestly for me this phone fits. I only have it for emergencies. But I have talked and I have texted (very little) on it. But I can say this, where we live in PA, the coverage is better than my kids pricey phone plans because TracFone uses the towers of ATT AND Verizon.