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Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,651
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Saying Goodbye To Tracfone

 

I would get an unlocked phone from Best Buy, but as far as their employees being able to answer your questions, forget it. I was looking at phones in their store for about ten minutes and never saw an employee. 

Best Buy has been extremely understaffed since the pandemic. And the employees that are in the store have very little knowledge of anything they sell. 

I did get my phone from Best Buy, but I did my own research online and by going to the cell phone kiosks in Costco. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,913
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Saying Goodbye To Tracfone

I have no reason to leave Tracfone. Had it since I first saw them on HSN, however many years that has been.  Dealt with CS only 1 time and was much better than several bigger companies with which i have sparred.

 

About $6 a month for me and I mostly just carry it around when I am out and about, and for talking only.

 

My wife bought her Galaxy 10 from Amazon and has her service with Boost Mobile. Think she now has the unlimited everything for about $40 a month. She is happy!

 

 

hckynut 

hckynut(john)
Honored Contributor
Posts: 37,857
Registered: ‎06-11-2011

Re: Saying Goodbye To Tracfone


@chickenbutt wrote:

@Pearlee wrote:

@Jordan2. As another poster said be sure to get one that is unlocked

That way it doesn't matter which provider you choose to go with or if you switch providers later to get a cheaper rate. Also be sure to get at least a 5G phone. Some providers are not or in the future won't support phones less than that.  I got a letter from T-Mobile that I must now upgrade to a new phone because they won't support my Samsung phone after Dec 31 because it's less than 5G.  (I'm mad, my phone is perfectly good and now I need a different one!)Judging from commercials, Verizon is 5G now and giving people phones with a trade-in because it too upgraded.


 

I feel your pain about having to change phones, from a perfectly good phone.    I was with Sprint, which was taken over by TMobile (which I hated).  When I got that letter that my perfectly good Samsung Galaxy S7 phone was going to be dead after 12/31, I took it as the last straw with TM and moved.  Sprint was perfectly fine until TMobile took over  (I was actually with Nextel until Sprint took them over ha!).  Got a new Samsung with 5G from Spectrum and saved a lot of money both on service and the phone.

 

Back to the point - I was also angry as my phone was perfectly good.  I take really good care of my things so it looked like new (the guy at Spectrum was shocked at how perfect it still looked!).   It worked perfectly. 

 

The other good part was that he transferred every single thing from my old Samsung to the new one, including email stuff, calendar stuff, all pics and docs, most of my settings, etc.   It took a bit but was well worth it.  I also keep an SD card in the phone and he moved that for me, too.


@chickenbutt. Yeah, I'm Sprint too, now T Mobile. That's such great news about transferring over what is in your phone! I thought I was going to lose everything I have on there now. I'll have to check out Spectrum, thanks. But my current rate is super cheap from sprint/T Mobile. It was a special super low rate for people who signed up who had never had a Smartphone before.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,608
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Saying Goodbye To Tracfone


@Jordan2 wrote:

I have had the same Tracfone for five years or more (I still get triple everything). I didn't have the need to use it much, I just bought more airtime. Now I feel I will be using my cellphone more, I'm looking to move away from Tracfone. I have been looking into Mint Mobile (I don't want to spend more than about $25 a month). My question is, should I purchase a phone from the company I go with for my cellphone plan or buy a cellphone from let's say Amazon or Best Buy? I definitely need a new phone as my cellphone is getting on in years.


is getting a burner phone an option yes I watch too much Law and Order? 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,025
Registered: ‎06-15-2015

Re: Saying Goodbye To Tracfone

[ Edited ]

@Jordan2 

 

Tracfone also has monthy plans for talk,text,etc. starting at $20.00 pr. month.

preds 06-21-20
"Always be thankful andyou'll have more than you know."
Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,651
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Saying Goodbye To Tracfone

Even though I bought my last phone unlocked from Best Buy, I'm sticking with Tracfone. 
I've been with them about seven years and have never experienced any of the problems people complain about.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,419
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Saying Goodbye To Tracfone


@deeva wrote:

Even though I bought my last phone unlocked from Best Buy, I'm sticking with Tracfone. 
I've been with them about seven years and have never experienced any of the problems people complain about.

@deeva

It will be interesting to see how Tracfone will move customers to 5G. Your phone will do fine. 

 

 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,419
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Saying Goodbye To Tracfone

[ Edited ]

@Jordan2 wrote:

I have had the same Tracfone for five years or more (I still get triple everything). I didn't have the need to use it much, I just bought more airtime. Now I feel I will be using my cellphone more, I'm looking to move away from Tracfone. I have been looking into Mint Mobile (I don't want to spend more than about $25 a month). My question is, should I purchase a phone from the company I go with for my cellphone plan or buy a cellphone from let's say Amazon or Best Buy? I definitely need a new phone as my cellphone is getting on in years.


@Jordan2

Most people buy unlocked smartphones from Apple or Samsung. The most popular phone in the USA is the IPhone12. Samsung is selling the A-52 5G that can only be purchased at Samsung.com, because it is sold out at Best Buy.

 

@deeva  mentioned she had purchased the A-52 5G in another thread. I checked the specs, and was impressed with this phone. 

 

I read last week that Mint Mobile was hacked, and the company was selling 25 years of service for $2500. I have not seen any YouTube ads since then. 

I agree with other posters. A Tracfone auto pay data plan would be fine. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Occasional Contributor
Posts: 15
Registered: ‎07-15-2021

Re: Saying Goodbye To Tracfone

[ Edited ]

Why change from Tracfone? Buy a new Smart Tracfone  here on QVC or HSN, and after the year of service is up or 1500 minutes is used, whichever comes first, you can switch to the Tracfone monthly plan of unlimited talk minutes/ unlimited texts and 1 gb of data for only $20 per month, and the unused data rolls over every month. Best price around.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,648
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Saying Goodbye To Tracfone

My price (not tracphone) at Spectrum is definitely less than $20 a month for that exact same service.  It's $12-something.