What are the disadvantages of pre-paid calling card services?

[lourel]

I'm looking to switch from Verizon to a pre paid service plan, but before I do I just want to make sure the pluses out weigh the minuses.

[mom363546]

I'm looking to switch from Verizon to a pre paid service plan, but before I do I just want to make sure the pluses out weigh the minuses.


I have a teacfone :mad: I hate it! I'm also no longer a fan of walmart/AT&t prepaid calling cards. I say stick with a real cell phone one with free incoming and nights and weekends free etc.. I have to check messages from a landline or that takes up minutes to. A $20 phone card is gone like the wind! thats my opinion!

[chalytown]

I have a virgin moblie oystr cell phone. I have no trouble with the pre-paid cards. I am not an avid cell phone user. So it works for me. I only use my phone for voicemail. (no charge for me to check and I can check from a land line) Since I could go months w/o using my phone. (i chose payment plan of 18 cents a minute...) BUT I do have to send or "top up" ever 90 days to keep my phone number. You never loose the extra minutes.
I guess it all depends on how much and how often you use your phone.;)

[Cpowell23]

and I haven't had any problem with it. In fact, I got rid of my land line last week and am relying only on the pre-paid phone. As you can probably tell, I don't talk on the phone very much. This is an experiment and I can either switch to a plan or get a landline again if I decide this isn't working.

[KristyT]

Actually we used to use the Verizon prepaid where you actually paid for minutes used then they changed & started an everyday charge on top of that so we ended that but I've never tried others as we now have company phones through the family business.

[mom363546]

and I haven't had any problem with it. In fact, I got rid of my land line last week and am relying only on the pre-paid phone. As you can probably tell, I don't talk on the phone very much. This is an experiment and I can either switch to a plan or get a landline again if I decide this isn't working.


My only problem with tracfon is I feel like I spend $20 and just like that its gone. My monthly phone bill with unlimited internet (dialup) is only $44 a month so i feel like its costly for me to use the prepaid although I like it in an emergency i can tell you if you run out of minutes and don't recharge by the dead line they offer you really good buys on minutes to get you to come back.:)

[Cpowell23]

My only problem with tracfon is I feel like I spend $20 and just like that its gone. My monthly phone bill with unlimited internet (dialup) is only $44 a month so i feel like its costly for me to use the prepaid although I like it in an emergency i can tell you if you run out of minutes and don't recharge by the dead line they offer you really good buys on minutes to get you to come back.:)


I got mine a year ago and bought the 60 minutes every two months and now have over 300 minutes left on the phone. I know I'll use it more now that I'm landlineless (is that even a word?) but I still don't see me spending more than $20/month on it.

YMMV.

[darren95al]

There are many reasons why some people benefit from a pre-paid service plan, but there are still some disadvantages that we want for everyone to be aware of. The following is a list of five disadvantages to using a post-paid plan instead of a pre-paid calling plan.
Higher per minute rates
• Service and coverage area may not be the same as a post-paid plan
• Higher purchase price for the phone
• Must re-charge your phone when your minutes are exhausted
• Possible surcharges for inactivity, READ the fine print
Recently I located a service in internet at www.prepaidcardstore.com The facilities appear to be very lucrative and cheap.

[MOMMYOF2BOYZ]

I'M A VIRGIN MOBILE USER I HAVE A OYSTR PHONE I PAY 10 CENTS A MINUTE
I DON'T USE MY PHONEALOT ONCE OR TWICE A DAY. YOU DO HAVE TO TOP EVERY 9O DAYS THATS OK WITH ME I TOP UP 20 OR 30 DOLLARS EVERY 90 DAYS I ALSO GAVE MY TEENAGED SON MY OLD VIRGIN MOBILE PHONE AND TOP IT UP FOR HIM TILL HE STARTS WORKING FULL TIME. I HAVE BEEN WITH VIRGIN MOBILE FOR 5 OR 6 YEARS AND NO PROBLEMS I LIKE IT:cool:

[mom2fussbudgets]

I guess you just have to look around and decide what's best for your situation. My mom and I got together and took advantage of a family plan. It's a lot cheaper that way for both of us. You'd have to make sure you did something like that with someone you trust though.

[vealcalf]

I'm looking to switch from Verizon to a pre paid service plan, but before I do I just want to make sure the pluses out weigh the minuses.

My husband loved his Verizon Prepaid Wireless. We had ours about a year ago and they do charge you a per day fee (cannot remember what it was but it wasn't high) and although we paid more per minute than a regular plan we only average about 100-150 min per month so the end bill was cheaper.

We have a regular phone plan now through another company and the bill just seems out of control and everytime we go over our plan balance they snip service. My husband started a new job a few months back and they have been SO uncooperative about getting us on a new plan w/more minutes without extending our 2 year contract. He calls average of 10 customers a day and out of those calls he drops about 7 of them and has to callback. Why would I want to extend my contract??? Sorry about venting:D

[lkrmouse]

I have both.. I pay for a regular cell phone for myself and my mother. I am on my phone more than this computer.. go figure. I have a Sidekick III and I love it! I have had T-Mobile for years, and have never had a problem with service or billing.
But, on the other hand, my husband has a trac-fone. He only uses it to send texts or make long distance phone calls. He also carries a work phone, which he doesn't use for texting.. but his company pays for that.
Since our usage differs so much, we found plans that work for each of us, at the lowest cost possible.

[bjtwn4]

I have had Tracfone for several years. LOVED it. My sister has the Net 10 phone owned by Tracfone and you get more minutes for less money. She LOVES hers too.:rolleyes:

[livesimple]

My parents have a.. rip you off... verizon ( regular cell service) They are on a set income and with the price of gas and such they were looking to cut cost on something. I was helping mom go over some of their bills and noticed that they only use 20 mins a month of the 450 mins each month and the bill with taxes and stuff comes to almost 50.00. Mom finally decided to just have it shut off and look into pre paid cells. A year ago they had to get a new phone because the house charger went out for the phone they had and they were told by the dealer that they could no longer get a house charger for it.. he could not even order one...well when mom called to shut the service off she was told that when she got the new phone it came with a 2 year contract and that she still had over a year to go on it and there was nothing she can do about it! So she is stuck paying almost 50.00 a month for 20 mins of talk time for the next year. My mom is 63 and my dad is 73 and like I said they are on a fixed income and both have major health issues ( my mom is living on 15% of her heart and has kidney problems) and I feel like the verizon place took advantage of them in not telling them about the 2 year contract.:mad:

[mom363546]

sorry to hear about this. Maybe there is another trustworthy sibling that could take over her phone to finish out the contract and then she could get a pay as you go phone. just a thought!