Pre-Paid Cell Carriers

RoadDawgg · Apr 10, 2009

Ok. I'm headed up to Ohio to get back into the game. But I've let some of my more imprtant tools fade. Primarily cell service.

I've been on ATT prepaid for a year and a half. Suited my needs just fine. $.10 per minute, free to other ATT users, and charged a dollar on every day I used it. Minutes expire at the end of the month.

I don't think this is gonna cut it for expedite. Hold times are long on the road, and I need free nights and weekends.

I'm looking at going over to Virgin mobile. Phones don't cost much, nights and weekends, and I can get rates down to $.05 a minute.

But I don't know how reliable they are wandering the country. Anyone have experience with them? How good is their coverage and reliablity?

How about other carriers? Any that y'all would recommend?

I'm gonna be doing pre-paid for a while. I simply don't have the money to pay the startup fees. So...anyone with strong pre-paid preferences?

Also, how is the ATT pre-paid wireless internet service? Are there others? Which is best?

Thanks,
Christopher

Moot · Apr 10, 2009

RoadDawgg said:
Ok.
I'm gonna be doing pre-paid for a while. I simply don't have the money to pay the startup fees. So...anyone with strong pre-paid preferences?

Are you sure you can afford to get back into expediting? As for Virgin, they haven't had a customer, yet.

kwexpress · Apr 10, 2009

I used altell 70.00 per month 700 minutes free night and weekends.1 favorite number that you can change on the internet as many times a day that you need to.works about anyplace usa.

I booked my own loads changed my favorite number after every call and never paid more than $70 also comes with free unlimited text call forwarding,3 way calls free mobile 2 mobile

now i switched to a contract phone to get share a line with my wife and son and my bill has climed to 200 a month to share 2100 minutes and 200 text not a good choice now im stuck paying for my wife and son when we was prepaid they took care of themself.
not a good deal for me.the bill was supposed to like $110.00 for all 3 phones so pre-paid isnt such a bad thing to me.

before if I ran out of minutes I just had to .10 per minute now I have to pay .15 and I am stuck for 3 years.

just because you have a pre-paid phone does not mean he shouldnt be in expedite.
pre-paid is just a way to make your phone bill a fixed expence.also your altell phone works anyplace verizon works.and some areas like my house that verizon does not.

Dakota · Apr 10, 2009

I had a Virgin prepaid phone for over two years. I was quite happy with the coverage, seemed fine around NE Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and in Atlantic City, NJ area.
I chose the phone because of low cost and no bill surprises. I had perfect credit, just didn't want a two year contract. I had the cheapy nokia, with LCD screen, no color, no camera just a basic phone.
Try it out for $19.95 and if you don't like it it's only $20
I know Sprint offers $50 for a phone if you sign up for service.

MentalGiant · Apr 10, 2009

We use Sprint and we use the Everything plan, its $99 a month and we have unlimited everything. As my wife says, I'm chatty Kathy, so it works out great for us. Been using them for the entire time we have been expediting and always had great coverage. Even when we can't get digital connection, I'll switch over to roaming and connect to a partner tower and don't get charged extra for it, since I'm on the Everything unlimited plan. Not sure why everybody doesn't take advantage of this plan, unless its more than what they want to spend, but I like the ideal of not worrying about going over my minutes and I can make and receive as many phone calls as possible.

BillChaffey · Apr 10, 2009

I have US Celluar since August 1998. The basic plan is $49.00 a month and my bill has never exceeded $52.00 a month.

MentalGiant · Apr 10, 2009

bearcat44 said:
I have US Celluar since August 1998. The basic plan is $49.00 a month and my bill has never exceeded $52.00 a month.

How many minutes do you get for the $49.00? Think that would be a important issue since everybody has a different habit of talking on the phone.

Turtle · Apr 10, 2009

Moot said:
As for Virgin, they haven't had a customer, yet.

Brilliant.

MSinger · Apr 10, 2009

Turtle said:
Brilliant.

True. That's how they kept their virginity....they made 'em pre-pay!!

Dakota · Apr 10, 2009

I meant Sprint gives you 50 if you bring in an old cell and sign up for two years
That 99 everything does seem like a good deal though

RoadDawgg · Apr 11, 2009

Oh, that was bad, Moot. I think you broke my punny-bone. Actually, I've been dead broke every time I've started...lol. I've been even broker than I am this time.

That Altell thing sounds good, KW. You say the coverage is fine?

MG, how was the coverage in southern Indian, Kentucky, TN, etc? I myself live in Virginia....I'm guessing the coverage here in the Shenandoah is ok since our Walmart sells Virgin...lol I wouldn't go back to Sprint unless I had no choice. I had nothing but trouble with them for 2 years. Couldn't wait for that contract to end. And I hated the tech support being based out of the Phillipines.

I don't know of any US Celluars around here, Bearcat. May be something I gotta pick up somewhere else if I try it. Sounds pretty good, tho.

Anyone try out any pre-paid wireless internet providers? That's be awesome if I didn't have to be at a major truck stop to check my emails.

Thanks,
Christopher

Yesteryear · Apr 11, 2009

We have Cingular. 1500 a month, free nights and week-ends. 2 phones, 200 text messages. Yep, we go over on the minutes at $.45 a minute and over on the text at $.10 a text. No overage bill is 114.00 a month, has been known to reach several hundred a month. Only reason we don't switch is I don't want to be locked into new 2 year contract. Hate it when you 'have' to keep something. Had this phone a long time so don't HAVE to keep it should we decide we want to switch, coursin we don't switch causin then we would have to keep it and so on and so on. . . stuck in a rut

Moot · Apr 11, 2009

RoadDawgg said:
Oh, that was bad, Moot. I think you broke my punny-bone. Actually, I've been dead broke every time I've started...lol. I've been even broker than I am this time.

I guess if you start out broke you've got nothing to lose! You might be on to something here Dawgg!

MentalGiant · Apr 11, 2009

I forgot all about this. My son-in-law told me about this last weekend when we were home. Boost Mobile has a plan for unlimited everything now for $50. Check it out.

Boost Mobile Monthly Unlimited and Unlimited Mobile Prepaid Plans

Oh, btw, Boost Mobile works off of Sprint/Nextel network. Here I am paying $99 a month.

jsbiker · Apr 11, 2009

blackberry Sprint 99.00 everything
phone, text, e-Mails, internet, GPS (real cool), MS office, no charge for Canada or Mexico, updates and backup on laptop

works super for me.

"PARTY ON"

greg334 · Apr 11, 2009

I have a dumb question. Why is this not in the tech section?

MentalGiant · Apr 11, 2009

greg334 said:
I have a dumb question. Why is this not in the tech section?

Well, I don't know if you could actually call this a tech question. I guess you could classify it as a tech question, but not really. Because its not asking any one to give a technical answer, but again cell phones are part of electronic technology. So, I would say it could go both ways.

BillChaffey · Apr 11, 2009

As far as US Celluar goes, I have no idea of how many minutes per month. I only stay out about 12 - 14 days at a time, if I'm not available to drive I shut it off. Iv'e been as far East as New Hampshire and West to West Texas and it's always worked for me. There are parts of I 64 in West Virgina where I cannot get service.

Turtle · Apr 11, 2009

I read a really good article just the other day about pre-paid phones. Couple of articles, actually. And now I can't find either one. One of them was about how most people don't use up all their minutes on their plans, and when you figure out the minutes you have used versus what you pay for the month, it ends up costing a few cents more than $3 per minute for what you actually used. That's eye-opening.

The other one was about how Americans have a relatively low percentage of prepaid users, where in other parts of the world it's like 50%, or even 90% in some places. One drawback to pay as you go is your minutes could run out in the middle of a call, so you have to watch that. But a couple of things that stood out in the article is that you want to stay away from prepaid plans from the major carriers, like Verizon, or any of them that charge you a fee for each day you use the phone. In many cases with those, like if you use the phone every day, you're much better of with a cheap monthly plan. TracFone was mentioned (I think it said they're sold at Walmart) as one that has no surcharges. Virgin and a few others are introducing $50 a month unlimited prepay phones, as well. It was a really interesting article, wish I could find it again.

Ah, hah! Found it buried in the browsing history.

Your Cell Phone Costs You $3.02 a Minute

ConsumerMan: Prepaid cell phone plans

greg334 · Apr 11, 2009

A place to trade info on all those electronics and technology issues. Computer hardware and software, GPS, CB's, Ham Radio, or other electronics issues... ask your questions or share what has worked for you.

So... what can I say? Rates = info?