# Just Got a Trac Phone



## Montana Rancher (Mar 4, 2013)

My current contract with my cell phone company timed out and I've been thinking about this for a while.

I purchased a $10 trac phone at Target tonight, and a 120 minute - 90 day talk package for $20

I am not sure what the coverage will be as I live slightly in to boonies and coverage is marginal, but on the other hand I only have a use for a cell phone when I am away from home and need to call someone.

If you need to call ME then call my land line, I am usually around.

I will let you know about coverage and reliability, I did a minimal package since I don't know if the coverage will be worth the cost. Currently I have $10 invested in the phone and $20 invested in my 120 minutes of coverage over the next 3 months. 

IMO not only will my cell be realitively secure but I think I'll save about $1000 a year on cell phone costs.

Anyone else tried this?


----------



## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

With my travel, I spend a buttload on phone charges. Mrs Inor and I both have Android phones, plus a wireless internet connection and the base charge is close to $300 per month. But it is still cheaper than calling home every day on a land line. We should drop the land line since the only people that call us are the RNC and the Red Cross looking for money and blood, both of which I am short of today.


----------



## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Just dumped Sprint and went to trac, I believe they share the same towers as the major carriers. Coverage should be pretty much the same.


----------



## short stack (Dec 22, 2012)

I've been on trac phone for over 5 years. It works better out here in western ND than all the others. I love it mark


----------



## alterego (Jan 27, 2013)

Very interested to hear how this comes out. Wondering what your thoughts are on the tracking and data sales to the gubment that go on with all the big carriers.


----------



## Go2ndAmend (Apr 5, 2013)

I am also curious as to how it (trac phone) compares to Verizon/ATT/US Cellular. Do you get a new phone number each time you purchase a trac phone? I dropped my land line years ago.


----------



## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Looked at it but US Cellular still beats it for us.
Land line was cut in 2008 had enough of there BS


----------



## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Been using trac phone for years. It has never let me down even when traveling, truck driver. Cost me only about 10 bucks a month. I would rather spend the $100 a month on something useful instead of a stupid smart phone. 

I kept my same number. They use the same towers as your over priced smart phone. Why would you think the coverage would be less??


----------



## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

I have used Trac Phone before,but have switched to Net10,which is owned by Trac Phone.$25 @ 750 minutes a month,or $50 for unlimited. Neither phone worked in the farm areas near Kent City for me.

For the most part I'm happy with the Net10 phone,but Customer Service is a nightmare and you'll probably need it at some point.

The TracPhones and Net 10 phones are usually refurbished outdated models from other companies, but if you don't need the latest IPhone or Razor it's a good system for saving money.


----------



## BamaBoy101 (Dec 9, 2013)

Inor said:


> With my travel, I spend a buttload on phone charges. Mrs Inor and I both have Android phones, plus a wireless internet connection and the base charge is close to $300 per month. But it is still cheaper than calling home every day on a land line. We should drop the land line since the only people that call us are the RNC and the Red Cross looking for money and blood, both of which I am short of today.


I have a T-mobile prepaid android. Unlimited everything for $50 per month....


----------



## dannydefense (Oct 9, 2013)

I'm a bit of a technology slut, so my biggest problem with going to trac phone would be jumping back two years on my phone model. That may not be the case for all providers, but I have never seen an up to date (and I don't mean up to the minute, I just mean relatively current) phone on Trac. I use my phone for it's other capabilities far more than I actually make phone calls on it.


----------



## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

We tried the tracphone as a first phone for my daughter and it didn't work out because in the long run it costs way more than a contract phone. We also got creepy people and Mexican's calling all the time because they must recycle phone numbers so lots of wrong numbers that eat up minutes, and tracphone sends advertisements that eat up minutes. So your constantly using minutes even though you're not even making calls.


----------



## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

Chipper said:


> Been using trac phone for years. It has never let me down even when traveling, truck driver. Cost me only about 10 bucks a month. I would rather spend the $100 a month on something useful instead of a stupid smart phone.
> 
> I kept my same number. They use the same towers as your over priced smart phone. Why would you think the coverage would be less??


Because during busy times the coverage is limited by the reseller to the renters.


----------



## BamaBoy101 (Dec 9, 2013)

Meangreen said:


> We tried the tracphone as a first phone for my daughter and it didn't work out because in the long run it costs way more than a contract phone. We also got creepy people and Mexican's calling all the time because they must recycle phone numbers so lots of wrong numbers that eat up minutes, and tracphone sends advertisements that eat up minutes. So your constantly using minutes even though you're not even making calls.


My android for $50 per month unlimited everything is the best thing I have found...


----------



## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

How does that work with Data and Text and GPS?
I gotta have a smart phone.


----------



## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

BamaBoy101 said:


> I have a T-mobile prepaid android. Unlimited everything for $50 per month....


We dumped the tracphone and did what we should have done in the first place and just added her to the existing contract. I liked the idea of the tracphone because she is prone to losing things so it wouldn't have been a big deal with a tracphone.


----------



## BamaBoy101 (Dec 9, 2013)

GTGallop said:


> How does that work with Data and Text and GPS?
> I gotta have a smart phone.


Works great, I have had no issues.


----------



## PrepConsultant (Aug 28, 2012)

In Florida I used MetroPCS and it was probably the best phone service I had. There were no contracts and it was $50 a month for unlimited talk,text and web.. Now I have a Verizon prepaid but there is no service where we are so only use it when traveling. If someone wants to get a hold of us, they have to call the home phone and leave message if we aren't there.. Still in stone ages..lol


----------



## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

We have had motorola w376 tracfones for about 6 years now,the same ones! double minutes for life never a problem.the only place mine would not work was Detriot Mi. dont know why.we also go to the web and get bonus codes some work some dont,some will give you 10 mins,one I hit gave me 40 bonus minutes when I bought 30!so, that was a total of 100 with the double minutes feature for $19.99.they are dumb phones but thats all we need for ourselves.they text well and I send pics thru to my e-mail but web cruising is very slow and chews up the time very fast.


----------



## StarPD45 (Nov 13, 2012)

By paying cash for a "burner" phone and minutes, you get a little more privacy.
Worst case, you just dump that phone and buy another one.
.
Just curious how long we will be able to buy these without showing ID.


----------



## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

We first tried contract cell phones. too expensive. Then we went to Tracphones, had them for years. Kept the landline, carried the cells in the vehicles, mainly for emergency use.
But coverage was spotty here - I know it might be hard for city folks to understand but there are places where there is no cell signal. I would have to get in the truck and drive 3 miles toward town from the house to get a good signal. 
So last year we went with ATT GoPhones, the ones we got are 3G. Get good signals here at the homestead. Mine is plain, cost $9.95 at Walmart, wife has a smartphone type one, it cost a little more.
I pay $25 for 120 minutes every three months. And the minutes roll over, I never use them all. I'm not a yapper.
We down sized the landline to just local calls, plus Wifi internet. Out here in the sticks internet conectivity is either dial up, a high speed modem on the phone line (what we've got), or via satelite TV (which we don't have anymore).


----------



## dannydefense (Oct 9, 2013)

MI.oldguy said:


> the only place mine would not work was Detriot Mi. dont know why.


Ain't nothing or nobody that works in Detroit. Probably your phone didn't want to be the only one.


----------



## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

I hate phones. Possibly one good outcome if the shtf - no phones.


----------



## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

dannydefense said:


> Ain't nothing or nobody that works in Detroit. Probably your phone didn't want to be the only one.


Ha,! beat me to that punch! good one!.


----------



## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

I might go the ATT go phone route,I like talking but only have 2 friends to talk to. They can call me on the land line.


----------



## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

rice paddy daddy said:


> We first tried contract cell phones. too expensive. Then we went to Tracphones, had them for years. Kept the landline, carried the cells in the vehicles, mainly for emergency use.
> But coverage was spotty here - I know it might be hard for city folks to understand but there are places where there is no cell signal. I would have to get in the truck and drive 3 miles toward town from the house to get a good signal.
> So last year we went with ATT GoPhones, the ones we got are 3G. Get good signals here at the homestead. Mine is plain, cost $9.95 at Walmart, wife has a smartphone type one, it cost a little more.
> I pay $25 for 120 minutes every three months. And the minutes roll over, I never use them all. I'm not a yapper.
> We down sized the landline to just local calls, plus Wifi internet. Out here in the sticks internet conectivity is either dial up, a high speed modem on the phone line (what we've got), or via satelite TV (which we don't have anymore).


We must be dumb hicks over here,the smartphone won't work in my zip code according to ATT, the plain $14.95 Samsung will.Still no $25 /120/3 month plan that I see for my zip.


----------



## alterego (Jan 27, 2013)

AquaHull said:


> We must be dumb hicks over here,the smartphone won't work in my zip code according to ATT, the plain $14.95 Samsung will.Still no $25 /120/3 month plan that I see for my zip.


Any one from Michigan is a dumb hick for sure,:lol:


----------



## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

I'm looking into it as well. I currently use an iPhone and would love to be able to keep operating that device prepaid. If not, I may just go to the "dumb phone" and pick up a newer ipod touch or an ipad mini as such devices make carrying medical resources a bit easier. 

Through school I've been on a family plan and just paying my parents the difference between their bill without my phone...

It seems to me that $20 every third month is a lot more attractive than the $40 a month ($120 every 3 months) I currently pay. The only trick will be the extended phone calls I often get caught in with a buddy of mine who is special needs. If we can get him hooked up with skype or something, it will become even more of a no brainer.


----------



## miho (Jun 10, 2012)

I have straight talk which is owned by tracfone. i pay 125 for 3 months of unlimited everything. before i was paying sprint 120 a month for their simply everything plan. so far i have no complaints for tracfone except that their customer service reps. dont know english all that well lol


----------



## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

Axe to speak to a manager,then get a pin number good for 2 weeks.


----------



## Reptilicus (Jan 4, 2014)

Have used a Trac Fone for many years now and have absolutely no complaints except when calling their customer service which has been a rare occurance sounds like you just reached the local Quik-E Mart. Got a brand new one for Christmas and it is really a learning curve from my old phone. It is a TracFone Huawei Glory and is the same thing as the current "smartphones" . It is android powered and gives lifetime Triple minutes, text and data for every refill card purchased. Check it out, you might be pleasantly surprised.


----------



## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

I think the name says it all...

TRAK PHONE.

I'll keep my old land line - they may be able to listen in and record my conversations but at least they can't track my movements with it.


----------



## Montana Rancher (Mar 4, 2013)

Update, thanks for the replies.

Ok the trac phone in my area appears to use the Verizon towers as I have coverage everywhere.

I never have used my phone as a computer, when I travel I take my ipad and find a free wifi to do my internet business. My eyes are not that good and I like the "bigger" screen haha.

At this point I like the Trac phone a LOT, I like having communication abilities while driving (has anyone else noticed there are no more pay phones?)

My total cell bill this year will be $80, how can you fault that?

Unless you like to talk, talk, talk, text, text, text, talk... W/E that is not me.

Oh and btw you can keep your old cell phone number, it is just a pain to go through the process, I decided to drop my cell as over the last few years everyone knows to call my on my land line.

BTW my "land line" is provided through my internet (cable) provider which is really cool and cheap.


----------

