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After getting by nicely for years with just pay-as-you-go Tracfone - I am not "a phone person" - I'm now having trouble with multiple people INSISTING (even after I ask them not to) on sending me unnecessarily long or frequent texts or including me in group texts, which eats up my minutes even if I don't reply back. Heck, even the phone provider itself does this! WTH? So, if I'm forced to cave because it's a pain to have to constantly replenish them, what's the cheapest unlimited phone plan?
I've been in your shoes, when I had a very limited plan for emergency use only, and callers would use up my monthly minutes despite my objections.
You should shop around with whatever carriers serve your area. I currently use Verizon and it's $25/month for unlimited talk/text. I upgraded to a smartphone three years ago for business reasons and was grandfathered in with what I was paying for the flip phone. I don't use data at all even though it's available. Just talk and text.
Verizon's customer service and website is atrocious, but I think that's typically the case with all the telecoms. For $25/month it's not worth complaining about.
After getting by nicely for years with just pay-as-you-go Tracfone - I am not "a phone person" - I'm now having trouble with multiple people INSISTING (even after I ask them not to) on sending me unnecessarily long or frequent texts or including me in group texts, which eats up my minutes even if I don't reply back. Heck, even the phone provider itself does this! WTH? So, if I'm forced to cave because it's a pain to have to constantly replenish them, what's the cheapest unlimited phone plan?
I haven't kept up if it is still the cheapest, but I have (on two phones out of three) the $5 per month plan from Tello (Tello is a T-Mobile prepaid MVNO)....no data, unlimited texting, and 100 minutes of talk.
When I get around to it, I'm going to change those to a US Mobile plan that has 1 GB of data, unlimited texting, and unlimited talk, for what amounts to $6 per month (the 'catch' on the US Mobile plan being that you pay it yearly...$72 year, works out to $6 a month).
US Mobile is both a T-Mobile prepaid MVNO and a Verizon prepaid MVNO. You can choose one or the other...same cost.
Tello's next step up is their $8 per month plan....no data, unlimited texting, and unlimited talk.
My other phone is on US Mobile (so, currently two on Tello and one on US Mobile (with the US Mobile one on US Mobile's Verizon portion)).
I've had really good customer service with both Tello and US Mobile.
I've been in your shoes, when I had a very limited plan for emergency use only, and callers would use up my monthly minutes despite my objections.
Again this morning I found a LOOOOOONG (unnecessary) group text on my phone, which has eaten up even MORE of my remaining minutes.
What the heck part of "don't text me; email or FB PM instead, please" don't people understand? It's like a mad compulsion to punch those buttons; people today just cannot stay off the things!
I think I DO need some data; I use one app pretty regularly for "deals" and also need the capacity to use Uber, if I ever figure out how.
Again this morning I found a LOOOOOONG (unnecessary) group text on my phone, which has eaten up even MORE of my remaining minutes.
Again? When will they learn? By the way, that ate up 1 text, 0 minutes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by otterhere
What the heck part of "don't text me; email or FB PM instead, please" don't people understand?
I used to think like you. Looking back, I'm quite certain it was the part where I wanted EVERYBODY to cater to my cheap, stubborn, controlling ass that they chose to not understand (or just ignore). Then I woke up and realized (with unlimited plans starting at $8/month) it was time to get over myself and upgrade from my $5/month plan. Now let's see those inconsiderate types try and eat up my precious monthly allotment!
I have T-Mobile for a flat fee of 15/month with unlimited talk and text. I get 3 gps of data. The price has never been increased. You have to give them a cc to bill to get the price. It’s been 3 years so the price might be higher now. If people are using texts for group chats for events, etc it’s unreasonable to expect them to do extra work for you.
Again this morning I found a LOOOOOONG (unnecessary) group text on my phone, which has eaten up even MORE of my remaining minutes.
What the heck part of "don't text me; email or FB PM instead, please" don't people understand? It's like a mad compulsion to punch those buttons; people today just cannot stay off the things!
I think I DO need some data; I use one app pretty regularly for "deals" and also need the capacity to use Uber, if I ever figure out how.
Re the bolded, and Teacher Terry's post, and re the Tello lines I'm looking to eventually move, I looked at US Mobile's website.
I didn't see the $72 yr/1 GB of data per month/unlimited talk and text plan, known as the Light Plan (but rather a $96 yr/2 GB of data per month/unlimited talk and text Light Plan), and I noticed some other things, so I called them (611) from my current US Mobile line/number.
This is what I found out:
The $72 yr/1 GB of data/unlimited talk and text plan (which I was aware of for maybe 2 years ?) was discontinued yesterday 5/31/24 (replaced by the $96 yr/2 GB per month plan), but the reps have been told they can request honoring the $72 yr/1 GB plan (they would make the request to supervisor and the supervisor would give the yes or no). I got the feeling they aren't supposed to give any info re what might trigger honoring versus not honoring that plan that expired yesterday, but she did answer when I asked if being a current customer (like me) or not (anyone who is not) mattered re the consideration of the expired $72 yr/1 GB per month plan, and she said no. The possibility of getting the 1 GB plan is possible at least through the end of today (I didn't ask re beyond that, but I'd guess that that consideration would be a week at best).
The revised (current as of today) Light Plan does have more flexibility than the old Light Plan.
The old Light Plan was $72 year/1 GB of Data per month/unlimited talk and text, with no monthly payment option.
The new Light Plan (2 GB of data per month/unlimited talk and text) can be billed yearly ($96) or monthly ($10 per month).
And US Mobile's pricing references are taxes and fees included (not the case with some other carriers).
If, mid billing cycle, you thought you might use more than 2 GB of data that month or the next month, you can do what they call 'top up' by buying more data....$5 for 1.5 GB...$10 for 5 GB, and that top up would roll over for one cycle.
For example if, two days into your billing cycle you 'topped up' by buying 1.5 GB of data for $5, that 1.5 GB would be good for 58 more days (the remaining 28 days of the current cycle + one more cycle), and that's irrespective of how much of your 'monthly 2GB/part of the plan' data that youve used or haven't used.
Starting later this month US Mobile is adding AT&T, so they will not only be an MVNO for both T-Mobile and Verizon, but AT&T as well.
At the time (later this month) that their inclusion of AT&T rolls out/becomes active, from that point on, the SIM cards they mail to customers won't be carrier specific as in the past. They have a new SIM card (one card) that includes all three carriers/sets of towers and you'll be able to switch between the three just by logging into your account on their website and making the change.
Picking the 2 GB data per month/unlimited talk and text plan, billed monthly ($10), and then next day/a couple of days later doing a 1.5 GB 'top up' for $5 is a better deal than what Teacher Terry is getting (essentially $15 per month for 3.5 GB of data vs the $15 per month for 3 GB of data that Teacher Terry is paying).
Anyone who signs up (or is already a customer, like me) before the new unified SIM card is available, can call once the unified SIM card is available and have the unified SIM card mailed to them for free to replace the SIM card currently in use.
Tracfone plans separate talk, text and data (which I think they now call web). Talk is minutes, texts are number of texts and web is GB of data. So, texts are not using your minutes.
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