AT&T GoPhone - Experiences? Might switch to it.

[RaiderJ]

I'm switching over to Verizon from AT&T.... but can't port over my cell phone number, which is a real bummer since I've had it for almost a decade now. So, my plan is to keep my existing AT&T number by moving the phone to a pre-paid plan (aka GoPhone).

Ideally, the phone would be used only in emergencies and to see if there are any missed calls from people who haven't updated their contact number for me. Going to use this opportunity as well to have everyone use my Google Voice number.

For AT&T and the GoPhone plan, I have a couple questions:

1) If I never use the phone, does it "expire"? From looking online, it looks as if money I put on the account would expire every month. Could I just put a couple dollars on the phone every month, or would I have to put a minimum amount, say $15 that expires in 3 months?

2) Is there a way to disable text messaging? They cost $0.20 each way, and I don't want to be charged if anyone sends me a text message.

3) What happens if the phone does expire? Do I lose my phone number, or do I just need to add $$$ to the account?

 

[abaez]

If you are looking to go pre-paid I would go with t-mobile simply because the minutes don't expire for a year (if you become a gold member by purchasing $100 worth).

Even if you don't use the $100 worth and your year is coming all you have to do is buy another $5 worth or whatever and it will extend it another year.

If you are using your google voice number, you won't get texts unless you have GV send them as SMS texts to your phone. You *will* get a text if someone texts your phone number directly instead of GV.

My AT&T phone number is about to expire in a week or two. I'll let you know if I lose the number (currently not using it and haven't for awhile).

 

[alm99]

Why can't the number be ported?

 

[corkyg]

Good luck with that! I triued AT&T for about 6 months and gave it up. Signal strength at my QTH was barely 1 bar. Then when on the road, too many places with no bars at all. The network ads are spot on.

 

[SunnyD]

#1 - You can port ANY number. If they tell you no, they're lying.

#2 - GoPhone minutes do expire if you don't add money every 30/90 days, but other than that they just roll over.

#3 - It's okay, but expensive if you make a lot of calls. I currently use it for my "home" phone, but we get all of like one call a month on it.

 

[RaiderJ]

#1 - You can port ANY number. If they tell you no, they're lying.

#2 - GoPhone minutes do expire if you don't add money every 30/90 days, but other than that they just roll over.

#3 - It's okay, but expensive if you make a lot of calls. I currently use it for my "home" phone, but we get all of like one call a month on it.

1) Unfortunately, that doesn't work for Alaska phone numbers. They would transfer the phone number if they could.

To achieve a valid WLNP transfer, the cell phone carrier you’re switching to must offer local service in the same area as your existing phone number.

2) That's what I've read.... and that means with the cheapest plan ($25/3 months), it'd cost me ~$8/mo to keep the phone active

3) Not planning on using the phone, just keeping it to hold onto the number, and for emergency use.

 

[SunnyD]

Where in Alaska? In Way-the-fuck-out-there AK? AT&T does have coverage in parts of Alaska.

 

[RaiderJ]

Where in Alaska? In Way-the-fuck-out-there AK? AT&T does have coverage in parts of Alaska.

Anchorage, AT&T coverage in AK is good, at least in the civilized areas. The problem is that Verizon is not in AK. I can't take my Alaska AT&T phone number to Verizon, since they do not offer service in AK.


What I've done, use Google Voice to forward all calls from my old cell to my new cell. Just need to get people to text messages to my new phone number and I'm good.

 

[KK]

#2 - GoPhone minutes do expire if you don't add money every 30/90 days, but other than that they just roll over.

From what I seen via their website, is that 100 dollars will last for a year.

Personally right now I don't know what to go with. Work took my work phone back, which happens to at&t. said I didn't need the blackberry anymore. Which is fine by me, just don't expect to call me after hours. anyways, the wife has verizon as that seems to have the best coverage in and about georgia. we got her parents 2 phones added onto our plan as they wanted them and AT&T there is no coverage at all out there. We recently moved to an area that seems to have slightly better at&t coverage, better than verizon. I don't know whether to just add a basic phone onto her plan for 10 dollars a month. Downfalls of doing that is no coverage inside the building at work, at&t only puts at&t repeaters in their buildings. another downfall is coverage at the new house is sketchy. pluses would be better coverage pretty much everywhere else in georgia. Benefits of going at&t is better coverage at work, home, and if I do go on a monthly plan, I can get half off plans, including data plans. Go with a go phone $100 and the minutes last a year, works out to 8.xx a month. 100 dollars would be 400 minutes, which could possibly last me a year.
I kind of got fond of the blackberry though, if I go with one of them, it'll run 39.99 +30.00 for the blackberry plan under at&t for a total of 35 after discounts. If I were to go with a blackberry under verizon, it'll be 40 dollars.
I dunno what to do, if I go with a blackberry, it'd be under AT&T, if I go with just a regular phone, 10 dollars would get me on verizon, non prepaid, and if I go with a gophone it could possibly cost me less, although I'd have to watch my minutes closely.

 

[rudeguy]

1) Unfortunately, that doesn't work for Alaska phone numbers. They would transfer the phone number if they could.

2) That's what I've read.... and that means with the cheapest plan ($25/3 months), it'd cost me ~$8/mo to keep the phone active

3) Not planning on using the phone, just keeping it to hold onto the number, and for emergency use.

Correct. Porting rules say that you have to provide service in rate center that the NPA/NPX is currently registered to.

 

[SAWYER]

edit:I should have read the thread, V isn't an option

 

[RaiderJ]

So far Google Voice has been awesome. All my calls are forwarded to my new phone, and I just have my old phone set to silent. Text messages aren't forwarded, but I don't get many of those (and most everyone who would text me has my new number).