Prepaid Cellphone Deals

[FAS284]

their support is horrible. I had to call everyday for a week.. and the only day I got through was the day after New Years (monday) early at 8 AM. So I guess you just have to keep trying ..

 

[mscdex0]

Anyone know a quick/easy way to check the balance left on the phone for STi Mobile?

 

[MOCKBA1]

Did you STi check website? Generally telephone tells a balance at every call. That's a bit annoying, but acceptable. However I'd like to have access to call log and I do not know hot to do that.

 

[BUSTaMOD]

Does Virgin Mobile work on the Sprint Network?

 

[Coolgreany]

"Anyone know a quick/easy way to check the balance left on the phone for STi Mobile? "

Yes. Make a call.

 

[kaborka]

The buggers ingorned my email to discontinue web access and are now dinging my balance every day. Guess I'll have to slug it out getting through on the phone. What a PITA.

 

[RelaxTheMind]

bump for possible future STI Mobile customer... I was always iffy about companies that keep "rolling" over the "special" rebates to the next month and so on and so on....

 

[bigal40]

Originally posted by: hansmuff
TracFone has a 150 minute card you can buy that lets you keep your airtime for a year. No need to buy monthly. That card costs you $90. For my usage pattern, that's way cheaper than any contract service and most other prepaids. I use about 30 to 40 minutes/month.

I pretty much do the same as you, 30 -40 minutes a month. I get one of the 150 minute cards I am usually able to find a 200 minute coupon code to make it a total of 350 minutes

 

[Vikroda]

Originally posted by: FAS284
besides mockba1, did anyone get their rebates?

Got mine today after 86 days.

 

[Cheapest]

Sti keep depay my rebate! I'd been tried calling them three times. The first time they told me that the check will be around in a week. There was nothing arrived! I called them the second time and they told me they were sure it will be arrived in another week. I waited for other week and nothing again! I then called them up and they were promised it definely arrived by Feb 1, 2006. Now is the 31th and I have no confident in them!

What can I do? Should I fill out the form from FDA to complaint this?

 

[Kwad Guy]

Anyone who has an STI phone better read the following carefully:

On Jan 31, STI changed the terms of a previously published rebate form for phones purchased from Staples after 12/14/05: You now have to use the phone at least 60 minutes per month to keep your phone active (previously, you had to make one call every 60 days). This is a major difference, and they are attempting to impose it retroactively on anyone who applied for the rebate that covers the period 12/14/05-onward. For STI phones purchased from other retailers, you'll have to check.

On Feb 1, STI has changed their rate structure and is now imposing a daily charge to all phones. A charge of 10 cents per day will be charged to those on "plan 1" and 39 cents per day will be charged to those on "plan 2". The charge is in addition to any per-minute charges and is charged every day whether or not you use the phone.

Caveat emptor.

Kwad

 

[RelaxTheMind]

that is whacko... just lost a future customer...

 

[Eeezee]

Cell phones are NEVER hot. As soon as there exists a cheap phone with minutes that don't expire for cheap, then that deal shall be dubbed 'hot'. Until that day, cell phones are an enormous ripoff.

 

[OhioState]

Originally posted by: mscdex0
Net 10 is better. 10cents/min. anywhere anytime. No hidden charges or fees. I'm going to sign up for net10 here shortly, it's just the kind of service i've been looking for.

doesnt work where im at :|

 

[mscdex0]

Originally posted by: OhioState

Originally posted by: mscdex0
Net 10 is better. 10cents/min. anywhere anytime. No hidden charges or fees. I'm going to sign up for net10 here shortly, it's just the kind of service i've been looking for.

doesnt work where im at :|

Yikes, I posted that May of last year!

I did end up getting STI Mobile this past december. I love it, and coverage is excellent in my area (Ohio).

$0.10/min nights & weekends, $0.12/min weekdays. $0.19/day for unlimited internet usage. I think I use the internet part of it more than I do the voice. I do not call much, but it is nice to know I'm getting the cheapest per-minute price (as far as prepaid goes) without any fine print or "formulaic" plans like Virgin Mobile and Cingular. :thumbsup:

 

[SilentRunning]

Originally posted by: mscdex0

Originally posted by: OhioState

Originally posted by: mscdex0
Net 10 is better. 10cents/min. anywhere anytime. No hidden charges or fees. I'm going to sign up for net10 here shortly, it's just the kind of service i've been looking for.

doesnt work where im at :|

Yikes, I posted that May of last year!

I did end up getting STI Mobile this past december. I love it, and coverage is excellent in my area (Ohio).

$0.10/min nights & weekends, $0.12/min weekdays. $0.19/day for unlimited internet usage. I think I use the internet part of it more than I do the voice. I do not call much, but it is nice to know I'm getting the cheapest per-minute price (as far as prepaid goes) without any fine print or "formulaic" plans like Virgin Mobile and Cingular. :thumbsup:

In case you missed it, rate plan 1 now charges $0.10/day in addition to the per minute charges and the web browsing charge. The rate change went up on their website 2/1/06.

So if you have a low balance and are waiting for a rebate you better be getting a refill to remain active. It will cost about $3 ($0.10 x 30 days) a month in addition to any other costs.

I would rather pay $6-9 (for 2-3 months) than lose a $100 rebate.

 

[FAS284]

Originally posted by: Kwad Guy
Anyone who has an STI phone better read the following carefully:

On Jan 31, STI changed the terms of a previously published rebate form for phones purchased from Staples after 12/14/05: You now have to use the phone at least 60 minutes per month to keep your phone active (previously, you had to make one call every 60 days). This is a major difference, and they are attempting to impose it retroactively on anyone who applied for the rebate that covers the period 12/14/05-onward. For STI phones purchased from other retailers, you'll have to check.

On Feb 1, STI has changed their rate structure and is now imposing a daily charge to all phones. A charge of 10 cents per day will be charged to those on "plan 1" and 39 cents per day will be charged to those on "plan 2". The charge is in addition to any per-minute charges and is charged every day whether or not you use the phone.

Caveat emptor.

Kwad

pissed off when I read that. I don't see the info on the rebate .. can you direct me to that? And did you mean that, just for the rebate, you have to use it at least 60 min/month to get the rebate or is that forever.. i.e. we have to make an hour of calls every month to keep the phone active?

It still says one call every 60 days at this link:

http://www.stimobile.com/plan1-disclaimer.aspx

 

[Kwad Guy]

Originally posted by: FAS284

Originally posted by: Kwad Guy
Anyone who has an STI phone better read the following carefully:

On Jan 31, STI changed the terms of a previously published rebate form for phones purchased from Staples after 12/14/05: You now have to use the phone at least 60 minutes per month to keep your phone active (previously, you had to make one call every 60 days). This is a major difference, and they are attempting to impose it retroactively on anyone who applied for the rebate that covers the period 12/14/05-onward. For STI phones purchased from other retailers, you'll have to check.

On Feb 1, STI has changed their rate structure and is now imposing a daily charge to all phones. A charge of 10 cents per day will be charged to those on "plan 1" and 39 cents per day will be charged to those on "plan 2". The charge is in addition to any per-minute charges and is charged every day whether or not you use the phone.

Caveat emptor.

Kwad

pissed off when I read that. I don't see the info on the rebate .. can you direct me to that? And did you mean that, just for the rebate, you have to use it at least 60 min/month to get the rebate or is that forever.. i.e. we have to make an hour of calls every month to keep the phone active?

It still says one call every 60 days at this link:

http://www.stimobile.com/plan1-disclaimer.aspx

The 60 min/month is for the rebate. But the 10/39 cents a day is for everyone. So if you have already received your rebate, you're now going to be paying $3 or $12 a month, every month, no matter what...Oh, and if you let your phone drop to 0, remember that it'll cost you $4.95 to get it turned on again...

Kwad

 

[FAS284]

kwad, I'm curious though.. where did that info come regarding the rebate? I think I should be ok since I bought my phone on 12/10 but parents bought theirs on 12/14 ..

 

[mscdex0]

Looking at the "new plan" on the site, I read it as saying it's $0.10/day for the unlimited international calling?

 

[VaG]

Originally posted by: Eeezee
Cell phones are NEVER hot. As soon as there exists a cheap phone with minutes that don't expire for cheap, then that deal shall be dubbed 'hot'. Until that day, cell phones are an enormous ripoff.

I'm going to assume you don't own a business. Mine pays for itself over and over everytime I answer it and it's less than $50 a month for unlimited nationwide talk time. If you don't want all the extras it can be had for as low as $30 a month for unlimited talk time. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the $40-$50 a month I save by not needing a home phone anymore.

 

[Chevydriver]

Originally posted by: BUSTaMOD
Does Virgin Mobile work on the Sprint Network?

Yup they use the sprints towers.

 

[Cheapest]

I only paid $19 for home phone (SBC) with unlimit local call which I used 99.9%. other using zone 2 or 3 with only like 0.02/minutes. You must call a lot of long distance for $40!

 

[VaG]

Originally posted by: Cheapest
I only paid $19 for home phone (SBC) with unlimit local call which I used 99.9%. other using zone 2 or 3 with only like 0.02/minutes. You must call a lot of long distance for $40!

Sorry to say, but $40 is for local service only with no long distance at all. I axed the home phone a couple years ago and haven't used landline long distance in at least 5 years.

 

[lozina]

Looking at some of these services I'm thinking BeyondWireless is best for me... I use my phone almost every day but only for a few minutes. I never talk on the phone long. So approx 60 minutes a month...

But what does TDMA mean, or GSM ?

edit: text messaging is supported by these paygo services right?