Updated: $100 T-Mobile ToGo refill card + free Nokia 6030 phone for $100 at Target

[GTFan]

Subject says it all - if you need a cheap prepaid phone and get decent coverage with T-Mo, this is the way to go. Best of all, if you only need the refill card you can return the phone to Target and get back $25 or so (it's a $39.99 phone but that's the amount they refund on this deal). So you can get a $100 refill for $63 or so + tax. Phone comes with activation kit including SIM card and $10 worth of free minutes (30 minutes/90 day expiration).

For anyone not in the know about T-Mo To Go... a $100 refill gets you Gold Rewards status and 1000 minutes that don't expire for a year. Best of all, you can extend your minutes for another year every year thereafter with any refill, and the minimum now is $10. So if all you want is a cheap low-use phone, this $88 investment will get you service for a long time for very little out of pocket after the first year.

UPDATE 5/7 - deal is back but it's now $100 for phone and card - can still return the phone for $28.57 + tax so the card is around $70 now. Or just fleabay the phone and activation kit if you only want the refill.

 

[KPACOTKA]

Do you know if I can use regular unlocked GSM phone, or togo have something specific in firmware?

 

[GTFan]

Any unlocked (or T-Mo) GSM phone will work with the SIM included with this phone.

 

[efnethore]

I was looking at the new target ad, I couldn't find any print that says I could return the nokia phone and get 25 dollars back.

I'm not clear as to what "T-Mobile ToGo" entails, this is what I'm guessing:

I get free activation, and a phone number with the area code of my choosing.

I get free domestic long distance which means I can call uncle Bob in New Jersey or cousin Jenny in oklahoma city and get charged the same as I were making a local call.

I get free roaming which means when I drive up to bay area during the summer I can still use the phone over there and get charged the same as if I were home.

I get free caller id, call waiting and voicemail services.

I get 1000 minutes from the card plus 30 or 35 minutes from the phone's activation kit.

My phone number wouldn't expire for a year.

Right?

 

[babylon5]

this phone cannot be unlocked.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

I don't have a cell phone (I live in the stone ages), but I've been considering the T-Mobile deal for a while, though I really wanted the Samsung flip-phone. I think I'll go in for this just to get the $100 card. Would be great if I could return the phone for $25.

I'd like to know the answers to EFnethore's questions, too. Is it still the same per minute rate if you make a long distance call to another domestic U.S. phone number and is it the same per minute charge if you make a domestic phone call outside of your home city area as long as it uses the T-Mobile network? I'm guessing that the answer is yes, but it would be comforting to hear from some other T-Mobile phone users first.

Can any normal 9-volt car cell phone charger be used to charge it?

Note that the battery is pretty weak--only 3 hours of talk time though it claims you can keep it on for 12 days (waiting for incoming calls).

At the T-Mobile site, it says that one of the features is FM radio reception. Would you pay for that as though it were a long distance call or does it simply have a radio antenna and work like a regular radio? It says, "FM radio--headset sold separately".

 

[breweyez]

I have a Tmobile to go phone right now and it has served me well. I am going to get a regular plan due to using the phone too much, but will keep it as a backup. The cost of minutes is the same if your roaming or at home.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Do you receive some sort of warning if you leave a T-Mobile area and end up doing GSM roaming (higher cost per minute, say 35-40 cents or so)?

 

[WhipperSnapper]

I picked up two of them. I was one of the first four people in the store but a lady darted to the cell phones area and scooped up two ahead of me. Luckily there were five left, so I picked up one for me and one for my wife. Looks like they'll go fast. The phone itself looks pretty chincy. I just hope that it doesn't turn on and off anytime it rubs up against something.

 

[Schmide]

Got one for my mom and talked my sister into one.

Sadly they are both leaving the cave and venturing into the cellphone age. A rare and dieing breed

 

[GuyScharf]

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapperDo you receive some sort of warning if you leave a T-Mobile area and end up doing GSM roaming (higher cost per minute, say 35-40 cents or so)?

T-Mobile ToGo phones are locked into the T-Mobile network. You cannot roam to other networks. That means you need to evaluate whether the T-Mobile network meets your needs. (Strangely, T-Mobile works better than most other carriers in my out-of-the-way location.)

Guy

 

[GTFan]

Not true, T-Mo does offer roaming for prepaid in some areas.
http://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/coverageprepaidfaq.aspx

 

[GTFan]

Originally posted by: efnethore
I was looking at the new target ad, I couldn't find any print that says I could return the nokia phone and get 25 dollars back.

I'm not clear as to what "T-Mobile ToGo" entails, this is what I'm guessing:

I get free activation, and a phone number with the area code of my choosing.

I get free domestic long distance which means I can call uncle Bob in New Jersey or cousin Jenny in oklahoma city and get charged the same as I were making a local call.

I get free roaming which means when I drive up to bay area during the summer I can still use the phone over there and get charged the same as if I were home.

I get free caller id, call waiting and voicemail services.

I get 1000 minutes from the card plus 30 or 35 minutes from the phone's activation kit.

My phone number wouldn't expire for a year.

Right?

You need to do some reading - I specifically said that this was a prepaid deal, and that's what TMo ToGo is. t-mobile.com is a good place to start.
Your roaming is limited to certain areas so don't count on it. Otherwise, you're pretty much correct on the rest, and your phone number won't expire as long as you add a $10 refill before your minutes expire (once a year).

 

[deadken]

ARRGGGHHHH!!!!!!

I just bought my daughter a $50 refill card yesterday! I would have much rather bought her this $100 card and kept the phone for myself. We both use T-Mobile To-Go and my phone was stolen from my car a while back. I have to say that T-Mobile was great, they froze my account, I bought a new sim card (less then $7.50 shipped from Ebayexpress), and then re-activated the phone in less then 5 minutes when I called back.

For those who don't know:

1) T-Mobile To-Go rates are 10 cents a minute when you purchase a $100 card.

2) After you spend $100 on a To-Go account, you become a 'Gold' Member, which gives you more minutes for each refill.

3) You can roll-over your minutes as long as you refill your account within the timeframe (might be before the minutes expire, or might be within 30 days of expiration, I can't remember).

4) I have switched sim cards between my Wifes T-Mobile phone (NOT a To-Go phone) and my phone (a To-Go phone) with no problems.

 

[kaborka]

Saw this over at Howardforum. Just snagged one in the local Tarjay -- they're going pretty fast.

 

[exit88]

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper

At the T-Mobile site, it says that one of the features is FM radio reception. Would you pay for that as though it were a long distance call or does it simply have a radio antenna and work like a regular radio? It says, "FM radio--headset sold separately".

It works like a regular radio and you don't use any cell phone minutes while listening to the radio. However you do need a headset.

http://www.nokiausa.com/accessories/ite...4,product:HS-7|phone_code:6030,00.html

 

[kctopitz]

Note that with the $100 recharge card for 1000 minutes, T-Mobile prepaid ends up costing $.10 a minute (plus $.10 outgoing text, $.05 incoming). At that rate, if you consistently use less than 300 minutes a month (figuring the cheapest plans are about $30/month for ~300 minutes = $.10/minute), there's a good chance you're better off with this than any contract or post-paid month-to-month plan, especially with the credit being valid for one year and extendable with a mere $10 recharge.

I really need to get my mom on this. I'd be surprised if she even uses 60 minutes a month despite paying $50 a month for the plan she's on. I'm even considering it for myself and saving longer conversations for Skype.

 

[efnethore]

some updates on this deal.

I went to target this morning and got their last 6013/$100 refill card combo

not bad for a second phone

I asked the target guy if I could opt out of the 6013 and get some $ back, he gave me a definate no.

maybe you could try to go return the 6013 w/o receipt and get some store credit,(as the original receipt indicate that it's a combo deal and they would require you to return the 100 refill card also, just tell them you only picked up the phone and you lost the receipt) i dunoo, try it at your own risk.

the 6013 is a complete junk, the nokia i got in 2001 had better functions and it was smaller. (mah samsung p310 owns.)

people are selling preactivated tmobile togo sim cards on ebay for around 9 dollars, would last you 150 min. but as it's preactivated, it comes with a phone number and you'd have to call in to change it to one in your own area code. those are good if you don't plan on receiving any calls or refill it, use and dispose @ 6 cents a minute.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

According to the folks on Fatwallet, you can return the phones. My receipt says that the refund value for the phone is $27.50, though one guy in the Fatwallet thread said he got $60 back.

 

[breweyez]

I did this deal and got $39.99+tax back for the phone. I just went to returns and said I didnt want the phone. I didnt ask if it was ok.

 

[deadken]

Originally posted by: kctopitz
Note that with the $100 recharge card for 1000 minutes, T-Mobile prepaid ends up costing $.10 a minute (plus $.10 outgoing text, $.05 incoming)......

I don't think you are right there.... Incoming text messages are FREE. I have repeatedly told my daughter that if someone texts her, shes probably better off calling that person and talking for a full minute rather then texting the person back. $0.10 for one text (with my thirteen year old daughter it would probably be a 'smiley face') or $0.10 for a full minute of talking.... I'd think if the person could be called, you could get a lot more information across in a one minute conversation.

 

[GTFan]

No, he's correct, T-Mo charges a nickel a minute for incoming texts on prepaid. It was a recent change.
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/Default.aspx?plancategory=4

 

[Koz]

This is good deal just for the minutes, even better if you can use or return the phone. But I don't see anywhere on T-Mobiles site anything about "extending your minutes" with a refill, which both GTFan and kctopitz have stated can be done. Can anyone confirm this with a link to T-mobile?

BTW, I have this phone (the 6030) and it seems to work fine. You can "lock" the keys so you don't accidentally make a call. The radio is free, but does need the headset plugged in (for the antenna) and is mono. The talk time may not be great (I haven't used it that much) but the standby time is at least a week per charge (they claim 12 days.) The screen isn't really viewable outdoors, but is fine inside. It does seem a little flimsy, but I've dropped mine a couple of time (in a leather case) and it hasn't broken yet.

 

[BlackPear1]

From the TMTG FAQ - "If you applied a $100 refill to your account or have already reached Gold Reward status, all unused minutes won't expire for one year from the date you last applied airtime to your account."

 

[breweyez]

I just applied my $100 card and I got 1000 minutes. I wonder why I dont get the extra 15% in minutes. Is this happening to anyone else?