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  1. #16
    tlvp
    Guest

    Re: Pageplus vs Tracfone

    On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:50:11 -0500, Richard B. Gilbert wrote:

    > ...
    > If they do a terrible job of selling their service, shouldn't you look
    > VERY CAREFULLY at everything else they may do terribly????? Once you
    > sign, you're stuck with them!


    You don't sign, you're not stuck, PP is strictly cash and carry :-) .
    --
    Avant de repondre, jeter la poubelle, SVP. -- tlvp



    See More: Pageplus vs Tracfone




  2. #17
    Paul Miner
    Guest

    Re: Pageplus vs Tracfone

    On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:11:55 -0700, Todd Allcock
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    >At 28 Jan 2012 08:50:11 -0500 Richard B. Gilbert wrote:
    >> On 1/28/2012 5:29 AM, Paul Miner wrote:
    >> > On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:38:45 -0500, tlvp<[email protected]>
    >> > wrote:
    >> >
    >> >> On Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:32:58 -0600, Paul Miner wrote:
    >> >>
    >> >>> What about choice of handsets? Will PP activate pretty much any
    >> >>> Verizon CDMA device?
    >> >>
    >> >> Well, the ESN must come up as "clean" in some lost/stolen/defaulted

    >DB.
    >> >> And maybe there are a few super-duper data-crazy devices that are

    >banned.
    >> >>
    >> >> The site http://www.checkesnfree.com/ will tell you whether you're

    >clean.
    >> >> Or call VZW CS directly (is that 800-922-0204, perhaps?) and ask them.

    >
    >> >
    >> > Thanks, that helps. I've visited the PP website a handful of times in
    >> > the past 3 years or so, but they do a terrible job of selling their
    >> > service so I always click away without buying. Maybe one of these days
    >> > things will click.
    >> >

    >>
    >> If they do a terrible job of selling their service, shouldn't you look
    >> VERY CAREFULLY at everything else they may do terribly????? Once you
    >> sign, you're stuck with them!

    >
    >It's a prepaid service- there is no contract or commitment. You can
    >always walk away if you don't like them. The only risk its whatever
    >airtime you prepay for, which is as little as $10.


    I'm thinking the investment is a bit more substantial than that, even
    if it's partly psychological. I don't currently have a compatible
    phone (plus one for my wife) and I don't want multiple phones (and
    carriers) so I would probably port my existing number. Yes, I can
    always port back out, but it's all a bit of a hassle, plus the cost of
    phones.

    We're currently using Consumer Cellular, (uses the att network), where
    we share 300 minutes a month, 100 texts, and 10MB of data, for $31
    before taxes. Final cost is $39 a month with fees. PP might be cheaper
    and probably is, but for me there are too many unknowns at the moment.
    We're perfectly happy with CC's (att's) coverage, but my wife
    complains about triple-tapping her text messages while her friends
    have phones with keyboards. We use Motorola V195's, which are long
    past their prime, technology-wise.

    Apologies for hijacking someone else's thread. I should have started
    my own.

    --
    Paul Miner



  3. #18
    Paul Miner
    Guest

    Re: Pageplus vs Tracfone

    On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 07:28:26 -0800, SMS <[email protected]>
    wrote:

    >On 1/27/2012 8:21 AM, R. F. Duffer wrote:
    >
    >> We also travel a fair amount and want the best connectivity without the
    >> roaming charges. Customer service is important.
    >>
    >> Thanks in advance for any suggestion.

    >
    >I'd get Pageplus with the $80/2000 minutes/1 year plan. No worries about
    >renewing every 120 days. You can always take your balance and convert it
    >to a Pageplus monthly plan if you find a need for texting or data.


    Does that imply that the $80/2000 plan doesn't include any texting or
    data?

    --
    Paul Miner



  4. #19
    Paul Miner
    Guest

    Re: Pageplus vs Tracfone

    On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 10:03:22 -0800, SMS <[email protected]>
    wrote:

    >On 1/28/2012 8:54 AM, Todd Allcock wrote:
    >
    >> True. Penn Jillette, of the magician-comedy duo Penn and Teller, quips in
    >> their show at the Rio, "the lights of Las Vegas are powered by Hoover Dam
    >> and bad math."

    >
    >I expect that most of the people that gamble in Las Vegas are well aware
    >that the chances of winning are very small. It's their form of
    >entertainment.


    I lived in Vegas for a bit over 4 years and divide people into two
    groups: Vegas residents, who are generally well aware that it's the
    losers who pay the bills by leaving their money behind, and people who
    come in from out of town, who always seem to be so sure that they'll
    be the one who will win big. They seldom do, but there's always next
    time.

    --
    Paul Miner



  5. #20
    tlvp
    Guest

    Re: Pageplus vs Tracfone

    On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:52:17 -0600, Paul Miner wrote:

    > We're perfectly happy with CC's (att's) coverage, but my wife
    > complains about triple-tapping her text messages while her friends
    > have phones with keyboards. ...


    Live anywhere near a college campus? If so, haunt its cellphone recycling
    bins, probably near a Student Union, or Campus Eatery, or ITS store, etc.:
    you can probably find a suitably keyboarded GSM handset in there, along
    with matching wallwart or vehicle charge-adapter. You can probably find
    handsets suitable for use with Page Plus in there, too :-) .

    (On my campus I've found -- and used -- LG cu-400 and Motorola L2 (SLVR) on
    the GSM side, Motorola Q9m and Samsung SCH-a930 on the Verizon/PP side,
    and a bunch of handsets suitable for Sprint, as well. The GSM ones needed
    to get SIM-unlocked or un-SIM-locked, but at&tws CS helped with that, N/C.)

    HTH. Cheers,
    --
    Avant de repondre, jeter la poubelle, SVP. -- tlvp



  6. #21
    terrable
    Guest

    Re: Pageplus vs Tracfone


    "Paul Miner" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...
    > On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 07:28:26 -0800, SMS <[email protected]>
    > wrote:
    >
    >>On 1/27/2012 8:21 AM, R. F. Duffer wrote:
    >>
    >>> We also travel a fair amount and want the best connectivity without the
    >>> roaming charges. Customer service is important.
    >>>
    >>> Thanks in advance for any suggestion.

    >>
    >>I'd get Pageplus with the $80/2000 minutes/1 year plan. No worries about
    >>renewing every 120 days. You can always take your balance and convert it
    >>to a Pageplus monthly plan if you find a need for texting or data.

    >
    > Does that imply that the $80/2000 plan doesn't include any texting or
    > data?
    >


    Texting or data are available for extra per use fees (the extra fees just
    subtract from your balance).

    Page Plus describes all their plans in detail on their website.

    http://www.pagepluscellular.com/Plans.aspx

    You pick the one that works best for you.






  7. #22
    terrable
    Guest

    Re: Pageplus vs Tracfone


    "SMS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...
    > On 1/28/2012 2:29 AM, Paul Miner wrote:
    >
    >> Thanks, that helps. I've visited the PP website a handful of times in
    >> the past 3 years or so, but they do a terrible job of selling their
    >> service so I always click away without buying. Maybe one of these days
    >> things will click.

    >
    > They definitely have a marketing problem. I don't know why they don't come
    > out and just state which phones will work on their service, especially
    > smart phones.
    >
    > That said, for those that know what works, they represent a very
    > inexpensive way to get service on Verizon's network, provided you fall
    > into the 90+ percent of users that don't use more than 500MB per month.
    >
    > Perhaps they have an agreement with Verizon to not advertise certain
    > aspects of their service.


    Page Plus dealers can tell you which phones work and don't work.

    Here is one:

    http://www.pageplusdirect.com/compatible_phones.html






  8. #23
    SMS
    Guest

    Re: Pageplus vs Tracfone

    On 1/28/2012 2:52 PM, Paul Miner wrote:

    > We're currently using Consumer Cellular, (uses the att network), where
    > we share 300 minutes a month, 100 texts, and 10MB of data, for $31
    > before taxes. Final cost is $39 a month with fees.


    Wow, that's very expensive. No offense, but every time I see those
    Consumer Cellular commercials on TV, I shake my head and wonder who
    would pay such a high price for prepaid service, and why.



  9. #24
    SMS
    Guest

    Re: Pageplus vs Tracfone

    On 1/28/2012 4:24 PM, Todd Allcock wrote:

    > Presumably you're on the CC $20 plan (300 minutes/month) with the $2.50
    > 100 texts/10MB data addon and one shared line ($10). If, worst-case
    > scenario, you maxed out every minute, text, and MB you're allowed, that'd
    > be $27/month on PP (300x0.04 + 100x0.05 + 10x1).


    Well the two $12/month plans on PP would give 500 Minutes, 500 Texts, &
    20 MB Data, total. Even less if you take the trouble to buy refills from
    callingmart.com rather than sign up for automatic refills with Pageplus
    (probably not worth saving $1.20/month).



  10. #25

    Re: Pageplus vs Tracfone

    On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:59:14 -0700, Todd Allcock
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    >At 28 Jan 2012 10:03:22 -0800 SMS wrote:
    >> On 1/28/2012 8:54 AM, Todd Allcock wrote:
    >>
    >> > To be fair, that prejudice comes from the early days of cellular and

    >$1-
    >> > 3/minute roaming, and bolstered by horror stories of present-day
    >> > international roaming rates. Education can overcome prejudice.

    >>
    >> Amusingly, a lot of the "no roaming fees" was achieved by simply not
    >> allowing roaming, rather than not charging for it.

    >
    >Yes and no. It was a combination of allowing roaming with partner
    >carriers offering lower rates, and prohibiting roaming with higher-rate
    >carriers.
    >
    >> > True. Penn Jillette, of the magician-comedy duo Penn and Teller,

    >quips in
    >> > their show at the Rio, "the lights of Las Vegas are powered by Hoover

    >Dam
    >> > and bad math."

    >>
    >> I expect that most of the people that gamble in Las Vegas are well
    >> aware that the chances of winning are very small. It's their form of
    >> entertainment.

    >
    >You'd be surprised. Obviously you haven't met anyone with a "system".
    > Most people have no idea how probability or the law of averages works.
    >I used to argue with anyone explaining their "system" to me, but I
    >eventually tired of it and just nod appreciatively these days...
    >
    >

    Lots of people go to Vegas believing that they will win. They just
    ignore logic, probability, and common sense.



  11. #26

    Re: Pageplus vs Tracfone

    On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:56:01 -0600, Paul Miner
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    >On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 07:28:26 -0800, SMS <[email protected]>
    >wrote:
    >
    >>On 1/27/2012 8:21 AM, R. F. Duffer wrote:
    >>
    >>> We also travel a fair amount and want the best connectivity without the
    >>> roaming charges. Customer service is important.
    >>>
    >>> Thanks in advance for any suggestion.

    >>
    >>I'd get Pageplus with the $80/2000 minutes/1 year plan. No worries about
    >>renewing every 120 days. You can always take your balance and convert it
    >>to a Pageplus monthly plan if you find a need for texting or data.

    >
    >Does that imply that the $80/2000 plan doesn't include any texting or
    >data?


    The $80 plan is $80 worth of whatever you use. Voice is 4 cents a
    minutes, texts are 5 cents, until the $80 is consumed.



  12. #27

    Re: Pageplus vs Tracfone

    On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:31:41 -0800, meh <[email protected]> wrote:

    >On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:56:01 -0600, Paul Miner <[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    >>On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 07:28:26 -0800, SMS <[email protected]>
    >>wrote:
    >>
    >>>On 1/27/2012 8:21 AM, R. F. Duffer wrote:
    >>>
    >>>> We also travel a fair amount and want the best connectivity without the
    >>>> roaming charges. Customer service is important.
    >>>>
    >>>> Thanks in advance for any suggestion.
    >>>
    >>>I'd get Pageplus with the $80/2000 minutes/1 year plan. No worries about
    >>>renewing every 120 days. You can always take your balance and convert it
    >>>to a Pageplus monthly plan if you find a need for texting or data.

    >>
    >>Does that imply that the $80/2000 plan doesn't include any texting or
    >>data?

    >
    >Texting on PP plans is billed at 5 cents per, and voice calls at 10 cents.
    >
    >

    On the $80 plan voice call are 4 cents. PP bills voice calls at the
    rate for the particular plan - $10 plan 10 cents, $25 plan 6 cents,
    etc. If you buy a lower price card to rollover your balance, the
    previous plan is consumed at its rate until it's used and then the
    calls are billed at the rate of the newer plan.

    My wife uses a $25 plan and two $10 plans a year, so calls are billed
    at 6 cents until the $25 is gone and then at 10 cents.
    >
    >
    >
    >




  13. #28
    Paul Miner
    Guest

    Re: Pageplus vs Tracfone

    On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:53:41 -0800, SMS <[email protected]>
    wrote:

    >On 1/28/2012 2:52 PM, Paul Miner wrote:
    >
    >> We're currently using Consumer Cellular, (uses the att network), where
    >> we share 300 minutes a month, 100 texts, and 10MB of data, for $31
    >> before taxes. Final cost is $39 a month with fees.

    >
    >Wow, that's very expensive. No offense, but every time I see those
    >Consumer Cellular commercials on TV, I shake my head and wonder who
    >would pay such a high price for prepaid service, and why.


    Expensive is relative. We downgraded from more expensive service with
    Sprint a few years ago where the total monthly bill was about $160, so
    a monthly bill of about $40 for the two of us seems very reasonable.
    Can I do better? Probably, and that's why I'm asking questions.

    --
    Paul Miner



  14. #29
    Paul Miner
    Guest

    Re: Pageplus vs Tracfone

    On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:58:00 -0800, [email protected] wrote:

    >On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:56:01 -0600, Paul Miner
    ><[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    >>On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 07:28:26 -0800, SMS <[email protected]>
    >>wrote:
    >>
    >>>On 1/27/2012 8:21 AM, R. F. Duffer wrote:
    >>>
    >>>> We also travel a fair amount and want the best connectivity without the
    >>>> roaming charges. Customer service is important.
    >>>>
    >>>> Thanks in advance for any suggestion.
    >>>
    >>>I'd get Pageplus with the $80/2000 minutes/1 year plan. No worries about
    >>>renewing every 120 days. You can always take your balance and convert it
    >>>to a Pageplus monthly plan if you find a need for texting or data.

    >>
    >>Does that imply that the $80/2000 plan doesn't include any texting or
    >>data?

    >
    >The $80 plan is $80 worth of whatever you use. Voice is 4 cents a
    >minutes, texts are 5 cents, until the $80 is consumed.


    Excellent, thanks. The part, above, about converting to a monthly plan
    if you need text or data was confusing.

    --
    Paul Miner



  15. #30
    Paul Miner
    Guest

    Re: Pageplus vs Tracfone

    On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:24:16 -0700, Todd Allcock
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    >It's not a plan, per se, it's pay as you go:
    >$0.04/minute voice, $0.05 texts, and $1/MB data, and what remains of the
    >$80 balance expires in 365 days (unless you burn it up sooner with usage,
    >or extend it by buying more airtime.)


    Sounds good, thanks.

    >Presumably you're on the CC $20 plan (300 minutes/month) with the $2.50
    >100 texts/10MB data addon and one shared line ($10). If, worst-case
    >scenario, you maxed out every minute, text, and MB you're allowed, that'd
    >be $27/month on PP (300x0.04 + 100x0.05 + 10x1)


    Your presumption is correct and the math looks good.

    >Unlike CC, PagePlus doesn't offer family plans or AARP discounts, but
    >they have a cheap plan a plan that offers about as much per line as you
    >currently share (250 minutes, 250 texts, 10MB data) for $12/month/line,
    >but depending on your usage, pay-as-you go might be more economical.


    Considering the fact that we currently stay well under the 300 minutes
    allowed, send only a few texts a month, and use virtually no data, we
    might be able to save even more than the worst case scenario. More
    modern handsets might change the text and data portions, but it's
    still a win, by the looks of it.

    --
    Paul Miner



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