Results 1 to 11 of 11
- 12-06-2003, 01:42 PM #1dotGuest
Does anyone here have any experience with this plan? I wanted to get a cell
phone for my 13 year old granddaughter to call when she needs picking up
from school, dance, karate,etc. I understand you have to "top off" every 90
days, I guess that okay as long as you can top of with a $20 card. She
won't be using the phone really that much. Does the phone come with initial
minutes and if so how many? If you still have minutes left when you need to
top of at the 90 days, do you lose your past minutes? If I buy one of the
cheaper phones for her and get her say 4 $20 cards, to keep her going approx
1 year, do these cards expire? Any help here would be greatly appreciated.
dot
› See More: Virgin Mobile Pay As You Go plan?
- 12-06-2003, 05:21 PM #2Dave MarksonGuest
Re: Virgin Mobile Pay As You Go plan?
>Does anyone here have any experience with this plan? I wanted to get a cell
>phone for my 13 year old granddaughter to call when she needs picking up
>from school, dance, karate,etc. I understand you have to "top off" every 90
>days, I guess that okay as long as you can top of with a $20 card. She
>won't be using the phone really that much. Does the phone come with initial
>minutes and if so how many? If you still have minutes left when you need to
>top of at the 90 days, do you lose your past minutes? If I buy one of the
>cheaper phones for her and get her say 4 $20 cards, to keep her going approx
>1 year, do these cards expire? Any help here would be greatly appreciated.
>dot
Virgin Mobile uses the Sprint PCS network and towers. You should make sure that
Sprint PCS provides service where your granddaughter is going to use the phone.
You should find someone in your area how the Sprint PCS service is at the
school, etc.
You get $10 of initial airtime credits when you activate.
If you decide to get Virgin, make sure you activate on-line. Before you do
that, dial *86 in the Virgin phone and "Amber" will give you the promo code to
type in during the activation process that will give you a bonus $5 of credit,
bringing the total to $15. As of this week, the promo code to use is
"HIPSTER". I missed out because nobody told me how to get the promo code
If you register a credit card for topping off, you'll get an additional $5
credit the first time you top-up using your credit card. You can keep the
account password private and top-off as necessary for your granddaughter. No
need to buy the top-up cards. You can top-up as desired, or sign up to
automatically top-up at any set interval (eg: every 90 days). Very flexible.
Airtime lasts 90 days. As long as you top-up within the 90 days, all airtime
carries forward another 90 days. There is a grace period of 60 days beyond the
90 days where you can still top-up without losing your current airtime (but you
can't use the phone during the grace period).
One last thing. If you decide to buy the top-up cards, the expiration dates
are not "stackable". In other words, if you recharge four top-up cards at the
same time, the expiration date is still 90 days. You can buy the cards now and
activate them at the proper time, there is no expiration date.
Amazon.com has a great deal on Virgin phones right now (with mail-in rebate)
that can't be beat, especially on the Vox 8500 and the Slider.
--
Dave
Visit my New England Cell Phone Page at
http://markson.net/cell_phones.htm
(to reply take out the "remove" in my e-mail)
- 12-06-2003, 06:38 PM #3dotGuest
Re: Virgin Mobile Pay As You Go plan?
Very good information Dave.
Greatly appreciated.
dot
"Dave Markson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>Does anyone here have any experience with this plan? I wanted to get a
cell
>phone for my 13 year old granddaughter to call when she needs picking up
>from school, dance, karate,etc. I understand you have to "top off" every
90
>days, I guess that okay as long as you can top of with a $20 card. She
>won't be using the phone really that much. Does the phone come with
initial
>minutes and if so how many? If you still have minutes left when you need
to
>top of at the 90 days, do you lose your past minutes? If I buy one of the
>cheaper phones for her and get her say 4 $20 cards, to keep her going
approx
>1 year, do these cards expire? Any help here would be greatly appreciated.
>dot
Virgin Mobile uses the Sprint PCS network and towers. You should make sure
that
Sprint PCS provides service where your granddaughter is going to use the
phone.
You should find someone in your area how the Sprint PCS service is at the
school, etc.
You get $10 of initial airtime credits when you activate.
If you decide to get Virgin, make sure you activate on-line. Before you do
that, dial *86 in the Virgin phone and "Amber" will give you the promo code
to
type in during the activation process that will give you a bonus $5 of
credit,
bringing the total to $15. As of this week, the promo code to use is
"HIPSTER". I missed out because nobody told me how to get the promo code
If you register a credit card for topping off, you'll get an additional $5
credit the first time you top-up using your credit card. You can keep the
account password private and top-off as necessary for your granddaughter.
No
need to buy the top-up cards. You can top-up as desired, or sign up to
automatically top-up at any set interval (eg: every 90 days). Very
flexible.
Airtime lasts 90 days. As long as you top-up within the 90 days, all
airtime
carries forward another 90 days. There is a grace period of 60 days beyond
the
90 days where you can still top-up without losing your current airtime (but
you
can't use the phone during the grace period).
One last thing. If you decide to buy the top-up cards, the expiration dates
are not "stackable". In other words, if you recharge four top-up cards at
the
same time, the expiration date is still 90 days. You can buy the cards now
and
activate them at the proper time, there is no expiration date.
Amazon.com has a great deal on Virgin phones right now (with mail-in rebate)
that can't be beat, especially on the Vox 8500 and the Slider.
--
Dave
Visit my New England Cell Phone Page at
http://markson.net/cell_phones.htm
(to reply take out the "remove" in my e-mail)
- 12-06-2003, 06:47 PM #4Eddie HaskelGuest
Re: Virgin Mobile Pay As You Go plan?
Why not get your Grand-Daughter a "call home" calling card or a 800 number
for home so she can call from ANY phone. I'm sorry..but a 13 year old doesnt
need a cellular phone. The "call home" card ONLY calls home. The 800 number
rings thru to the regular number you have it programmed to but can be called
toll free from any phone...Eddie
"dot" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Does anyone here have any experience with this plan? I wanted to get a
cell
> phone for my 13 year old granddaughter to call when she needs picking up
> from school, dance, karate,etc. I understand you have to "top off" every
90
> days, I guess that okay as long as you can top of with a $20 card. She
> won't be using the phone really that much. Does the phone come with
initial
> minutes and if so how many? If you still have minutes left when you need
to
> top of at the 90 days, do you lose your past minutes? If I buy one of the
> cheaper phones for her and get her say 4 $20 cards, to keep her going
approx
> 1 year, do these cards expire? Any help here would be greatly
appreciated.
> dot
>
>
- 12-06-2003, 07:13 PM #5John R. CopelandGuest
Re: Virgin Mobile Pay As You Go plan?
Eddie, you must be from a different planet.
My three teen-aged grand-daughters would be severely inconvenienced
with the one-way ability to only place calls to a single number,
and only from wired phones, at that.
And have you tried to find a pay phone lately? They are scarce.
Also, many are in places I would not want my grand-daughters going.
Wake up and see the world around you today, Eddie.
Cell phones are a huge advance in teen-ager safety.
---JRC---
"Eddie Haskel" <[email protected]> wrote in message =
news:[email protected]...
>=20
> Why not get your Grand-Daughter a "call home" calling card or a 800 =
number
> for home so she can call from ANY phone. I'm sorry..but a 13 year old =
doesnt
> need a cellular phone. The "call home" card ONLY calls home. The 800 =
number
> rings thru to the regular number you have it programmed to but can be =
called
> toll free from any phone...Eddie
>
- 12-06-2003, 09:28 PM #6Isaiah BeardGuest
Re: Virgin Mobile Pay As You Go plan?
Eddie Haskel wrote:
> Why not get your Grand-Daughter a "call home" calling card or a 800 number
> for home so she can call from ANY phone. I'm sorry..but a 13 year old doesnt
> need a cellular phone.
That may be your opinion, and certainly there was a time where I too
would have frowned upon giving a 13 year old a cell phone. But in case
you haven't noticed, the abundance of payphones has started to dry up
lately, and people's willingness to allow others to use their non-coin
phones has equally begun to dry up. So, there are cases where a cell
phone may be the only easy/practical method to let a kid phone home.
If one is really that wary of giving their kid the freedom to call
whoever, then all you have to do is program an "emergency number" or
three, lock the phone, hand it to them, and you now have a cell phone
that will only call home, 911, or (if you allow it) one or two alternate
numbers.
Hell, it might even be a good opportunity to teach kids some manners
about how to politely use a cell phone. That way when they grow up,
they won't be irritating the hell out of people in places where it's not
appropriate.
> The "call home" card ONLY calls home. The 800 number
> rings thru to the regular number you have it programmed to but can be called
> toll free from any phone...Eddie
I have a toll free number, and while it does have its advantages, I'd
say you'd run into more trouble than convenience in this case. Most
available toll free numbers now are 866 numbers, not 800, 888, or even
877 anymore. If your kid ends up trying to call on a payphone from some
two-bit COCOT, or on a school's old CENTREX phone that no one's
reprogrammed since '86, that call to the 866 number won't go out.
Not to mention, the only carrier I've found who will still offer you a
toll free number as a simple ring-to line with a flat rate anymore is,
unfortunately, MCI (formerly Worldcom). AT&T And Sprint all gear their
toll free services towards major call-center applications, thus
requiring minimum usage that goes beyond the occasional call here and
there. And lower-tier companies like IDT will gladly offer you a toll
free number but charge you on a distance-based rate schedule (no flate
rate).
--
E-mail fudged to thwart spammers.
Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply.
- 12-06-2003, 09:47 PM #7PeterbiltGuest
Re: Virgin Mobile Pay As You Go plan?
Agreed. I couldn't have said it better myself.
"Isaiah Beard" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Eddie Haskel wrote:
>
> > Why not get your Grand-Daughter a "call home" calling card or a 800
number
> > for home so she can call from ANY phone. I'm sorry..but a 13 year old
doesnt
> > need a cellular phone.
>
>
> That may be your opinion, and certainly there was a time where I too
> would have frowned upon giving a 13 year old a cell phone. But in case
> you haven't noticed, the abundance of payphones has started to dry up
> lately, and people's willingness to allow others to use their non-coin
> phones has equally begun to dry up. So, there are cases where a cell
> phone may be the only easy/practical method to let a kid phone home.
>
> If one is really that wary of giving their kid the freedom to call
> whoever, then all you have to do is program an "emergency number" or
> three, lock the phone, hand it to them, and you now have a cell phone
> that will only call home, 911, or (if you allow it) one or two alternate
> numbers.
>
> Hell, it might even be a good opportunity to teach kids some manners
> about how to politely use a cell phone. That way when they grow up,
> they won't be irritating the hell out of people in places where it's not
> appropriate.
>
>
> > The "call home" card ONLY calls home. The 800 number
> > rings thru to the regular number you have it programmed to but can be
called
> > toll free from any phone...Eddie
>
> I have a toll free number, and while it does have its advantages, I'd
> say you'd run into more trouble than convenience in this case. Most
> available toll free numbers now are 866 numbers, not 800, 888, or even
> 877 anymore. If your kid ends up trying to call on a payphone from some
> two-bit COCOT, or on a school's old CENTREX phone that no one's
> reprogrammed since '86, that call to the 866 number won't go out.
>
> Not to mention, the only carrier I've found who will still offer you a
> toll free number as a simple ring-to line with a flat rate anymore is,
> unfortunately, MCI (formerly Worldcom). AT&T And Sprint all gear their
> toll free services towards major call-center applications, thus
> requiring minimum usage that goes beyond the occasional call here and
> there. And lower-tier companies like IDT will gladly offer you a toll
> free number but charge you on a distance-based rate schedule (no flate
> rate).
>
> --
> E-mail fudged to thwart spammers.
> Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply.
>
- 12-07-2003, 09:34 AM #8Spam Me PleaseGuest
Re: Virgin Mobile Pay As You Go plan?
>>>>> "Dave" == Dave Markson <[email protected]> writes:
One other question is it possible to use an old sprint phone with the
virgin service, or do you have to purchase a virgin phone?
Thanks
- 12-07-2003, 10:13 AM #9Dave MarksonGuest
Re: Virgin Mobile Pay As You Go plan?
>One other question is it possible to use an old sprint phone with the
>virgin service, or do you have to purchase a virgin phone?
You must use a Virgin phone.
The good news is that they are pretty inexpensive ($50-$110 via Amazon, some
requiring a mail-in rebate).
--
Dave
Visit my New England Cell Phone Page at
http://markson.net/cell_phones.htm
(to reply take out the "remove" in my e-mail)
- 12-08-2003, 11:32 PM #10MikeGuest
Re: Virgin Mobile Pay As You Go plan?
Eddie Haskel wrote:
> Why not get your Grand-Daughter a "call home" calling card or a 800 number
> for home so she can call from ANY phone. I'm sorry..but a 13 year old doesnt
> need a cellular phone. The "call home" card ONLY calls home. The 800 number
> rings thru to the regular number you have it programmed to but can be called
> toll free from any phone...Eddie
An option in the middle would be to set up the phone with allowed
numbers and a security lock. Many handsets do this - it's usually three
user-configured numbers, plus 911 and maybe the * numbers. You set the
numbers in the security prefs on the handset.
-mike
- 12-13-2003, 03:22 AM #11CA was in NJGuest
Re: Virgin Mobile Pay As You Go plan?
Dave Markson wrote:
>One last thing. If you decide to buy the top-up cards, the expiration dates
>are not "stackable". In other words, if you recharge four top-up cards at the
>same time, the expiration date is still 90 days. You can buy the cards now and
>activate them at the proper time, there is no expiration date.
Check the cards. Some of them do have na expiration date. Cards that I've
bought at 7-11 and Target do expire, but the expiration date was something
like a year and a half away.
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