Oh I see, but Cingular phone isnt made specific to work with T-Mobile service as for T-Zone and etc. Well de-branded unlock phone with further configuration setting to work with T-Mobile features on de-branded unlock device, well unlock brand phone would work like voice call for sure, but as for MMS or one of provider's their own feature that works on their own brand phone absolutely not going to work with T-Mobile svc.

Defintely you can swapping sim card on any same type of brand provider or de-branded unlock phone on ur ma's phone, sim card store your account, personal information is going to be discret to ur ma's phone and will not show any call history like I said it stores on sim card not the phone itself even u get ur own number.

You can get a tracfone for free---it is usually a clunky old phone and the minutes are more expensive than t-mobile---

You can get a Net10 phone pretty cheap---and the minutes are always 10 cents. The cheapest you can get by is $15 a month.

Net10 explained
http://www.zbikenut.com/Tracfone/pre...ell_phones.htm

Originally Posted by Renée

I never knew that! I thought if you had no minutes on your phone, its ALWAYS there no matter what, so if you want to buy more minutes in one year, you could do that and your phone number will still be the same. Good information to know. I guess thats a good idea because than people will have to go out and get minutes rather than doing what i said and letting a year or so slip by with no minutes, than the company doesnt get money. So, if you want to keep your phone number, buy minutes.. Brilliant! I would of never thought of that.

It's not just that, but it costs the company money to keep the phone active. Even with ZERO minutes, your phone is still capable of dialing customer care. A pre-pay phone, at the longest, can go 3 months with zero minutes. After the 3 months, T-Mobile can clear up the network a little bit
by deactivating the phone. Of course, if the phone stays active because the user buys minutes every so often, then T-Mobile has money to improve and expand the network.

Originally Posted by n1ckel5

careful here, we're bordering on incorrect info!



assuming you have a t-mobile phone, if you get a t-mobile prepaid sim card, you should be able to put it into your old t-mobile phone. i think you can get a prepaid plan sim at a t-mobile store.



now, to correct gadgetgirl, if you have a cingular phone, a t-mo sim card (prepaid or not) will not work, unless the cingular phone is unlocked. the same is true if the phone is t-mo and it gets a cingular prepaid sim. you gotta be careful not to confuse this.

on a sidenote, no other carriers (prepaid or not) are going to work with your old t-mobile phone except for cingular. but i'd avoid the whole unlocking issue altogether. if you're only concerned about the paper billing, and deceiving your parents, go to t-mobile and tell them you want a prepaid sim card.

but if you're avoiding telling your dad, he'll be wondering what's up when he sees you're not having any call activity on the bill, yet you're carrying around your phone.

No, I meant that whatever gsm phone (T-Mo or Cingular) you had, you needed the corresponding sim card.

careful here, we're bordering on incorrect info!

Originally Posted by Hibs

hmm....and what if i buy a sim card from ebay n insert it in one of ma old cell phones?

assuming you have a t-mobile phone, if you get a t-mobile prepaid sim card, you should be able to put it into your old t-mobile phone. i think you can get a prepaid plan sim at a t-mobile store.

Originally Posted by Gadgetgirl

You can do that. If you have a gsm phone (like T-Mo or Cingular) you find that kind of sim card on ebay and insert. The card (if you get one that's already activated with min. on it) should have the phone number on a slip of paper, or you just call up T-Mo (or whatever carrier) give them the sim card number and viola, you'll have your number.

now, to correct gadgetgirl, if you have a cingular phone, a t-mo sim card (prepaid or not) will not work, unless the cingular phone is unlocked. the same is true if the phone is t-mo and it gets a cingular prepaid sim. you gotta be careful not to confuse this.

on a sidenote, no other carriers (prepaid or not) are going to work with your old t-mobile phone except for cingular. but i'd avoid the whole unlocking issue altogether. if you're only concerned about the paper billing, and deceiving your parents, go to t-mobile and tell them you want a prepaid sim card.

but if you're avoiding telling your dad, he'll be wondering what's up when he sees you're not having any call activity on the bill, yet you're carrying around your phone.

I never knew that! I thought if you had no minutes on your phone, its ALWAYS there no matter what, so if you want to buy more minutes in one year, you could do that and your phone number will still be the same. Good information to know. I guess thats a good idea because than people will have to go out and get minutes rather than doing what i said and letting a year or so slip by with no minutes, than the company doesnt get money. So, if you want to keep your phone number, buy minutes.. Brilliant! I would of never thought of that.

Originally Posted by RRODRIG30

And here are the Gold Reward minutes

$10 = 50 minutes, 1 year to use them up
$25 = 150 minutes, 1 year to use them up
$50 = 460 minutes, 1 year to use them up
$100 still gives you 1000 minutes, 1 year to use them up

Plus, what's nice is that when your minutes are up, you get 3 months to buy a refill card. Most other companies only give you 1 month or less.

That's the major thing TMo2Go has over Boost. Boost you have to "reBoost" every 3 months for life...no Gold Rewards type of thing.

Originally Posted by cseabourn

If your going with T-Mobile To Go:
$10 = 30 min.
$25 = 130 min.
$50 = 400 min.
$100 = 1000 min.

....after you use $100 or more on your account they will give you Gold reward(extra) minutes.

And here are the Gold Reward minutes

$10 = 50 minutes, 1 year to use them up
$25 = 150 minutes, 1 year to use them up
$50 = 460 minutes, 1 year to use them up
$100 still gives you 1000 minutes, 1 year to use them up

Plus, what's nice is that when your minutes are up, you get 3 months to buy a refill card. Most other companies only give you 1 month or less.

wow, its 100 for 1000 minutes? geez, that makes me feel like im gettin a huge deal !! lol i pay 49.00 or so dollars for 1500 minutes!! Prepaid is not for me but i know tons of people who would love pre paid cause u can use the mintues whenever u want and its good especially for those who dont use alot of minutes in a short amount of time and who dont want a large bill..

Originally Posted by Hibs

hmm....and what if i buy a sim card from ebay n insert it in one of ma old cell phones?

You can do that. If you have a gsm phone (like T-Mo or Cingular) you find that kind of sim card on ebay and insert. The card (if you get one that's already activated with min. on it) should have the phone number on a slip of paper, or you just call up T-Mo (or whatever carrier) give them the sim card number and viola, you'll have your number.

If your going with T-Mobile To Go:
$10 = 30 min.
$25 = 130 min.
$50 = 400 min.
$100 = 1000 min.

....after you use $100 or more on your account they will give you Gold reward(extra) minutes.

it should work, i dont see why it wouldnt?!

Originally Posted by Gadgetgirl

It depends on what phone you want. Walmart and similar stores were selling the Nokia 6010 prepaid phone kits (I don't know how many min. were included) for around $40 at one time. You could go the ebay route and pick up a sep. phone and activated sim with time on it. You don't get a paper bill or anything with prepaid. You can just hit #999# on your prepaid phone and it will show how many minutes are remaining.

hmm....and what if i buy a sim card from ebay n insert it in one of ma old cell phones?

like the above posts says, it depends on alot of things. for one, the company you want, the amount of minutes you want, the phone u have. most cards run about 60 minutes for 50.00. thats here in boston. at a walgreens near me. walmart also sells them for alot cheaper, im sure.. u could go to tmobile/verizon etc and get a prepaid as well, and with verizon and major companys, u even get FREE NITES AND WEEKENDS FREE MOBILE TO MOBILE, and much more!! they have good deals... check it out

Originally Posted by Hibs

hi yall....how much do the prepaid phone and cards cost and how many min do they got?...r they reliable.??....n if i call sumone from prepaid phone card, is it gonna show up on ma bills?...

It depends on what phone you want. Walmart and similar stores were selling the Nokia 6010 prepaid phone kits (I don't know how many min. were included) for around $40 at one time. You could go the ebay route and pick up a sep. phone and activated sim with time on it. You don't get a paper bill or anything with prepaid. You can just hit #999# on your prepaid phone and it will show how many minutes are remaining.