I'm sure there are many who know this but for those who don't here's a tip.

I found that you can buy used phones cheaply off ebay or craigslist. The cellphone must have been used previously with your cellphone providers system. We are with Verizon and I use the search function to find Verizon phones. Go to the Verizon website and choose the option to replace the phone. This brings up a window where you enter the ESN of the replacement phone. Wait a couple minutes after, do the *228 and program the New to You phone and that's all it takes.

I've been buying $15 used Verizon phones for our disabled son for the last 2 years and without the extending a contract, etc. It has saved me a lot of headaches and money. Hope this tip helps you.

Cingular

you can go to WM, pick up the $18 go phone, swap the chip, from old phone to go phone.

Son did this a year ago after cingular rep told him how he can get a new phone after breaking his one he just bought.

My DW is using that phone today.

Don't think our Verizon phones have a SIM card. Am I wrong here?

Easy to miss but Shunpikers started the post with "Cingular" so I assume that is the carrier they are talking about.

I don't know about switching chips in a Verizon phone either. It apparently isn't necessary.

I currently have a Sprint/Nextel phone.
Does this work for Nextel?

quote:

Originally posted by gmachine:
Don't think our Verizon phones have a SIM card. Am I wrong here?

FWIW, no they don't. They use the newer standard.

If this is on topic, my DW has one of our old Verizon phones and uses a different pre-paid carrier. It's a small one, and she pays .08 per minute in $25 chunks. Her reception is just as good as Verizon, and I suspect they lease their bandwidth from Verizon. I like her service very much.

Me? Well I lost my Verizon phone, so went with a T-Mobile pre-paid. I buy minutes at $100 for over a thousand minutes and they are good for a year and all roll-over. The downside is that mine does have the sim chip, the older technology, and the call quality is not too good. It sounds like a walkie talkie even buying a new Samsung phone.

Since this is thread about saving money, I save plenty. I used to have a plan that cost $60 a month for 2 years for us both. We now average less than $10 a month for both plans. You do the math. I rarely use mine, but my DW uses hers every day.

If anyone want to know her carrier, pm me and I'll ask her.

quote:

Originally posted by rvMikey:
If anyone want to know her carrier, pm me and I'll ask her.

Why not just post the information here? I'm sure there are many people who would be interested.

quote:

Originally posted by LindaH:

quote:

Originally posted by rvMikey:
If anyone want to know her carrier, pm me and I'll ask her.

Why not just post the information here? I'm sure there are many people who would be interested.

Well, I wasn't trying to be difficult, it was just that my wife wasn't home, and I didn't remember the carrier, and I didn't know if anyone here wanted the info.
But since you asked so nicely, I called her. The carrier is Page Plus. They are a small outfit. You should buy minutes using a phone, as their web site is clunky. They are small enough to pick it up right away, too. You use any Verizon enabled phone. No start up costs or anything, either. NO contract and great call quality.

Also, after I bought my first minutes for $100 with T-mobile, I was a "gold" member. This means I get a reduced rate and the minutes roll over every year. All I have to do is buy 10 bux worth every year to keep them. Now her minutes roll over, too, but not that long. I think 90 days or maybe longer. You'll have to visit their web site and find out.

I hate having a contract and a monthly bill to pay, so it works out fine for us. She uses maybe 100 minutes a month. I use about 5

Hope this helps.

Mike