Posted on 08/11/2013 2:06:57 PM PDT by djf
OK, I have a cell phone even though I basically detest them, a necessary evil I suppose.
I used to have T-Mobile, but whatever backbone they were on, I got crap reception in my living room. I could walk out into my front yard in the rain and get five bars, but almost zilch in my house.
So I dumped them and lost a bunch of minutes, switched to Net10. Different carrier. Xlent signal in my house and all around.
With Net10 you buy Minutes AND service days. You can't, afaik, buy just one or the other.
I use it very rarely, and have it with me when I drive, have it for emergencies, that sort of thing.
As a result, I got TONS of unused minutes. Minutes up the wazoo!
I would like to keep the phone and the carrier (Net10) but DONATE the minutes to someone who might need/use them, in particular service people or their families, or veterans.
Has anyone heard of such a thing? I called Net10 and they were somewhat ambiguous about transferring the minutes to another phone, I'm not sure if it means the phone number has to be transferred with the minutes, or how it works exactly.
Seems to me it would be a simple accounting entry. If anyone has heard of a project or plan that helps you do this, please let me know!
Seems like a nice thought, but the sort of thing that would make them have to reprice their services if it took off as a practice.
Maybe a little like asking to take the remainder of the all-you-can-eat buffet as take out to drop off at the local homeless shelter.
I don’t see your comparison because I PAID for the minutes, and would assume they are property and have value.
What I do with them should be up to me, shouldn’t it?
Lots of military people struggle just to make ends meet, seems to me this is an idea that no one in their right minds could oppose.
Ideally what would be best would be if you could just attach minutes to a call and phone it to someone, just like sending them a pic or a txt message...
Did you pay for transferable minutes, or nontransferable minutes? What does your contract say on the subject?
Does Net10 allow a person with an older IPhone 4 use their service? WOuld it need “unlocked” from AT&T?
Best advice I can give you is to go to Walmart and get a StraightTalk phone. That’s the best and most practical cell phone service I know of. Thirty bucks a month for a thousand minutes, or forty-five bucks for unlimited voice, text, and data. I do unlimited, and don’t have to worry any more about minutes, or contracts, or any of that nonsense. It’s on the Verizon network, so the coverage is good.
Minutes turn into hours.
I’m not sure. I asked the Tracfone people about it and they SEEMED to imply that the minutes go with the phone, and the phone goes with a SPECIFIC carrier, and that’s the best they can do.
I got a feeling that deep down in the bowels of hackerdom, someone knows how to do what I want, but it’s not anything generally known.
Anytime you talk to these folks they are (intentionally, I am sure!) very elusive and non-specific with their answers.
But my underlying thoughts are the same, if you pay for and buy a service, it should be yours, to use or not use or give away if you want.
See if a friend has a TracFone and see if you can get service in your house. With it, I buy the minutes and service days as one, but once the service days run out I keep the acct active for $6.45/mo. and my minutes keep rolling over.
They basically sub out the actual carrier to major companies. In my area, it's AT&T.
I can connect my t-mobile phone to a wireless router and get service through the internet. It is far superior to the service I get in my living room without it.
I’m in the same boat. I have several thousand minutes, probably never use ‘em all, but it’s only $15 a month Net10 plan and a $28 Motorola phone.
I’ve had people recommend Straight talk, but I use only 10 (TEN) minutes a month! TracFone
Kinda defeats the purpose of a MOBILE phone, no?
;-)
Almost 6000 for me!
I suppose I could call Net10 and complain. Wonder how many of the 6000 I would burn up before they finally say “Jeesh already, OK, we’ll do it...”
Please excuse what might be a stupid question - by data do you mean internet access? I have a t-mobile android, which is expensive and doesn’t have great coverage in NYC. I’d like to change.
What if I already have the IPhone 4, how many companies will let me use it on their service?
thanks
Wow! I have only 3,000.
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