Tracfone Review

I have been a Tracfone user since 2001, and I see no reason to change anytime soon.  The phone obviously has it's pros and cons, but it's perfect for someone like me.  Everyone I know uses a 'monthly plan' for their phones, so this is much cheaper than that, at least for me and my family.  I'm certainly not a person who uses my cell phone very often, but I use it a few times a week.  Here is my experience:

 * Use the current online deals to get the best value.  For $99 you get a phone, a year of service, and about 400 minutes of phone time. The current phone they have advertised (as of 12/07) is a decent little flip phone.  For additional expense, you can have a phone with more bells and whistles.  Even with tax, this works out to about $9 per month--most of my friends and family pay at least $39 per month for the plan they have.

* My husband bought me a Tracfone phone that does all of the 'fancy' stuff, including taking pictures.  This phone came with double minutes for life, so everytime I add minutes, I get twice what I pay for.  When I added my annual service ($99), I got over 1,000 minutes (more than I'll use).  I was able to transfer my phone number from my previous phone. 

* The phones work perfectly for my young teenager.  He received his first phone as a gift, and he keeps it going by earning allowance, and asking for Tracfone cards for birthday and Christmas gifts.  This phone puts no dent in the family budget, and he's thrilled with his cool red phone that he can use for texting and to take pictures.  My daughter is looking forward to asking for a phone when she is a little older, and I have no problem taking on another Tracfone.

* I have never had coverage issues, even when we are traveling.  For the past couple of years we have traveled to Vermont over Spring Break.  My husband has a fancy phone from his employer and he had NO service.  He had to take all his conference calls on my Tracfone which had service there. 

* Customer service can be hit or miss.  I have to admit that I would love to see some improvement on the customer service side of things.  Their representatives are always courteous and pleasant, but it ususally takes at least 2 phone calls to get anything resolved.  If you are unfortunate enough to get one of the reps that doesn't speak English, the calls take a very long time as they run everything through a translator.  My poor father, who is hard of hearing, can not handle the service calls on his own and needs help.  But in the end, they have always resolved every issue to my satisfaction.

Overall, this service is not for the cell phone-a-holic, but is ideal for a budget-conscious occasional cell phone user.  I certainly have recommended it to numerous friends and family members who complain about service plans that they don't use or need.