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Cell phone for kids
n/a
Member Posts: 168,427 ✭
Does anyone know of a prepaid or something of the sort that would be good for my daughter?
I really do not want to add another line to my account as I an worried she would go over on minutes.
I would like to find one that will give unlimited call time for about $50 per month.
I know of cricket but I do not think they quite reach our area.
I really do not want to add another line to my account as I an worried she would go over on minutes.
I would like to find one that will give unlimited call time for about $50 per month.
I know of cricket but I do not think they quite reach our area.
Comments
For 60$ you get 600 anytime minutes, unlimited nights and weekends
or for 100 you can get 1000 anytime, unlimited nights and weekends and unlimited mobile to mobile
the nights start at 7pm
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/go-phones/index.jsp?WT.srch=1
both you can pay, and monitor online
We sell Verizon, I do not know much about, but we have people in here at least once aweek with the first bill being quite abit higher than they were told.
Sometimes the kids get the extras (texting, downloads)turned on w/o the parents knowing.
They are dirt cheap.
Kids with cell phones, yacking, and texting,........geez I guess I am old fashioned for my age.
If it wasn't for business, I would throw mine in the lake by me![xx(]
With the family plan, calls from Cin. to Cin. are free.
Kids just have to have a little control and not yak too much.
Do yourself a favor and get free text messaging on what ever you get. That's how they communicate the most, and it get into a lot of phone time and costs if you don't get a plan with free messaging.
I allready have free unlimited text messaging on mine.
I am on sprint/Nextel. I get 900 minutes a month and only use about 300.
I can add an extra line for only $10 a month but am worried that she will run me over my minutes!
Or better yet, how about a phone for "emergencies" only?
They are dirt cheap.
Kids with cell phones, yacking, and texting,........geez I guess I am old fashioned for my age.
If it wasn't for business, I would throw mine in the lake by me![xx(]
CGR might have some tips on how to accomplish that for you[:D][:D]
quote:Originally posted by dheffley
Do yourself a favor and get free text messaging on what ever you get. That's how they communicate the most, and it get into a lot of phone time and costs if you don't get a plan with free messaging.
I allready have free unlimited text messaging on mine.
I am on sprint/Nextel. I get 900 minutes a month and only use about 300.
I can add an extra line for only $10 a month but am worried that she will run me over my minutes!
That's 600 minutes for $10. You wont get a prepaid that cheap. If you think she's going to use over 600 then I sure wouldn't consider prepaid. Prepaid minutes are not cheap at all.
Or better yet, how about a phone for "emergencies" only?
They are dirt cheap.
Kids with cell phones, yacking, and texting,........geez I guess I am old fashioned for my age.
If it wasn't for business, I would throw mine in the lake by me![xx(]
I'm with you on this one. I'm only 30 and think this way too...I hate the darn things.
I think they sell it a radio shack
It is advertised as "Home - 911 - One friend...
And that is all you can call on it too!!
quote:Originally posted by *_r_done
quote:Originally posted by dheffley
Do yourself a favor and get free text messaging on what ever you get. That's how they communicate the most, and it get into a lot of phone time and costs if you don't get a plan with free messaging.
I allready have free unlimited text messaging on mine.
I am on sprint/Nextel. I get 900 minutes a month and only use about 300.
I can add an extra line for only $10 a month but am worried that she will run me over my minutes!
That's 600 minutes for $10. You wont get a prepaid that cheap. If you think she's going to use over 600 then I sure wouldn't consider prepaid. Prepaid minutes are not cheap at all.
I think you are right.
She will not be allowed to take it to school and all my nights and weekends are free. I also have free 1000 text messages and free unlimited web service. So aslong as I can keep her weekday minutes down all will be good.
Plus I will not have to pay a big deposit for starting a new cell account this way. My credit is still messed up from the divorce stuff and I know I would have to pay a big deposit at another company. I have been established with Nextel for about 3 years now and I have a $400 spending limit with them.
I tried prepaid with my daughter. That didn't work. I just added her to my cingular, oops AT&T plan, and up'ed my plan. Free mobile to mobile and nights and weekends. Plus rollover minutes. If your daughter is like every other kid, she will be into text messageing. Ad unlimited text messageing to your plan or you will get an outragous bill. Up'ing your plan, adding her, and getting unlimited text messages is a far cry cheaper than going prepaid. Take this info from a father who has "been there, done that". If you go prepaid, you'll be running to the convience store weekly to buy more minutes.
DITTO. Mirrors my experience exactly. Don't expect your daughter to be frugal in conserving her minutes. It won't happen. Bite the bullet and add her to your plan making sure you have all the bases covered. Plenty of minutes and text message privilages.
Get the cheapest most basic/common phone available as you can also expect to repair/replace it on a regular basis.
And the more expensive the phone means the more you will pay for repairs/replacements We found that we had better luck buying replacement phones/parts on Ebay, rather than going thru the service provider. Our daughters destroyed their phones so regulaly that we actually got pretty good at fixing them. But several were just plain trashed and had to be replaced. Basic kid stuff. Dropped them, fell on them, lost them.
We didn't get our daughters cell phones until they turned 16 and began driving. It's a headache. But in todays world, one IMO that was worth it.
I shudder to think about what might have happened on the many occasions I was called to rescue a daughter broke down (usually a flat tire) on the side of the road. If they hadn't had the ability to call me.
quote:Originally posted by dheffley
Do yourself a favor and get free text messaging on what ever you get. That's how they communicate the most, and it get into a lot of phone time and costs if you don't get a plan with free messaging.
I allready have free unlimited text messaging on mine.
I am on sprint/Nextel. I get 900 minutes a month and only use about 300.
I can add an extra line for only $10 a month but am worried that she will run me over my minutes!
If she runs over once take it away from her for a month. If she does it again take it away permanently.
Cell phones for kids! Sheeesh!
quote:Originally posted by forkliftking
I tried prepaid with my daughter. That didn't work. I just added her to my cingular, oops AT&T plan, and up'ed my plan. Free mobile to mobile and nights and weekends. Plus rollover minutes. If your daughter is like every other kid, she will be into text messageing. Ad unlimited text messageing to your plan or you will get an outragous bill. Up'ing your plan, adding her, and getting unlimited text messages is a far cry cheaper than going prepaid. Take this info from a father who has "been there, done that". If you go prepaid, you'll be running to the convience store weekly to buy more minutes.
DITTO. Mirrors my experience exactly. Don't expect your daughter to be frugal in conserving her minutes. It won't happen. Bite the bullet and add her to your plan making sure you have all the bases covered.
Get the cheapest most basic/common phone available as you can also expect to repair/replace it on a regular basis. And the more expensive the phone means the more you will pay for repairs/replacements We found that we had better luck buying replacement phones/parts on Ebay, rather than going thru the service provider. Our daughter destroyed her phones so regulaly that we actually got pretty good at fixing them. But several were just plain trashed and had to be replaced. Basic kid stuff. Dropped them, fell on them, lost them.
We didn't get our daughter cell phones until they turned 16 and began driving. It's a headache. But in todays world, one IMO that was worth it.
I shudder to think about what might have happened on the many occasions I was called to rescue a daughter broke down (usually a flat tire) on the side of the road. If they hadn't had the ability to call me.
The cheep phone was allready the plan![;)]
I have been very hesitant as it is as far as getting her a phone. But I am noticeing that many kids her age do have them and it is becomming a common thing now days.
It also would be nice to have an easier way of contacting her when she is at a friends house without haveing to remember a ton of different phone numbers and names (my memory is not that hot when it comes to those types of things. Hell I can't even tell you either of my parents or my brothers phone numbers! If they were not programed into my phone I would not know how to get ahold of them)
I think I will just add her to my plan and if needed I can adjust my plan to have some more anytime minutes for not much more money.
My plan also has free unlimited national Nextel walkie talkie to use as well.
grd...your daughter will be OK with a phone. Might have to watch the minutes for a time, but most do OK. I turned off the ability to log on to the net on my kids phones. Well, I didn't, but Cingular did when I called and asked them to. I have 1100 minutes on my plan, and have roll-over left at the end of each month, and we don't have any land-line phones in the house. And 4 cell phones on the plan. Good luck!!
Our phones top up automaticly every 90 days for $15. That only gives us 60 minutes but they roll over if you don't use them & with some bonus time they have given us we both have built up over ten hours.
If we know why someone is calling we often don't even answer. For example if she was calling to tell me she was ready for me to pick her up at the doctor's office or when I leave my motorcycle to be worked on while I get something to eat.
I have also avoided buying new batteries for the phones. The batteries are around sixty dollars while a new phone is under twenty.
Virgin Mobile allows you to transfer your number & the time you have accumulated. (Anyone who takes this advice tell them I sent you. That's how I get the bonus time.[:D])
quote:Originally posted by forkliftking
I tried prepaid with my daughter. That didn't work. I just added her to my cingular, oops AT&T plan, and up'ed my plan. Free mobile to mobile and nights and weekends. Plus rollover minutes. If your daughter is like every other kid, she will be into text messageing. Ad unlimited text messageing to your plan or you will get an outragous bill. Up'ing your plan, adding her, and getting unlimited text messages is a far cry cheaper than going prepaid. Take this info from a father who has "been there, done that". If you go prepaid, you'll be running to the convience store weekly to buy more minutes.
DITTO. Mirrors my experience exactly. Don't expect your daughter to be frugal in conserving her minutes. It won't happen. Bite the bullet and add her to your plan making sure you have all the bases covered. Plenty of minutes and text message privilages.
Get the cheapest most basic/common phone available as you can also expect to repair/replace it on a regular basis.
And the more expensive the phone means the more you will pay for repairs/replacements We found that we had better luck buying replacement phones/parts on Ebay, rather than going thru the service provider. Our daughters destroyed their phones so regulaly that we actually got pretty good at fixing them. But several were just plain trashed and had to be replaced. Basic kid stuff. Dropped them, fell on them, lost them.
We didn't get our daughters cell phones until they turned 16 and began driving. It's a headache. But in todays world, one IMO that was worth it.
I shudder to think about what might have happened on the many occasions I was called to rescue a daughter broke down (usually a flat tire) on the side of the road. If they hadn't had the ability to call me.
I forgot to mention the broken phone issue. Pink razor $250 and lasted 4 months, 3 others about $100 each lasted about 3-4 months each also. Now I buy her phones on ebay. Average price is about $40-$50 for a decent new phone on there. While you are surfing the web, drop by ebay and buy a spare. Some of them on there go for as little as $10 if you have the patience to bid and wait. I usually just find one with a low buy-it-now price. If you have a kid with a cell phone you will "NEED A SPARE."
He found out that IM and text are different.
His son and all his friend IM each other.
His first 1 month bill was $3600.00. [:0]
He was not the happiest Dad in town.
Tried to get Cingular to comprimise and they said NO.
He shut it off but there were already IMs on the next bill.
Total cost was $4200.
His son worked for him all summer for free to pay it off.
Now Cingular includes IM in the unlimited text service.
Read the fine print.
AC
My brother got his son a cell phone with unlimited text messaging.
He found out that IM and text are different.
His son and all his friend IM each other.
His first 1 month bill was $3600.00. [:0]
He was not the happiest Dad in town.
Tried to get Cingular to comprimise and they said NO.
He shut it off but there were already IMs on the next bill.
Total cost was $4200.
His son worked for him all summer for free to pay it off.
Now Cingular includes IM in the unlimited text service.
Read the fine print.
AC
I would hit the floor, and he might too possibly.
She is always with one of our family memebers and doesn't get to wander at all without us. There is no reason for her to have one.
Not long ago the world turned without those worthless things.