Wal Mart's Straight Talk Phone Plans?

[jen]

We'd like to get a phone for our daughter, something that gives her unlimited texting and a few talk minutes (because we want to talk, not text, with her). Don't want a contract. I've kind of looked at these Straight Talk plans at Wal Mart. Some phones have the "full keyboard" and it seems like you can set up to reload automatically. Anyone have these plans to say if they're good or bad?

Also, I see other plans, like Virgin Mobile but I'm getting lost in all their charging details. Also Boost Mobile seems nice because you can start saving $5/month for every 6 on-time payments you make. So I assume you get a bill in the mail instead of having to auto reload?

Right now I am with Consumer Cellular. I pay $15/month for 250 minutes, which I never ever use. I don't text, I just use the phone when I need to, which isn't much. I have no contract and get a bill in the mail every month. Seems with these other plans you have to reload your account every 30 days or your service will stop. Not a biggie once you get used to it, but I'm mostly just looking for the best cheapest and BEST QUALITY plan for my daughter. She'll 99% text but needs a few talking minutes to speak with her parents.

Anything good or bad to say about customer service, quality or coverage areas of any of these plans?

Thanks!

[gervaso81]

simple mobile is $40 unlimited everything and it has great service.

[delron72]

For Boost and Virgin Mobile its simple you can either buy a top card at a store or pay
online with a credit card. They do not send you a bill in the mail. I assume for Virgin Mobile your are looking at the $25 a month smartphone plan which includes 300 voice min and unlimited text and data. The Boost plan is everything unlimited for $50 a month and the cost goes down after six month of paying ontime. If you get boost be careful because some of there phones use Iden and Sprint is slowly shutting down the iden network. If you get Boost make sure you pick a CDMA series phone. Both Boost and Virgin Mobile use the Sprint Network. Now Straight Talk is basically the same as virgin mobile but the top up cards are only available at Wal Mart. They o nly have two plans a $35 and a $45 plan the difference is the $35 plan has 1,000 texts and voice min and 3mb of data and the $45 plan is unlimited everything. Both plan are for any straight talk phone not just the smartphones. The coverage depends on what phone you get. The smartphones also use the Sprint network while the non smartphones use ethier ATT or T-mobiles network. Since all plans come with data I would recommend getting a smartphone both carriers have them with side out keyboards Another reason is that the cost of the phone is about the same as the basic phones that they have I think a basic phone cost around $99 and a smartphone cost the same price. Hope I gave some good pointers to help you out.

[han]

Strait talk mobile is very amazing. I use it, pay $40 dollars a month for everything free on the phone. Its great. Look into it(:

[devdutta58]

I would get her Straight Talk 1000 minutes and 1000 texts plan. You can add more 1000 minutes and 1000 texts plans to her account with Straight Talk reserve.

The type of phone you buy will determine what coverage you get. If you buy a phone with a C after the model name and number like a Samsung R451C the phone will use Verizon towers, If you buy a phone with a G after the model name and number the phone will use AT&T or T-Mobile towers.

I use Net10 which is also a division of Tracfone like Straight Talk. I have no problems with my phone and service. The only reason I use Net10 and not Straight Talk is that I do not want to be limited in buying my minutes at Wal-Mart.

If your phone does not work correctly you will have to call Straight Talk customer service, which is located in latin America. The representatives are hard to understand because there is so many other people talking on the phone around them. But I have not had to call customer service in a long time.