Household Hints & Help

Paper Roses

(7,506 posts) Mon Oct 1, 2012, 10:54 AM Oct 2012

Don't know where to post this, advice please.

My kids gave me a new cell phone with all the bells and whistles. I don't really know yet how to use it you other than send/receive but I'm learning. I sure wish things came with a manual.

I called Tracfone to see if I could sell my phone with about 800 minutes on it.
No, they say.
We,l can I donate it to charity after having them remove my name AND cc#.
No, they say.

I can't even give it to a family member.
I paid for those minutes, would not care to just throw them away.
Any suggestions?

3 replies

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Don't know where to post this, advice please. (Original Post) Paper Roses Oct 2012 OP

New low for Tracfone... kickysnana Oct 2012 #1

If it were me, I would be using those minutes up. Curmudgeoness Oct 2012 #2

I quit Tracfone left-of-center2012 Oct 2012 #3

kickysnana

(3,908 posts)

1. New low for Tracfone...

Reply to Paper Roses (Original post)

Mon Oct 1, 2012, 11:31 AM

Oct 2012

I cannot understand why you cannot give it to a family member. I tried to move minutes onto a new phone when I was activating several years ago it but they wouldn't move them unless I "bought more minutes". So I kept my old one and I gave one to my daughter-in-law to keep in her car during winter driving season when she was a working mother with infants but I left my name on it. Why would I ask them if I could do that?

You can give them as gifts. You can take your old number with you can't you? Then the phone can be activated by someone else. I guess it is the minutes that don't transfer?

Anyone can buy a card and put it on any phone can't they? or have things changed again?

I still use one of the first post analog sturdy Nokias from 2004 with the bigger buttons. It lets me text message but I have only done that twice. I did have to buy a new battery for it a year ago. The new one has a camera A third one wanted to carry with me to take pictures of the grandkids. I activated but did not use for months and when I went to use it it didn't work and they first said they had to send me a new SIM card and then they decided they could reactivate it. I have no idea how long I did not get the service I paid for.

The worst thing they did is on that old phone that I had a $4.98/service after the card/service plan expired to use up the additional minutes and they stopped honoring it so I have to pay about $7.50 a month now.

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)

2. If it were me, I would be using those minutes up.

Reply to Paper Roses (Original post)

Mon Oct 1, 2012, 06:43 PM

Oct 2012

I can't believe that the phone could not be donated. Do you know anyone that you trust would not access your cc# who could use those minutes up? I hate waste.

And I have been told that it takes people about a month and us older people up to six months to figure out all the bells and whistles----if we ever figure it all out. Hell, computers can do an incredible amount of stuff that I don't even know about!

left-of-center2012

(34,195 posts)

3. I quit Tracfone

Reply to Paper Roses (Original post)

Tue Oct 2, 2012, 05:07 PM

Oct 2012

I had Tracfone for about 4 years but finally switched to Consumer Cellular.
I pay $20 a month for 300 minutes (5 hours). On Tracfone that $20 got me only 60 minutes (one hour)
Got a flip Motorola phone for $35. Has a camera that records pictures or video, and FM radio which
doesn't use up your minutes. I'm hearing impaired and the volume/sound is great.
I've very happy with the switch.

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