Pros: No contract, no hidden fees or gimmicks, and no bill.
Cons: Pretty basic phone designs.
Summary: I guess I haven't had all the bad experiences some people on here claim to.
This phone is perfect for people like me who have really bad credit. Big cell phone carriers like Sprint will run a credit check when you try to sign up for service, and depending on your rating, you will have to pay a pretty hefty deposit. My credit is not the greatest, and upon shopping around for a carrier, I found most places were asking for a $500 deposit or more because of my rating. This was not an option for me.
So I went to Wal-Mart and picked up a Tracfone for $9.99 and a 60-minute airtime card. The activation was simple and took about 10 minutes. I plugged the phone in to charge, followed the directions on the package insert, and activated my airtime card. I had service in 10 minutes.
The calls are clear and I haven't experienced any difficulty, and reception is fine everywhere I go in town.
The big appeal to these phones is that you aren't bound to anything. You can stop service anytime you want and throw the thing in the trash. Here in Texas, all the major carriers such as Verizon and Sprint charge a $200 cancellation fee should you choose to terminate service before your contract has expired. Ridiculous. I also love the fact I don't have a cell phone bill. I basically have a phone without the hassle of dealing with anyone at all. Whenever I need more minutes, I simply pick up a card whenever I go to the store, and you can activate it online or even from the phone itself. I've never had to talk to a live person.
However, if you are a gossiper or talk a lot, maybe you should look elsewhere. I am not a chatter, and my phone calls are for basic things like to find out where my girlfriend is, or to call a friend up to see if they wanna meet up somewhere. I rarely spend more than 5 minutes on the phone for every call. A 60-minute airtime card costs $19.99 and lasts me at least 2 weeks. You get 3 text messages per airtime minute as well, so a 60-minute card will get you 180 texts. They charge for incoming and outgoing, but you have the option to not read an incoming message and it will not charge you for it. If I am running low on minutes, whenever I see someone sends me a text, I just ignore it and I am not charged.
Like I said, these phones are a lifesaver if your credit is terrible. I can't pay a $500 deposit to get service with a major carrier. I also don't want to be bound to a contract with outrageous cancellation fees. I have this phone, pick up minutes whenever I need to, and never have to deal with anyone.
One other con is that these phones are basic. Mine does not take photos, connect to the net, or any of that fancy stuff. But that's fine with me. I don't do any of that anyways. I use my phone to talk or send texts when I need to--not as my personal compute. I have a laptop for that.
