Cheapest (Emergency) cell phone (tracphone)

[Frisco]

I think I just got ripped of. I paid $80 for an LG 420 flip cell phone with 1000 minutes from HSN. I thought I was getting a good deal. I asked the Cust Service Rep on the phone if I still have to buy a monthly card--and she said no as long as you still have minutes left.

But everyone says you still need to buy a monthly card even if you have a lot of minutes left. Is this true? And if so what is the minimum I would have to buy each month? Tracphone is ambiguous.

Today I researched the phone and Walmart and tracphone themselves sell the exact same phone for $20! However it only comes with 20 minutes.

I am not worried about minutes--I just need an emergency phone. I want as cheap as possible each month.

I think HSN took me. They won't let me cancel, but I can return it once it arrives (February 8th).

Any advice? Thanks

 

[decksnap]

I believe you just have to buy more minutes before the previous ones run out (time wise). But it's definitely not monthly. I use a burner for various things and I buy new minutes every six months or so.

The cost difference you saw was certainly just the minutes. My phone displays how many minutes and how many 'service days' (days before the minutes expire) on the home screen. Currently it is 815 minutes, 214 days. I think I bought minutes two weeks ago.

Edit: only problem with using a phone only in emergencies is that when you finally need it, the battery will probably be dead.

 

[rdowns]

Any advice? Thanks

Turn the channel.