At https://www.tracfone.com/phone-add-ons (Shop -> Plans Add-Ons from their homepage), there's an option for 500 minutes for $10.  That's the only option I see for buying minutes through their website -- there may be other options in stores or as special offers.  If that's what she bought, that's not related to days of service, and can only be used for calls, so if it ran out faster than expected, that could mean there's something wrong.  I didn't think minutes could be shared between devices, but it can't hurt to check that she doesn't have another device showing on her account.

You can check your usage at any time on their website or by text -- or if you're on a TracFone phone, you can probably do it in their app.  I recommend checking that periodically and making sure it's not changing faster than you expect.  The phone app on your phone probably also shows a history of calls.  On mine, if I tap a number in the list and tap History, I can see the length of the most recent call.  Again, check that periodically and make sure it looks right.

But also notice that many places on their website, and especially on the cards you'll see in grocery stores, they'll say "30 minutes" in big letters, but "For talk, text and web" in smaller letters.  Those aren't minutes, they're units that can be used for texts and data as well -- and every data-aware app I've ever seen has come with background data use enabled.  That's not a problem for the add-on I mentioned above, but my experience trying to buy the 1000 Texts add-on is that the sales rep will push very strongly towards their regular plans.  It's very easy to end up with something other than what you asked for.

Lynda.


-----Original Message-----
From: Code for Libraries <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of charles meyer
Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2023 6:07 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Cell phone conundrum

Tim, Debbie and Lynda,

Thank you for your replies.

I'm baffled by all this.

I own an HSN Tracfone and I buy a new phone and new Tracfone service every
January for $60 - $69.00 with 1,500 minutes.

That's essentially $5.00-  $5.83 a month.

It expires each January and I often have many minutes Tracfone rolls over.

A friend followed the same steps in ordering from HSN.

She bought a Samsung smart phone for $60 for a year of service and 1,500
minutes. She was told by Tracofen after 6 months she had no more minutes
left; not that she had no more time left on her service.

So, she paid Tracfone $10 to add something like 300 minutes; not 3 months
worth of service but minutes.

Is there no way to just add minutes to a Samsung phone bought from HSN with
Tracfone service?

Thank you so much.

Charles.

Charlotte County public library