How good is Walmart's Straight Talk Plan? I would like to hear feedback for the current year 2012.
By Bobbi
I had the straight talk phone and loved it. Just make sure if u do get one that they use Verizon towers because my local Walmart plan didn't use Verizon tower but another Walmart did. The only reason I don't have it now is because I got on a plan with my cousin with another co. that is a real good deal but the service is lousy and my brother took over my phone and he too loves it. Hope this helps you.
I've been using Straight Talk for almost 3 years now. My first phone gave me excellent service, with very few dropped calls. However, when I tried upgrading my phone to an Android, I had more dropped calls than I had minutes used, and I literally drove about 30 miles on one stretch (in a somewhat populated area) with no service. Upon questioning customer service, I discovered the Android used the Sprint towers, whereas my first LG slider phone had used the Verizon towers. So, after a week of nothing but total frustration, I switched back to my original phone and everything was fine again.
The biggest problem I've had with them is their very frustrating customer service, as they're all foreign with heavy accents, making it hard for both of us to understand each other! Even when requesting an American representative, they tell me they are in the U.S., in Miami, FL.
They recently came out with an Android phone which uses Verizon towers in my area, which I just activated a few days ago, and so far so good! :)
Just ask prior to purchasing the phone to find out which towers that particular phone uses. Walmart gave me 15 days to try it out, offering a refund if not happy with it.
Good luck! Debbi
I love my straight talk phone. The plan doesn't charge any tax except on the flat fee per month cost and maybe one other tax. Compared to my centennial phone it does as well and about twenty dollars cheaper per month with unlimited everything. I also have the Verizon tower phone, I've had some dropped calls but no more than I had with Centennial. I do need to put it on speaker for some people to hear me well, but other than that it does well.
One thing to remember when using straight talk is to update every month - they don't tell you to do this. I did not do this and could not answer calls - could text but not answer incoming calls or make outgoing calls; when I traveled about 150 mi.s from home. After I did this each month, it worked fine.
I'd give it a 5 out of five. It has cut my phone bill more than half and I pay it every 3 months. I actually dropped my Verizon line.
It gets great service locally and out of the County. I love all the unlimited aspects of the phone. Plus..you get the phone free.
I have been told that Straight Talk is as good as AT&T. I have considered using them but decided for my finances and no more than I use a cell it was too expensive for me. Some of the comments on which tower each phone uses. There is a map on the packaging to tell you that info. That was my other problem, the phone that had the best coverage also cost the most.
Have had straight talk for 3 months - like it because there are no "extra" charges every month. Reception is good as wel.l
I have had a Straight Talk phone for over 5 years and I will never go back to the "contract" companies. I have had no problems with my 5 year old $19.95 phone and it does everything I want. About 3 weeks ago, I got caught in a flash flood and my phone was soaked. For 2 days, it had so much static that I couldn't hear on it. My friend bought me a new phone from Straight Talk and I like it too but after my old one dried out, it works like new again.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Has anyone used Straight Talk prepaid cell phone sold at WalMart? You have to purchase the phone, but the plans are very reasonable like: 1000 talk and 1000 text for $30 and most minutes must be added every month. Also, unlimited talk and text for $45.
WalMart said they sell a lot of them and have not heard any complaints. For someone with no land line this sounds like a good deal. I'd like your comments, if you've use Straight Talk. Thanks
By Betty from Lubbock, TX
Why don't you consider purchasing a Tracfone. It's less expensive then the Straight Talk prepaid cell phone. It's also a prepaid phone plan. Tracfone has expanded their calling area all over the USA. I got rid of my Verizon Wireless prepaid plan since I was paying more per minute than the Tracfone.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure you have coverage for that type of phone. When I moved to TN I had an AT&T phone. In my new home I had no reception. Friends who came to visit would try their phones and find they had no signal either. It wasn't until a visiting nurse stopped by with a Verizon phone that I found out what service was best for my location.
Not saying Verizon is the best choice for you; just saying make sure what you get can do the job you want it to.
My husband and I didn't want a contract when ours was done with Sprint so we bought phones from Boost Mobile. It is $50 a month unlimited for everything (calls, texts, internet, and walkie talkie), and the reception has been very good. We love it and they have plans that you can pay for minutes. We bought our phones on sale and saved big money.
I researched every company that has no contract phones and for the money Boost was the best for our needs. The Walmart Straight Talk is supposed to be good but we did not like the phones they had. Oh, and Boost is actually Sprint/Nextel so it works where they work, we are outside Philadelphia, Pa and have had no problems.
My brother in law got one and it wouldn't pick up any where he went back to his att go phone. oh a walmart wouldn't refund his money either
I agree with MCW. I have had ONLY Tracfone since purchasing a cell phone in 1997 and won't even consider anything else! It is the cheapest plan; no contract to sign and can be renewed and updated (new phone) whenever you choose. Have had no trouble with them or it yet and the plus side of renewing your minutes is this: you always get "free added days or months" to your service plan for renewing. This doesn't answer your question, but just wanted to suggest another option.
I have had a Boost Mobile phone for the last several years and love it. I have the $50 Unlimited plan (phone, text, internet, walkie talkie) and have never had a problem with coverage or customer service. Both my daughters, my son in law, and several friends have the same plan and we love it!
I'm a little late - haven't checked my e-mail in a while. I used to love Tracfone until my phone broke and I bought a replacement. Then they could not make my voice-mail work which was really hard when I went on vacation. It seems a lot of people have advice on a lot of phones and nothing good about the one you were asking about.
I have used Tracfone for 6 years. I buy the yearly card that comes with 400 units; and there is usually a promotion that gets extra units. I do not use it much; and always carry over unused units to the next year. Love my Tracfone.
I have the straight talk service and it works great for me. I have had Tracfone before and it's not a good plan if you use your cell a lot. Yes with straight talk you buy the phone and the plan separate but that way you get the phone that's best for you. like if you use mobile web a lot then you might want a touch screen or if you text then you might want a full keyboard, and if you don't use it for much but talk and text once and awhile than the cheap $30 phone is fine. I've found that tracfones are a pain if you use your cell on a regular basis and are MUCH more expensive than straight talk.
I have also done those "no contract" planes through other providers and they cost more and have a lot of strings attached. With straight talk you get exactly what they tell you your getting. You can go with unlimited talk text and web for $45 a month, or pay $30 and still get 1000 min and 1000 texts and an hr or 2 of web. You can switch them anytime you want you don't have to wait till 30 days is up, and most other "no contract" plans make you wait so if you run out of anytime minutes you have a phone that only works after 9pm. So even with buying the phone you wont find a better deal than that, and trust me I've looked
I have the unlimited $45 package. Its great. Very basic phone but it's all I need and so cheap! And service has been wonderful. No issues at all!
First they don't tell you that if you buy a phone with a sim card that it wll only work in the area around your zip code that you supplied before you purchase it. So if you want a phone that has a Qwerty keyboard then you have to spend at least $200 on the phone. I purchased the Samsung T401G which has qwerty keyboard and sim card for 98.44. The phone will work about 5 miles from my house. I have plenty of bars but when I try to make a call it says emergency calls only.
I've been told that when I take these phones back to Walmart that I will not receive refund for the $105.00 I spent on the activated cards for 3 phones. I can return the phone, get one without qwerty kb, and it's supposed to work fine. According to out of country service rep, I'll probably have to get new cards if I want to keep my same phone number. Sounds like the whole thing is a load of BS. Beware of this company! Wouldn't you just like to speak to someone who speaks English so you feel like they can understand your problem!
Straight Talk is definitely the way to go. I picked up the Samsung R41C phone that has a slide out keyboard and it's reeaally nice. You just have to make sure your area has coverage. If you go to their website, they have a nationwide coverage map. The straight talk service rides on both GSM and CDMA enabled towers so you should have a sufficient amount of coverage wherever you are. Also, you save a buttload of money by switching to ST from other carriers so I'd definitely recommend you picking up one at Walmart!
Straight talk is in my opinion the best plan out there. I was really tired of paying like 70 bucks a month and the hidden fees were so stupid. Now I only pay 45 bucks for unlimited calling and texting with no monthly bills or contracts. Awesome!
I feel by now most people have covered what you get for that $45. So just to add some other detail here, I recently picked up a smart phone through Straight Talk-they have a couple to choose from, but take note that the smartphones they offer all run off the gsm (AT&T) network, so make sure you are in the right area for gsm. If not and you need a cdma (Verizon) network phone, they do also offer some pretty good choices, but not smart phones. I find with the addition of smart phones to their line-up, you can now make so much better use of your unlimited everything plan.
I am very pleased with my straight talk phone to say the least. I knew that I would be getting unlimited texting and talk with my straight talk phone but I just found out that I actually get unlimited web service as well. Straight talk is the best service running on the Verizon network.
My son lives in a mobile home park in a very small town.We live in the same park and we use sprint. Our service isn't great. His Straight talk phone is wonderful!! No matter where he goes it works very well! The nice thing is, you can call the Straight Talk company and they will find a local number for you no matter where you live.. we can call his cell from our home phone free! We don't have long distance on our home home (we use the minutes on our cell for LD) He gets unlimited Internet,text,and talk time for $45 and the taxes etc are a lot lower than our sprint phone. I would tell anyone to get one.
Oh to add to this, the Straight Talk web site told us our particular area wasn't available to use,we were so disappointed. I called Wal-mart, just happened the Tech in the dept just happened to live near us. He said, hey I live there too. I can personally guarantee you mine works and so will yours! We are about 10 miles from a tower, our sprint phones blank out a lot. The Straight Talk never does!
I have found Straight Talk a breath of fresh air, I only pay $45.00 for unlimited talk/text/data with free 411 calls. Straight Talk uses the Verizon and AT&T network which means uninterrupted calls.
Love my Straight Talk Samsung R355c. Most of all I have saved in 3 months almost $200. ST does not have contracts or hidden charges. I have the $45 unlimited plan and just purchase another as a landline for my home. The good thing about this landline usage is that I can carry with me my home phone, just in case the alarm goes off. Wal-mart has sold a lot for Christmas, it will be nice for a Valentine's Gift as well. Start saving by switching to Straight Talk.
I own a Straight Talk and I have saved money in the 5 months I switched. For $45 a month unlimited plan or the $30 a month with 1000 min. of talk/text/free 411 calls/& 30mb of data you can save and have a reliable cellphone when you use it. I switch but first I shopped around for the cellphone that was right for my use, and found it with Straight Talk. Switch and Save today.
I bought a Samsung r355c phone from straightalk back in Dec 2010 and The phone would not end call unless I pulled the battery out. I called straighttalk and put battery in phone it would not turn on. I sent back the phone on Feb 18th. On the 23rd I was told it was in processing and please wait for it and don't call back till I get the phone So it's been three weeks and still counting I paid for 45 for a month of un-limted text and call plan. I owe next month yet I'm not paying it till I get the phone.
What I want to know is if cell phone companies know that they have problems with signals why don't the sort if out, it is bad when someone coins a term and it takes off like dead zone! I moved to Straight Talk and was pleasantly surprised as I no longer have any problems with dropped calls or dead zones!
Walmart is the store that have Straight Talk. I visit last week to find out about the plans and bought a phone to try it out. I haven't had any dropped calls, only pay $45 a month unlimited, and in my area the Verizon Towers are used and when you talk is very clear. I saved in a month, what I used to pay in a month plus the going over minutes. What a relief I switched.
I've used Straight Talk for quite a few months now. $45 unlimited autopay. I love it. I drove from Texas to Montana with it and had no trouble. I love that there are no contracts and if they tick me off I can tell them to stick it. The only thing I wish is that they had a family plan. Walmart's current family plan goes through T-Mobile which is not as good in my area as Verizon so I can't use it.
Wal-mart sells a lot of things, but in cellphones my choice is Straight Talk. I have been searching to have a company with No contract, found it. To save per month, did it. All I can say is that someone complains to ST or writes negative comments, (which they can do no one will deny that right) is because either they've bad luck or are used to expend money in monthly contract companies. I switched and save and have no complaints.
If you have a bit of time go to Wal-mart and check out their affordable cellphone company by Tracfone called: Straight talk. It has sav me a lot since switching to this company. It does not contract, bills, or hidden charges. Glad I made the switched.
I am already overwhelmed by the $45 unlimited deal that Straight Talk offers. It really has saved me loads of money. $45 a month, unlimited EVERYTHING! But on top of that, I seriously no longer drop calls. It use to happen to me so, so often when I was anywhere even slightly remote. Now I never have these kind of problems. It's fantastic! Thanks guys :)
I use my cell phone quite a lot and needed a cell phone option that can keep up with me without charging me an arm or a leg or disconnecting calls. I opted for Straight Talk $45 unlimited plan and an auto refill in case I forget to top-up. Since ST uses AT&T and Verizon towers I do not struggle with dropped calls or dead zones.
I have been using Straight Talk since February of 2010. I'm glad I switched. But there are a few things I don't like. I hate the customer support, theyre Indians you speak to and hard to understand sometimes. If you don't add a new card on time and you call and have them help they change your phone number without telling you. I live in a Verizon area so I can't get one of the smartphones.
But for $45 a month it is well worth it, even if you do pay $100 for the phone. You can find cases for these phones on ebay to personalize them a little bit. I have the Samsung R355C and paid around $10 for a cute little cover.
I can check my email with this phone, and that comes in handy if you use Redbox or Blockbuster Express. They will email you codes for a free rental and all you have to do is check your emrail for the free rental code.
If you're into ringtones you can purchase them online. I haven't done so though.
Overall I'm VERY HAPPY wiith Straight Talk, and I reccomend them to anyone.
I just paid my sister's Verizon bill for her yesterday. For 2 phones she pays $155 a month. What a rip off! She's under a 2 year contract too, so she's stuck with them for a while yet.
I found out how to avoid having them change your phone number though, if you don't add a card every 30 days like you're supposed to. Just call from another phone and add the card that way.
Also DO NOT give them your email address. They will email you about a week before your cut off date and daily until you add more time. They do have 3 month 6 month and a yearly plan that you can purchase online. If you have money to do this then you do save a few dollars more every month this way.
Last month Straight Talk called me and told me that I was over my limit.
I buy the unlimited at 45 dollars a month plan. If it's unlimited, why did they call me?
By Nana
That is a very good question and one I would ask them at WalMart.
Read the fine print. Then call them and be firm. The firmer you get the more they will bend. If they send you to retention, get firmer and they will make you some nice offers to keep your business. I owned a Sprint/Nextel dealership for several years. When they send you to retention is when the negotiations get good. Don't get nasty with them...just be firm.
I have had Straight Talk unlimited for over 2 years and have never had this happen.
Can I use any cell phone with Walmart's unlimited Straight Talk plan?
By piggy
I just bought a new, unlocked GSM phone and would like to use WalMart's unlimited talk/text plan month by month. Is this possible if I did not buy the phone from them?
By cwsch
Is it true that Walmart has an unlimited, reduced price cell phone plan for $35 per month for disabled and indigent shoppers?
By TENA D
In my mind, $35 a month is not a bargain. I have a TRacfone. The phone initially was about $40 and I buy minutes when I need them. If I buy 120 minutes, generally they give you double, so I get 240 for around $20. They last a long time. I would estimate the phone costs me $10 to $15 a month. To me, that's a bargain!
Can I use the phone I have at the current time?
By Bob W.
I would like to get away from ATT. I tried purchasing a Straight Talk card for $45. It does not work in my iPhone 4. I tried to order one from Straight Talk, but was told they sell them in 10 states and Oklahoma was not one of them. Help!
By Shelley
How do register for my email on my Straight Talk cell phone plan?
By Glynn
