Net10 Review: Net10 Being Shut Down by Verizon (2024 Update)

94 Comments

1. Cindy

   That sounds like a pretty good deal. I’ve used Cingular’s pay-as-you-go, but it really didn’t save me any money with the daily air time charges. You highlight a clever way to cut monthly expenses.
2. Sally

   I’ve been using Net10 for almost three years now, and my customer service experience has been great. My first phone malfunctioned about four months in, and they not only sent me a new one, but gave me 300 free minutes for my trouble.
3. Russel

   I have a net10 phone and my wife has a Tracfone, I make a lot more calls for business and chose Net10 which suits me well; my wife got a Motorola with double minutes and she just chats to friends and family and sends sms’s so Tracfone works for her. We have been happy with both phones and neither give any trouble with coverage. We used to have a family plan which cost us about $70 more every month so I’m very happy to saving.
4. Billy

   I have had tracfone every since tracfone came out, then switched to net10. My on complaint about net10 unlimited is the call waiting feature is blocked. After 6 different phones and 4 months dealing with this issue, the activation dept finally admitted that on the unlimited plan, those features are blocked. So be aware of that.
5. Davis

   I have used Net10 for over a year, and we have one phone with time that is charged to my credit card, and one that we buy time cards for, just for emergencies. The problem is that the time stacked up on the phone we have to buy time cards for, and we have so much time on that phone now that we want to skip buying the time card for a couple of months, although we are forced to buy time once a month. Now we are told that no matter how much time we have on the phone we are buying time cards for, if we MISS buying ONE CARD, even if we have a tremendous amount of talk time piled up on that card, that Net10 just blocks us from using the time we have PAID for, and if we don’t buy another card in a month they just delete ALL THAT TIME that we PAID FOR. I am very upset over this, and it appears that Net10 has you in a trap where even if you paid for hundreds of dollars in time cards for your phone, and you don’t want to buy yet another card when you have so much time, they will just wipe out your time that you PAID FOR and you are out hundreds of dollars. And that when they are adding time on my other phone charging it to my credit card. My opinion is that it is not legal for them to just remove the time I have already paid for because I want to use some of that time before I buy yet more time, although I am letting them charge on my credit card for my other phone. I am open to suggestions as to how to deal with this situation while I am also open to considering another provider. The customer service was terrible, and I couldn’t even understand what they were saying half the time.
6. mbv

   Cool. I have an extra phone from T-Mobile pre paid. I chose them because if you purchase $100 of minutes, it’s also 10 cents per minute, but the minutes don’t expire for 12 months.
7. Atlantaguy

   The LG300 Net10 phone (which you have pictured) is the one for $30 that comes with $30 of phone time (so is “free”). It’s an ok phone but folks should know it does not have a camera or any extra fluff features at all, and the ear speaker does sound a bit muffled, as though someone is talking through a towel on the other end. However, those I talk to say they hear me fine. The new Motorola EM326 phone Net10 has DOES have a 1.3MP camera and other features (memory card, MP3, etc), so that might be worth exploring if you like to do more than just talk.

   I might question the reliability and durability of these phones for long term use, and some folks have “radiation” concerns about these cheap prepaid phones as opposed to more shielded phones from the big providers (there are still ongoing tests about cell phones and radiation, etc, so no conclusions yet). So it’s up to you as to if this is of no concern to you or something to consider, especially if you stay on the phone a decent amount.

   I haven’t weened myself from Verizon yet. I got my Net10 because I wanted to sell items on Craigs List and saw this as a safe way to make a phone number available to potential buyers of my items, without having to give out my “real” number. I’m not sure I could use this as my full time only phone, but for my purposes, it’s great for the money and I’d recommend it.
8. Atlantaguy

   Davis,

   Per your comments above Davis regarding how they can erase your time accumulated if you let buying a new card lapse: Right now, it’s legal for prepaid phone companies to do this.

   I agree with you that there should be more reasonable limits on how long bought time lasts before you have to buy new cards to “recharge” the time you have left. However, unless folks take the time to write letters and emails to their elected officials in Washington (even the White House), then this won’t change. Ask for new consumer laws that forbid time limits on bought time. If enough people get on the band wagon, it will change.

   One note though – the advantage for some people about prepaid phones are your ability to remain anonymous when using them. For most folks, their reasons are legit (if some might be sneaky), but there are concerns about this too, which has recently prompted the country of Greece to require all prepaid users to register their phones with accurate information about who owns them, etc. Once we demand that prepaid carries are better regulated, we might have to accept some of the loss of freedom/anonymity you get with these as well.
9. Nelson

   I’m doing the same but net10 + MagicJack. Those 30 bucks a month really stack up. We’ve been indoctrinated with the cell phone use. At first it appears to be difficult to drop the cell phone, but really much of the time we are at our office or home. If you are using voip the cell phone might just not be that important. And if you need your cell phone, 10 cents a minute, is a bargain.
10. Robert

    Net10 realy is a bargain,
    its not only the 10cents a min but also 5cents a text
    The phone is sent to you.. talk about convienient.\
    I buy my vouchers on the site..
    over all its easy, its cheap and makes my life an absolute pleasure.
    keep it up
11. Mr. Mann

    Big Net10 fan. It’s so great to be able to pay as you go and not get a bill with all sorts of funky charges added to it every month.

    Good clean signal, no dropped calls and no complaints.

    Awesome.
12. Davis

    Atlanta Guy,

    Thanks for your comments, which were very interesting.

    Net10 clearly states that unused minutes during your service dates are banked and rolled over. This is misleading, and if you have 2,000 minutes on your phone and do NOT want to buy another time card, which seems insane to me to spend more on a phone just used for emergencies and which does NOT need more minutes, IF you don’t buy another card they just steal the minutes, lol. This does really irk me, so I went on a trip and used the phone with all the time on it, talked a lot on the phone both on the trip and when I came back home, and now I am down to 70 minutes and will be using that time before the FORCED DATE of buying another card, and they won’t be getting anything else on that phone so far as buying more time cards and their little scheme that “you keep paying no matter how much time you have or you lose the money spent on 2,000 minutes of time presently on your phone”. I will continue to use the phone for which they charge time on my credit card while I explore better possibilities. There has to be a better deal than being forced to buy regular cards no matter how much time you have accumulated that they will steal without hesitation. I don’t like that way of doing business, which they used to call “highway robbery” when a setup caused you to lose money.
13. zagy

    What you fail to mention, which is extremely important to people, is the lack of portability from Net10 or Tracfone. Forget about porting a phone number from Net10 or Tracfone to a mainstream carrier should you decide you need a more complete service package down the road. This is a major disadvantage to anyone in business, or who wishes to keep ONE phone number. Beware.
14. Cheap Loans

    Simple..wow I thought UK plans can be complicated. Ill read again lol..Ok I do see and yeh nice and cheap, can only go so far with all this this must be rock rock bottom prices to call people.

    Pete
15. JB in TN

    Laura,

    I found some contact info on Howardforums that should get you some intelligent people who can and will actually help you…

    Call Elston at 800-626-4883 x6107

    or

    call the Executive Resolution Department at 800-876-5753 (8am – 7pm EST)

    Good Luck!
16. Tony

    My new favourite feature about Net10 is the international rates and services.
    The International call only cost 15cents per minute to over 100 countries.
    If your family in international countries sign up with Net10 they can pay local rates to phone you.
    That is worth every penny.
    Thanks Net10
17. Davis

    This is the second month that Net10 took payment from my credit card for 250 minutes, and did not put the minutes on my phone.
    Last month I had to call and was on the phone an hour trying to get the time I had paid for through my credit card put on my phone. Finally they added the time.

    Now, this month, once again I got their notice that they had been paid from my credit card, and that the 250 minutes would be added.
    The time has never appeared on my phone. I have written them numerous e-mails informing them that the time is NOT on my phone, and I get numerous form letters from them saying their records show it WAS added. I don’t need this stress. I have called my credit card company and informed them that this will be handled as a dispute and complaint toward Net10 until they credit my account with a payment they obtained for time I never received. This is outrageous.
    • G.E. Miller

      @ Davis – Hmm… I have never had any problems whatsoever with minutes. I usually purchase online and it’s added within minutes.
18. Davis

    Bami, I have explored other phones, and Net 10 is as good as it gets if you don’t want to get bills from providers and have to address mistakes they made, which takes for ever on the phone. I have been through all that, and it was a nightmare. With Net 10 you just buy the time and forget it. The only thing I don’t like about Net 10 is that you are forced to buy time when you don’t really need it, but I solved that by buying enough time to last a year. Recently I bought a phone and some time from AT&T, and believe me, you don’t want to do THAT. No matter how much time you buy on their Go Phone they STILL charge you an extra dollar a day for using the phone, which is $30 a month in addition to the minutes you use and what you paid for the phone and the minutes.
19. Geiger

    Can you use the camera if you have run out of minutes?
    How do you transfer the photos to your laptop?
    • G.E. Miller

      @ Geiger – So long as you have the right cord, you should be able to hook up any camera phone to your computer. You can also send photos from your phone to your email address.
20. Phil C

    Can you transfer the sim card to another unlocked phone? I like the concept but really want a phone with full Qwerty and their choices are limited. Looks like they only have one Qwerty.
21. Davis

    Well, buyers should always beware, and I complained about Net 10 because my time was not going on the phone and I had to call them to have it applied; however, now that I have experienced AT&T and their methods, all I can say is BUYER BEWARE OF AT&T!
    Since my experience with AT&T I value Net10.

    AT&T has what I consider to be a real scam, because when I asked the rep about extra charges he told me there were NO extra charges other than just the charge per minute. Then I discovered immediately that every day that you either make a call or get a call (I wonder about those wrong numbers I was charged for if I didn’t MAKE a call that day, and wouldn’t doubt if AT&T had people who called to just run up the charge). Look at it this way. You are charged a dollar a day just to use your own phone. That is $30 a month. They push the “family plan” so if you have two phones for two family members, and they are used daily, that amounts to $60.00 a month. And, of course, you have that charge for your calls, per minute. So, Net10 does not use any of those sly tricks to cost you additional money, and the service is good. Count your blessings if you don’t have AT&T.
22. carlos

    I just recemtly purchased a net10 fone for myself a few days before christmas, it was the full qwerty samsung. i love the fone but i didnt want to change the number from my old cell phone provider. so dumb old me goes and fills out the online form to transfer my number, and was told 7 bussines days. an hour or so after completing the online form, some lady from the phillipeans (skuze my spelling, idk how to spell philleapeans) and says it will be done within 7 business days. come 7 business days, after im in new york on vacation visitng my mom, still no number, WTF! i calls the incompetent customer service and am told 48-72 hours, come 48- 72 hours call customer service again and told the same thing, and this will continue for another week and a half, witha total of like 2 and a half weeks, so now were going, from 7 bussiness days to 2 and a half weeks. finally at my moms office we call customer service (and btw, this is a few days after new years, the one day were i would have gone mad with my minutes and called everyone, also this is the last day of my vacation, and the last time i will see my mom for a good 3 months,) and we hade to call customer service like 4 times trying to get a competent person. and eventuall, since 4 is the new 3 ( u know, 3 the lucky number lol) we get a competent employee. and after these almost 3 long weeks, i just decide F-it ill just get a new number, their obviously not smart enough to transfer a number. so after my mom gets on the phone and tells the guy and the whole company off, like they deserve, i get my new number and 30 free minutes ( wow a whole 3 buks worth of service, im Soooo, gratful) i ask if theyl ever transfer my number now thats its been set to a new number, and once again, im told yea, thats totally possible we’ll get right on it. its been a few weeks, and so far nuttin, o well. o yea, dont send or receive pic messages, their like 25c for 1. also id like to thnk my mommy $ activating my fone for me, thanks mama!!!!
23. george

    in response to the user Davis who said:
    I have used Net10 for over a year, and we have one phone with time that is charged to my credit card, and one that we buy time cards for, just for emergencies. The problem is that the time stacked up on the phone we have to buy time cards for, and we have so much time on that phone now that we want to skip buying the time card for a couple of months, although we are forced to buy time once a month. Now we are told that no matter how much time we have on the phone we are buying time cards for, if we MISS buying ONE CARD, even if we have a tremendous amount of talk time piled up on that card, that Net10 just blocks us from using the time we have PAID for, and if we don’t buy another card in a month they just delete ALL THAT TIME that we PAID FOR. I am very upset over this, and it appears that Net10 has you in a trap where even if you paid for hundreds of dollars in time cards for your phone, and you don’t want to buy yet another card when you have so much time, they will just wipe out your time that you PAID FOR and you are out hundreds of dollars. And that when they are adding time on my other phone charging it to my credit card. My opinion is that it is not legal for them to just remove the time I have already paid for because I want to use some of that time before I buy yet more time, although I am letting them charge on my credit card for my other phone. I am open to suggestions as to how to deal with this situation while I am also open to considering another provider. The customer service was terrible, and I couldn’t even understand what they were saying half the time.
    ——————————————————————–
    It is true a person must buy a card if the user uses up his/her minutes or if the user’s service days are up. however with net10 not only does your minutes rollover but so does your service days. ie.. if you bye a 300 minute card it you get 300 minutes + 60 days to use those minutes. if you run out of minutes you can’t talk, if you run out of serice days then you must buy a card even if you have minutes on your phone. most people will use 300 minutes before 60 days so if your not using your phone that much then you need to switch providers. if your using the minutes but find when your buying your card that your service agreement days are not rolling over then there is something wrong with your phone.
    Net10 and newer single rate Tracfones uses the AT&T GSM network
    Net10 gives you more minutes than tracfone but less days in which to use those minutes.
    here is a list of the “providers” for Tracfone inc which is owned by a América Móvil.

    Safelink- is just for emergency use
    Tracfone- if you use very little minutes this is for you.
    Net10- used for the light talker type
    Straight Talk- 1000 minutes & 1000 text/month with 30MB of web access. $45 “plan” lets the user have unlimited talk & text & web access works off the verizon network. (no roll over minutes)
    Net10 Unlimited-Similar to the Straight talk $45/month plan Net10 unlimited is $50/month & works off the AT&T network. (no need for rollover minutes)
24. Davis

    George, thank you for those nice comments. That information was very interesting.

    I won’t reiterate all my comments about Net10 and AT&T, but suffice it to say that Net10 has AT&T beat by a country mile. I solved my “having to buy time on a regular basis” problem with Net10 by buying enough time that no time purchase is due for a year. This is ideal since Net10 provides great coverage and all my calls are successful with no “dead zones”. Now I have good service without having to buy time for a year, and NO extra charges.

    With the AT&T fiasco, we solved that problem, too, and since we bought a year’s time before we were aware that they have the audacity to charge an extra dollar a day if you USE the phone that day, we just use that phone rarely, and mainly keep it for an emergency. When the time is used on the AT&T phone, we will discard it. That service is worthless in my opinion.

    I will stay with Net10. It is the best. No bills, no mistakes incurred by a billing system, no hassle, and no hidden extra charges. I read not long ago that Net10 now is good for International calls, too, and the charges are all reasonable for any calls.
25. Dan

    tracfone (verizon) seems to be better for me.
    I purchased one for “emergency’s”.
    Motorola 375g on sale $19.99 then paid $99.00 plus tax
    and got double minutes for the phone w/one year airtime. I wound up with 1000 minutes w/promotions.
    I still have 970 minutes left after 11 months.
    I beleive Tracfone has a plan for unlimited usage @$45 month.
26. Janey

    I think Net10 is absolutely wonderful. I have been using the Net10 Unlimited plan and it is seriously just the greatest thing. I have unlimited minutes, texting, and web browsing and the phone is great! I got a LG600G which is a great flip camera phone. There is no contract and just great service!
27. Pam Siegal

    Picked up a NET10 Unlimited plan and phone at my local Target a couple days ago. I found out about it online and decided to check it out. The plan offers me unlimited everything for just $50/mo. I got the Samsung R401G which is an absolutely astounding prepaid phone. The QWERTY keyboard is extremely convenient and makes texting rather easy. Reception is great, I have not dropped a single call since I activated service. Thanks NET10 for a great plan that is both affordable, efficient, and non-binding since there is no contract!
28. Irina

    I’m considering Net10 for my next phone but does anyone know the diffrence beteen the 50 and 100 minute unlmited bundle.I mean, why the 50 or 100 if it’s unlmited????
29. Melani

    I use iwirelesshome.com that can be purchased through any Kroger grocery store (King Soopers, etc.) and with the linking of your loyalty card, every time you spend $100 at the grocery store, they give you 20 free minutes.

    I have a $20/month plan for unlimited texting and my minutes are more than covered by my “freebies” so that is actually the cheapest plan I have found, so far, for what I need.

    Thanks for your review of Net10, though. It was very informative.
30. Christine Simmons

    If you don’t live and die by the phone than Net 10 is definitely for you. It’s great for those of us who can actually put the phone down and function on other levels. I have been a customer for 3 years with never a dropped call and great customer service. I have saved so much money and aggravation that I had with the other services. It’s a small investment for what you get back.
31. Davis

    Christine, I couldn’t agree with you more! I could write a book about the insane billing problems I had with several different providers. It reached the point that I dreaded getting their statements because they were ALWAYS wrong, and I had to prove they were wrong month after month. That hassle is not worth the service they provided, which was NO better than what I get with Net-10 which has NO hassles. Now I pay for my phone time, I enjoy my phone, I never miss a call and my phone never fails me. I don’t have the stress of some incompetent service provider always getting the billing wrong! Thank you, Net 10!!!
32. Nancy

    I had been with Verizon for years, and when my contract ended recently, I had decided that I would try Net10. They transferred my old number when I activated my new phone and it only took about an hour til things were working fine and I had my new phone and my old number. I made the mistake of not turning off my phone after activation, then turning it back on again, so thought it wasn’t working. Called customer service, and they were quick to ask me if I had done that and when I did, all was working fine. I have only had my Net10 phone and service for a couple of weeks, but so far I am very satisfied. I do send a few pic. messages and recieve them, and they do cost more than just a word text, so don’t flip out when more time is deducted for them.
    Not a lot of bells and whistles, but I am a “country gal” so don’t need them anyway. Goodbye Verizon, I doubt I will be back.
33. Dave

    I have the Net10 cdma phone and it works everywhere. I use it a lot will in Canada and am only charged 1.5 min per minute talked , which in the long run , is a whole lot cheaper than other carriers.
34. Kimberly

    Net 10 sounds cool and all, but my prepaid cell phone heart belongs to Straight Talk. I love the ST $45 unlimited use plan and the ST Verizon network is fast and so dependable versus what I used to have with my previous carrier. A friend is trying to tempt me to Net10, but the ease and savings I have with Straight Talk really will keep me there. Even their customer service is pretty awesome and knowledge-able and I have yet to have a real problem they can’t solve. The prepaid market is vast and wide and while Net10 seems like a great company, Straight Talk’s ease really gives it a mark ahead of everyone.
35. collegegirl83

    I just signed up with Net10 recently and I am really loving the service. I did my research concerning the prepaid market and Net10 had the best value for the money. I was able to purchase a brand new Samsung phone and a month’s minutes and still save over what I would be paying with my previous carrier. So far so good with Net 10 and it doesn’t get any easier than Best Buy for the inital purchase and I can actually recharge my phone directly from it. The calling network is pretty solid and no overage fees or contracts make it a great choice. I’ve heard the same out-sourcing customer service issues, but I’ve had nothing but a good experience and would recommend Net10 to friends.
36. Davis

    College Girl, I couldn’t agree with you more. After I got paying time organized by buying enough time that would last a year before necessity for adding time. I no longer had to worry about buying time and whether it was added to my phone time. Now it is smooth sailing, and no worry. I have never had problems with people calling me, my phone is always reliable with Net 10, and I have no problem calling others. I like reliability, and what I didn’t like was calling the billing department EVERY MONTH when I used two other services because they billed my phone incorrectly. It was really a nightmare. I’m happy with my Net 10 and I like the honesty. Oh, and I tried AT&T and quit even using it, because not only do you pay for time used, but an extra $1.00 a day if you get a call or make a call any day, lol, and to ME that is a major ripoff.
37. Janet

    I’ve had Net10 for a year. I’m amazed at the reception. I live in a rural area and my house has a metal roof, so I didn’t have high expectations when I got Net10 because my Verizon phone never worked at home. Most cell phones get no reception under a metal roof. You have to go outside to make a call as anybody with a metal roof will tell you. You can imagine my surprise when I realized my Net10 phone works inside my house. I didn’t cancel my Verizon contract before getting Net10, but after a few months I did, when I realized Net10 has superior reception, not only where I live, but anywhere I traveled since I got my phone. I’ll admit there is a downside. I haven’t had a bad experience with customer service, but if you lose the information that came with your phone, ordering minutes online is a real hassle. If Net10 could simplify ordering so all you have to do is provide your cell phone number, that would make life a lot easier for dumb-dumbs like me.
38. Timmo

    Im a student and i just moved out of my folk’s house to collage and i can’t believe i got an unlimited plan from net10, As far as i know unlimited was for CEO’s and billionaires. Really unbelievable that they can give you all of this for so little. I needed unlimited net for school work and i got everything unlimited. Super Sweet!
39. Steve

    I which my experience with them was as great as some of the review here.But it’s not very poor customer service just keep getting the run around had to call in three times to try to get voice mail work and it still not working.

    Calls are drop to the point you think it’s their business to drop calls. They even promises that they would added 60 min airtime for all the problems I was having which they never did.

    One time they even transferred me to their sister company which keep me on hold for another 30 min just to be told the same thing it’s fixed now just wait 4 hours and it will be working this seem to be their normal reply when some thing wrong after you been on the phone with them for an hour.

    What a wast of money an time.

    Steve
40. Joe

    I recently helped my mom switch to Net10. She had been paying 50 dollars a month to AT&T for 10 years, but she was fed up with them because they were stealing her rollover minutes 100-300 a month. We managed to get her old cell number transferred over in 2 days time and her minutes added in about 30 seconds after activation. She was very pleased. She also found that her cell service seems to be clearer than it was with her old phone.

    The problem of having to buy regular cards is alleviated by buying a longer period of service. In my mom’s case, she got 4000 minutes + 1000 bonus minutes, and 2 years of service, for 400 dollars. That’s about 1/3 the cost of her AT&T service for the same period. It also makes her minutes work out to about 8 cents.
41. Davis

    Joe, AT&T is the worse in my opinion. Charging a dollar a day if you send or receive a call, extra to the minutes for talking, when I was lied to about any extra time, and when I started getting charged the $1 I stopped using the phone every day and just used my Net10 phone. Then I started getting wrong number calls on the AT&T phone, which since I lost all trust in AT&T I suspected that they sent themselves just to add the $1 a day, hahahaha. I rarely use the AT&T phone, and bought enough time to last a year, so I use it for backup.

    I buy a year’s time at a time on Net10, and that rids me of having to buy time and to worry with that. The only thing I don’t like about Net10 is having to buy time and have it added to my phone. That is a hassle. But it is worth it to not have to always have to call other companies to get their incorrect billing straightened out, and I have yet to find a provider that can bill correctly. Net10 is the best.
42. Diane

    I have been trying to transfer my land line phone number to my cell phone since January. To say Net 10 is giving me the run around is definately an understatement. Right now I haven’t been able to use my phone for the past week. Before that I could only make calls, I couldn’t receive them. I call them and now I can’t do anything but call 911. It seems like it gets worse each time I call them. I’ve been on the phone with numerous customer reps. and have heard all kinds of excuses. They told me to wait a week and everything will be fixed. Well, that was about 10 days ago, I called yesterday and was told it could take up to a month.
43. Logan

    Over dinner one night, I found out that my mother-in-law was paying $40/month for her cell phone and knowing her, I was pretty sure that she’s not a heavy cell phone user. I convinced her to switch to Net10 and now she averages $15 a month and since the minutes roll over, she has all the minutes she will ever need. I did good :)
44. Elisa M.

    My 80 year old grandmother loves to take walks around our neighborhood. This is very frustrating as I always worry that something has happened or could happen…especially not being able to contact her to make sure she’s okay. I have tried everything to keep her entertained at the house…from brand new TVs, to all types of reading material…movies…you name it. I even upgraded my tv plan so she has more variety…nothing worked. She told me that she loves to take walks…sometimes even go to the nearby Publix. So I had to think of something. My next step was to get her a cell phone so I could keep in contact with her to make sure she’s okay. However, I knew that she did not need the amount of minutes most cell phone plans come with. Even their smallest and cheapest package was too much! I then learned of Net10 and their $0.10/minute plan. I realized this would be perfect for my grandmother…it was simple & perfect because I wouldn’t be wasting money, yet, still have contact with her the days she wanted to take walks. It’s now been 1 year since I got her Net10- and we had PLENTY of minutes left on the $200 card.
45. Davis

    Elisa, what a great idea to get a Net10 phone for your grandmother for her walks. What a thoughtful granddaughter you are! I know she appreciates you.
    Also, this is wonderful to just have the phone with her, in a pocket, when she is inside her home. If an accident happened, a fall or problem, she can call you for help. Keeping it on her night table during the night is convenient and secure, too. The Net10 is small and easy to handle, and my phone has never failed me anytime I have made a call. I have never hit any area while traveling when my phone didn’t work, unlike some of the services I have had, which hit a “dead zone” and wouldn’t work.
46. Arisa

    Net10 works great for me. Paying $15 a month for my cell phone bills sure beat the $45 I used to pay for minutes I don’t actually use. And I agree, the plan is not for everyone. If you’re a heavy cell phone user, you’re better off with the unlmited plan from another carrier.
47. CandyLover33

    Beezer, I’m very sorry with your experience with Net10 but it is complete opposite for me and everyone I know. You are the first I’ve ever heard to have a problem with this wonderful prepaid service. I have been a very pleased customer for almost 5 months now. I would just like to share how much it has been saving my family (TONS!). Their phones are perfectly priced and high quality too. You can’t beat 10 cents/minute either. I hope everyone is having as wonderful of an experience as I am and if you haven’t tried it out yet… you should! Its well worth it!
48. Henry

    CandyLover33 i am in your boat. I have had nothing but a great experience with net10 and everyone that has agrees with me. I find strange that you had a problem Beezer cause i find their customer service to be among the best. And they save me the money so i cant complain.
49. stratcat45

    I just got my Net10 phone today. I had originally purchased a Straight Talk phone..as it turned out ST service worked great in my home area, but not in my work area (17 miles apart)as a matter of fact, there was NO SERVICE in my work area with ST; so that wouldn’t do me for emergencies. Checking their website the coverage maps shows coverage for both areas, however, I discovered that you couldn’t activate a phone in my work area, so they shouldn’t show coverage for that area.

    I went to Best Buy today and explained my problem and the usage I use…they recommended Net10 over any of the other prepaid ones and they double checked for me to make sure the service could be activated in both areas thus meaning I should have access in both areas (wish Walmart would of done that for ST, would of saved time, fortunately I can return the phone but not the minute card, out $30.00). I didn’t have to buy a card either – the phone came with one and I can return the whole package within 30 days if I don’t like it (Walmart with ST was 15 days)and be refunded the whole amount. And the phone I got is identical to the ST one (which I liked).

    So I’ll get everything set up tonight…and give it a test drive tomorrow!! Got my fingers crossed.
50. Greg

    I’m running a successful business and needed a reliable phone with a ton load of minutes. I was looking for good old cell phones that did what they were made for and well net10 really has grown my business. It’s just so easy to maintain things like minutes and there are no horrific bills as everyone working for me travels the country allot. Same rate everywhere and there is signal everywhere we do business.
51. Davis

    I understand your frustration, Mad Consumer.
    I was livid myself, when I spent an hour many times trying to communicate with Net 10 representatives, which was infuriating. Just using a time card and getting them to install the time was a nightmare. I could not understand what they were saying most of the time, and it took forever. Then I decided to solve that problem by having them charge the time every month on my credit card, and automatically install the time. But, then the time was not installed and I was back to spending hours on the phone working on this problem. Finally I solved the problem by buying enough time so I would not have to add more time for a year. It is more or less just buying the time I would buy over a year at one time, which makes it all easy, and it is nice to know I have plenty of time on the phone and that I don’t have to hassle with adding time over the year.
    The provider service is great, the phone always works, it has never failed me, there are never any dead call zones, so I am happy so long as I don’t have to call to get more time added, which will eventually happen.
52. EdwinRoss

    I think you nailed it in your review above. They do have spotty customer service at times but their rates and their clarity in pricing set them apart from all other prepaid options. For people who hate being locked into contracts or getting charged for all the hidden ‘service’ or activation fees, Net10 are the only answer. There are better unlimited plans out there but for mid-level users (like me) they are the best value. Thanks for an honest, helpful review.
53. DanTheMan!

    I was a little hesitant switching to Net10, mainly because I had never heard of it or TracFone before last year. After some research though, I figured i’d give it a try since I had read so many positive reviews (and the fact that there was no contract required made it a that much better). Since I barely use my cell phone, I just bought the $10 card, which bought me 100 minutes for the month. After trying it out for 3 months, I felt it met my needs so I decided to stick with it. Really, if you don’t use a lot of minutes and are looking for a solid value, Net10 is the way to go. Not to mention, the phones are economical and sturdy. Nothing fancy, but they get the job done.
54. DanTheMan!

    Correction, I am buying the $20 card, just checked an old receipt and saw it. Whooops :D
55. Clarissa

    Net10 is great…especially in this recession. My cell phone bill has never been lower, $15 a month! I doubt that I’ll be making the switch to another carrier anytime soon but in the event that I do, there’s no hefty fee since there is no contract. Definitely a win win.
56. beezer

    Update: Both phones are now working and Net 10 gave us one month free service. Thanks to Heather for her work on our case. We do appreciate it, but we had to argue with Net 10 to get it. In our jobs, when our customers feel like they have been given an unsatisfactory product or experience, we do what we feel is the right thing and try to remedy the problem as soon as we find out about it. That tends to prevent customers from posting stuff like this on a public forum. That’s just us, we like repeat business. We like positive referrals. Net 10 may have a different philosophy. To each their own.

    Unfortunately, we have spent 20+ (TWENTY) hours on the phone with Customer Service trying to get the unlimited web-browsing feature resolved. For people that work 60 hours a week (us), this has been a waste of our time. This could have been avoided if Net 10 would have worked out the process of setting up unlimited talk, text and web browsing on their end before putting their samsung T401G phones for sale.

    Also disappointing is the lack of response to messages we have left for Net 10 managers. None of these calls have been returned.

    If you buy one of these phones, prepare to spend some time waiting for the initial port to occur, try out the talk, text and web browsing to make sure each feature is not deducting minutes. If it is deducting minutes for any or all of these features, set aside some time on weekdays only to deal with the corporate customer service # I listed above.

    Good luck to ya!!
57. LoveBug10

    Beezer, I’m so sorry to hear of your inconvenience with the Customer Service, I have yet to come across a problem like that with Net10 (which I simply adore). Net10 is a great prepaid service and they provide high quality Samsung and Motorola phones as well. Paying just 10 cents/minute and 3 cents/text couldn’t keep me happier. It is saving my family so much and keeping us all connected for a great low price. Net10 is worth every cent!
58. Naomi

    Net10 is a great starter phone. I got my 10 yr. old a Net10 phone and she loves it. I can control her min. usage and the phone is practically free since all Net10 phone comes with 300 min. and 2 month of service.
59. Teddy J

    Naomi, I actually did the same exact thing, but with my parents. Lol. They are elderly and needed a phone to keep in touch when they are on the road or go out, and so far, they love it. They were debating getting on a contract plan, but they figured they didn’t need the minutes, and this way, I can just buy the minutes for them whenever they need it. They have yet to use all 200 minutes in a month and they are now using it more frequently. And the phones are simple to use which is great to them since they aren’t too fluent in technology. Great phone for people of all ages. LoL!
60. Danny

    I don’t understand people who dislike something just because there are a few difficulties. I struggled with net10 CS when i first got my phone. But i stuck with it because every carrier has these problems, But the reason im still with net10 is because im saving allot of money. I don’t get any of those contract problems, bills, expensive phones that are impossible to use. Net10 works, they are cheap, and reliable. Enough said. What more do you need.
61. Davis

    Danny, I agree. Oh, you are right, MMC, it is aggravating to lose your time if you don’t renew at a certain time. I got really angry when one of our phones accumulated so much time we didn’t want to buy more time, but if we didn’t we would lose all the money for the time we had on the phone. I took that phone on a trip and used all the time and dropped that phone, but I still have my other Net 10 phone, and I plan to always have it. My solution, that works well for me, is to buy what they consider a year’s amount of time, so now I don’t have to worry about having time put on my phone for a year. What difference does it make, really, whether you nick le and dime time or just pay that time at once?

    What I love about Net 10 is that it has NEVER failed me, I never hit dead zones where I can’t make or get a call, I can call nationwide or out of the country if I wish, and I am not in constant battles with irresponsible billing people who constantly were proven to be wrong in over billing with several other providers I used previously. It was outrageous and stressful. I receive no bills now, I have no arguments, and my only problem is dreading having to call to have time put on my phone again, haha, because I agree that is a trial and a tribulation. I cannot understand the dialect of the people I have to talk with, and I am on the phone for a very long time. I hope Net 10 can remedy that problem, but nevertheless, I am staying with them.

    Also, let me say that in my opinion AT&T is outrageous and a “rip off”. I have a phone with them that I made a BIG mistake in getting, because I bought a lot of time thinking it would be as good as Net 10. Believe me, AT&T charges the same per minute for the time bought, but it ALSO has the NERVE to charge you a dollar a day if you make a call or if someone calls you, or if you click to find out information as to who called. Maybe a dollar doesn’t seem like much, but when I know Net 10 gives better service and does NOT victimize me by charging that extra dollar a day, it makes me despise AT&T. I will get rid of that phone the same way I got rid of that other phone, by going on a vacation and using up all that time and pitching that phone, lol.

    Sorry this is so long, but just had to share that just in case anybody was interested.
62. Tweet-Me

    Fabulous article. Prepaid is really taking over the wireless market and I’m glad to read that Net10 is on top of it. Switching to it has saved me a great deal and is one of the best decisions I have made. Thumbs up Net10! Great phones, great savings, and great service :)
63. tracy

    I have a net10 and they really are on top of it. 300 minutes with the phone and 10 cents per minute thereafter – GREAT DEALS AND SERVICE
64. Catherine

    I think Net10 is great! The plan is easy to understand and there’s no hidden fees. Also, unlike most carriers, the internatonal rat is the same as the local rate. This really comes in handy for me for calling my family and friends abraod.
65. Davis

    I agree wholeheartedly with all you have said.
    It is the best, and I will stay with it.

    The only thing is, now I have to call and add time with my credit card (I don’t do those cards anymore, too much trouble), and the ordeal of calling and that it takes so long is the only flaw, and I figure that will take an hour, which I can’t really spare.

    But, onward, and they are still the best.
66. Catherine

    Oops….I must have had a brain fart. The int’l rate for Net10 is 5c more than the local rate which to me is still ok because of the convenient factor. it may not be the cheapest but it definitely is reliable, unlike some of those int’l calling cards which you never know what you’re going to get!
67. Davis

    Just a note to say I have praised Net 10 a lot, and think they are the best provider, without a doubt. My only complaint was that I found it difficult to call and get time added to my phone. Well, yesterday I had to call and add minutes to my phone, and I have to say it was easy and fast, I got wonderful service, I was so happy and pleased, and now I am fixed until March 2011. I don’t have to worry about buying time or losing any time I have, or worrying about when I have to buy more time.

    I recommend buying a lot of minutes at one time, which eliminates having to worry it. I stopped buying cards, which was too much trouble, and I just put the time on my credit card, and that is the end of problems or worry. After all, we end up buying the same amount of time anyway, so what stretch it over endless buying of cards or charging it by the month by credit card (Net 10 will do that if you ask them to, when you can just get the same minutes at once and the cost is no different, it is just paid at one time instead of many times.

    I hope I am making this clear. This works for me!
68. HEATfan03

    Great seeing all of this positive Net10 feedback. I switched over to it a couple months back and its been awesome. Ive saved so much which is important since i just graduated and need any extra money i can take. The coverage is really good too. Net10 is the best prepaid service out there fo sho!!
69. JuliaA

    So I had been contemplating switching to Net10 for a while. And after months of paying high prices for features I don’t even use with AT&T, I decided to switch to Net10. I have been using the service for a couple months now and I’ve never been happier. I purchased the 300 min for $30, which has worked out great because it’s more than what I needed. I don’t use my cell phone to gossip or to surf the internet. I use it to make important & necessary calls…and it only costs me $30 for 300 min. I am saving so much money…FINALLY, a cell phone that actually gives me what I want…Simplicity at value.
70. The Net10

    It’s a terrific value. In addition to charging .10 a minute, texts are as a low as .03 each on their new qwerty phones.

    Coverage is awesome, too. Here’s why: http://bit.ly/cNR150.
71. Davis

    Chip, my experience with Cellular South and several other major services, including AT&T, was horrendous. My experience with Net 10 has been wonderful. My recent call to a Net 10 representative resulted in fast and efficient assistance with a pleasant and friendly attitude.

    The other services I have used continued to over charge me every month, I had to call them and prove they were wrong every month, and it was inconvenient, stressful, and outrageous. An AT&T rep lied about the service I was signing up for, and although similar in money for minutes used, they charged an extra $1.00 per day if you even received a call or made a call, $30.00 for nothing, in addition to the minutes. I find that OUTRAGEOUS, underhanded and ridiculous.

    The Net 10 service and the way they do business is fine with me. Give them another chance.
72. DannyM.

    Yea, I just started using Net10 by Tracfone and I am only paying about $20 a month for my cell phone (down from $45). But, consider that I only pay for my phone, so if you have more than one phone, you will need to buy more minutes. Also, I don’t use the phone as much as I used to, but other than that, everything is the same. I used to use Verizon and when I switched over, I did not notice any difference in the quality of calls or anything. From my understanding, though, Tracfone (Net10’s parent company) uses the Verizon network and piggybacks off it. Check it out if you are looking to save money.
73. GilmoreGirl70

    I’ve been using Net10 for a while now and couldn’t be happier! I even got one for my dad yesterday for Father’s Day.. he adores it. It keeps him connected with his family and friends for a low price and he even uses the texting now (he didn’t like it before). Me and him actually did a funny video yesterday on net10laughoff.com, it gave us a chance to win the prize and be famous AND it was fun to spend quality time together. Net10 is just oh so wonderful!
74. tracy

    I also use Net10 and am extremely happy with the service and the fone. Cannot understand why anyone would opt for a landline anymore as the saving is huge!
75. Jonathan

    I like Net10, so I’m not going to get into that. Since a lot of people are talking about Net10 I’d just like to add that Net10 has this great feature going right now. You can call and get World Cup results from your Net10 phone. I did it yesterday from the road. The number is 1-877-NET10-80. Check it out. It’s cool.
76. ForeverYoung

    I give the Net10 service all my support. The other prepaid services don’t stand a chance in my opinion. The savings each month are great and no longer do I pay overcharged cell bills anymore. Net10 offers me so much and has kept me a very pleased customer for almost a year now. I even entered its new contest at Net10laughoff.com to win some extra cash! Awesome!
77. Eric

    I have a Net10 LG290c! How do I send photos from my cell to my email address! What is the Process? Please help!!
78. Frank Lee

    I have Net10 and love it. I started with their low end LG phone that basically was free because it came with the equivalent value of minutes and airtime to the price$30. Then I git the Samsung qwerty phone at Target on Black Friday which also came with $30 worth of minutes, I was able to transfer my number and balance on their website and have had no problems with it or reason to call customer service. I also pay 3¢ per text with that phone which is a fantastic value. They are the best kept secret in the biz!
79. James C.

    Net 10 is a great value if you don’t use a lot of minutes. It is easy to manage and the phones don’t cost that much in comparison to other cell phone providers. The minutes always cost $.10, regardless of if is during the week or weekend or night or holiday. On top of that, whenever you run out of minutes, you just go to the store and pick up a time card. Really easy. I bought one for my kid so that he can learn to budget his allowance and at the same time, I have a way to reach im, when I need to.
80. terry

    NET10 was a fantastic decision for me. It is pay as you go with no monthly bills to worry about and only costs 10cents a minute with free roaming as well!!!!!
81. Henry

    Both my parents have net10 and love it. The 10 cents a minute and 2.5 cents a text is a great fit for them and anyone moderate user really.
82. AfterThot

    I have liked Net10 since I switched over. I recently moved to Indiana and my previous provider barely offered service here, so i switched to Net10 because I have heard the Tracfone (it’s parent company) has a strong network in the midwest. From my understanding, Net10 uses the network of some of the major providers, like Verizon and Cingular, however, they charge a fraction of what those providers charge. Yea, the phones aren’t super fancy, but they get the job done. I moved over here for school, so sadly, I don’t have a lot of time to chat on the phone. I only use it when I need to and to call my parents on occasion. I am happy with it. Heck, paying $20 a month when I used to pay $45 has me smiling. Like previous posters mentioned, it’s a GREAT plan if you don’t use a lot of minutes. And there is no need for a contract so you can switch whenever.
83. Email them for support

    I got the new Samsung 401g qwerty phone and noticed that i was being charged 5 cents per text instead of 3 cents. I did call customer support and was told that 5 cents was correct . Even after I told them that the packaging clearly stated 3cents as did their website promo for this phone. Then I decided to do the email support – get to it from the Net10 website. I explained the problem and asked them to send me the instructions and the codes i needed to input to fix it. Less than 24 hours and I had step by step easy to follow directions and the 5 codes I needed to input to set the phone for 3 cent texts. Woo hoo, took a few minutes to follow the steps and type in the codes but now am texting for 3cents as promised.. If people have bad luck with calling the overseas customer service maybe they would like to try the email support, I know I was pleasantly surprised!
84. steven

    I have tracfone where its $10 for your first pohne and then its $6 for every other phone so thats 28 bucks a month! Thats super cheap.
85. Sebastian25

    I bought my NEt10 after I read this review for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and all the comments plus the insight about the service really helped me make up my mind. I was under a contract with t-mobile and sick and tired of paying more than 100 bucks for my service.
    Now with my new phone I am in control of my expenses, I always know how many minutes I have left, I know how much I pay all the time. And plus they have some very cool phones. Cos you may think that because it’s prepaid the phones may not be as sleek, but I got a Samsung with mp3 player and camera for less than 80 bucks, great deal!
86. Davis

    Sebastian25, I am a fan of Net 10, and stay with it and recommend it to many. It is no hassle, has no billing or contracts, where people try to overcharge you, and I have NEVER had problems with reception or with calling any place. I have never had dead areas, and I hear and am heard perfectly on my phone; therefore, when I saw the Samsung with 300 minutes and the extras you speak of I bought it immediately. I ordered it from QVC, so if you have gotten yours already please tell me about it. I am looking forward to the mp3 player and the camera, and I got 300 minutes free. I paid $100, but I considered that reasonable with the extras I am getting with it! For me, I am staying with Net10 forever. From the bad experiences I had with other providers, including AT&T and others, Net10 is perfect, and now this Samsung phone with the extras and the free time is just the icing on the cake.
87. Tracfone to Net10

    I had been using Tracfone for years and was quite satisfied (HUGE savings over contract phone). When my phone got wet (long story) and the number 4 key would no longer work, I decided to try Net10 (sister company of Tracfone). Although I have only had the phone (Samsung T401g) for two days, I’m pretty happy with it. I like having the ability to check my email and the weather. I also REALLY like the qwerty keyboard (the reason I got the T401).

    The only problem I have had is it is charging me 5 cents per text instead of the advertised 3 cents. I just sent an email to technical support, so we’ll see if/how they resolve it.
88. Davis

    Would someone please tell me if Tracfone and Net10 are the same phone service? If not, I would like to know how I bought a Net10 phone on QVC that was a Samsung phone, and when I called to switch the service from one Net10 phone to this phone I encountered endless problems and finally was told that I was with Tracfone, and it seemed to be the same company. Now you, “Author Tracfone to Net10”, say you were with Tracfone for years and then switched to Net10, the sister company of Tracfone. Well, why was I talking with Tracfone if this was a Net10 phone? Was the phone misrepresented while being SOLD on QVC? I’ve been really put through the mill on this situation, and I neither understand it nor appreciate what I have been put through.
89. mar

    To say the least i’m sorry for those who are and have had bad experiences with net 10. I almost quit them 7 months ago because of bad customer service, i.e., on hold over 35 minutes, tech support seems inexperienced, they don’t do much to satisfy their customers….however i stayed with them and when it works, it works!!! It’s almost like a love/hate relationship! I have had my same Nokia phone ($19.99) with 300 free minutes for over 2-3 years and my goodness it’s the best phone i could have ever purchased!!! Clarity is great, no drop calls, no static, it’s the best phone i’ve ever had, no joke!!! I wouldn’t trade my $19.99 phone for anything fancy, (and i love fancy things). For those wondering what to do, i say try them, the beauty of Net 10 is NO CONTRACT!!! You control your minutes. I checked into other prepaid plans and it seems like the next best plan is “straight talk” through WalMart. To sum it up right now I’m happy with Net 10 and going through the Net 10 website and creating an account helps, you can monitor and load minutes through your account. Overall my experience (close to 3 years has been pleasant) and I’m appreciatve that Net 10 is around otherwise we would all be stuck in those nasty, evil contracts!!!!
90. Davis

    Dear Mark,

    Thank you for your kind and considerate response to my question. While I was going through the ordeal of talking with five or six representatives, giving them all the same information and having them tell me the same sequence of numbers to put in over and over, I was told I was with Tracfone, and when I kept saying the phone was sold by Net10 they would they say yes it was Net10, and I couldn’t really follow their dialoge and dialect, and accent, so half the time I was just in limbo for five hours.
    I think I can safely say that was one of the ordeals of my lifetime trying to communicate a problem on the telephone. But, they decided the phone I bought was defective, so now I am back to square one, and this taught me that a plain Nokia phone functions the best, provides less problems, and is more reliable. I will see if Net10 steps up to the plate and gets me back on track, doesn’t mess up my time I have already paid for, and I have a year before I have to buy time unless this phone situation has ruined my whole status. Sometimes less is better, and as they say, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, because buying the new phone caused all this hassle.
91. Mark

    I have paid a lot of money in the past to Sprint and Verizon and had to put up with all their restrictions & penalties. I only need a phone for making phone calls and the convenience of being able to call if my vehicle breaks down or similar situation. I use computers a lot, and have a couple of websites, but I just like a simple phone. I have been using Net10 for close to 2 years now and I am happy with it. I am not a phone person, I buy 300 mins/2 months service and the minutes rollover. You have to re-up in 2 months when you buy 300 mins whether you use the mins or not, that is fine. I use so little that with the rollover, I have 800 min on my phone now, if I buy 300 mins now, it will add 300 more mins and 2 months on top of my existing mins and current 2 month date. Months and time just stack up. Coverage is as good as I had with Verizon or Sprint, and I found out that where I am at (North Carolina)the provider that Net 10 uses is AT&T Cingular. So, basically, a cell phone cost me $30 every 2 months.($15/month)
92. Mark

    To Davis–your question “Would someone please tell me if Tracfone and Net10 are the same phone service?” Yes Tracfone owns Net10, so when you are talking to customer service, it is the same people usually. I had to get a replacement phone and it said Tracfone on the package, but my service is Net10. Net10 is a good deal, do not go with Tracfone unless you have deep pockets, they charge a lot more for a lot less, even though they are the parent company.