Wal-Mart introduces contract-free postpaid plans
announced an unlimited postpaid calling plan that will rival the services it already sells. The plan, dubbed Walmart Family Mobile, will provide unlimited voice, unlimited text, and 100MB of data per month. It will cost $45 for the first line and $25 for each additional line. Any unused data from the initial 100MB will roll over from month-to-month. Users can also purchase additional data: $10 for 200MB, $25 for 500MB, or $40 for 1GB. Any unused data from an add-on purchase will not roll over. Service will run on the T-Mobile network. Here’s the strange part: Walmart will collect on the service at the end of the month, but won’t require a contract or credit check to qualify. In other words, they’re essentially extending customers a line of credit without checking on their ability to pay up. That seems like a risky proposal. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this changed if Walmart ends up getting stiffed on a number of bills. It almost seems inevitable. Walmart Family Mobile will compete directly with Straight Talk, a service offered only online and at Walmart stores and which runs on the Verizon network. That also costs $45 and provides unlimited talk and text, but also has unlimited data. There is also a $30 plan, apparently the more popular of the two, that provides 1,000 minutes, 1,000 messages, and 30MB of data. Starting on September 20 you can try Walmart Family Mobile at one of 2,500 stores, or at Walmart.com. ]]>
It all sounds good but my husband and I vowed to go cash only to get out of debt and we’re nearly there…this Wal-Mart deal STILL means a bill at the end of the month! Our service from Tracfone is great…double the minutes we pay for when we buy airtime…free incoming texts..overseas calls at the same rate as local and national coverage with no roaming fees and cool smart-phones too!
This would be really exciting if they were using AT&T and not T-Mobile’s network. I’m looking for a prepaid SIM that would be cheaper than the most expensive AT&T prepaid plans to use with an iPhone, and I’m tired of keeping my iPhone unlocked for T-Mobile.
This plan would have been the best.
I thought I could save some money by switching my cell phone service from Sprint to Wal Mart’s new Family Mobile plan. Bought three new Samsung T369 cell phones and activation kits from Wal Mart. With unlimited voice and text service at $45 / month for the first phone and then $25 / month for each additional phone for the service I would save money compared to my Sprint plan.
But, after purchasing the phones and trying to port my existing three cell phone numbers over I was told that since only two of the phones have the same area code only those two phones can be on the same plan. The third pay phone number is in a different area code and must then have its own service plan at $45 / month.
Now I have two plans and pay $45 / month for one phone plus $25 / month for the second phone. But I must pay $45 / month for the third phone with the different area code. My savings has evaporated.
Beware of Wal Mart Family Mobile if you wish to have multiple phones on a plan and they do not all have the same area code.
Stay away from it!
I thought the SIM card would have same coverage as TMO’s, but IT IS NOT!
This SIM card has bad reception in most areas with trees or buildings, which TMO’s and ATT’s SIM works fine.
And the company will charge you the full month rate for the last bill, even I only used like 5 days. They will charge you additional $5 for processing the final bill just because your account was deactivated. And you have to deactivate your account to stop the service!
So, I have to pay about $90 for two lines’ 5 days usage.