Best Hobby Phone

I had an old flip phone that worked fine, checked into the att go phone program. Got setup for $25 good for like 3 month before expireing, thought this was golden. The first few girls I got with was ok but they really like texting alot and i suck at it especially with a phone im not use too. Well the minutes go quick texting but I was getting the results safely or safer anyway. Then i notice a bunch of creditors start calling and texting for the person that had the phone # before me $10 here $25 there and spending my time tryin to make people aware im not her lol. I thake a break from hobbing and suddenly get the urge then grab my phone from its hiding place and what, those incoming calls have taken me over the limit and it shut off, I tried to reactivate on line but no "go". Now i've got to start over again with a new # that probably is a black hole again. What is the best hobby phone program out there?

Can't go wrong with a Virgin Mobile. Didn't you know all the girls are Virgins!!

I used to use ATT Go Phone, but I dont hobby enough to justify keeping it active with minutes. Worse yet, if you don't keep it active you lose anything built up and ATT recycles your number quickly. I was continually building rollover minutes that I would never use just to keep the number open for maybe 5-10 minutes worth a use a month, it was costing me anywhere from $15-30. This is a typical problem with most pre-paid phones.

I switched to trackphone because a prepaid card gives 800 minutes for a year, and with the phone included averages only $12 monthly whether I use it or not. Next time, when I buy just a card it will average to only about $9 monthly. Cant beat if for a phone that I only use occassionally. The phone itself is nothing special, just a base model clam, but you can certainly upgrade to a more sophisticated model for a little more money.

I'm using a burn phone du jour, but also routing everything through a Google Voice number. That way no problems with recycled phone numbers, and I can use GV to forward the phone number wherever I need.

The only problem with GV is that it won't handle photos in text messages.

I'm using a burn.phone du jour, but also routing everything through a Google Voice number. That way no problems with recycled phone numbers, and I can use GV to forward the phone number wherever I need.

The only problem with GV is that it won't handle photos in text messages. Originally Posted by Slingerland

But Google Voice is an internet based service so all text messages, voicemails, etc... are saved and stored in their server. Trust me, the last service you need to be using is GV .

I'm using a burn phone du jour, but also routing everything through a Google Voice number. That way no problems with recycled phone numbers, and I can use GV to forward the phone number wherever I need.

The only problem with GV is that it won't handle photos in text messages. Originally Posted by Slingerland

I agree Slingerland, GV is the way to go. That way, you get all the benefits of anonymity with the features (ease of texting, especially) of a smart phone. Personally, I hate trying to keep up with more than one phone.

GV has a lot of great features, too. You can program it to ring only during certain hours, and it goes straight to voicemail outside of those hours. It can also be installed and uninstalled on your smartphone in a matter of moments. (as long as you remember your login & password.) There when you want it...gone when you don't!

The photo exchange problem can be bypassed by using email instead of text.

But Google Voice is an internet based service so all text messages, voicemails, etc... are saved and stored in their server. Trust me, the last service you need to be using is GV . Originally Posted by Jade in Little Rock

Are you saying texts in prepaid phones are not stored forever?

It honestly depends on the service provider. Some store them for 'x' amount of days, weeks, years(hell... maybe forever) while others do not.

But Google Voice is an internet based service so all text messages, voicemails, etc... are saved and stored in their server. Trust me, the last service you need to be using is GV . Originally Posted by Jade in Little Rock

That's a good point, but in my case, the burner phone adds a second layer of anonymity. Sure you can trace the messages in and out of GV, but if the phone is untraceable and left in a dumpster on Asher Avenue? And the GV number's email goes to an anonymous email service, also disposable.

Of course no method is perfect, but GV + burner can be safer than burner alone.

The photo exchange problem can be bypassed by using email instead of text. Originally Posted by Ginger Doll

Or by taking them in person... but I digress... sigh...

Anybody use Google voice? Just curious....

I just use my neighbor's phone. Works like a charm.

Jim, I use Google Voice. PM me if you want.

I tried Google Voice, but the provider did not have a callback number for me and my plans got all screwed up. I'm sure I was doing something wrong, but I didn't take the time to figure out how to use it, so I just bought a Verizon burner phone. Only problem is that you have to get a new number if you let it sit for more than a couple of months without minutes on it. Since I don't hobby all the time, I often have to call customer service to have a new number assigned to my phone.