Cell Phone Rentals

[chris68]

Has anyone ever rented a cell phone for either business or personal use?  I am looking into this for our next vacation and wondered if anyone has any good recommendations (something that doesn't cost 250.00 for a rental would be wonderful).

Thanks in advance.

Chris68
Deskdemon Forum Board Staff

[juspeachy]

Several months ago, I made some calls about renting a cell phone and came up empty handed in my area.  No one rented cell phones and no one in my area knew of anyone who did.  With phones as cheap as they are these days, maybe you should take the plunge to own one.  That's what I ended up doing.

JusPeachy

[chris68]

If that be the case is there any that you can get without having to have a one year contract?

Chris68
Deskdemon Forum Board Staff

[juspeachy]

Yes, you can.  Look into "prepaid plans."  You have to purchase the phone, though, with these plans.  Sometimes you can find phones fairly cheap...$30 - $50.  TracFone is one type.  Cellular offers prepaid plans, as do most of the big names.  

Some prepaid plans have a small local calling area and others allow you to call to and from anywhere in the US.  Some prepaid plans allow you to buy minutes from anywhere phone cards are sold, but some require you to buy your minutes from them.

I have both my teenagers on prepaid "local" plans.  They don't have any reason to need something "bigger."

JusPeachy

[smitkit]

Slightly off the thread here, but interesting to note ...

In Japan, they have several different networks covering the country.  When you go to a new town, you can buy mobile phones from vending machines in most shops, which last for about 30 minutes worth of calls.  When you're finished with it, you just throw it away.

I wonder how long before this idea reaches the US / UK?

Smitkit

[chris68]

Now I like that idea, but who knows how long that will take to reach here.

I think I'll look into the plan juspeachy was talking about getting prepaid time instead of a contract.  I really don't need it for a whole year.  If we HAVE to to get a better rate, then we will look into it, especially for the coverage we want to have, we may need to buy it for a year and then drop it after that.


Chris68
Deskdemon Forum Board Staff

[radaro]

Sorry, I think it's a lousy idea.  Like we need one more thing to clog up our landfills.  Can't they be recycled in anyway?

[etietjen]

I use Verizon Wireless with a pre-paid.  My phone was about $90 with a $30 rebate and I buy minutes with a prepaid card at Verizon.  They can also be "refilled" with a credit card over the phone.  It is nationwide-coverage.

[chris68]

etietjen,

This is what we are looking into at the moment.  I guess we are going to price them out and see what the best deal is.  Rentals seem to be too expensive and the minimum time required use is outrageous.  So prepaids looks like the way we will probably go. This way if we ever need to use a phone again on long trips or if I go someplace unfamiliar I can take it with me as needed.

Thanks!


Chris68
Deskdemon Forum Board Staff

[charity]

I've used pre-paid ever since they came on the market - the good being I do not have to worry about contracts etc: the bad especially in the UK is that some pre-paid vouchers have a life span - so you have to remember to top up before the voucher expires or you end up loosing everything.  I wouldn't trade my pre-paid for anything.

One of the things you need to ask and honestly answer yourself is how often are you going to be using your phone: daily, ad hoc, business, home? etc.  There are a lot of impartial very good indpendent phone shops out there who when you explain your need are genuinely sympathetic to them.

Good luck all the same

[etietjen]

Hey Chris,

Most of the prepaid plans have expiration dates on the minutes that you purchase, "use 'em or lose 'em".  Most is 60 days.

I use mine mostly to let someone at home know when what train I will be on coming home at night, but I also use it on road trips approx. 5-6 times a year.

I tend to buy the $30 cards so I'm more likely to run out and have to refill rather than lose the minutes I've already paid for.  Also, keep in mind that sometimes if you are "minute-free" for a certain period of time they will disconnect the number because they assume you aren't going to be using it anymore.  At $30 for 60 days, that is only $15/mo.  Very reasonable in my book.

[chris68]

I guess right now all we are really interested in is for when we go on vacation in June for three weeks.  We don't want to be unavailable if someone needs to call us.  Then after that it's just a matter of an emergency here and there, and if we go on vacation, road trips, or the occasional wife is lost and don't know how to get home type deal (which has happend more times than I care to admit) .  

That is why I don't want a one year contract.  If I have the contract I will get used to using it and feel the NEED to have one, but we have been since 94 without one and only the rare occasion I really wished I had one.  I had a really bad experience on billing issues then Cellular One, so am avoiding them like the plague.  Otherwise, I'll shop around for the best deal we can afford.



Chris68
Deskdemon Forum Board Staff

Edited by chris68 on 05/03/02 03:29 PM.

[countrigal]

I would go with the prepaid phones too... and it is handy to have in the car for emergencies.  Think of it this way, you can put it in your glove box and if you run out of gas, get a flat, get in an accident or get caught in a storm, you have a way of contacting someone and letting them know where you are.  My aunt has one that she uses only as an emergency.  She makes one call a month to keep it active if she hasn't already made one that month, usually to her son just to tell him hello.  Everyone feels better with her having the phone so if she has problems with her car on the way to or from work she has a way of reaching someone.  And there have been a few incidents where she was glad to have the phone even though it wasn't an emergency.  I don't know who she goes through, but I remember her saying it costs her something like $10.00 a month to have the security of knowing that she's always just a phone call away from help.

CountriGal
Deskdemon Editorial Board Member

[chris68]

My brother gave my aunt a phone just to use to call 911 in case she gets stranded or in an accident cause she drives so much and she's in her late 70's.  So, we said just take the phone and ONLY use it if you have to dial 9-1-1.  Even just having that she feels much better.  You can call 911 on it without any contract, so she just has it in the glove box for that purpose.

But I am inclined to agree that it's good to have for security, especially if I am driving alone, which I do alot to visit my nephew and my relatives.



Chris68
Deskdemon Forum Board Staff

[maria_newcombe]

I had to organise the rental of a mobile phone for one of our managers on a recent business trip and found a number of companies on the internet.  I ended up using www.rentexpress.com (new name Roadpost).

There was no deposit to pay and the rental was charged to a credit card.  The phone was waiting for him on arrival at the airport terminal and he was given a pre-paid courier box to return it in.  The rental charge appeared on his next credit card statement and the call charges the following month.  He said the system worked really smoothly and would definitely do it again.

Another company that I looked at using was www.rentcell.com.

Hope this helps.

Maria