this post was submitted on 10 Feb 2024
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Privacy
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I use a 'burner' number with a prepaid provider that I pay $6 a month for, for all my "needs your phone number" bullshit. It's not a true burner since I'm holding it long-term, but it's a secondary number that I don't use unless I get a call or message on that number. Keeps my main/'real' number safe, from both data breaches and the weird manager at the pizza place or whatever.
If you can get away with a non North American number, most countries will give you a SIM for free or next to nothing and you pay only once for pre-paid service, no monthly fee.
What service do you use? Been thinking about doing the same sort of thing.
Tello. $5 for baseline call service and minutes, unlimited text. $1 for some backup data if my primary carrier doesn't have service in an area. Runs on the t-mo network. Deprioritized to qci7 so data might not be reliable in areas where they have over-subscribed their towers, but that's only for data, so it's a footnote.
Same. Curious to hear of some options
I use the cheapest Redpocket prepaid plan on ebay at it's $2.50/month so one time free $30 annually.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/133196831828
I used to use that RP plan, and for some reason I decided to switch... and then they took literally 4 months to get back with me with my porting information. I had to try information by other users on /r/nocontract to try and port away myself, which worked. Wouldn't you know it, the very next day, "oh no we are soooo sorry for the inconvenience, but I see you have ported away successfully" like yes mf what the actual shit were you doing for 120 days that you couldn't look up two values and email them back?
Tello's cs is actually quite good.
Why did you switch may I ask? You switched to tello? How you like it?
I haven't bad the need to switch my redpocket number so it's a non issue for me. It's cheap and it works unless you see another reason why I should make the switch. I'm open to hearing you out.
It's been a couple years so I don't remember why I wanted out; it might have been concern about renewal, losing the number, or something like that, I just can't remember. But I've been happy with tello, and I remember I had to contact cs once a while back, they got back with me within the day, and I've needed no other help. The site is pretty user-friendly, even for porting in/out. Data allotments recently doubled with no charge, which is nice. The number I was assigned doesn't have any issues with spam, and the price has remained the same (for my plan selection), even when I've hopped around on other MVNOs the last few years. It's a pretty nice place for cell service, assuming your area/tower isn't strained for data bandwidth.
Yeah just checked them out and I think I'll stick with RP. It's the cheapest you can get and it works. Tello's plan is a bit more expensive for less of what I'm getting
See above comment =)
$6 a month is much more than my actual phone plan holy shit, that is a shit ton of money for such a subscription.
...its a full cell phone plan?
I mean, my full plan with more internet and minutes than I need is around $4. Paying $6 for something you don't even fully use is a ripoff.
You can technically get that here in the states, but it's veeeery limited: Redpocket, and a couple of by-the-minute recharge plans afaik. This $6 plan only supplies 300 minutes, and 1gb of data. The typical rate for most people's service is $50-$60 here ('unlimited* data, messages, and minutes'), with my main line costing $85 plus bs fees. $6 as a backup/secondary could be a rounding error.