Worth paying 200 ETF to switch to cheap pre paid?

I just cant decide if I should bite the bullet and do it. Right now I pay 82 dollars a month for a smart phone where the only thing I use is google maps. Id have to pay 200 dollars and the last 80 dollar bill to get out of it. Plus buy a phone for 30 bucks and put mins on there for another 30. I still have 300 days left on contract...

Well you could go with something like Straight Talk for $45 a month. That's a pretty good savings per month but if you spread out $282 over 12 months then that's about $23.5 per month. So you'd only have a minimal savings over the first year by paying all of that ETF up front to get out of your contract for a cheaper pre-paid plan.

I'd stick it out same amount of time as is what is left on your contract and then sign up for a cheaper pre-paid plan and get the features you want and pay less for it.

Quote from menace33 : Well you could go with something like Straight Talk for $45 a month. That's a pretty good savings per month but if you spread out $282 over 12 months then that's about $23.5 per month. So you'd only have a minimal savings over the first year by paying all of that ETF up front to get out of your contract for a cheaper pre-paid plan. I'd stick it out same amount of time as is what is left on your contract and then sign up for a cheaper pre-paid plan and get the features you want and pay less for it.

I was going to do a 30 dollar 1000 min 1000 txt plan. Does that make a bit better.. I was also thinking I might be able to sell the phone for 100 dollars but at the same time I think a smart phone would be worth hanging onto for just wifi. Not to mention I moved and now have 0 bars and 0 data.. sometimes I cant even send a text out. Maybe I could tough it out and not have a cell phone and just use skype with wifi?

1.) Who is your current provider?
2.) Where do you need service? (city,state or zip?)
3.) What's your current phone?

Quote from dzap : 1.) Who is your current provider? 2.) Where do you need service? (city,state or zip?) 3.) What's your current phone?

Sprint
FL
Galaxy SII

Dont want another contract again.. never ever.

ah, what smartphone are you buying that costs $30?? so you can use google maps??

smart money would be to stay with sprint till your term expires.

right now for 10 months you would pay a total of $820, if you stay with spring

with 10 months of straight talk if you were to get out would be $450+ termination fee of $280 + smartphone $80 (cheapest android phone) = $810 so basically its a wash for now. BTW, those "cheap" android phone are inexpensive for a reason, so if you can live with it, that's fine. I've have my fair share of cheap android phone and they have their +'s and -'s. BTW, the $79 Samsung Precedent does not have GPS, I think the cheapest with GPS may be $129.

for 300 days
keep sprint: $820 or go with
straight talk: $810

Quote from Mr.Ritz : I was going to do a 30 dollar 1000 min 1000 txt plan. Does that make a bit better.. I was also thinking I might be able to sell the phone for 100 dollars but at the same time I think a smart phone would be worth hanging onto for just wifi. Not to mention I moved and now have 0 bars and 0 data.. sometimes I cant even send a text out. Maybe I could tough it out and not have a cell phone and just use skype with wifi?

That's a possibility. There are tons of cheap pre-paid plans. Net10, Straight Talk, Page Plus, or you could go pre-paid through one of the national carriers that has a better presence in your area but don't think you'll get a good deal on minutes for $30. Search around, but if you're getting zero bars and data, yeah it's best to end it and not sink money into a literal nothing unless Skype via WiFi is doable and easy option for now.

If you keep to the same provider and do a prepaid option would they still charge the ETF.

I was contemplating using page plus but i had some questions for them and the 25+ hold times to even speak to someone are making me reluctant to use their service. I tried calling twice and both times the same results.
Alot of those prepaid you have 90 days to yse your minutes before they expire. So essentially device the cost by 3.

No guarantees, but some options....
http://www.squidoo.com/SprintNoETF
http://www.wikihow.com/Get-out-of...e-Contract
http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-...act-early/

If nothing else, #4 on the Cnet article might be useful. You can freeze the account and pay a minimal amount (~$10) for up to 6 months, and hope that within that time, Sprint makes some material change that gives people a free out. It seems to me like carriers usually have a couple instances of this each year, so there's a decent chance you can get lucky within 6 months. Search here on SD occasionally for "Sprint ETF" or similar.

Talk to your provider. Maybe because you moved into a dead zone-where you can't use the phone--they will let you out for cheaper. Who knows, you might get someone with a heart and some common sense to help you (doubt it! but worth a try)

Quote from SueM : Talk to your provider. Maybe because you moved into a dead zone-where you can't use the phone--they will let you out for cheaper. Who knows, you might get someone with a heart and some common sense to help you (doubt it! but worth a try)

They will give me an airwave no problem but I really just dont want them anymore. They are just bad here in general.

Quote from menace33 : That's a possibility. There are tons of cheap pre-paid plans. Net10, Straight Talk, Page Plus, or you could go pre-paid through one of the national carriers that has a better presence in your area but don't think you'll get a good deal on minutes for $30. Search around, but if you're getting zero bars and data, yeah it's best to end it and not sink money into a literal nothing unless Skype via WiFi is doable and easy option for now.

I honestly dont use mins as I mostly text.

Quote from Mr.Ritz : They will give me an airwave no problem but I really just dont want them anymore. They are just bad here in general. I honestly dont use mins as I mostly text.

then just get an ipod touch (seriously) and just use skype and get a "prepaid" phone with a sim card and activate it only in an emergency. alot of places now all have free wifi, even sams club.

Quote from Scampsters : Alot of those prepaid you have 90 days to yse your minutes before they expire. So essentially device the cost by 3.

Page Plus is the rare one that expires every 120 days.

Is it just me, or has the OP not said how many minutes or texts they use every month? That's important to know when considering prepaid plans. If you rarely ever use your phone, Page Plus can 3 cards x $10 + $6 fees = $36 for the year for 300 minutes/texts. And you can use all sorts of smartphones.

Btw, if Google Maps is a big deal, you can get a regular GPS unit for, what, $100? You can also get some GPS programs like IGO or whatever that fits all the maps on an SD card. So you'd still need a signal for GPS, but if you just want road maps of the U.S. it's all on the phone's memory card. I prefer it that way since if I'm really lost and really need some directions, that probably means I also don't have a cell signal.

I mostly text and don't talk really. I am in between track phone trip min for life trac phone and straight talk