Question for TracFone users

[Jerry Bruette]

I'm considering getting a TracFone but we travel through Canada to New York. Is there a way to make a call from Canada to anywhere using a TracFone?

[Tom Stenzel]

Hi Jerry,

I've had a Tracfone for a bunch of years. Traveling in Canada the phone always has No Service on the screen.

Going to the Tracfone site the following is straight from the Tracfone Minister of Propaganda:

Can I make international calls on my TRACFONE cell phone when I am outside of the United States?

No. TRACFONE cell phones don't work outside of the United States, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

I haven't found a workaround other than using my wife's phone that isn't a Tracfone. Sorry.

-Tom

[Wade Lippman]

I expect Tom is right about Tracfone, and probably all other companies as well. ATT is $10/day for service in Canada.
However, if you are going to NYC, consider going entirely through the US. It is supposed to be shorter.

[Bob Glenn]

It's probably cheaper to just purchase a phone in Canada. Same for the E/U.

[Jim Becker]

If you use an unlocked phone that's of a recent generation, you can generally purchase a pre-paid SIM card at your destination that will work in that country. And if your phone is a smartphone, you can also use applications over public WiFi to communicate back home with little or no cost.

[Jerry Bruette]

Thanks for the replies, unfortunately it's what I expected. We travel to upstate NY maybe twice a year, through Canada, maybe shorter and definitely cheaper. Was hoping to go with TracFone or one of their sister companies and upgrade from our old flip phone with no data and crappy pictures, my tired old eyes can't see, to one of them newfangled smart phones I read about. Alas, a new plan would cost way more than I'm willing to spend.

[Jim Becker]

TMobile's plans are pretty darn affordable these days and they do offer International coverage. We recently switched to them and are saving nearly a $100 a month over our previous service with another major carrier that I had been with for decades. 55+ or families plans rock. They also offer a great deal for active military folks, too...half price, if I'm not mistaken.

[Jim Laumann]

My wife and I both have TracFone LG units. We were in Alaska and the Yukon in June - absolutely no cell service for us the entire 15 days. After several phone calls to Trac Fone's support staff, I finally got them to tell me the reason - our phones don't have/use SIM cards. This even though - the last I checked, Alaska is part of the United States, and identified by TracFone as being supported by their system. This included the cities of Anchorage and Fairbanks, as well as smaller ones like Skagway and Ketchican.

It wasn't until we got to Seattle that our phones started working again.

[Jerome Stanek]

I have had Tracfones for 4 years now and I am on the Verizon network that works anywhere in my house or outside. I had a problem with a phone and they sent me one that was on ATT and I could not get a signal anywhere in my house and had to go outside and go to the middle of my 3 acre yard to get 1 bar. I now make sure that the phone I get is on the Verizon network.