Burner Advice

[jcn10016]

Any suggestions? I'm sure this has come up before, but I can't figure out how to search/filter to find the old discussions.

Finally got a burner last year, its about to expire. Very low usage, its a Tracfone. Their online chat offered to refill with service time only: $50 for 365 days and my remaining minutes/texts/data rolls over... but I had to call customer service. When I called, they said sure, but you have to buy a package with it. Then there is the issue of how to pay anonymously over the phone...

I looked at prepaid visa cards, but they require registration? You need to provide last 4 of SSN??? Though I guess you can give any name/4 digit combo? Advice welcome!

 

[bor3dmonk3y]

What's the reason you need a burner phone? Do you have a partner and you need to do this with complete discretion? I'm single, so I don't worry about these things. However I use google voice for hobbying and sugar babies. You can download and use the app each time when hobbying, then delete it. Otherwise I sense you need a secret bank account with debit card to get a proper burner phone. Mint mobile seems to be cheap and reliable in terms of service.

 

[Swen]

You can use Vanilla Visa Gift Cards. No registration required. Only the refillable Visa cards, like Green Dot require registration.

 

[bshah]

textnow, textme, textfree, guys download these 3 apps and you got 3 different numbers from which ever state you may choose. i got 4 numbers on my cell phone, i real number and 3 from above apps from 3 different states.

 

[jcn10016]

Thanks for responses. Some questions...

1. Where do you buy Visa gift cards? I was at rite aid, looked over all their cards and all they had were the refillable ones... Green dot and Vanilla and one other brand
2. There must be a way to do this, the whole point of burner phones is it cant be tracked back to you. I decided to get one because (a) I do have an SO and got a scare when she got my phone contacts (b) the AMPs keep our phone numbers, don't want my main number being followed up on
3. text apps seem like an interesting option (I do hate managing a secret, second phone) but how do they work? Are they PP protected? Sometimes my SO or the kids take my phone to play games, don't want them stumbling across something they should not (another reason for burner). How to explain a PP protected app... hmm.

 

[jonbrook]

Sometimes my SO or the kids take my phone to play games, don't want them stumbling across something they should not (another reason for burner)

I understand your kids (if they don't have their own phones), but I find it odd that your SO would use "your" phone to play games. Doesn't she have a phone of her own?

 

[Swen]

Thanks for responses. Some questions...

1. Where do you buy Visa gift cards? I was at rite aid, looked over all their cards and all they had were the refillable ones... Green dot and Vanilla and one other brand

Almost anywhere you can buy gift cards. I used to get them at CVS or Duane Reade. You can put from $25-$500 on the card when you checkout. It should have a fee of $6.95.

 

[therealest]

stick to the tracfone. bought it cash at bestbuy and made a dummy account with fake info. as far as refilling it, get the tracfone refill cards. best value one is the 90-day card for $20. gives you 60 minutes and a decent amount of text, just enough for hobbying. i buy that in cash also at drug stores.

 

[ampreviewernew]

Start with textfree app. Download it, use it and delete it before you go back home. Once you set up textfree app, you can even use it on the PC at textfree.us.
And if you are scared about being protected, use a VPN before you download the app on the phone. Once you delete it, you can switch off the vpn. I have been using this way for the past few years.

 

[bshah]

Start with textfree app. Download it, use it and delete it before you go back home. Once you set up textfree app, you can even use it on the PC at textfree.us.
And if you are scared about being protected, use a VPN before you download the app on the phone. Once you delete it, you can switch off the vpn. I have been using this way for the past few years.

i agree with ampreviewernew, i have been doing it for few years now, put vpn on, download, use it, once done, come back to the car and delete the app. next time start over again. takes 5 minutes, but secure and no tracking back.

 

[Mai68]

I have a verizon burner bought with cash from bestbuy. 40/mo card refills of with cash, no personal info needed. I like ability to use camera, websearch, etc. And never run out of my gb limit (which rolls over).

 

[BIGBOB62]

I switched to tracphone in last couple years. What’s been said here about tracphone Is true for me, so not much to add there. I more wanted to comment on that not to get, which was ATT. I had used theirs for 15-20 years. It was so easy at first to stay anonymous. I used to go into a store once every 6 months and buy minutes without providing any ID. But it became increasingly impossible to do that, and they started expiring minutes faster, then taking back your number if you had zero minutes for 30 days. I liked having my number so favorite providers knew it was me calling.
personally I’d never do any of this mongering on my real phone, no matter what app. It’s too easy for companies like Apple and google to see what you’re doing and store it away in their databases.

 

[jcn10016]

OK, this is what I ended up doing, in case in helps anyone.

Tracfone has 19.99 for one year and 1500 text/1500 min/3 GB deal via eBay each November/December. This is what I bought last year. Let me know if it can be tracked... I used PayPal and I am assuming the seller is not tracking the activation code. Could be wrong. Can't be beat for price though.

But I missed it this year. Also, apparently it is intended for new accounts, and you might encounter issues getting their terrible customer service to transfer it to your existing number. So ymmv. (Also, look at buying a new phone from HSN that includes the one and one year of service. Supposedly if you add it to you Tracfone account, you can call and ask them to transfer the air time and minutes and deactivate the new phone. Thats if you want to keep old phone and number, of course.

They sell one year, no minute plan for 59.99 on EBay. But it was not going to arrive in time for me. Once your account runs out of days, no rollover.

Supposedly you can get the same no minutes plan for 49.99 on tracfone online, but it never came up for me. Online chat said yes, its available but only by calling customer service. And they wont take paypal. Credit/Debit cards only.

In retrospect, the $20 for 90days plan cards you can buy for cash (at Bestbuy, etc) is probably a better deal than what I ended up with...

Re-loadable Visa card - $4 (didn't see gift card version)

It does ask for personal info, which stumped me for a bit. But a quick search revealed... if you enter a birthday making you less than 18, they won't verify SSN, in which case you can just enter 111-11-1111. It also asks for address/zip and checks its a real address (123 Main St doesn't work).

Luckily I loaded some extra, because Tracfone said the 49.99 is only available if buy in addition to another plan. Cheapest is $10. I wanted text plan, but only $10 plan they could sell me over the phone was for 500 mins. They charge tax. Total was just short of $67. Card charges 1.50 fee per transaction.

Tracfone asks not only for account number/pin, but also name and address! I used same pseudonym/address as for card. I asked why they needed this, the guy said he agreed, but its what Tracfone wants. Patriot act or something? Anyway, not sure they check it, though most places do usually match zip code and card number.

So... I ended up paying $4 + 67 + 1.50 = $72.50 to add one year 500 minutes to my existing balance. Plus another $1.50 to spend the remaining balance on card. Which is why 4 of the $20 for 90 days cards might be better deal. Only 7.50 more, much less hassle and I'm not sure what other extras you get along with the air time.

Yes, I am a cheap bastard. Money should be spent on food and mongering, not crap like this. Glad I'm done for a year. Will research other options between now and then.

 

[BIGBOB62]

OK, this is what I ended up doing, in case in helps anyone.

Tracfone has 19.99 for one year and 1500 text/1500 min/3 GB deal via eBay each November/December. This is what I bought last year. Let me know if it can be tracked... I used PayPal and I am assuming the seller is not tracking the activation code. Could be wrong. Can't be beat for price though.

But I missed it this year. Also, apparently it is intended for new accounts, and you might encounter issues getting their terrible customer service to transfer it to your existing number. So ymmv. (Also, look at buying a new phone from HSN that includes the one and one year of service. Supposedly if you add it to you Tracfone account, you can call and ask them to transfer the air time and minutes and deactivate the new phone. Thats if you want to keep old phone and number, of course.

They sell one year, no minute plan for 59.99 on EBay. But it was not going to arrive in time for me. Once your account runs out of days, no rollover.

Supposedly you can get the same no minutes plan for 49.99 on tracfone online, but it never came up for me. Online chat said yes, its available but only by calling customer service. And they wont take paypal. Credit/Debit cards only.

In retrospect, the $20 for 90days plan cards you can buy for cash (at Bestbuy, etc) is probably a better deal than what I ended up with...

Re-loadable Visa card - $4 (didn't see gift card version)

It does ask for personal info, which stumped me for a bit. But a quick search revealed... if you enter a birthday making you less than 18, they won't verify SSN, in which case you can just enter 111-11-1111. It also asks for address/zip and checks its a real address (123 Main St doesn't work).

Luckily I loaded some extra, because Tracfone said the 49.99 is only available if buy in addition to another plan. Cheapest is $10. I wanted text plan, but only $10 plan they could sell me over the phone was for 500 mins. They charge tax. Total was just short of $67. Card charges 1.50 fee per transaction.

Tracfone asks not only for account number/pin, but also name and address! I used same pseudonym/address as for card. I asked why they needed this, the guy said he agreed, but its what Tracfone wants. Patriot act or something? Anyway, not sure they check it, though most places do usually match zip code and card number.

So... I ended up paying $4 + 67 + 1.50 = $72.50 to add one year 500 minutes to my existing balance. Plus another $1.50 to spend the remaining balance on card. Which is why 4 of the $20 for 90 days cards might be better deal. Only 7.50 more, much less hassle and I'm not sure what other extras you get along with the air time.

Yes, I am a cheap bastard. Money should be spent on food and mongering, not crap like this. Glad I'm done for a year. Will research other options between now and then.

If you ask nicely, there are providers who will help you with an address and an Ss# too.... I just use it to talk with them anyway.

 

[Eastern2019]

OK, this is what I ended up doing, in case in helps anyone.

Tracfone has 19.99 for one year and 1500 text/1500 min/3 GB deal via eBay each November/December. This is what I bought last year. Let me know if it can be tracked... I used PayPal and I am assuming the seller is not tracking the activation code. Could be wrong. Can't be beat for price though.

...

In retrospect, the $20 for 90days plan cards you can buy for cash (at Bestbuy, etc) is probably a better deal than what I ended up with...


So... I ended up paying $4 + 67 + 1.50 = $72.50 to add one year 500 minutes to my existing balance. Plus another $1.50 to spend the remaining balance on card. Which is why 4 of the $20 for 90 days cards might be better deal. Only 7.50 more, much less hassle and I'm not sure what other extras you get along with the air time.

Yes, I am a cheap bastard. Money should be spent on food and mongering, not crap like this. Glad I'm done for a year. Will research other options between now and then.

I've been using the $20 for 90 days, never had any issues buying phones or airtime for cash. Thanks for the details. Sounds like I could have saved a few $ but spending huge amounts of time. I'm not planning to change unless the Treasury finds a way to outlaw cash.

I had heard about eBay, never sure how to set up burner eBay accounts or payments. My impression (possibly incorrect) was that the prepaid VISA cards were usable if not registered but had limits (can't use at ATM, defeats purpose of burner anyways) and costs that offset the Tracfone savings.