Why would anyone get the Jitterbug service and phone?

I know my mother will never be able to comprehend being able to send text messages. I do have pay per use text messaging on her phone though. Its there in the event of another Sept 11 type of scenerio where the voice lines go down. This way we can send her a message that we're ok, and all she has to do is reply back with anything and we'll know she's alright.

-Jay

 

I sense this theread turning into the commercials we love to make fun of thread...

I've fallen, and I can't reach my beer!:cheers::gbeer

 

Hey no laughing now! I really am a crip! - sheureka

 

Sorry about that, but I am crip-like, and may be a crip when I'm older. There is a birth defect in my feet that prevents me from walking normally. Its not painful or anything like that, I just walk differently than most others. My uncle on the other hand had it so bad he had to have several surgeries as a child to be able to walk, and he can barely walk. He refuses to use a cane though, I guess he thinks he might get dependent on it and get worse.

-Jay

 

I know one thing that I've seen my grandmother have problems with is actually hitting the send button. I guess if you use a dial-tone phone for 70 years it's a little tougher to get use to. So one good thing about the Jitterbug phones is the three buttons that can be programmed like speed dial just below the screen.
The Audiovox 8690 on Alltel and Verizon also have this feature so it's good to see at least one no frill, large display, large keypad phone with these 3 one-press buttons offered by a few carriers.

 

Or you could get them a FireFly from AT&T. I know its a phone designed for kids, but it is simple and no frills.

-Jay

 

Warning! The $150+ phone is useless to all but the original purchaser. There is no Sims card the phone needs to be sent back to Jitterbug for reprogramming for a new user. Also be careful of Jitterbugs billing practices. Personally I feel that they use deceptive practices and customer service is not flexible. Beware seniors.

A pay as you go phone and magnifing glass is a better deal

 

Well Telekom the thread may be two years old but my personal experience is 1.5 years old with Jitter Bug and that is why I am commenting. It is time to revisit the issue. You say Jitter Bug is a pay as you go service, you are right it is pay as you go poor expensive service. And what they offer is not a value. Most pay as you go services phones do not cost $160 plus (competitors are as low as $30 for a Nokia and $15 of air time included, service from a top service company) . My new plan is one dollar a day, only days I use it and 10 cents a minute for land lines, no minute charge for calls within the same service. Jitter Bug big numbered phones are not worth the difference. When you finish with the phone Jitterbug will not recycle their own phone. So what values does the JB phone have (no sims card). It is an expensive disposable phone with expensive sometimes curt service.

For people my age I would suggest getting an inexpensive disposable phone with pay as you go inexpensive service, then go to a dollar store and purchase a pair of reading glasses so the numbers can been seen. Take my word you will be happier.

My experence, my opinion, my demographic.

 

Do you remember the Beatles song?

When I get older, losing my hair,
Many years from now,
Will you still be sending me a Valentine
Birthday greetings, bottle of wine?

If I'd been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm ____-____?

That's me

 

I don't remember the song, but I do know it.

"When I'm 64"

I need to find a candybar phone for my grandmother in a couple of months. Right now she has a Samsung M220, and doesn't like it. The price of the Jitterbug phones is ridiculous, that is why I am looking at consumer cellular, or getting their senior designed phone unlocked and using it on AT&T or T-Mobile.

 

Check out the clarity C900. The only thing about it is that it is full price because none of the carriers carry it. I think it is a benifit though because it comes unlocked.

 

Sorry should have specified. It is unlocked GSM. I did not know it was even possible to lock CDMA. I thought that CDMA phones where just filtered by the ESN.

 

Yeah, although I think its technically possible to "lock" a CDMA phone, its much simpler for the carrier to just filter the ESN#'s. That way no matter what you do to the phone, if they don't want you to use it you won't.

Jitterbug uses CDMA, so GSM phones will not work on their service.

 

Thanks for the heads up on that phone. Grandma needs a bar phone, flipping or sliding a phone gets her flustered. To bad my dad is on my Sprint account, this phone would be right up his alley.

 

just another thing to get seniors to pay more than they need to.

 

FWIW-

I had a phone which would connect to the internet and rack up big charges - if you hit the wrong button while phone was in your pocket. That's one unwanted feature the provider forced on us.

I don't text, and don't want text messages, but am charged for text messages whenever some trollop sends spam. That's a second unwanted feature the provider forced on us.

Nor do I want location tracking of my phone.

The Jitterbug, made by Samsung, is not available in GSM. If it were, it would be a big seller. Millions of people want a straight forward phone for verbal communications and for nothing else.

 

If you are looking for a Jitterbug style phone in GSM, I would recommend the Pantech Breeze (or the Pantech Breeze II). They are available through AT&T, $20 with a 2 year agreement. Larger buttons, 3 dedicated speeddial buttons, and the type on the screen is larger than normal phones.

 

Never herd of the Just 5 phone. I did a quick Google search. Is that the actual brand or is that a rebranded phone? I'm not sure, I just figured you know about the phone.

I do like the way the Doro phones look. If I were buying a phone for a Senior I think I would go with the Doro 410 clam shell along with the ATT prepaid 60 a month plan. I think that Jitterbug is overpriced, but at least they market themselves well.

 

My mom is using the Just5 Easyphone. This one is very easy-to-use, very practical, and very affordable. I got this phone for my mom for only $89.99 and since she doesn’t use her phone a lot, she only spends $3.33 a month for the cheapest minute plan of this provider. Each minute only cost $.10. The minutes expire in 90 days and rollover when refilled so it’s very practical. My mom only finds it candybar design to be practical, too. She doesn’t need to flip open the phone when she’ll use it.