Best Alternative to LG Optimus Elite on $25.00 Plan

[MacFett]

Unless they changed things since I left Virgin/optimus elite in February, you will keep your $25 with the new elite. I was told I would lose it too. but even with 3 replacement elites I never lost the plan.

 

[jamoosh]

Thanks for that information. I would expect to come across an angry thread on the forum if anything official comes out.

Customer service reps have been saying this since last year. Nothing official has been released, and the FAQ on the website still lists phones that will allow you to keep the $25 plan. Unfortunately, most of them are now discontinued, but they are available elsewhere.

My guess is that it may no longer be possible to put an Elite on a $25 plan without triggering a plan change, thanks to the system updates. It was a nice bonus that lasted for the better part of a year, much longer than Virgin Mobile intended.

As for any phone swap causing loss of the $25 plan... I'll wait for an official notification.

I try to handle everything that I am able to online. I have had to call them on a few occasions when their online systems were not functioning to my satisfaction, and my experience has been fully positive.

CS read from scripts, what the script says and what really happens can always vary. These are peple paid $2.50 an hr in India to answer phones in a call center, that answers phones for 300 companies, one min the person is talking to you about virgin mobile, is now talking to another about their home loan from BOA...........

handle your account online, you don't need them.

Actually, the CS reps I get are from the Philippines.

Unfortunately, there are going to be issues with any MVNO that is budget minded. I do use H2o wireless as a backup and actually got Americans on the line. I was amazed.

I'm not sure we can do everything online, but the more the better.

I'll probably risk it. We shall see.

Unless they changed things since I left Virgin/optimus elite in February, you will keep your $25 with the new elite. I was told I would lose it too. but even with 3 replacement elites I never lost the plan.

 

[vmforlife]

Keep us posted. Now that my data has finally been restored I very much ...again... like my Op elite but when it fails I would like to hope I can keep my $25 Plan either via a new Op Elite or similar. I doubt VM would allow any 4g phone on their $25 grandfAthered plans.

 

[batvette]

Yay, $25/mo Triumph user here. Someone above mentioned a charge port issue workaround... you mean the one where you buy extra batteries and swap them out all day long? Or the one where a bunch of owners kidnapped Motorola's CEO and... never mind.

 

[jamoosh]

Well, I'm giving one more replacement Elite a spin when it gets here.
If I can't get it working to my satisfaction, I will be throwing my hands up and getting something else. It's a real bummer to me, because other than the data problem, the phone is real stellar.
We will see.

Keep us posted. Now that my data has finally been restored I very much ...again... like my Op elite but when it fails I would like to hope I can keep my $25 Plan either via a new Op Elite or similar. I doubt VM would allow any 4g phone on their $25 grandfAthered plans.

The charging port issue sounds like a deal breaker to me--especially for the price.

Yay, $25/mo Triumph user here. Someone above mentioned a charge port issue workaround... you mean the one where you buy extra batteries and swap them out all day long? Or the one where a bunch of owners kidnapped Motorola's CEO and... never mind.

 

[batvette]

Well, I'm giving one more replacement Elite a spin when it gets here.
If I can't get it working to my satisfaction, I will be throwing my hands up and getting something else. It's a real bummer to me, because other than the data problem, the phone is real stellar.
We will see.



The charging port issue sounds like a deal breaker to me--especially for the price.

Price is the reason I'm sticking with my Triumph. Last week the charge port got to the point where I can't depend on it to charge the battery at all now. I'm not impressed with VM's new phones and the Galaxy S2 appears to be nearing the end of its sales cycle. (Radio Shack's trade in program won't pay a dime for them)
My wallet is also thin thin thin now. I took the Triumph apart and resoldered the charge port shell, no improvement. Yet the phone works great now that I have the root/delete alog files fix down. So I took some bits of plastic and made a battery charger. Ordered a pair of OEM motorola batteries off ebay for $18.
The Triumph has a beautiful display, does all I need it to. I have some paid games I don't want to rebuy and I keep that wonderful $25 a month that nobody else on the planet gets.
Because I think cheap, nowadays, is the new cool. Hey when it's all you got, tell yourself it's all you need.

(I look around me at drawers full of broken Chinese flashlights, digital cameras, all the money spent for the latest/greatest/gotta have? I'm sick of it and nothing leads me to believe the next phone won't be just another disappointment in a year. I'd rather have the $300! PLUS $10 a month.)

I think the charge port thing is the only real defect they had, and most will get it. If you don't mind swapping batteries (the battery cover thing is also easily fixed) I bet you can get used Triumphs for pennies on the dollar at the moment. The ebay guy with the batteries had 60 pairs left. For us po folks, still a good choice?

 

[MacFett]

I have some paid games I don't want to rebuy

Unless you change Google accounts when you get your new device you won't have to rebuy them.