Visible: Complete your required phone upgrade. Get a $100 gift card.

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RVTravel

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I guess the new phone upgrade is finally going to be required. I got this email overnight,

"We’re upgrading our network to a faster, more reliable one. You’ll need a new phone to continue service. If you complete this phone and network upgrade by 4/18/23, you’ll get a $100 Amazon gift card. You’ll also enjoy improved service at the same rate you pay now."
 
When trying to upgrade, the prompts implied I could swap my current visible phone for a new one, but that is said to only be for new customers. I finally had to chat to be able to upgrade, for some reason. I bought the TCL cheapo because it has the biggest battery, 5,000 mAh, and because I use mine alot for internet. Sorta wanted the iphone SE 2020 refurb for a few bucks more but it's battery is small at less than 2,000 mAh. I use a tracfone for talking and the visible for internet. The amazon gift card is sent after 3rd payment on new service. Hopefully that will work.
 
My Visible phone, a Samsung A03S, updated from Android 12 to 13 today. Incidentally I switched phones and plans a couple months ago when I was having connectivity issues. Went from the $25 plan to the $30 plan but after 2 months Visible reduced the cost to $25 again without having to join a group.
 
I was looking at the wrong TCL phone for my battery size. Visible cheaper TCL is 30LE, 3,000 mAh battery. But, at least it is removable in case it starts failing after the typical 1.5+ years heavy use.
 
My Visible phone, a Samsung A03S, updated from Android 12 to 13 today. Incidentally I switched phones and plans a couple months ago when I was having connectivity issues. Went from the $25 plan to the $30 plan but after 2 months Visible reduced the cost to $25 again without having to join a group.
How do you like Visible? I have been studying the various companies and Internet plans for about 4 months now. I am heading out the end of July and I have decided I want to use Verizon's network as they seem to have the best coverage for the areas I am going, and since Visible has some good recent reviews and prices, I think I am going with them. I have also seen the workarounds some folks use to get around the 50 gig throttling policy. I have been using TracFone for about 5 years and at $10/month for my cell and now being on Verizon's network, that is not bad, but if I get Visible, I will drop them. I have been averaging 180-200 GB of data/month with my cable internet but I know on the road I will be using a lot less. I too have to buy one of their phones as even though my Tracfone is unlocked, when I run the IMEI number on Visible's website, they tell me it is not compatible with their system even though Tracfone uses Verizon's towers.
 
How do you like Visible? I have been studying the various companies and Internet plans for about 4 months now. I am heading out the end of July and I have decided I want to use Verizon's network as they seem to have the best coverage for the areas I am going, and since Visible has some good recent reviews and prices, I think I am going with them. I have also seen the workarounds some folks use to get around the 50 gig throttling policy. I have been using TracFone for about 5 years and at $10/month for my cell and now being on Verizon's network, that is not bad, but if I get Visible, I will drop them. I have been averaging 180-200 GB of data/month with my cable internet but I know on the road I will be using a lot less. I too have to buy one of their phones as even though my Tracfone is unlocked, when I run the IMEI number on Visible's website, they tell me it is not compatible with their system even though Tracfone uses Verizon's towers.
I had some dropped service issues with Visible last year but they have been fixed. The Samsung A03 phone works fine and is used almost exclusively as a hot spot for my tablet. If there is any kind of data cap I haven't noticed it. I'm satisfied with the service.
 
I had some dropped service issues with Visible last year but they have been fixed. The Samsung A03 phone works fine and is used almost exclusively as a hot spot for my tablet. If there is any kind of data cap I haven't noticed it. I'm satisfied with the service.
Thank you, that is good to hear. I have an unlocked Galaxy A12 but will need to get another phone and will check out the AO3. I appreciate the information.
 
Another reasonably happy Visible customer here. Had it a few years and am generally pleased. Only run into a few no-service areas or times my speed has been throttled. You can fix the network congestion / throttling issues (most of the time) by paying for their slightly more expensive Visible+ service.
 
Another reasonably happy Visible customer here. Had it a few years and am generally pleased. Only run into a few no-service areas or times my speed has been throttled. You can fix the network congestion / throttling issues (most of the time) by paying for their slightly more expensive Visible+ service.
Yes, I read that on their website. It said for the higher priced one ($45/month I think?) it said you still might get throttled after using 50 gigs of data when usage in an area is very high but, you will have a higher priority and others would get cut back first. I might sign up for the cheaper one and try it a while and maybe later upgrade to the more expensive plan if the throttling is an issue in the areas I go, I doubt it will be. Thanks for your reply.
 
Yes, I read that on their website. It said for the higher priced one ($45/month I think?) it said you still might get throttled after using 50 gigs of data when usage in an area is very high but, you will have a higher priority and others would get cut back first. I might sign up for the cheaper one and try it a while and maybe later upgrade to the more expensive plan if the throttling is an issue in the areas I go, I doubt it will be. Thanks for your reply.
If you decide to try it out, ask me or any other Visible customer here on the forum. Any of us can add you to our "friends and family plan" and lower your bill by a bit. Visible opened up those plans for anyone, you don't have to be literal family. https://www.visible.com/plans/bring-a-friend
 
If you decide to try it out, ask me or any other Visible customer here on the forum. Any of us can add you to our "friends and family plan" and lower your bill by a bit. Visible opened up those plans for anyone, you don't have to be literal family. https://www.visible.com/plans/bring-a-friend
Thanks for the kind offer. I just watched an interview with Visible's COO about a week ago, and he said all those plans have been done away (for new customers) and they are going with just the 2 plans, the $30 (on sale until the end of April for $25) and the $45 plan. He said that the people who had those friends and family plans did not need to worry, as those plans would continue to work for them. So, by this did he mean that people with the friends/family existing plans could still add people to them? Or are they "frozen" as to who was already on them at the time of this change? He never said one way or the other so I have no idea. I will research this more. Thanks again. EDIT: That link you posted seems to be for a one time perk to entice people to get others to sign up and is not the "friends/family" plans the COO said were no longer being offered. Hey, $20 off the 1st month for both people is still a nice enticement so, thank you, I may take you up on that.
 
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Like some others, I tried Visible and my experience was not good. I spend most of my time in the Pacific NW, on the road and in otherwise rural areas. Connections were erratic or weak. I tried reaching out to Visible customer service more than once, but it never helped. I knew I would have to take 2nd tier status on the Verizon network and was sort of OK with that. But, when I had a road break down and could get no connection at all, while someone else at the same location with a Verizon plan had no problem at all, I decided to pull the plug. Since switching back to Verizon, I have had no further problems at least getting a connection.

I am sure Visible will work for most people most of the time. That was just not good enough for me.
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I have been using TracFone for about 5 years and at $10/month for my cell and now being on Verizon's network, that is not bad, but if I get Visible, I will drop them. I have been averaging 180-200 GB of data/month with my cable internet but I know on the road I will be using a lot less. I too have to buy one of their phones as even though my Tracfone is unlocked, when I run the IMEI number on Visible's website, they tell me it is not compatible with their system even though Tracfone uses Verizon's towers.

There are a number of reasons your phone may not be compatible with Visible. An IMEI # on your phone indicates you are running on the GSM band which uses either AT&T or T-mobile network and towers. (Tracfone has agreements with all major carriers so a GSM phone could have been using the T-mobile or AT&T network). CDMA phones, used for Verizon network, would have a MEID #. Check your phone settings to be sure which it states. I believe there are now newer phones that can run on either band.

If you want to get Visible, you will have to purchase a CDMA compatible phone, if you do, in fact, have an unlocked GSM.

If you do have a GSM phone and want to keep it, you will have to keep using Tracfone, go to an AT&T or T-Mobile plan, or one of their MVNOs like Cricket, Mint, etc.

Here's the rub about Tracfone....Tracfone was acquired by Verizon in 2021 so there is a possibility that in the future, all Tracfone users will be required to use Verizons network alone which means needing a CDMA phone. I have been using Tracfone for my unlocked GSM phone for over 10 years and even tho it says everywhere that Tracfone/Verizon is still working with ATT, when Verizon bought them out, I was forced to change my SIM card and use TMobile network instead of ATT (which I had always used and wanted) or had to purchase a new CDMA phone if I didn't want to use TMobile and still remain with Tracfone. I am now expecting Tracfone/Verizon to drop their agreement with TMobile at any time.

FYI: Visible is now owned by Verizon also. And, for what it is worth, my husband has had Visible for a number of years and data was very good in the beginning. But now (coincidentally around the time of the acquisition by Verizon) data service crawls and is useless anywhere but in rural areas where there is minimal traffic
 
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There are a number of reasons your phone may not be compatible with Visible. An IMEI # on your phone indicates you are running on the GSM band which uses either AT&T or T-mobile network and towers. (Tracfone has agreements with all major carriers so a GSM phone could have been using the T-mobile or AT&T network). CDMA phones, used for Verizon network, would have a MEID #. Check your phone settings to be sure which it states. I believe there are now newer phones that can run on either band.

If you want to get Visible, you will have to purchase a CDMA compatible phone, if you do, in fact, have an unlocked GSM.

If you do have a GSM phone and want to keep it, you will have to keep using Tracfone, go to an AT&T or T-Mobile plan, or one of their MVNOs like Cricket, Mint, etc.

Here's the rub about Tracfone....Tracfone was acquired by Verizon in 2021 so there is a possibility that in the future, all Tracfone users will be required to use Verizons network alone which means needing a CDMA phone. I have been using Tracfone for my unlocked GSM phone for over 10 years and even tho it says everywhere that Tracfone/Verizon is still working with ATT, when Verizon bought them out, I was forced to change my SIM card and use TMobile network instead of ATT (which I had always used and wanted) or had to purchase a new CDMA phone if I didn't want to use TMobile and still remain with Tracfone. I am now expecting Tracfone/Verizon to drop their agreement with TMobile at any time.

FYI: Visible is now owned by Verizon also. And, for what it is worth, my husband has had Visible for a number of years and data was very good in the beginning. But now (coincidentally around the time of the acquisition by Verizon) data service crawls and is useless anywhere but in rural areas where there is minimal traffic
Thank you for all of this information. One thing I do not understand is, back in 2021 when Verizon bought Tracfone, Tracfone contacted me and told me they were switching to all verizon towers and, the phone I was using was not compatible with verizon and would no longer work in a few weeks so I would have to buy a new one. So, I did. They gave me a very good discount on my Galaxy phone. (about half of what places like amazon were selling it for) When I received the phone and called their tech people to get it switched over, he explained that they now used verizon's network and it is the largest network in the US so my phone will work anywhere. (within reason of course.) I just checked to be sure and my new phone does indeed have an imei number but it operates on Verizon's network and my reception is much better everywhere I go, just like they said it would be. I can't say why I have an IMEI number as I am not well versed on cell network tech at this point. I will not be keeping my Tracfone service once I am out on the road at the end of July as they do not offer any type of deals to get data except at $10/gig so with my usage now, it would cost me $2,000/month, ha ha. Of course, I will not be using much more than about 50 gigs/month. (Even that would be $500/month, holy smokes) Did your husband have the $45 plan that gets priority? I think maybe that when they say we get priority if things get busy on the nearby towers, it may just mean we get priority over the $30/month folks using the same towers, not the regular Verizon customers as I understand pre-paid get less than standard customers right? I guess I can give Visible a try and switch over to verizon direct if I can't get the service in areas I travel to, or my speeds are so low that it is useless to me. Thanks again for your very detailed reply and info. Safe Travels. PS I was born and raised in NJ (Hunterdon county) and spent many summers at my grandparents house in Normandy Beach. Been in Kentucky now for over 35 years.
 
And, for what it is worth, my husband has had Visible for a number of years and data was very good in the beginning. But now (coincidentally around the time of the acquisition by Verizon) data service crawls and is useless anywhere but in rural areas where there is minimal traffic
We have Visible in the metro D/FW area in Texas and this is definitely not true for us. Yes, as a std. Visible customer, your data rate is subject to Quality of Service (QoS) rules that might limit data rates on really congested cell towers. I rarely notice data speed issues, and I'm a std. customer. Visible+ customers aren't subject to QoS rules, but you pay a bit more per month.

Anyone having the issues you mention surely live in an area where non-premium Verizon customers are having similar problems.
 
I just checked Verizon's plans with autopay and even their highest "best" plan for $90/month only gives you 50 GB before slowing you down to 600 kbps for the rest of the month, whereas Visible's website says after you use 50 GB you MAY get slowed in heavy traffic areas or times. Also, just saw that Visible's $45/month plan is on sale now for $35/month and it says as long as service is maintained by the customer, that low rate will continue to apply. I believe I will try the Visible premium plan at the sale price of $35 and lock that rate in. EDIT I have until the beginning of May to decide before this sale ends.
 
Prioritization shouldn't affect calls. Only data. I do know that a lot of people seem to get the free visible phone that works fine, but probably doesn't have the best antenna vs a better phone.

So your lack of signal vs someone on Verizon might be a phone issue.
 
When the nearest tower is congested, then even Verizon customers are affected with crappy service.

Stuff happens.
 
Well, my new phone arrived today and I signed up for Visible and got the sale price of $35/month for the premium plan. (Which is supposed to give me tower priority) They are sending out my sim card. Interesting that I had to provide my new phones IMEI number to sign up. I also am keeping the number I used on my Tracfone. I have already copied all of my apps, contacts and settings to the new phone and I am looking forward to using it. Nothing wrong with my other phone, it just was not compatible with Visible due to Tracfone's firmware. I may use my other phone as a dashcam. I really like that Visible will let me keep the sale price for as long as I maintain service with them.
 
Is there a link to proof of the premium plan giving tower priority? Does it include roaming? I had not heard that before.
 
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