T-Mobile To Go - Prepaid Refill Cards

On the back of the refill card, it says ...

"... Void if not activated 90 days from purchase. ..."

How do they know when the card was purchased from
places like Wal-Mart (or wherever)? Is there some sort of
date associated with the card?

Adam wrote:
> On the back of the refill card, it says ...
>
> "... Void if not activated 90 days from purchase. ..."
>
> How do they know when the card was purchased from
> places like Wal-Mart (or wherever)? Is there some sort of
> date associated with the card?

I'm thinking the card has to be activated by the store somehow. Wal-Mart
keeps theirs on the rack; the rack has a flimsy little locking mechanism,
but it would probably be easy enough to steal several cards despite that.

--
If you really believe carbon dioxide causes global warming,
you should stop exhaling.

"clifto" <clifto@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:nscts4-k7j.ln1@remote.clifto.com...
> Adam wrote:
> > On the back of the refill card, it says ...
> >
> > "... Void if not activated 90 days from purchase. ..."
> >
> > How do they know when the card was purchased from
> > places like Wal-Mart (or wherever)? Is there some sort of
> > date associated with the card?
>
> I'm thinking the card has to be activated by the store somehow. Wal-Mart
> keeps theirs on the rack; the rack has a flimsy little locking mechanism,
> but it would probably be easy enough to steal several cards despite that.
>
> --
> If you really believe carbon dioxide causes global warming,
> you should stop exhaling.

What if people are buying refill cards as gifts (for X-mas, B-Day, etc.)?
Or, just not ready to activate right away.

In message <AtSKi.814$ua4.72@newssvr22.news.prodigy.net> "Adam"
<adam@no_thanks.com> wrote:

>On the back of the refill card, it says ...
>
>"... Void if not activated 90 days from purchase. ..."
>
>How do they know when the card was purchased from
>places like Wal-Mart (or wherever)? Is there some sort of
>date associated with the card?
>

The same way gift cards are activated by the store...

--
You can get more with a kind word and a 2x4 than just a kind word.

At 27 Sep 2007 11:18:04 -0700 Adam wrote:
> On the back of the refill card, it says ...
>
> "... Void if not activated 90 days from purchase. ..."
>
> How do they know when the card was purchased from
> places like Wal-Mart (or wherever)? Is there some sort of
> date associated with the card?

To prevent theft, the card has to be "activated" at the time of
purchased. The clerk scans a barcode on the card, and the store's
point-of-sale system reports to the vendor (usually a 3rd-party like
"Fastcard" rather than T-Mo themselves) that card #xxxxxx is now
redeemable. That's the "start" date. The cards have absolutely no
value until activated at the register- the PINs are invalid up to
that point.



--

"I don't need my cell phone to play video games or take pictures
or double as a Walkie-Talkie; I just need it to work. Thanks for
all the bells and whistles, but I could communicate better with
ACTUAL bells and whistles." -Bill Maher 9/25/2003

In message <CdUKi.29752$eY.9874@newssvr13.news.prodigy.net> "Adam"
<adam@no_thanks.com> wrote:

>What if people are buying refill cards as gifts (for X-mas, B-Day, etc.)?

Buy it close to the event, like any perishable good.

>Or, just not ready to activate right away.

Buy it when you are within three months of being ready to use it.

--
You can get more with a kind word and a 2x4 than just a kind word.

"Todd Allcock" <elecconnec@AmericaOnLine.com> wrote in message
news:rLUKi.352$8R4.219@fe111.usenetserver.com...
> At 27 Sep 2007 11:18:04 -0700 Adam wrote:
> > On the back of the refill card, it says ...
> >
> > "... Void if not activated 90 days from purchase. ..."
> >
> > How do they know when the card was purchased from
> > places like Wal-Mart (or wherever)? Is there some sort of
> > date associated with the card?
>
> To prevent theft, the card has to be "activated" at the time of
> purchased. The clerk scans a barcode on the card, and the store's
> point-of-sale system reports to the vendor (usually a 3rd-party like
> "Fastcard" rather than T-Mo themselves) that card #xxxxxx is now
> redeemable. That's the "start" date. The cards have absolutely no
> value until activated at the register- the PINs are invalid up to
> that point.
>
> --
>
> "I don't need my cell phone to play video games or take pictures
> or double as a Walkie-Talkie; I just need it to work. Thanks for
> all the bells and whistles, but I could communicate better with
> ACTUAL bells and whistles." -Bill Maher 9/25/2003
>

I think the terms "activate" and "redeem/redeemable" are
becoming more clear to me now. Activating the refill card does not
add minutes to the account.

At 27 Sep 2007 21:56:37 +0000 Adam wrote:

> I think the terms "activate" and "redeem/redeemable" are
> becoming more clear to me now. Activating the refill card does not
> add minutes to the account.

Correct. This method is better for the stores selling the cards.
Unlike "real" inventory they have purchase upfront before they sell
it to you, the phone cards don't cost them anything until you buy
them- they essentially "buy" the PIN they're selling you from the
vendor when you buy it from them.



--

"I don't need my cell phone to play video games or take pictures
or double as a Walkie-Talkie; I just need it to work. Thanks for
all the bells and whistles, but I could communicate better with
ACTUAL bells and whistles." -Bill Maher 9/25/2003

"Todd Allcock" <elecconnec@AmericaOnLine.com> wrote in message
news:EMWKi.1508$mS5.1245@fe089.usenetserver.com...
> At 27 Sep 2007 21:56:37 +0000 Adam wrote:
>
> > I think the terms "activate" and "redeem/redeemable" are
> > becoming more clear to me now. Activating the refill card does not
> > add minutes to the account.
>
> Correct. This method is better for the stores selling the cards.
> Unlike "real" inventory they have purchase upfront before they sell
> it to you, the phone cards don't cost them anything until you buy
> them- they essentially "buy" the PIN they're selling you from the
> vendor when you buy it from them.
>
>
>
> --
>
> "I don't need my cell phone to play video games or take pictures
> or double as a Walkie-Talkie; I just need it to work. Thanks for
> all the bells and whistles, but I could communicate better with
> ACTUAL bells and whistles." -Bill Maher 9/25/2003
>

In that case, the following wording ...

"... Void if minutes not redeemed 90 days from purchase. ..."

might be more appropriate.

At 29 Sep 2007 15:32:44 +0000 Adam wrote:
> In that case, the following wording ...
>
> "... Void if minutes not redeemed 90 days from purchase. ..."
>
> might be more appropriate.
>

Not necessarily- often those 3rd party cards only assign you a "real"
PIN, which you then have to call the phone carrier to redeem (or
enter in the phone's WAP browser.)

So you could call on day 90 to get the PIN number, which you then
keep in a safe place until you actually need to use it.

(I don't know for sure how the cards at Target work, but that's how
the ones I've purchased at Office Max work.)



--

"I don't need my cell phone to play video games or take pictures
or double as a Walkie-Talkie; I just need it to work. Thanks for
all the bells and whistles, but I could communicate better with
ACTUAL bells and whistles." -Bill Maher 9/25/2003