Tracfone LG 3280 offered 6-24-10

[MountainMike]

Tracfone is offering a reconditioned LG 3280 with DMFL for $24.95 on their website.
Several TF users have commented that this is "the best" CDMA phone available from TF. This might be a good choice if you are limited to US Cellular, Verizon, or Altel because of poor GSM coverage in your area. (GSM= AT&T, T-Mobile, et al)

Cheers,
Mike

[SnowyWhite]

Tracfone is offering a reconditioned LG 3280 with DMFL for $24.95 on their website.
Several TF users have commented that this is "the best" CDMA phone available from TF. This might be a good choice if you are limited to US Cellular, Verizon, or Altel because of poor GSM coverage in your area. (GSM= AT&T, T-Mobile, et al)

Cheers,
Mike

I had that phone and you are right, it was one of Tracfones best, at least of the ones I had, if I were to ever go back to Tracfone I would love to use this one again, I never had a single problem with it.

The signal was great all the time, the sound quality was great, this really is a good little phone.

It doesn't do a lot but what it does, it does very well.

If you need a phone to talk on and don't need a lot of other stuff like a camera or Bluetooth or data, this one will not disappoint you.

[unit731]

LG 3280.

I have two of these and have had them for 5 years or so. Bought them exactly as this - reconditioned.

They have worked perfectly all this time. And I have dropped both - so even though plastic - they are pretty strong.

The sound quality is excellent on these phones.

And the Menu is better/easier than some of the newer LG phones or Motorola phones.

[MountainMike]

LG 3280 comments:

I received the LG3280 Tracfone (TF) I ordered over the weekend this past Wed., and the DMFL comes as a DMFL card, not built into the phone like my W376g and most other Tracfones.

Yes, the phone is a refurbished phone, but brushing that aside, I like the features the LG3280 provides! It allows me to change any alert sound to any of the thirty-five (35) ringtones, which are the best ringtones I have heard on any of the five different TF models I have owned. They are better than most of the other cell phones I have heard at various times.

Another positive feature, I can see that it has acquired a network signal (1 bar), even though it is NOT activated yet. This tells me that the phone will work in my rural location, but barely. This is one of the advantages of a CDMA (Verizon, US Cellular) phone - it connects to the network even though I cannot make a call, yet. At least I can get an idea of the signal strength "in the foothills" around here.

So far, only one (1) looming disadvantage, but it's a biggy: the battery life appears dismally short on this particular phone, about 1 day! I just took it off of the charger this morning about 9:30 a.m., and it is down to two bars out of the original four bars and it's 1:15 p.m.! That's a 50% power loss in 3+ hours??

I doubt if the weak signal at my location caused the battery condition, since "some" signal would relieve the battery stress that constant "searching" seems to involve.

The manual that comes with the phone is much more thorough than any Motorola manual I have yet seen.

The battery issue does have me concerned, though.

Mike

[Lisme]

TF seems to be sending inferior batteries with refurbs. If you continue to have problems, call Miami.

[Mr. D.]

TF seems to be sending inferior batteries with refurbs. If you continue to have problems, call Miami.

I second that. My last refurb had a battery that wouldn't even charge. Had to call them but did end up with a brand new battery.

[unit731]

I second that. My last refurb had a battery that wouldn't even charge. Had to call them but did end up with a brand new battery.

What battery did they send you? And how long does that battery keep phone alive?

[Mr. D.]

What battery did they send you? And how long does that battery keep phone alive?

It's been a while ago since this happened, so I don't remember the details. It was the original mfg battery, and it worked just fine.

[pattyrn]

The 3280 is the only trac that will auto answer and then go to speakephone. I have my chihiuahua trained to run to the phone and bark on it on que. I only call her when I will be home soon and with a treat. It is funny when I call her from work and put her on speaker and she barks when I tell her to. It is too funny.

[Scott in Boston]

LG 3280 comments:
Another positive feature, I can see that it has acquired a network signal (1 bar), even though it is NOT activated yet.

Maybe TF is doing this for all phones now, since I also was able to test T-Moble signal strength on my new LG 420g (GMA) for three days before activation. Over three years ago, when I got my Nokia 1100, I don't recall being able to get any signal before activation...I don't recall being able to do ANYTHING before activation, for that matter.

[Scott in Boston]

I second that. My last refurb had a battery that wouldn't even charge. Had to call them but did end up with a brand new battery.

TF seems to be sending inferior batteries with refurbs. If you continue to have problems, call Miami.

Hmmm...I purchased my first TF (refurbed Nokia 1100) over three years ago...first one they sent me had a microphone defect: at least whomever I called could not hear me, and would hang up (perhaps the "mute" was permanently "on"...I'm not even sure that phone has a "mute" function). I sent it back for replacement the next day, so I never got to test the battery life. The replacement phone has been flawless, and battery life ASTOUNDING. What you are reporting makes me concerned about taking the refurb chance again.

[Tracfancier]

Hmmm...I purchased my first TF (refurbed Nokia 1100) over three years ago...first one they sent me had a microphone defect: at least whomever I called could not hear me, and would hang up (perhaps the "mute" was permanently "on"...I'm not even sure that phone has a "mute" function). I sent it back for replacement the next day, so I never got to test the battery life. The replacement phone has been flawless, and battery life ASTOUNDING. What you are reporting makes me concerned about taking the refurb chance again.

They are refurbished because there was a problem when they were new. So if the chance of having a problem exists both ways, go with the best/cheapest deal (refurb bundle).

[unit731]

I just purchased new batteries for my LG3280 - from a reputable supplier. And these two new batteries don't seem much better than the old batteries.

I'm going to hazzard to guess that with any cell battery - that there is a risk of an inferior battery. All are made in China. And quality control is hit or miss there. Even big names have had problems with new phone factory batteries. I recall one case where the batteries overheated. Was it Apple or Verizon - can't remember.

One person told me about "Batch Theory". That these Chinese factories do make some good batteries on one shift - and another shift - with a different manager - cuts quality. Or 10,000 batteries may be perfect and the next 10,000 may be inferior.