Walmart Family Mobile Information Thread

**GSMRocks** · 10-18-2010, 08:54 PM

Until the mods create a WFM Section on the board, I thought I'd post verifiable factual information about Walmart Family Mobile and try to answer any questions you may have.

You may purchase activation kits and use them in any unlocked GSM Phone
If your Phone supports it, you do have access to the T-Mobile UMTS Network
You can port over from T-Mobile Postpaid
You can activate at home, online. This way the Wal-Mart employees don't mess up your account.
The initial 100 MB you get with each line does NOT renew each month. Once it is gone you will need to purchase data in $10, $25 or $40 increments. You can buy a refill card with cash at the store or use your debit card online.
Picture messages use data
When you purchase the kit, you do not need to pay for your first month of service up front. Service is provided to you post paid without a credit check.
Data settings, for now, are the same as they are for T-Mobile. If you have a T-Mobile device and you are using it on this service, you do not have to change anything.
Short Codes for banks and other information services may not work. So far the NetSpend and Greendot short codes, 22622 and 43411, do not work.

If anyone has any info or corrections to this, I welcome it. I am not a hurt ego if you correct misinformation. This is designed to be helpful to all not to be a showoff. I am a proud person holding family mobile.

**ilvla2** · 10-18-2010, 11:19 PM

WalMart Family Mobile is not available in all WalMart Stores, our WalMart in Ukiah, CA, and the next nearest one in Clearlake, CA do not carry it, as neither store has a Communication's Center, just some PrePaid Phones and cards in Electronics. We do have T-Mobile service in this area though, but to get this you'd have to go to Windsor, 60 miles south of my place to get to a WalMart with a Communication's Center. They are doing a MAJOR overhaul and expansion of our WalMart in Ukiah soon, I hope they put a Communication's Center in as part of that

**DreamCatcher68** · 10-19-2010, 10:18 AM

Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.80 (BlackBerry; Opera Mini/5.1.21216/20.2497; U; en) Presto/2.5.25)

I've been to 3 Wal-Marts in my area as well as at my college and I've yet to see anything about the Family Mobile set-up.

**whacker** · 10-19-2010, 07:27 PM

The WFM data deal is really good, I think. Any idea if they're considering something of a lesser, non-unlimited plan?

**GSMRocks** · 10-20-2010, 11:16 AM

Can we make this a sticky?

**sendpaulmailat** · 10-20-2010, 12:00 PM

We need to determine whether non-branded phones can use the data connection. There have been conflicting reports. I suppose there are three possibilities: 1) only WFM phones will work, 2) only T-Mobile or WFM phones will work, or 3) any GSM phone will work.

**whacker** · 10-20-2010, 12:17 PM

It seems like as long as the settings in the phone are correct, there shouldn't be any trouble. An AT&T phone would not have the correct settings (unlocking doesn't have any bearing on this), so they would have to be modified to whatever works. So we need WFM mobile web settings.

**GSMRocks** · 10-20-2010, 01:56 PM

The settings are exactly the same as T-Mobile settings, see the first post. I have a MyTouch 3G Slide on this and its working fine.

**Antenna** · 10-20-2010, 03:05 PM

Walmart phones, T-Mobile handsets, and unlocked GSM phones (AWS band for 3G) will work on Walmart Mobile. You must buy $25 Sim card either way however.

**whacker** · 10-20-2010, 04:07 PM

Yeah, so if it's an unlocked AT&T phone you'll need to change at least the APN to one of T-Mobile's.

**billm261** · 10-20-2010, 04:11 PM

40.00 buys you 1GB of data with a 20% bonus which equals 1.2GB.
Talk and Text are a decent deal, web not so much.

**whacker** · 10-20-2010, 04:34 PM

I'd say a nickel per meg ($0.04 for the 1 GB package minus bonus) is about the best you're going to find, especially comparing it to prepaid providers. It's better than PlatinumTel's dime per MB. Only when you get to the big boys who are charging $30 for 5 GB (per month) or something do you get a better price (that's $0.006 per MB), but WFM at least lets you use what you pay for, as unused data rolls into the next month.

**Khabibul35** · 10-20-2010, 05:32 PM

Interesting... you think it'd be possible to use Walmart Family Mobile for data only? I'd be willing to pay $40 for 1 GB if it rolled over. $40 would last me 3 or 4 months! However, I doubt Walmart would let you get away without paying for "unlimited text and voice"

**GSMRocks** · 10-20-2010, 06:57 PM

Khabibul35, this is a FAMILY service. It is meant to be a traditional post paid cell phone service without the snobby or uppity richy rich credit checks and cheaper rates without a contract. it is not a hobbist or data service. it is meant to save couples or families on their wireless bill and provide wireless service to those too disadvantaged to pass a credit check

**Khabibul35** · 10-21-2010, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by GSMRocks

Khabibul35, this is a FAMILY service. It is meant to be a traditional post paid cell phone service without the snobby or uppity richy rich credit checks and cheaper rates without a contract. it is not a hobbist or data service. it is meant to save couples or families on their wireless bill and provide wireless service to those too disadvantaged to pass a credit check

Umm, it's marketed as a FAMILY SERVICE. But the terms aren't necessarily the best options for families and couples.

Besides this point, there's no reason for why it's not possible for them to allow this option... but they would rather suck down the $45 + $25 per line than allow reasonable data prices for everyone.

I don't understand why you had go get so indignant about a question regarding a better data option for people. As I fall into the category of people who want service "without the snobby or uppity richy rich credit checks and cheaper rates without a contract", I just happen to be interested mostly in data since I use less than 100 mins a month.