How do I preserve phone number on GoPhone?

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@herm1ne wrote:

Hi

I am a go phone user and going to Japan for 3 years to stay.

I don't want let my phone number go so I can stay on the same phone number after 3 years.

So I want to know the way to preserve my phone number for a long time with the least cost.

 

Thanks in advance.

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Depending on how much money you have in your account, the cheapest may be porting to T-Mobile. With a single $100 T-Mobile To Go refill you attain Gold Status, which will allow any subsequent refill to last a year. So for 3 years that'll be $100 + $10 + $10, plus you'll lose your AT&T balance. Once you come back, port the number back to AT&T.

Hi Dmapr,
   As far as I know, T mobile do not have any Gold Status !!!
 Or else I won't lost over US$600+ credit with them on my 3 accounts in USA!! I want my money back!!
 Yes, I had been doing what you said for so many years with T mobile, but in 2013,March I found out  they stop the Gold Status, US$10 only good for 3 months.
 One day I check the accounts and all the credit/money are gone.
 Talk to their CS dept. in India ,they just keep on tell me because I only put US$10 in last time and it is only last for 3 months.
 They even know how much money I got left in my 3 accounts,but they do not give me a refund.
 The same happen to my T mobile UK account with over GBP 165 (Appx US$ 300) inside because I do not make a chargeable call for the last 120 days.
 Fell like scam by T mobile  
 

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@adidaskid808 wrote:

Hi Dmapr,
   As far as I know, T mobile do not have any Gold Status !!!
 Or else I won't lost over US$600+ credit with them on my 3 accounts in USA!! I want my money back!!
 Yes, I had been doing what you said for so many years with T mobile, but in 2013,March I found out  they stop the Gold Status, US$10 only good for 3 months.
 One day I check the accounts and all the credit/money are gone.
 Talk to their CS dept. in India ,they just keep on tell me because I only put US$10 in last time and it is only last for 3 months.
 They even know how much money I got left in my 3 accounts,but they do not give me a refund.
 The same happen to my T mobile UK account with over GBP 165 (Appx US$ 300) inside because I do not make a chargeable call for the last 120 days.
 Fell like scam by T mobile  
 

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You'd better point them at their own website. They're still advertizing the gold rewards program. According to their site, $10 should still extend your account a year once you hit gold.

I had a Gold account with T-Mobile that I finally let go of since I wasn't using it at all, but my last renewal of $10 was in March of 2013 and the balance didn't expire until March of 2014, so it was definitely still working. Plus as fornax has mentioned, their own web site still advertises it. However, this only applies to the To Go plan, none of their other prepaid offerings. But if as you say $10 is good for 3 months (I don't recall now, but I believe it was only 30 days before) then it's still cheaper than AT&T: $10x4x3=$120 still gives you three years.

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@adidaskid808 wrote:

Hi Dmapr,
   As far as I know, T mobile do not have any Gold Status !!!
 Or else I won't lost over US$600+ credit with them on my 3 accounts in USA!! I want my money back!!
 Yes, I had been doing what you said for so many years with T mobile, but in 2013,March I found out  they stop the Gold Status, US$10 only good for 3 months.
 One day I check the accounts and all the credit/money are gone.
 Talk to their CS dept. in India ,they just keep on tell me because I only put US$10 in last time and it is only last for 3 months.
 They even know how much money I got left in my 3 accounts,but they do not give me a refund.
 The same happen to my T mobile UK account with over GBP 165 (Appx US$ 300) inside because I do not make a chargeable call for the last 120 days.
 Fell like scam by T mobile  
 

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Hi fornax,dmapr,
    Now, this crazy T mobile Gold thing are clear .
 In late 2012, I changed from their To Go plan to the $2 with up to GPRS
 data & $3 with 200MB data up to 4G speed.
    That's why I lost the Gold Status!!
 As far as I know, $10 credit is good for 3 months for the above plans.
And $100 credit are good for 365 days. 
   

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@adidaskid808 wrote:

Hi fornax,dmapr,
    Now, this crazy T mobile Gold thing are clear .
 In late 2012, I changed from their To Go plan to the $2 with up to GPRS
 data & $3 with 200MB data up to 4G speed.
    That's why I lost the Gold Status!!
 As far as I know, $10 credit is good for 3 months for the above plans.
And $100 credit are good for 365 days. 
   

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Yes, that would explain it. AFAIK the Gold status applies only to the To Go and that one has no data options anymore.