GreatCall Jitterbug5 Easy-to-Use Cell Phone and Medical Alert Device for Seniors - White

There is a lot to like about the phone itself: with its large numbers on the screen and big buttons it should be very senior-friendly. But my complaint, and the reason I returned the phone, is with Great Call, the outfit through which phone service is provided. It's unfortunate there are no alternative service providers for this phone.First of all, I never got the phone activated. Entering the serial number on the Great Call web site kept producing a message that the serial number was invalid. After calling Great Call, the first person I spoke to agreed that the serial number was invalid. The serial number was on both a card included with the phone, and on the box the phone came in, and they matched. He kept asking me where I got the phone, apparently trying to get me to admit that I bought it used or stolen, out of someone's trunk instead of off Amazon. Eventually that first person transferred me to the "Activation Department".The Activation Department guy was sure we would be able to activate the phone, but he needed a credit card before he could even try. And he said the process would take about 25 minutes! I'm sorry, but I've activated enough software and hardware in my day to know there's no reason I shouldn't be able to do so through their web site. And if I absolutely have to talk to a person about it, there's no way it should take 25 minutes. I told him if that's a sample of how "user-friendly" the Jitterbug was going to be, there's no way my 86-year-old relative would be able to use it. And I returned the phone.

Both the phone and the service from Great Call are wonderful. I could not live without this. First; the phone is truly very easy to deal with for somebody like me who is not technology-savvy. It is a phone that is pretty good sized and with bigger buttons that others on the market. In terms of service, Great Call is so terrific I cannot sing their praises enough. The reps are so patient and fabulous. Their high professionalism and knowledge are just what I need (as does anybody, actually).During the online activation process, I got to one point where I didn't know how to answer. I then called Great Call and the rep got me set up without any hassle (and was sweet to boot). BTW, the reps are in California, not offshore. There is no language barrier and the reps are highly trained.In addition; I recently let the phone go too long without charging. I could not bring it back simply by trying to charge it up again on my own. With my house phone, I called Great Call. The wonderful rep walked me through the process to get it back up (slow and patient like I need). I thought that perhaps I would need a new battery. Not the case.When my daughter moved out and no longer wanted me on her family plan, she researched what cell phone would be best for me. That is including what company has the best reviews. Well, this is "it."Also; this service is absolutely reliable and voices are clear. I cannot say the same for the internet phone service I have through my cable company. So many times recently, the internet/phone has gone down for extended periods of time. Without the Great Call service, I would not have a way to communicate when my other "service" is not operational.

I purchased this cell phone for my grandmother. Her old flip phone had finally bit the dust and she needed a replacement. Because she is very picky about these things and she really dislikes technology and learning to use new electronics, I needed to find a phone that would be extremely easy for her to use. The Jitterbug seemed like it would fit the bill.Now... let me begin by saying that when we were first investigating the Jitterbug phone, we were under the impression that it could be setup on the Verizon network. This impression came from some television commercials that we had seen. It turns out that the only way to have this phone is to get service through GreatCall. You cannot purchase this phone and use it on any other network. The reason for the Verizon confusion turned out to be because GreatCall uses Verizon's towers. So, if you choose this phone and set it up with GreatCall, you can figure the kind of coverage you will get by comparing Verizon coverage. Once we decided to jump in with all of that in mind, we found the service to be reasonably priced and comparable to the Verizon service that her previous phone was connected to. Yes, this is a review of the phone, but I figure that if the service you are required to use is a problem, then the phone isn't going to work for you, right?So... how is the phone? Overall, we are extremely happy with it. We were impressed by how pretty the pearl white phone turned out to be. We were originally going to purchase the red version of this phone because we wanted to be sure it would be easy to find. In the end, we opted for the white one because the discount was substantial. We are really glad that we did because the white is bright enough that it's really easy to find as well. My grandmother is much happier with the look of this phone.The buttons are large and easy to use. My mother setup the contacts in the phone and said that it was very simple to do. My grandmother says that the screen is easy for her to see and she can read everything clearly. And the earpiece on this phone is terrific and has made it easier for her to hear people when she talks on the phone. She was especially happy with that feature.The only complaint that she had with this phone is the ringer volume. She wanted to use the Jitterbug ringtone, but isn't able to hear the phone ringing when it is in her purse. She has it turned up to full volume, but still misses calls because she can't hear the phone when it rings. We are looking into changing her ringtone to something louder, but Grandma is not happy with that solution because she wants to keep the one she likes. It seems to me that if a company is making a phone specially designed for elderly people, they would keep in mind that they frequently have difficulty hearing. It would have been a simple design adjustment to add a louder ringer to this phone. Because of this problem, I've downgraded my rating to 4 stars.All opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own. I have shared my personal experience with this product and cannot guarantee that you will have the same experience with the product that I had, nor can I promise that we will share the same opinion of the product.