Cell Providers - Freeze-Frame Radio

firefly · Now, with 50% more Fire!

Cell Providers

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

I had Verizon and I loved their customer service. They always took care of me quickly and were very flexible as far as changing plans as often as I wanted. They also will prorate a plan change if you go over.

For example, if you used more minutes than your plan allowed for the month, and were gonna have to pay the .45 cents a minute for all the extras, you can call and move to the next highest plan and they'll set it as if it started at the beginning of the month, so those extra minutes just fall into the regular plan.

Not everyone will do that.

I had bad cell service with them though. My phone didn't work in my own home

But that's just a matter of being in a dead spot for cell service. I wouldn't let that affect your decision.

firefly · Now, with 50% more Fire!

Well, I just got the Verizon phone tonight. It works fine in my house. My problem with Alltel is that I get so many dropped calls! Do you still have Verizon?

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

No, I was using my phone so little that I switched to a Net10 prepaid. Instead of a $50 bill a month I only spend about $7 - $10.

But when I did have Verizon (as recently as May) they had been my provider for seven years. I never had a problem with dropping calls, except for one specific spot near the zoo. EVERYTIME I drove past that spot the call would drop.

WebGuy · Doesn't Do Windows

I'm on Alltel too, but that is really my only choice with decent coverage around here. I've been with Alltel for 10 years now and don't know much about Verizon. I do know that Alltel and Verizon have sharing agreements to allow their users to use each other's systems.

I just changed plans today.

firefly · Now, with 50% more Fire!

Well, I will hang on to the Alltel phone for a while and see what happens with the Verizon one.

firefly · Now, with 50% more Fire!

WebGuy wrote:

I'm on Alltel too, but that is really my only choice with decent coverage around here. I've been with Alltel for 10 years now and don't know much about Verizon. I do know that Alltel and Verizon have sharing agreements to allow their users to use each other's systems.

I just changed plans today.

Really?? They share? How does that work?

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

WebGuy wrote:

I'm on Alltel too, but that is really my only choice with decent coverage around here. I've been with Alltel for 10 years now and don't know much about Verizon. I do know that Alltel and Verizon have sharing agreements to allow their users to use each other's systems.

I just changed plans today.

You have a big plan right? With the data transfer and all that stuff?

WebGuy · Doesn't Do Windows

They share meaning, they have agreements that if you are an Alltel customer and go into a Verizon area, your phone uses Verizon's system just fine and the opposite too.

Yes, I have a big plan. I'm actually now saving $10/month but getting more.

I was using and OLD $35 plan with only 300 minutes. I needed unlimited text messaging for my email-to-phone messages, and then I added the unlimited data plan.

Now, I'm on one package for $90/month. Yes, that is steep, but I can get both the phone and the laptop on the net from anywhere I have cell service. The plan also moved the free nights up to 7:00pm, went from 300 minutes to 500, free mobile-to-mobile, and added the Alltel "My Circle". If you don't know what that is, free calls to/from any other US number.

firefly · Now, with 50% more Fire!

yeah i have the "my circle". i love it!

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

That's not too bad a deal.

I may at some point ditch the home phone and go back to a nice cell phone, but it won't be Verizon because of the lack of service in my house.

I can't see spending 40 month on my landline and another 60 on my cell. But if I have just the cell then it might be ok.

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

We don't even have Alltel here.

firefly · Now, with 50% more Fire!

that's weird JR. My coverage includes Milwaukee it says.

WebGuy · Doesn't Do Windows

I hated to lose my old plan because I got text messaging before it was popular. My unlimited text messaging plan was only $6.00/month. Its like $25.00 now if you get it separate. I suspect they will always offer it within some kind of "bundle" now.

I was thinking with "My Circle" that I'll just leave one number "flexible" and if I need to make a long call, go in and add that number to my list . . . I now see that "My Circle" updates only happen once a day at midnight.

WebGuy · Doesn't Do Windows

That is that sharing thing . . . Alltel says they have coverage, but through the agreement, you go to Wisconsin and you'll be using the Verizon network.

firefly · Now, with 50% more Fire!

yeah it doesn't update until the next day. i don't like that either.

WebGuy · Doesn't Do Windows

I'm really wanting a new phone because my "joystick" on my pocket pc is broken. I have to do everything be getting the stylus out and using the touch screen. I'm dragging my feet though, because all the smartphones I would want that Alltel is offering right now are about two year old technology.

The "Motorola Q" is fairly new, but it doesn't have a touch screen. I think I would miss it. The Blackberrys don't play mp3s. That just leaves the model I have and two year old Palm handhelds.

Come on Alltel . . . give me something cool and new!

firefly · Now, with 50% more Fire!

You could always dish out $600 for the iPhone

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

You don't know Web very well do you!

firefly · Now, with 50% more Fire!

yeah i would NEVER pay that much for a phone! heck , i didn't pay that much for my KID! hmm

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

It's not the price, it's Apple. He hates the Apple! Thinks it's rotten!

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

Well, the price probably doesn't help

firefly · Now, with 50% more Fire!

Jeremy Riggs wrote:

It's not the price, it's Apple. He hates the Apple! Thinks it's rotten!

oh!!! see i have NO clue about all that stuff weirdface

WebGuy · Doesn't Do Windows

lol

No, I have no desire for an iPhone right now.

Two main reasons . . .

1. I heard you can't use it as a modem for your laptop like I do with mine now.

2. It won't work here. I looked and the Apple site says it won't work here, but I can still buy one if I'd like to just look at how pretty it is.

I also heard that if you have one and move to place where you are roaming, after two months, they start slapping you with huge roaming fees.

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

That iPhone does not sound like a good deal

WebGuy · Doesn't Do Windows

Nah, I'm not really anti-Apple. I think they have good products, I just think they just charge a premium prices for decent stuff. I wouldn't mind having an iBook laptop to play with, but I gotta have Windoze for compatibility issues and to be able to help tech support other Windoze users. I just can't justify buying an iBook just to "play" with.

MzHartz · Permanent Vacation

Man, I wish I could afford an iBook. If I could, I could probably even write it off for work, since we have all PCs here, but we get a lot of Mac files that I use a converter program for, but they don't come out the same. It's been so long since I've worked on a Mac, I'm a graphic designer and don't even know which one I prefer.

But back to phones, we don't have Alltell around here, and I really don't know anyone with Verizon. Our big carrier is Cingular/AT&T. But I've had Voicestream/T-Mobile since '99 and for the most part I love it. Their customer service is great, their contract is only a year, and you get some insane amount of minutes with the $40 plan. And when your year is up, you can sign a new contract and get the free phone again. And if your phone breaks during that year, they'll either fix it or give you a new one.

My cell phone used to be my only phone. But when we got a landline, it cost too much for the few minutes I used, so I switched to prepaid, still with T-Mobile. I looked at other prepaid services, but I thought T-Mobile had the best deal. I was worried about my minutes expiring, but once you spend $100 on minutes, no matter how many you buy, they're good for a year. The only problem I have with it is some SMS stuff doesn't work with it, but it works out to less than $10 a month, so I can live with that.

WebGuy · Doesn't Do Windows

My wife has a prepaid phone. She rarely uses it. It is just a flat rate of (I think) 25 cents/min. Alltel has a deal on their prepaid though that if you don't use at least one minute every 30 days, they take a $4.00 service charge out of your balance. Its not "once per month" either, it is ever 30 days. She tries to remember to make a one minute call on the 1st and the 15th to only lose 50 cents rather than $4.00.

There are quite a few people around here that have stopped their land line phones and only use a cell phone. It makes sense except that here, you can't get your name in the phone book unless you have a landline.

This phone usage amazes me though. Who is everyone talking to? I mean, there are some people that almost literally every time I see them, they are talking on their phone. I guess I just don't have enough friends to have someone to call 18 hrs/day.

firefly · Now, with 50% more Fire!

We have Cingular and T-Mobile here. I had Cingular several years back and I got HORRIBLE service with them. That is when I switched to Alltel.

Woo Hoo · The Chosen Woo

We are Verizon customers and for the most part we love it! We were previously Nextel customers. We loved the direct connect. It worked great for me and my husband driving separately and such. But they cut you no breaks for being a loyal customer. They only give you breaks when you are a new customer. We also went Verizon because the majority of our friends and family are on Verizon and all Verizon to Verizon calls are free. Next month we can get new phones with the new every two plan they have. The only thing I miss is the direct connect. And it seems like no matter what company we have we get no or very little service at my in laws. They are in the dead zone.