Cell Phones?

[ElizabethX]

I did this as a myspace bulletin too, but wanted to check you guys and see your thoughts over here.

What services do you guys use? Do you like it or dislike it, and why? Do you have any recommendations?

Elizabeth

[Chief]

honestly....they are all pretty good....speaking from experience....cell phone companies are what you make of them....realize that they are transmitted through the air, and may not always work.if they were meant to work all the time, they would be called a land line...connected by a wire..your major namebrands are usually the best providers. Verizon, Sprint/Nextel, US Cellular and so on. Only recomendation I can give, you WASTE MONEY on pay per services! Bite the bullet (unless your credit is screwed) and get yearly contracts.

[ElizabethX]

Yeah, we've been looking to get a real service. We've been doing pay as you go for too long on an old phone and somehow, no one ever seems able to get through to us. It's really inconvenient.

[Wheeljak]

I disagree with Chief; there are many difference between providers. Your best bet is to talk to local people you know who use cell phones, and find out who they're with, who else they've used, and how they would compare them.
Someone telling you who's good in New York or Miami isn't really going to help you much, because there are even variations in service from a single provider from market to market.
Also, until you find out for sure that a provider is going to meet your needs, stay away from 2-year contracts. I know that it's enticing, with all the hi-tech phones that play music and wax your car for you, but if you're signed into an agreement that you don't like, two years can seem like an eternity, and buying out of a contract can sometimes cost as much as the phone would have cost. A 1-year contract will allow you to save a lot on a new phone, plus you're not locked in for so long.
Your best bet, however, is no contract at all; I dunno if it's my imagination, but when customer service sees that you are capable of leaving them at any time without recourse, they are far more accommodating. The only drawback to free agency is that is that you won't get a discount on your new phone unless you beg or fight them for it.

Also, cell phone replacement insurance is a good buy, but be careful: I had a really bad experience with Asurion, and I found out last week that there is now a class action lawsuit against them for a laundry list of questionable practices.

I urge you to start your phone search today if possible; pay-per plans will bleed you dry.

[Chief]

please show me a cell phone company that has no contract....

[Cozmo D]

please show me a cell phone company that has no contract....

I think he means once your contract runs out. I've been month to month with Cingular for some time now and they treat me like gold!:haha:

[Wheeljak]

please show me a cell phone company that has no contract....
Sure, just go to the cell phone place, and stick up for yourself. Just say that you want a plan, but you don't want a contract. Do you think that they'll say, "No, we don't want your business"?

I've had cell phones for five years, in two states. The first time I've ever had a contract was this past summer, when I wanted to take advantage of a new phone perk.


I think he means once your contract runs out. I've been month to month with Cingular for some time now and they treat me like gold!
Actually, no. All you have to do is ask for a plan with no contract, and they'll be happy to oblige you. There is far too much competition for them to be passing over prospective clients.

[Chief]

what cell companies were you going through that gave you a plan with no contract when you signed up?

[Chief]

yea..i know Coz...only time i agree to a new contract is when im wanting a new phone cheap....

[Wheeljak]

what cell companies were you going through that gave you a plan with no contract when you signed up?
I was first with Alltel, and then with Verizon. I have some friends and relatives with MetroPCS, and they don't require a contract, either.
Why do you think the companies offer enticements for signing a contract? If you had to sign a contract, do you think they would bother to woo and serenade and seduce you? Naw, they'd just twirl it in with no grease.

[Chief]

that may be, but im willing to bet you wouldve gotten a better deal doing a contract....Cell phone companies base their stocks on their churn ratio (turnover of existing customers to new subscribers). If you really want to get to the nitty gritty on cell phones. Check their churn ratio on the stock market. The lower the churn the higher their stocks are. Again, for the long haul, you will get a better deal getting a contract. You dont have to do a 2 year, but you will get a better rate plan if you do. (funny though, contracts do not hold up in the court of law in the 2 states I live in.)

Another funny thing about cell phone companies is they usually all are on the same towers to amplify their coverage. The more companies on the same tower, (they rent them out, just like cable companies do their cable lines, phones etc) the greater chance there is to drop a call. The only company that runs exclusively on their own towers is Nextel. Now that Sprint has bought the top 100 market (not the IPCS markets, people get confused here) of Nextel Partners their technology will finally increase. They have been promising all sorts of crap for years, and never produced. They are currently working on a next generation of phones that will be able to give the other majors a huge run for their money. Nextel was primarly a work phone. If you were a company, you could not beat their direct connect feature. It really was not meant for individual use and was quite a bit higher in price than your At&t, Sprint, Verizon.

Where most consumers make the mistake when choosing a cell phone carrier is not getting up to date coverage of towers (they are always going up at about 250,000 per unit) They will usually listen to they hype of the sales person telling them whatever they want to hear. Stay within your budget, but dont be afraid press the dealer for a bit of a better deal. These people make money of the sale, sometimes residules are involved, but for the most part are willing to take a hit to get the sale.

[Chief]

and i guess the biggest point im trying to make is that when you hear these horror stories of cell companies from friends, take them with a grain of salt. Most of the time they are promised one thing by a dealer, (they are not the company, they only sell the damn things) and then find out they were missled....

[Terrick]

I'm still on a family plan, so my only recommendation would be to make sure you check out the coverage maps. I know some people who just can't get reception through Cingular where they are, so they have to use Verizon.


Cingular: http://www.cingular.com/shop/maps

Verizon: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/CoverageLocatorController?requesttype=NEWREQUEST

Sprint: http://coverage.sprintpcs.com/IMPACT.jsp


Those are the major ones, at least.

[ElizabethX]

We went with T Mobile.

[syxxpm]

im amish,,,,theres an evil spirit hiding inside the phone...mommy im scared....the unclean thing is coming to taint me...!!!

[Harmeister]

if syxx is amish, I must be athiest or something.

WHY DON'T YOU PEOPLE TELL ME THESE THINGS!!!

[syxxpm]

i sent the memos...with the tps reports.....